56

MEEKNESS IS LOVE SUBMITTING.

God's way of doing things is substantially different from your own (Isa. 55:8,9).
                Rarely is this so dramatically evidenced as in the case of meekness.

You may struggle, as many do, with the notion that
meekness is the stuff of which heroes are made.
But it is. It really, really is.

Consider the greatest hero in history. He never threw his weight around. He never took advantage of his position. He never put on airs (Phil. 2:6; Rev. 19:16).

He wasn't a pushover either. He demonstrated tough love on more than one occasion (Mk. 10:13; 11:15; Mt. 16:32; 18:6). But he was never ever defensive about matters relating to himself. In that regard, he was cool!

Without being deferential he referred to himself as
                                                               "gentle and humble."

Without apology he invites you to be like him.
               "Wear my yoke--for it fits perfectly--and let me teach you"
                (Mt. 11:29 TLB).

A spirit-filled life maintains a wonderful balance between toughness and tenderness.

It is meek, but never weak.

Weakness is yielding to your human nature.
Meekness is mastering your human nature.

Meekness is, as Jesus said, something you learn. That's hard to do in this era of raw power. But it can be done. Not as a "dead works" human effort, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Meekness is being God-tamed. It is love submitting.

Don't let the word submitting throw you. It simply means presenting yourself for examination. First, by God. Then, by people close to you. Finally, having passed muster at those two levels, submitting invites examination by the world.

God wants to showcase what he can do with you when he has all of you!

Failure to be gentle should signal a need on your part for some "closet" time. Some "in the garden" time, I call it. Some time when, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, you let your hero bring you up to speed again.

Jesus was not only the greatest teacher who ever lived,
he himself was the greatest lesson he ever taught!

SELF-CONTROL IS LOVE RULING.

When you are God-tamed you are ready to be God-trained. That's what self-control is all about.

As you sort through the eight facets of love and come, at last, to self-control you arrive at the point where spiritual growth actually begins.
                  It is here where the first real battles are fought and won.

While last on this list of the constituent parts of love, self-control is anything but least. In fact, it may be love's most fundamental facet.
              How, and by whom, the self is controlled is the really Big Issue.
It is in this area--the area of the self--where your flesh really does battle with the Spirit.

SELF-CONTROL IS SELF-CONTROLLED--BY THE SPIRIT.

It's important that you know self-control is not a grim effort on your part to be like Jesus in the energy of the flesh.

Self-control is not control of the flesh by the flesh.
Self-control is self-controlled by the Holy Spirit.
Like everything else on this list, self-control is the Spirit's fruit.

Self-control is putting your human spirit under the control of God's Holy Spirit who
             comes along side you,
                     makes Jesus real to you, and
                              enables you to be like him.

Self-control is not stern self-repression.

Self-control is a powerful expression of the Spirit of Jesus at work in you.

IT'S ALL ABOUT CHOICES.

God's willingness to bless you is only limited by your willingness to be blessed!

If the fruit of the Spirit is obvious by its absence, make a choice.

"Repent and be converted" (Acts 3:19).
Continue doing so
as often as needed!

Allow the Holy Spirit to convert what satan is trying to pervert:

Your mind and way of thinking.
Your emotions and way of relating.
Your habits and way of acting.

Then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you will fulfill your destiny.

You will be to your little world what Jesus would be
if he, himself, were where you are!

And that's what you really want, isn't it? Please say, "yes!"

58

AFTERWARDS.

My decision to be controlled by the Spirit proved to be anything but passive.

It turned out to be an act of aggression
against the kingdom of darkness
and satan wasn't happy about that.

I was to learn that becoming a Spirit-filled Christian
means being engaged in spiritual warfare the rest of your life.

Thankfully, Paul explains that in his letter to the Galatians:

"For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the (Holy) Spirit, and
[the desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (Godless human nature);
for these are antagonistic to each other (Gal. 5:17 TAB).

It took me awhile to "get it." As I've said before, I'm really s l o w on the uptake. It helped to have the Apostle Paul openly share his struggle with the flesh. He said, with amazing candor,

"I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want (to do),
but I do the very thing that I hate" (Rom. 7:15).

Me, too, Paul! There were (and still are) times like those he "fesses up to."

Paul's honesty and vulnerability were very liberating. If a Christian of his caliber had to do spiritual warfare--and lost some battles now and then--there was hope for me. You, too! Maybe you will be encouraged, as I was, when Paul follows his admission with one of the most glorious verses in the entire Bible:

"There is therefore no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). Hallelujah!

If you've stuck with me this far, and took the steps spelled out in Sight Bites 10 and 37--

I have good news for you.
The "spiritual warfare deck" is stacked in your favor!

It really is. Listen to this:

"He who lives in you is (mightier) than he who is in the world" (1 Jn. 4:4b).

Satan only has one vote.
But God has a vote and you have a vote.
That makes two votes.
The Holy Spirit gives you the advantage
because he always urges you to vote God's way.
When you do--

59

MORE THAN A MATTER OF WORDS.

To some, this quest for a biblical theology of personal renewal
           in and by the Holy Spirit is merely a matter of semantics.

I understand. When I first came into a deeper walk with Christ through the Spirit, I had no interest in trying to understand it. Or analyze it. I just wanted to enjoy it.

Now I know, and must respectfully insist, it is not just a matter of words.
           It's a matter of sound theology and Biblical accuracy.

It is also a matter of bringing scriptural sanity to many devout believers
              who have come under a spirit of condemnation
   because they have not been exposed to Normal Christianity.

These dear ones, who have sought a "second blessing" through tears and tarrying
         and have not gotten "it"--meaning the gift of tongues--
                    often feel like second-class Christians.

Hopefully, if you are one of these, you now understand you can be "filled with the Holy Spirit"
and not have that gift. And, as one who affirms and is familiar with that gift, let me assure you it's possible to have a prayer language and not be Spirit-filled at times. Ouch!

You have been blessed in Christ

"with every spiritual blessing" (Eph. 1:3).

Your goal is not to seek something new. Instead, focus on learning to continually, patiently and persistently appropriate the blessings you already have.

Some years ago, Harold Bredison gave a most helpful illustration on television. He turned to the man interviewing him and said,

"Here is title to an island in the Bahamas. I give it to you. Will you take it?"
"Yes, I will. Thank you."
"Now then," Harold continued, "you own the island. However, you aren't enjoying it because you haven't started to use it. When you do you will begin to delight in that which is already yours by title!"

At your conversion, you received the gift of the Holy Spirit. You have title to abundant living in his power. What is required is not that you try to get something different. Something new.

Another island so to speak.

Instead, begin to
constantly,
patiently and
progressively use
--and thus enjoy--
the gift which is already yours
by title!

60

THIS SIGHT BITE IS YOURS TO WRITE.

You have embarked on an incredible journey.
            It is a journey into wholeness.
                       Into fullness by the Holy Spirit.

As you move along, sometimes two steps forward and one step back, be encouraged by this:

When you're bearing the fruit of the Spirit,
you'll be the last to know!

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