FELLOWSHIP, ALIGNMENT, AND HARMONY WITH GOD

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Note: It is recommended that you study "A Believer's Standing and State" before you continue with this teaching which focuses upon the more specific, detailed, meaning and benefits of fellowship with God.

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There has always been one small flow chart in my Bible that has stayed fixed in my mind. It looks something like the following and should be read from the TOP to the BOTTOM.

SPIRIT
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REASON
¯
BODY

Underneath this chart, I have written: " Alignment and Harmony" meaning ALIGNMENT AND HARMONY WITH GOD or FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD which is a fluctuating state as the teaching "A Believer's Standing and State" (see above note) clearly teaches.

So it becomes clear, that the God in Christ in us (SPIRIT) should have a predominating effect on our thought processes (REASON), which is our mind (nous)**. This in turn, affects our actions (BODY).

This is perfect ALIGNMENT AND HARMONY WITH GOD.

[** The nous is the mind, a part of the soul. It is the organ of mental perception, fed and influenced by the five senses, or by the spirit. This is a part of the mind which collects data and through the process of reasoning, makes decisions.]

Now, let us first examine closely what God's Word directs us to do as concerning our spirit -- the God in Christ in us that we received after we confessed Romans 10: 9, 10 and became born again of God's Spirit. And remember, the true God and Father of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ NEVER oversteps a man or woman's free will.

I Corinthians 14: 32 -- And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

We either renew our mind and apply God's Word in our everyday life or we don't. IT IS OUR DECISION AND OURS ALONE. God never oversteps a person's free will. It is the other god of this world (see II Corinthians 4: 4) that will possess, manipulate and control a person's actions, if that person decides by their own free will NOT to keep God first.

Matthew 6: 33 -- But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Seek anything else first and everything will be subtracted from you.

Now getting more specific, let us study what God says about walking in the spirit from Galatians, one of the Church epistles addressed specifically to the Body of Christ today.

Galatians 5: 16, 17 – This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these [desires] are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

All of us born again Christians have an old man. Our old ways and habits would like to dominate our thinking and, in turn, our actions. Our old man nature is a result of the desires of the flesh. We are to renew our minds and put off the old man.

Romans 12: 1, 2 -- I Beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable [logical] service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed [transfigured] by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Ephesians 4: 22, 23, 24 -- That ye put off concerning the former conversation [conduct] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is [was] created in righteousness and true holiness.

THE RENEWED MIND IS YOUR KEY TO POWER. If you do not STUDY God's Word, you will have a powerless walk and your old man thoughts will still dominate your thinking (reason) and of course, your actions (body). You can go to church until the moon turns purple, but if you do not STUDY GOD'S MATCHLESS, PERFECT WORD, you will never live and manifest the more than abundant life. You will probably find a comfortable rut and simply stay there. But with God, you can walk by the spirit and you will find that there is a surprise around every corner. Don't let the enemy scare you. God's Word assures us that greater is he, the Christ in us, than he that is in the world. A few tremendously effective Scriptures to remember regarding this subject pertaining to the god of this world are:

II Timothy 1: 7 -- For God hath not given us the spirit of fear [moral cowardice]; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Philippians 1: 28 -- And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition [destruction], but to you of salvation [wholeness], and that of God.

Learn them by heart and you will get blessed. Learning Scripture by memory is very important. In my own walk with God, I consider learning Scriptures by memory as possibly the most important part of my renewed mind efforts. It could very well be your strongest defense against your personal adversary. [See STUDY GUIDE]

How do we walk by the spirit? It's simple, but it takes an honest and diligent effort. WE STUDY GOD'S WORD, WHICH IS RENEWING OUR MIND, AND THEN WE APPLY WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THE BIBLE TO SITUATIONS IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE. It's that simple, but how many of us can honestly say that we do this every day?

Never and I mean never get into the habit of spiritual hitchhiking. This is where we live only off of the teachings and hard work of others. You need to study God's Word on your own -- at least begin to do this. But we do need each other in the Body of Christ to operate at maximum efficiency WHENEVER IT IS AVAILABLE. When it is not, you need to remember that you and God make a majority in every single situation. About four years ago, I buried my head in God's Word and began to study on my own with the help of my available research books and materials. It wasn't easy at times when God "straightened out the handlebars" after they had been crooked for so many years, but lo and behold, I got delivered. Today I am what God's Word says I am -- "MORE THAN A CONQUEROR IN EVERY SINGLE SITUATION" and yet I am able to stay humble and love all people with agape -- the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation. Glory to God for all of this -- not to myself, that's for sure. Don't try to explain and understand everything -- just expect and accept the blessings and learn how to enjoy life thinking what God's Word tells us to think in Philippians 4: 8. Look it up! Now let's take a brief look at a few obvious reasons as to why we should renew our minds to God's Word.

Romans 8: 6, 7, 8 -- For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Could God have put it in any simpler? One choice is the way of death and the other choice is the way of life. Which one are you going to choose? The question seems almost ridiculous, doesn't it? Yet so many people are deceived into selecting the wrong road. This is our main purpose with this web site so that you will not make this major mistake in your life. Your personal adversary is extremely tricky. You must know that you know that you know the genuine Word of God rightly divided to be able to recognize the counterfeit ways of this present world.

Finally, we must take a look at the ACTION (body) part of our spiritual walk with God. This is so important that if we do not apply this principle, all is in vain. Again, we are going to go to the Word of God to see what God has to say about this extremely important principle.

James 2: 17 -- Even so faith [pistis – believing], if it hath not works, is dead, being alone [by itself].

What God is saying here is that we can believe and we can study and we can go through all the motions, but if we don't APPLY AND TAKE ACTION on what we've learned from God's Word, all is in vain. With God, we must always remember that we must ACT FIRST and then we will see results.

In this next verse, you must first understand that the usage of the word ‘spirit’ is referring to the ‘soul life’ of a man. There are many different usages of the word ‘spirit’ in the Bible. [See the teaching BODY - SOUL - SPIRIT]

James 2: 26 -- For as the body without the spirit [soul life] is dead, so faith [believing] without works [action] is dead also.

Would you like to get blessed, bless and help others, and in turn, bless God? Then be sure to confess Jesus Christ as Lord in your life [Romans 10: 9, 10], renew your mind to God's perfect rightly divided Word [Romans 12: 1, 2] and then take ACTION and APPLY what you've learned [James 2: 17].

III John 4 -- I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

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