May God be glorified that we do not have to live in fear like worldly people because we have passed from death to life (John 5: 24).
We know that we have passed from death to life because we believe that our Lord Jesus Christ triumphed over death which remains the last enemy for us still here on earth to conquer (1 Corinthians 15: 26, 54 – 55). Also, because we may not all die physically here on earth as we patiently wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come back again and take us home eternally, “the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Tim. 1: 7 NIV & 1 Thessalonians 4: 17). Hence, we seek spiritual renewal or revival. Therefore, we want to be more conscious of the Holy Spirit by whom we have been sealed until our full redemption (Ephesians 4: 30). Seeking spiritual renewal is therefore very appropriate for us today as shown in Ephesians: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5: 18 NIV).
Experiencing and becoming very conscious of the literal presence of the Holy Spirit in us as believers is critical because it is the only way to have steadfast faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and the way to God (John 14: 6, 16 – 18, 26 & 16: 13 cp. 1 John 2: 27 – 28 & 4: 2). It is also the only way not to grow cold in love but to pray more effectively (Matt.24: 12 & Rom. 8: 26). The need is more apparent with increased secular knowledge and significantly diminished spiritual knowledge of the bible undermining our understanding of real spiritual experiences.
Natural human abilities and occultic practices are now being confused with Godly interventions (Dan. 12: 4). We now have to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10: 5). Faith in Jesus Christ is now being confused with mere mental assent or self-justification. Steadfast faith in and commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ is now being confused with ordinary self-confidence or bravery motivated by selfish ambition. Hence, scriptural motivations to grow into spiritual maturity are now being turned into inspiration for worldly pleasure.
The Holy Spirit motivation is indispensable because human beings are limited by what we hear, see, feel, smell, or taste; and we ordinarily attempt to gain knowledge by going from known to unknown (Zech. 4: 6; 12: 10 & Deut. 29: 29).
We need spiritual renewal to hold on to what we have. We still need our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be inspired by impartation of the Holy Spirit to hold us with love that will never let go and wisdom that we never let us stray (John 10: 27 & Eph. 1: 17 cp. 1 John 2: 18 -22; 4: 3 & Eph. 6: 12). Like the Church in Philadelphia, let us continue through the open door that God has placed before us that no one can shut (Revelation 3: 7 – 13). Hence, for further reflection and motivation, I wish to recommend the book: “The 21st Century Church at Work: Eliminating Institutional Poverty to Thrive Spiritually.” It is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Store, and others.
Author: Joshua Odetunde
Joshua Odetunde is the ECWA USA DCC National Conference Committee Chairman. Joshua has several years of teaching and professional experience in real estate and city planning. He is currently the consulting Director of CHMSN Inc., a nonprofit organization in real estate management and real estate services. Contact Joshua via email at joshuatunde@gmail.com or by phone at 502-797-3143.
