by Ptr Oyette Fernando
GSCC closed out the year 2010 with Pastor Jun preaching on having a “Do Over” mentality. I believed the Lord impressed in my heart during that time to have the do over mentality in 2011 by looking at Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith and by following His examples. Hebrew 12:2 states, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”. And so I believe that God wanted us to start the New Year by looking at Jesus and following His worthy examples. In this six-week series we premised the message on John 8:32, “and you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” The text we used for this series in on Romans 12:1-15
We started the series by defining genuine spirituality as relational-our love for God and our love for others. In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus gave us the greatest commandment “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. ‘ Love your neighbor as yourself.”
We have to love God first before we can love our neighbor. The proper path is to be in right standing God, meaning ensuring that vertical relationship is in place before we could genuinely love horizontally. As we develop this kind of loving relationship and as we discover our life’s purpose and live it out, we would actually experience a life of rest, joy and refreshment.
The key to genuine spirituality is living a surrendered life. A life yielded to Christ. God wants the whole of us-“to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1). We have to understand that in order for a life to grow, it must die to itself. It means dying to his will. Living a yielded life is acknowledging that we are powerless and He is all powerful. John 12:24-25 says”…unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
Genuine spirituality demands that we live a transformed life. We have to turn our backs to this world, this society which is designed to destroy us. Remember that Satan employs the same methodology-lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and pride of life-from the time he tempted Adam and Eve in paradise. We have to firmly say NO to the world (this world system built by man to be happy without God) and YES to His word. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) Jesus further warns us about conforming to the ways of the world. “Do not love the world and the things in this world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in this world-the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions-is not from the Father but from the world. (1John 2:15)
The key to genuine spirituality is living a surrendered life. A life yielded to Christ. God wants the whole of us-“to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1). We have to understand that in order for a life to grow, it must die to itself. It means dying to His will. Living a yielded life is acknowledging that we are powerless and He is all powerful. John 12:24-25 says”…unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
Genuine spirituality demands that we live a transformed life. We have to turn our backs to this world, this society which is designed to destroy us. Remember that Satan employs the same methodology-lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and pride of life-from the time he tempted Adam and Eve in paradise.
We have to firmly say NO to the world (this world system built by man to be happy without God) and YES to His word. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) Jesus further warns us about conforming to the ways of the world. “Do not love the world and the things in this world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in this world-the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions-is not from the Father but from the world. (1John 2:15).
