Five Operations of the Holy Spirit Part 28
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; (II Peter 1:5)
Our task is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in a diligent manner, working along in the faith by which we are being saved, until we develop a solid Christian discipleship that is above reproach. We also gain the knowledge of the Person, ways, and purpose of God.
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; (II Peter 1:6)
While we are gaining in knowledge we must seek the Spirit's assistance in bringing our spirit, soul, and body under control so that we are not given to excess along any line, never abandoning ourselves to our fervent desires.
We always are to be watchful in prayer. Every moment of the day, whether we are in church, on the job, in school, or at a party, we always are to remain watchful in prayer. The officer who is successful in keeping his men alive is the one who never forgets to post a sentry no matter how inconvenient.
If we allow ourselves to let down our guard for a short period of time we may be five years digging ourselves out of the hole we fall in.
The enemy ceaselessly is alert, waiting for the first sign of weakness in our defences. If we forget that, we may find ourselves in serious trouble.
One of the most desirable attributes of the Christian is the quality of patience. "He that endureth to the end shall be saved." There are moments in the life of the disciple when the things of the Kingdom are gloriously exciting. However, much of the Christian experience is a laborious, boring pilgrimage through a seemingly endless wilderness.
This was true also for Elijah, Elisha, and other outstanding saints of the Lord. It may appear to us that they lived in a blaze of Divine glory. If we stop to think about it, the Scriptures portray only a very small fraction of their lives on earth.
Boredom is a strong foe of the Christian. The day in, day out, patient ploughing through difficult situations, sometimes with little discernible fruit, is a severe test of our character and patience. It appears to us as though the people of the world who forget God are in a better situation than we. What is the use of it all?
Why not just go through the cycle of eat, work, play, sleep, eat, work, play, sleep, and wait in the hope that someday—perhaps when we die—there will be something better?
It requires the impartation to us of Divine patience if we are to maintain our fervent discipleship over a period of many years. It may be especially difficult if we can find no church near us that is spiritually alive.
When we become part of an assembly made up of fervent disciples it is easier for us to serve the Lord, but in any circumstance we must possess Divine patience and endurance if we are to pursue our discipleship to a successful conclusion.
While we are developing Christian character, knowledge, self-control and patient endurance, we need also to develop piety. Piety is devoutness toward God. Not only are we to be concerned about our own conduct, we must also maintain an attitude of worship toward the Lord.
Our attitude toward God should be one of continual reverence and obedience. We should be growing in the consciousness of the majesty of God, of the gracious fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and of the authority and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Increasingly there should come on our spirit an awareness of the holiness and power of the Lord.
At every point throughout the day and night we must keep on looking toward God, rather than toward our own wisdom and strength, for the correct and edifying manner in which to respond to a given situation. A godly fear and desire to please the Lord should characterize our actions, our words, our motives, and our imaginations.
We must learn to walk in the fear of God, but not in a fear that hinders us from drawing near to Him or a fear that brings oppression and gloom.
The true fear of the Lord is wholesome, clean, leading to a chastened, disciplined approach to the things of Heaven and earth. Fear of the devil brings dark bondage. Fear of man brings a snare. Fear of God brings diligence in putting away the lusts of the flesh, and the ability to break the chains that Satan and men attempt to place on us.
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (II Peter 1:7)
While we are developing devoutness toward God we need to be aware of the needs of our fellow believers. When we show kindness and affection toward Christ's followers we are showing kindness and affection toward Christ Himself.
It is a simple, pleasant matter to show kindness toward some Christians. It is quite another matter with Christians who do not measure up to our standards. However, there is power in the body and blood of Christ that can enable us to show kindness and brotherly affection toward all the people of God.
It is possible for us to be kind and affectionate toward most Christians most of the time, even when we are not living in the Spirit to the extent we should. But there are occasions when Christians take advantage of us or harm us in some manner. Under such circumstances we must receive assistance from the Holy Spirit in order to keep the peace of God.
If we seek the face of Christ, He will give us the wisdom and strength to wait on Him and to go successfully through a trial having to do with our relationships with people.