EPISODE 236 – SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY 2 (ARE YOU GROWING? 9)
Apostle BennieCHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY
The Love-Life Agency
Saturday 16th, September, 2023
SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY 2 (ARE YOU GROWING? 9)
“Brothers and sisters, when I was with you I found it impossible to speak to you as those who are spiritually mature people, for you are still dominated by the mind-set of the flesh. And because you are immature infants in Christ,”
1 Corinthians 3:1 (TPT)
God is interested in your growth in the spirit.
In as much as God doesn’t wait for you to be fully matured in the spirit to trust you with a gift of the spirit, or to put you in the ministry, He expects you to grow.
He doesn’t want you to remain a babe in Christ.
“as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” 1 Peter 2:2 (NKJV)
The purpose of the Word of God, and the teachers of the word is to nurture and culture you unto maturity.
We have seen that the greatest fruit of a matured life in Christ is LOVE. And the greatest sign of an immatured life is the influence of the flesh.
The more you grow in the spirit, the less you are influenced or dominated by the flesh.
The flesh is a limitation to your growth in Christ. It has expressions and these expressions of the flesh are as weeds in a crop farm.
Weeds are basically unwanted plants. They compete with crops for nutrients and resources which harness growth.
They can interfere with harvesting operations and increase risk of spoilage.
As you are planted in Christ don’t permit any effect of the flesh to germinate in your heart.
Your heart is a field for the cultivation of the word of God (Mark 4:14-15).
It is important you identify whether you are growing or not by knowing the deeds of the flesh.
To live by the flesh is to live by your self-interest. It is to choose your own way than the way of the Spirit. The flesh does not depend on the graciousness of the spirit but the self. It is contrary to the spirit.
” I advise you to obey only the Holy Spirit’s instructions. He will tell you where to go and what to do, and then you won’t always be doing the wrong things your evil nature wants you to. For we naturally love to do evil things that are just the opposite from the things that the Holy Spirit tells us to do; and the good things we want to do when the Spirit has his way with us are just the opposite of our natural desires. These two forces within us are constantly fighting each other to win control over us, and our wishes are never free from their pressures. When you are guided by the Holy Spirit, you need no longer force yourself to obey Jewish laws. But when you follow your own wrong inclinations, your lives will produce these evil results: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group—and there will be wrong doctrine, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:16-21 (TLB)
The activities of the flesh always compete with the Spirit in your heart, just as weeds compete with crops in a farm. They oppose and affect your growth in the spirit.
Don’t give room for any of these things to germinate in your heart.
Live by the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Shalom
DIG DEEPER
(Galatians 5:16-25; Matthew 15:19; James 1:15; 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 22:37-40; Ephesians 3:16-18; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Peter 3:18)
WE PRAY
We are praying and declaring that the flesh should not have a loud voice. And that we will not permit any effect of the flesh to germinate in our hearts.
BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2023
Day 221
Proverbs 4 – 7
John 11 – 12
DECLARE THESE WORDS:
– I am not dominated by the flesh.
– My actions and decisions are not influenced by the desires of my flesh.
– I don’t permit any effect of the flesh to germinate in my heart.
– My heart is for the growth of the word of God.
– The Spirit has mastery in my life.
– I am dominated by the word of God.
– The word of God has a free course in my heart.
– The word of God has power over me.
Oh Hallelujah!!! Gloreeeey!
I refused to be dominated by the mindset of the flesh
I refuse to permit any effect of the flesh to germinate in my heart
I live by the influence of the Holy Spirit
Thank you Jesus!!
I don’t permit any effect of the flesh to germinate in my heart
l live by the influence of the Holy Ghost
I allow myself to walk in the Spirit. I am not influenced by my flesh for it has been crucified with Christ on the cross.
I live by the influence of the holy spirit
The word of God gains the ascendancy in my actions as I meditate on them
The word gains root in my life. Weeds are uprooted. Hallelujah
Glory
I live by the influence of the Spirit.
Halleluyah
I don’t give permission for the effects of the flesh to germinate in my heart. My heart is for the germination of tge word of God. Glory to God