Life in the Spirit - Santosh Poonen - May 3, 2015
http://rlcfchurch.org/life-in-the-spirit River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The central message emphasizes the critical importance of honesty and repentance, contrasting it with the danger of hypocrisy, which is likened to Adam and Eve covering their shame with fig leaves. The speaker argues that true spirituality begins with an honest acknowledgment of one's shortcomings, citing the repentant thief on the cross as an example. This honesty is presented as the foundation for God's work and the path to salvation.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
The danger of hypocrisy and the start of honestyAdam and Eve tried to cover their failure with fig leaves, illustrating the foolishness of hypocrisy, whereas honesty like that of the thief on the cross is where God's work begins.
Jesus and questionsJesus never mocked his disciples for asking genuine questions, unlike the Pharisees who asked questions to trap him or defend themselves.
Doing the will of the FatherExamining Matthew 7, the speaker notes that many will perform spiritual works like prophesying and casting out demons, but if they practice lawlessness and are not known by God, it amounts to nothing.Matthew 7:21
The wise man and the foolish manThe difference between the two builders in Matthew 7 is not where they built, but how they built—whether they heard the words of Christ and acted on them.
Spirit, soul, and bodyJust as the Godhead is three in one, human beings consist of spirit, soul, and body, and God desires every part of our being to be sanctified.
The three categories: carnality, soul, and spiritWhile many have been set free from carnal sins of the body, the danger is remaining in the soul—living by intellect and emotion—rather than pressing on into the spirit.
Worshipping God in spirit and truthGod is spirit, and true worship requires moving past intellectual and emotional stimulation in the soul to dwell and live in the spirit.
An anchor for the soulBecause our souls are easily swayed by emotional and intellectual stimulation, we need a steadfast hope that acts as an anchor, entering within the veil where Jesus has gone.Hebrews 6:19
The Tabernacle and the VeilThe courtyard and the holy place lead to the most holy place behind the veil, symbolizing the deep intimacy with God available through the New and Living Way.
The word of God divides soul and spiritThe living and active word of God acts like a sword to pierce and divide between the soul—making decisions based on feelings—and the spirit.Hebrews 4:12
The poem of feeling, faith, and factAn allegory illustrates how faith stumbles when feelings fall, but fact—the enduring word of God—remains to pull faith and feeling back.
Digging deep like the wise builderIn the parallel passage in Luke 6, the wise builder digs deep to lay a foundation on the rock, doing what Jesus says regardless of how he feels.Luke 6:46
Signs of being soulishSoulish Christians act only when they feel like it, quickly get bored with God's word, and enjoy the social aspects of church life without experiencing true fellowship.
Presenting our bodies as a living sacrificeBelievers are urged to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, refusing to be conformed to the world and instead being transformed by spiritual worship.
Following Jesus in GethsemaneJesus prayed with loud crying and tears in Gethsemane, choosing the Father's will over his own feelings, serving as our example to press through the flesh into life in the spirit.
