Growing in Intimacy with God Essay Example for Free

Growing in Intimacy with God Essay Introduction The beginning of our relationship with God is from the moment we accept and believe Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. As it gets personal, it grows daily until it becomes deeper and intimate. Intimacy generally refers to the feeling of being in a close personal association and belonging together. It is a familiar and very close affective connection with another as a result of a bond that is formed through knowledge and experience of the other. In this lesson, we will learn and understand the work of God in our lives for us to be intimate with Him, yet it doesn’t require full force of effort from us. The following insights will help us to set ourselves to submit in the Lordship of God until we reach personal intimate relationship with Him. How would you complete the following statement? The most essential ingredient to living the Christian life is to†¦ †¢Fill your heart and mind with Scripture †¢ Pray as much as you are able. †¢Attend Christian meetings for inspiration. †¢Get involved in ministry. †¢Choose to do what is right and Godly. †¢None of the above. Each of the above choices are important to living the Christian life, but none of them qualifies as the â€Å"most essential† because they all fail to adequately deal with the primary obstacle Christian must overcome. This obstacle not only makes the Christian life difficult to live, but impossible to live. Why we can’t live the Christian Life? The primary obstacle that hinders Christians is the Sin Nature. Contrary to the belief that we are all born innocent, Scripture teaches that we do not become sinners, but that we are already born sinners. Psalms 51:5 The following Scriptures describes this problem Romans 3:10-12 Mark 7:21-23 Romans 8:7-8 Because of our sinful nature, not matter how many Scriptures we know, not matter often we pray, no matter how many inspirational meeting we attend, no matter how involved we are in ministry, or no matter how strong will to do right, our best efforts will fail because we do not deal with the main problem. When done in our own strength, these activities simply produce Spiritual pride! But God has provided a solution for us. God’s Solution God’s Solution to our Sin nature is to give us a New Nature! He did this by putting His Holy Spirit in us at the moment we received Jesus Christ! The following Scriptures describe this miracle. John 3:5-7 Ephesians 4:23-24 God’s spirit imparts God’s nature and power in us! Ezekiel 36:26-27 Acts 1:8 Philippians 2:13 (TLB) God’s Spirit gives us the Desire (Ezekiel 36:26-27) and the Power (Acts 1:8) to do His will! God’s Spirit in Us The desire in you to please God is the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart. It is evident of the New Nature you inherited when you were born again by God’s Spirit. We are born into this world with a Sin Nature. But the moment we trust Jesus Christ for forgiveness, we are â€Å"born again† with a new nature, which is not only the new me but the real me! The sin nature, or Old me, can never please God and does not even want to, but our New Nature not only desires to please God, but it is able to by the Power of the Holy Spirit. Notice that the Christian’s Sin Nature will cease at the moment death, while our new nature will continue for eternity! The challenge we face in this life is the battle between these two natures to rule in our minds, our hearts and bodies. They are at war within us! The good news is that this struggle is temporary. Once we are free of Sin Nature, our new nature will be unhindered to do all that God desires. It is important to understand that the key to victory is God’s Spirit within us. Only by allowing His Spirit to live through us will we experience God’s Will and Power in us! Be Filled with the Spirit Ephesians 5:18 teaches us how to apply God’s provision to overcome sin. The word â€Å"filled† means to be filled to the full! A person â€Å"filled with the spirit â€Å"leaves no room for the Sin Nature to control his life. Command: This verb teaches that we are â€Å"filled with the Spirit† by an act of our will! God is not asking us to be filled with his Spirit if we feel like it. God is commanding us to be filled. No matter how we feel no matter what our circumstances, we can choose to be filled and allow God to rule in our lives! God’s Work: This verb also indicates that it is God who fills us. We simply make ourselves available to Him! As we yield our lives to God, His Spirit empowers us with His Desire and Ability! Present Tense: Finally, this verb commands us to continually allow God’s Holy Spirit to fill us ~ moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day. No breaks and no allowance for the Sin Nature to reign! How can we be sure God will fill us with His Holy Spirit? Because He said He would, and God does not lie! 1 John 5:14-15 1. Is it God’s will for us to be filled with His Spirit? ⠝  yes ⠝  no 2. If we ask God to fill us with His Spirit, will He hear us? ⠝  yes ⠝  no 3. If we know God will hear us, can we be sure we are filled? ⠝  yes ⠝  no Application The following steps can help us experience God’s Power continually 1. Confess ~ Not being filled to the full with God’s Spirit is sin. Confess this to God and claim His forgiveness (1 John 1:9) 2. Be Filled with the Holy Spirit ~ Ask God to fill you with His Spirit! Filling of the Holy Spirit doesn’t end our relationship with God. Rather, it only set our condition with the Lord. Each of us can posses a spiritual relationship with Christ. Jesus is very well aware of our individuality and want to give us just what we want to grow in our walk with Him. The following presents a guide that may help you find time to spend with God.