It’s one thing to receive or ‘be filled with’ the Holy Spirit; it’s another thing altogether to be led by the Spirit.

I’ve been around long enough to take the liberty to say my observations and experiences over the years has noticed that people can tend to place emphasis on the ‘receiving’ part, and not so much the ‘following’ part. Can I just state the obvious here: God did not send His Spirit to dwell in us so we could ‘speak in tongues’ or ‘feel excited and emotional’ and maybe even jump a few pews in the process while we laugh and/or cry. He empowered us with His Spirit so He could transform us into His image and likeness ...so we could then do the will of God. You know...’walk as Jesus walked’, (1 John 2:6) and love as Jesus loved. (John 13:34-35; 1 Cor. 13:1-3)

And what is...the ‘will of God’?

It’s God’s will that we be ‘holy in all our conduct’. (1 Pet. 1:15) It’s the will of God for us to ‘keep His commandments’ and to be ‘perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect’. (Matt. 5:48; 1 John 5:3). It’s the will of God that we ‘go and sin no more’. (John 5:14; 8:11) It’s the will of God for us to be ‘sanctified’. (1 Thess. 4:3). And make no mistake about it, it is only those who ‘do the will of God’ who will enter His kingdom and abide forever. (Matt. 7:21; 1 John 2:17) Many will come in that day....and say...’but Lord...” (Matt. 7:22) And what will be His response? Depart from Me...you who continue to practice lawlessness...(Matt. 7:23). Why...do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’...and not do the things I say?” (Luke 6:46)

But about this ‘sanctification thing’... Can we examine that more closely, once again? I want to share a verse today that needs to be ‘unpacked’ and examined. And I have a pretty good feeling that in doing so, whether you are a new believer, a long-time faithful church member, and yes, even a non-believer who drops in here occasionally for whatever reason...this one passage could open up a lot of understanding for you and even fill in a lot of missing blanks.

I’d like to spend a few days delving off in to this passage and I share it here from the Amplified Bible translation. It’s found in 1 Thess. 5:23 –

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged—consecrated to Him—set apart for His purpose]; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

If you are comfortable with marking in your Bible, may I encourage you to go underline those three words...’spirit...soul...body’.

I really want to take my time with this because I think this is going to help a lot of people in their faith walk and help them to better understand how they were created – ‘triune’ in nature, or ‘three parts’- spirit, soul, and body. If you are not a genuine believer and follower of Jesus, you have been functioning, at best...at 66%, if even that. That’s not taking into consideration physical ailments and/or emotional and mental baggage or issues. And in what world is 66% a passing grade? Oh...how comfortable would you be sitting or standing on a 3-legged stool that only had two strong legs? Join me tomorrow?