Institute of Global Ministry Spirituality and Ministry for Christ’s Kingdom June 9, 2012

Christian Spirituality

Spirituality Christian spirituality encompasses the entirety of the Christian life. It is how we respond to what God is doing in our lives. It also highlights the process by which God causes growth and transformation to take place in our lives.

Mark 12:30 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Essence of Spirituality

Real Faith Real faith includes both belief and practice. It is seen in the way we live our everyday lives.

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. The Cross – is central in our lives. AS we die to self, Christ is seen in our lives more and more.

Lordship impacts all areas of life Spiritual, Physical, Mental, Financial, Relationships, Time, Talents, Treasure

Spiritual progress is key! God designed us to grow and to mature spiritually. The Christian life is not meant to be static or stagnant, it is always active and progressive. The bible calls it – “going from glory to glory.” Our lives is becoming more and more like Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Philippians 2:12-13 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. God initiates, we respond. We consecrate, He sanctifies. God works in us “to will and to do his good pleasure,” states Philippians 2:13. Nevertheless, as verse 12 asserts, we have a role to play: we must “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.”

The Role of the Holy Spirit True Spirituality can only be done by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self–control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Marks of a True Christian A Call to MATURITY

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?

Titus 1:16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

2 Timothy 3:1-5 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

Characteristics of A True Believer

1. CHANGE OF LIFESTYLE Walking in the Light 1 John 1:6-7 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

2. CHANGE OF HEART Follow Jesus’ footsteps 1 John 2:3-6 3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.

2. CHANGE OF HEART 1 John 2:3-6 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

3. CHANGE OF ATTITUDE Pursuing Right Relationships 1 John 2:9-11 9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.

3. CHANGE OF ATTITUDE 1 John 2:10-11 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

Doing God's will. 4. CHANGE OF DESIRES 1 John 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

4. CHANGE OF DESIRES 1 John 2:15-17 16 For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

5. CHANGE OF HABITS & PATTERNS Pursuing Godliness 1 John 3:5-6; 9-10 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

5. CHANGE OF HABITS & PATTERNS 1 John 3:5-6; 9-10 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

Marks of JESUS’ Disciples

a. FOLLOWS JESUS TEACHINGS John 8:31-32 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you HOLD TO MY TEACHING, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

B. LOVING ONE ANOTHER John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you LOVE ONE ANOTHER."

C. BEARING FRUIT John 15:8 This is to my Father's glory, that you BEAR MUCH FRUIT, showing yourselves to be my disciples.