When a believer professes their faith in and submits to Jesus as Lord, they are adopted into the Kingdom of God. This accepting of the calling of God results in justification, a spiritual union with the Father. You will notice that simply believing in Jesus is not enough. Even the demons believe in Jesus and fear His power. The difference lies in submission to Jesus as Lord. This submission comes with the gift of the Holy Spirit, writing the Word of God on the new heart of the justified.
Acts 19:2-6 And he (Paul) said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in[b] the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
The indwelling of the Spirit of God creates a duality in a believer. There is a battle between the Spirit and the flesh. The flesh is sinful, self-focused, and attuned to fallen desire. It opposes the leading of God because it emphasizes wants over needs. People focus on what they want while God provides what they need. The submission to Jesus and the focus on the leading of the Spirit aligns the wants of a heart with the needs that God provides. The believer, through sanctification, begins to see the value in God’s provision and want more of Him. This alignment brings the heart into closer relationship with the Father, and the understanding of His Word becomes clearer, fulfilling, and a source of joy. The light of God is reflected by His children most powerfully through this connection.
Walking with the Spirit of God is explained through the metaphor of Spirit eyes, ears, and heart. These tools, expressed as parts of the body, allow the power of God to overtake the indwelling pull of the flesh. Through salvation believers are born again with Spirit eyes, Spirit ears, and a Spirit filled heart. The best use of these gifts from God is to let them acclimate to God in relationship. The flesh is loud and inconsistent feeding off emotions. The Spirit is calm and steady in relationship with God. The newness of the Spirit eyes, ears, and heart will learn to tune into the peaceful frequency of the Lord.
Spirit Eyes have the ability to see the movement of God. They can read His Word and understand God’s heart for His children. At first the light of God the eyes can perceive is dim because these eyes were once tools of the flesh. The growth in God’s Spirit makes the light brighter as the Spirit eyes acclimate to new life and overcome the battle with the flesh. Time spent in God’s Word, learning the deeper truths found within, grow the abilities of the Spirit Eyes. The movement of God in the world becomes clearer and faith deepens. His light becomes brighter as it fills the believer and pours out.
Spirit Ears can hear what God is conveying through the world around them. Not only the positive messages from other believers but the negative messages from the world that can act as correction through avoidance. Spirit ears allow believers to develop the gift of discernment, being able to understand the difference in the truth of God and the deceit of the adversary. The Holy Spirit can take a message and filter it to speak directly to you in a specific way. One word in a verse, or one phrase in a sermon will mean something profound and specific when it is received with Spirit ears. The new Spirit ears will become acclimated to the voice of God and less reactive to the loud noise of the world. 1 Kings 19:12 And after the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still small voice.
Spirit Filled Hearts have the Word of God written upon them. This new heart is connected to God because His Spirit dwells within. Psalms 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. The new heart serves God’s Kingdom in love. The love of the Father fills the heart with joy, light, and peace. These attributes of God drive out the opposition consisting of hopelessness, darkness, and fear. The Spirit heart stores and develops the truth of God received through Spirit eyes and ears. From this heart we see the light of God reflected to surrounding darkness. The presence of God creates steadfastness and increasing confidence in what God offers. As the heart is increasingly filled, the relationship with God grows deeper. Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and unfathomable His ways!
The development of Spirit eyes, Spirit ears and a Spirit filled heart is exponential. It is not a straight line of increase because faith begets faith, trust begets trust, and love begets love. The more the attributes of God are expressed in the life of the believer the stronger they become. All of the senses of the Spirit are ideally working in unison and creating a snowball effect that makes the walk with God exhilarating and humbling at the same time. This is the recognition that the believer must decrease so that God can increase. That is, the flesh must fall away as the Spirit of God leads, teaches, and convicts God’s child. The submitted heart finds increasing peace as the flesh falls away. Psalms 23:4 Your rod (teaching)and your staff (guidance), they comfort me. The fallen who do not know the power of the Holy Spirit cannot understand its provision. The eyes cannot understand the Word of God, the ears cannot hear the leading of God, and the heart does not know the joy of God’s correction through love. Find joy that the God that chose you to adopt also gave you His Spirit. Without which you would remain separated. If you feel God moving in your heart, understand His Word through Christ and in the Scriptures, and can sense Him moving through creation; praise Him for that provision. It was personally designated for you to possess, and it changes you in a personal way. God chooses you to know Him, chooses you to represent Him, and chooses to love you by living within you. All you have to do is choose Him in return and grow in relationship as you grow His Kingdom.
Psalms 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Psalms 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my songs I praise him.
Ezekiel 12:2 “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear.”
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