Piercing The Spiritual Shadow

The work of the Holy Spirit in my life is a work of separating me from the world and this work is an ongoing process.

Thirdly, I believe if I am going to understand what it really means to be a Christian I need to associate myself with other believers. This association has to be intentional, not periodic. If we are fellowshipping together only when it is convenient we are missing what it really means to be a Christian.

Our fellowship with believers is the encouragement we need to allow the Holy Spirit to continually separate us from the world.

Our problem is we…

II. Underestimate The Challenges That Faces Me In My Christian Life.

This is a great challenge for many Christians. They underestimate the dangers facing them. They believe that in their own strength they can stand up to anything that comes along.

A whole series of Positive Thinking teachers, both secular and religious, have encouraged people to believe that if they just set their minds to it they can do anything they choose to do.

The problem with this is, it never works in the long run.

The Christian life is not what you make it out to be and what you can do if you set your mind to it, but rather it is the power of the Holy Spirit being demonstrated in your life. Our circumstances, trials and hard times are the platform upon which the Holy Spirit can do that through your life.

We fail to perceive the dynamics that make up our Christian experience and that everything out in the world opposes that.

Many people start the Christian life, but somewhere along the line, they fail and quit. Do not ask me if they are really Christians or not, for I do not know. But I do know that many people are challenged along this line and fail the challenge.

They do not comprehend the reality of the Christian experience from God’s perspective. Living the Christian life is not something that can be taught by man. We certainly can be encouraged by people that are sharing and teaching the word. What we fail to comprehend here is that my Christian life is built upon a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

Our challenge is to…

III. Undertake The Journey That Defines The Christian Experience.

This is the most important aspect for me to deal with.

2:3 – “With much joy I sat down in his shadow. And his fruit was sweet to my taste.”

3:1 – “On my bed night after night I looked for him whom my soul loves. I looked for him but did not find him.”

This is the pursuit. And this pursuit is for the long term.

This undertaking has to be intentional and with a well-defined purpose. That purpose is to glorify God in my life.

One thing very important in the Christian life is being able to apply biblical principles to my life. This is crucial if we are going to have a strong and progressing Christian experience.

To get to these principles we have to give our time to the word of God. We must study the Bible, read the Bible and meditate upon it until the Holy Spirit is moving us in the right direction.