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Cal · 07-10-2014, 07:29 AM

Hi again guys,

The subject of legitimate Christian action is a fascinating one. Do we wait for the Spirit to move in us? Or do we "obey" based on what we know in ourselves? Or is it some mixture of the two? Being action-oriented seems quite proactive and no-nonsense. Yet can't simple outward obedience lead to being just "religious?" Obviously we are to be aware of the Spirit and not do things "just in ourselves." Yet being overly Spirit-oriented can lead to passivity.

So what's the answer or key? In my experience it's really both. We should always be willing to act based on what we know, yet in doing so we listen for the Spirit's leading. As OBW said, the Spirit is here, and the commandment is clear: "Go disciple the nations." So our lives should be discipling lives. We should live and act with a view to being examples, in deed and word, of the Good News. Yet, we should also know without the Spirit's empowering our work will be random, powerless and ineffective, not to mention tedious and dry.

So we are to go forth joyfully doing our best within the parameters of all our responsibilities to obey what we know yet always looking for the Spirit's empowering and specific fine-tuning of what we do.

Our bread-and-butter obedience is usually a combination of what we know from learning and experience combined with what we know directly from the Spirit. It's a team effort, although God gets all the glory. Which comes first varies, it seems. Just what was the spark that led us to act we don't always know. This keeps us honest, on our toes, and living by faith.

But I think it's usually better to act and have the Lord adjust you, than to be overly worried about making a mistake. We learn by doing.

07-10-2014, 07:29 AM	#18
Cal Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: USA Posts: 4,333	Re: The Pattern in Heaven Hi again guys, The subject of legitimate Christian action is a fascinating one. Do we wait for the Spirit to move in us? Or do we "obey" based on what we know in ourselves? Or is it some mixture of the two? Being action-oriented seems quite proactive and no-nonsense. Yet can't simple outward obedience lead to being just "religious?" Obviously we are to be aware of the Spirit and not do things "just in ourselves." Yet being overly Spirit-oriented can lead to passivity. So what's the answer or key? In my experience it's really both. We should always be willing to act based on what we know, yet in doing so we listen for the Spirit's leading. As OBW said, the Spirit is here, and the commandment is clear: "Go disciple the nations." So our lives should be discipling lives. We should live and act with a view to being examples, in deed and word, of the Good News. Yet, we should also know without the Spirit's empowering our work will be random, powerless and ineffective, not to mention tedious and dry. So we are to go forth joyfully doing our best within the parameters of all our responsibilities to obey what we know yet always looking for the Spirit's empowering and specific fine-tuning of what we do. Our bread-and-butter obedience is usually a combination of what we know from learning and experience combined with what we know directly from the Spirit. It's a team effort, although God gets all the glory. Which comes first varies, it seems. Just what was the spark that led us to act we don't always know. This keeps us honest, on our toes, and living by faith. But I think it's usually better to act and have the Lord adjust you, than to be overly worried about making a mistake. We learn by doing.