© 25 Colin Melbourne
Q: How do believers tell the difference between their own spirit and the Holy Spirit?
A: Thank you for putting your finger on the heart of the matter! (Word-nerd-alert: “Matter” as in physical flesh and bone, as well as meaning the kernel of a thought or concept.)
Not For Sinners
To be unambiguous, we’re discussing born again believers in The LORD Jesus Christ: Not sinners or the religious, whose spirits are still unregenerate.
What follows does not apply to make-believers, nominal “Christians”, who are merely unsaved sinners, devoid of the indwelling Holy Spirit of The LORD.
Such people follow their own fallen spirit, their own souls, their own minds, and their own feelings and wills, and certainly not the Living God.
How can they follow who they don’t even know, and who are not known by Him?
This is made plain by what they do, and what they say: Their heart (their own spirit) is in charge of their lives, not the Holy Spirit of God.
What they do and say conflicts with the written word of God, understood by revelation of the Holy Spirit. Their opinion overrules the LORD’s Spirit.
If you baulk at that distinction, you need to get saved the Holy Bible way before you’ll comprehend what this article is about.
For those who are truly trying to follow the LORD, read on…
Saints Only
We are considering how real believers find the true leading of the LORD’s Holy Spirit in their hearts, rather than the mere promptings and inclinations of the saint’s regenerated human spirit.
It’s not difficult when you embrace the written word of God, and seek the meaning from Father God.
Comprehension is Not Automatic
Just because a person has been born of God, it does not follow they will always grasp the meaning of the written word of God (The KJV in English), but as they contemplate in quietness what the written word says, seeking the mind of the Holy Ghost, our divine Teacher will show them what the written word means.
It takes humility, and integrity to attend to the Holy Ghost, He doesn’t shout, or force Himself on anyone.
He’s far more humble than us, so easy to ignore, if we don’t really want His will.
When Believers are Actually Unbelievers
If your mind is fixed, decided, and unwilling to repent, He leaves you stuck in your personal rut of unbelief.
Just look at the denominations today: An appalling sight to behold.
But when you truly seek The Teacher, He always answers according to The Absolute Truth: The LORD Jesus Christ.
New Every Morning
We know Christ through the written word and His Holy Spirit revealing Him to us personally.
He often does this by waking us gently from deep sleep, speaking to our heart spiritually.
I suspect He chooses this way because when wide awake, we’re already too fixed in our thinking to be as teachable as He needs us to be for the day’s tasks.
From Prisoner to Preacher
Peter and Angie Spackman testifying on US TV
Peter Spackman, a “Scouser” preaching Jesus to Muslims in Alabama prisons correctly puts it like this, “The LORD wants you where He can spread you like butter on hot toast!”
Are you hard butter from the fridge, stuck with a denominational mindset, instead of being malleable, teachable, hungry for God, and flowing like molten butter into the hot toasted bread?
Straight to The Heart of The Matter
When a sinner is born of God, their human spirit is re-created, born again by the miraculous working of Father God.
This is instantaneous the millisecond a person repents from unbelief in the LORD Jesus Christ.
We remember it well, don’t we?
If not, it hasn’t happened yet, but keep reading, and it will today.
Understand that your spirit is still human, not divine: Of God, but not God.
Much like Adam before he sinned.
He was created perfectly divine, but he was not God, was he?
No, he was a human, created in the image of God.
Your born again spirit is the real you, made righteous by faith in Christ.
Free to Follow
He’s Sovereign, but has set you free to follow Him from the motive of love. Jn. 14:15 KJV;
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
We display our love for Him by obeying Him.
We show our antipathy towards Him by disobeying His commandments.
Don’t do that.
You Are Matter, Soul, and Spirit
Your body (your matter) and soul, which consists of your mind, your will, emotions and feelings are all still fallen, they remain totally human, and so need to be renewed and kept under the authority of the Holy Ghost in your spirit. Romans 12:1-2 KJV;
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Self Control
That’s a lifelong self-discipline that’s your duty until your final breath on Earth.
Whose task is it to be self-controlled: God’s or ours?
If you expect God to force you, you’re out of order: He simply won’t, because that’s your honour, and responsibility. 2 Peter 3:11-14 KJV;
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
What Happens When We Blow It?
You don’t lose your salvation if you fall short, but you do lose your peace, joy, your confidence in Christ, and your health will suffer.
Notice how many Christians fell into the trap of taking the lethal Covid-injection, many have died, and the rest are now suffering all kinds of auto-immune ailments, and infertility, simply because they ignored God’s Spirit telling them not to trust the lies they were being told by corrupt medics and politicians.
Therefore we attend to the Holy Ghost leading our spirit to be in tune with His Holy Spirit in us.
How To Tell Your spirit from God’s
When your spirit contends with Him, you need to repent and line up with Christ’s Spirit in you.
If you find that His written word conflicts with your innermost being, then you are in error, walking in darkness, and need to get in line with His written word, and His Spirit.
Then you’ll love your enemies the same as you love Christ and yourself.
Then you’ll walk in divine peace, health, love, and life.
Is that what you want?
It’s what your Lord wants.
The Love Walk
You’ll love even genocidal Zionists, Jews, Arabs, Catholics and Muslims the same as you love Father God, it will come supernaturally, as you hold your flesh and soul in check by the power of the Holy Ghost reigning in your heart.
You’ll share the Good News in God’s Love with all of them, and God will be with you to confirm His words.
THAT after all… is the heart of the matter.
What Good News?
The Good News of the good things Christ has already done for everyone.
Good news if you are a sinner, The LORD Jesus Christ has borne your sin, while you are still sinning.
Why?
So that when you repent from unbelief and believe on Him, your sin and guilt can be remitted, and your heavenly account will be made clean as snow instead of black as night.
So what?
Quit rejecting His redemption offered to you today, and accept Christ as LORD and Saviour.
The good news that God in The Flesh has not only borne your sin, guilt and punishment, but also took your diseases and sickness on Himself at Calvary.
Why?
So that as you believe on Him and follow in His steps you will be healed, set free from sickness and all Satan’s power.
So what?
So accept His redemption of both your spirit and your body and be totally healed inside and out.
The Good News that God has come from Heaven and fixed your sin problem once and for all.
Why?
Because you’re lost in sin and bound by demon power, unable to break free.
So what?
So repent from unbelief, the greatest sin of all; believe on Christ as LORD and Saviour, and you will know you are free forever, and will be welcomed into Heaven.
© 25 Colin Melbourne
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