Fired up with Faith

Lately I've been getting into Romans 8. I mean, really getting into it. Like it never made a lot of sense to me before, but this week it feels like God got his yellow highlighter out and rubbed it over a large section of the chapter. Last night, when I was at Prayer and Worship night at Lifepointe Baptist, I read Romans 8:5-11 out loud to the group. It fills me with "faith to burn". I am not lying or even exaggerating. Verses 5 to 9 explain why we can believe and shout about what we learn at the end of verse 11. When I read that section, I just get sooooooooooooooo fired up.

Romans Chapter 8 Verses 9 - 11 highlighted NIVUK

There were 'Yes's and 'Amen's from the Prayer Warriors in the room. I think the Holy Spirit was amplifying its impact. My response to those verses is righteous anger like Jesus yelling at the merchants in the Temple. I am indigant. Why should we accept sickness when we are filled with the same Holy Spirit that resurrected Jesus from the dead? Why?

The answer is we shouldn't. We don't have to. This anger is directed towards my own sickness, but also my two friends with injuries in the neck and jaw area. I prayed for them and I am believing for their healing. I prayed for myself too.

But I wondered and I asked the Lord "So how do we pass from death to life? from sickness to health?"

These are my reflections about this question:

I would suggest that the first thing we should be doing is get filled with the Holy Spirit. This is not just some thing that happy-clappy Pentecostals do. This is a deep and holy relationship with one of the members of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit is the one who is here with us now as Counsellor and Friend. The Holy Spirit is the one who whispers to you, the quiet still voice of God. The Holy Spirit is the one wielding the yellow highlighter as you read the word of God. The Holy Spirit makes it alive to you - as if you were having a conversation with a friend. It feels like you are having a conversation with a wise and loving friend and Saviour who knows your struggles and, like Phoebe the Samaritan Woman at the well, can tell you everything that ever happen to you.

For us to transition from death to life, we need faith. Faith is that mustard seed Jesus spoke about. It's tiny. It comes through hearing and hearing by the word of God. So faith is a seed that the Holy Spirit both plants in your heart and waters as you read the word of God. I would add with the qualifier of 'with an open heart' but that's not entirely necessary. I have heard many testimonies from people who started reading the Bible to show others how wrong they were to believe it, or how stupid they were. God has an amazing sense of humour when he uses his Word to prove how amazing He is to people who think the Bible is just another piece of historical fiction.

In fact, my mother started reading the Bible after her sister became a Christian. Mum was so concerned that her sister had lost the plot that she began to read the Bible. They were both raised as Presbyterians. Mum was intent on proving her wrong and showing her that this "born again Christianity" she had discovered was a myth. That was the beginning of a series of dreams and supernatural awakenings. Over several months she read His word. Over that same period of time her sister prayed for her. Mum was woken in the night by a touch of God on her forehead. It was as real as life. She knew it was God. That was the beginning of her faith journey which lasted a lifetime (an now in eternity).

So, frankly, I don't care what your attitude or faith position is when you start reading the Bible! I'll poke a few words of it here in this post, just to help you get started. [hehehe] I'll post the full section from Romans 8 that has been blowing my mind all week, from verse 5 through to 11. Consider if you have, or don't have the Spirit of Christ within you. Perhaps that is something you could pray about, or reflect on as you read some of God's word and see what sections the Holy Spirit is highlighting for you today?

Again, but right from the top of verse 5:

[5] Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

[6] The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

[7] The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

[8] Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

[9] You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

[10] But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

[11] And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Romans 8:5-11 NIVUK