We are admonished in God’s word to “walk in the Spirit” and to “abide in [Christ]” (Gal. 5: 16, 25; John 15: 4). But in order to get in step with the Spirit, we need to not only know the Spirit’s destination, but also the why and the how of God’s intentions. In order to abide in the Spirit, we need to know what the abiding entails and how to get there.
Simply put, in order for us to walk in the Spirit, we must first know what God is doing and where He is going. “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” (Amos 3: 3). We must agree with Him as to the where and when of His Spirit. He said that we are to have the mind of Christ and to think the way He does (Phil. 2: 5). Christ is doing His Father’s business (Luke 2: 49).
And the Father’s business is God reproducing Himself. This is His purpose, and He has a plan to finish His work.
God has given us many clues as to His purpose. Every living thing in both the vegetable and animal kingdom is striving to reproduce itself. Just look around. It is what it is all about. You striving in your life to find “the one,” that special one to mate with–the drive has been put in your DNA by your Maker, and it is another clue as to His purpose: God is reproducing Himself, His Love, and His life. And He has the plan to make it happen. And we humans are the spiritual environment in which He is doing this reproducing of Himself.
Only when we understand His purpose and then believe it, will we be able to walk in the Spirit or abide in Him. If we are operating on a different spiritual wavelength in our worship, then we are not staying, remaining, nor abiding in Him and His purpose and His plan to achieve His purpose of reproducing Himself.
People of God, we say that we want a closer walk, a closer relationship with Him! This is our opportunity. Oh, to cease to be Christ’s servants and to become His friends! To hear Him say to us, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” To be His friend! To be given this rare knowledge of what the Father is doing. To have Christ trust us so much that He with His great loving heart would include us in these secrets and mysteries of what the Father’s purpose is! To be trusted as a friend that knows what His Lord is doing! To be a part of His inner circle (John 15: 15).
And don’t tell me that it is not for us. That is a cop out. Two chapters later in that same flow of truth, Christ prayed for you and me: “Neither pray I for these alone [seated around the Last Supper table], but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one…and the glory which thou gavest me I have given them…” (John 17: 20). That’s us, brothers and sisters, if we can believe it.
He has promised us that if we abide in Him, whatever we ask, He will do. If we are walking and abiding with Him then what we ask will further His purpose. Those are the prayers that will get through–those that are asked by us to further His purpose and plan.
When We Have Another Purpose
But if we have an agenda and purpose and plan other than His, then we do not have true worship of the Father, for we will be following our own imaginations as to what will please God. God does not need another church building on another corner. He does not need another minister preaching the same sermons spoken a hundred years ago because those sermons, though they may be sincere, smack of stale incense wafting up into God’s nostrils. Small-hearted prayers for ourselves won’t get through the brass heavens to His ears.
Understanding His Purpose
However, when we do get His purpose and take it to heart and begin to work to help bring it to pass, then our power increases by His Spirit, and we become co-workers with Christ in doing the “Father’s business.”
Christ is all about doing the business of the Father. He is doing His will and finishing His work. The Father’s work? Reproducing Himself.
And what are we to do? We as members of Christ’s body need to be doing what Christ is doing, which is the same work. To do the works of God, we need to believe upon Him whom God has sent, and to finish His work. We are to bear witness to the truth about how God is reproducing Himself through the Seed Son. The works that God will do through us will be a witness that Christ the Seed has resurrected in us. The Seed Son will have germinated in us as we show forth the resurrection power through many signs and wonders done very shortly on this earth.
But it all starts with wisdom and knowledge, which happens to be the main ingredients of the first two “gifts of the Spirit.” Yes, as we get on the right road, God the Spirit begins to give us gifts to help us help Him fulfill His purpose. The first is “the word of wisdom,” and the second is “the word of knowledge” (I Cor. 12: 8).
Immortality Road 
Reblogged this on ChristianBlessings.
Again a great article Kenneth. Thankyou fir sharing. I have a question : where does the Bride fit in , in all of this. ? Are there friends of the Bridegroom and a Bride?
Good question, Annette. Old leaven teachings have muddied the water as to who the Bride really is. Of course, we have to go back to what the written word simply says. They asked Christ why His disciples did not fast like the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees. He responded, “Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegrooom is with them?” Later when He is taken from them they will fast (Matt. 9: 14-15).
#1. They were talking about the disciples of Christ–Peter, James, and John and the others. Christ referred to them as the “children of the bridechamber.” He clearly refers to His disciples as the offspring of the bridal bed. They are the product of the spiritual relationship between the bride and bridegroom. That is the starting point. We must not read anything into this. It is plain, but the “church is the bride of Christ doctrine” clouds everyone’s mind.
#2. So, we now know who the children are–His disciples, and that would include us. And we certainly know who the Bridegroom is–Christ. The scriptures actually do not play around with answering the obvious question: Who then is the “Bride of Christ”? “Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife…and [he] showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God…” (Rev. 21: 9-27). Annette, this heavenly city, so wonderful that it leaves us speechless, is our spiritual mother (Gal. 4: 26). She bore us of her wisdom. We came from the matrix of her heart.
#3. She is Christ’s bride; that is the reason He did not marry a female human being. He was already spiritually married to His wife.
There is so much more. Perhaps another time. These are bare bone notes to help ignite a study. Hope this helps. kwh
Kenneth you are absolutely right. Thanks for pointing out that ” the bride doctrine” is another false one. I read , it came out of the Baptist camp. Wow, one has to check everything – search the Scriptures!
Who do you think are the wise virgins and who the foolish virgins? There is alot of different doctrine about that parable.
Hey, Annette. Glad that about the bride of Christ helped. One has only to read the messages to the seven churches in Rev 2 and 3 to get the light on the five foolish virgins. The Spirit through John in Rev. exposes false teachings in all seven church ages, which is a metaphor for the spiritual body of Christ (virgins) and their lack of response to His admonishments. In all seven churches (steps of possible spiritual growth during the last 2000 years), Christ points out shortcomings. You can read them for your self in Rev. chapters 2 and 3. [This is a large study too big to tackle now]. But Christ is pleading with Christians then and now to make changes and grow spiritually…But some will not study and pray. These are the five foolish virgins, who only went to church as an insurance policy to “get to heaven.” They were not serious,having their minds blinded by material things and did not walk to their full potential. They would not get rid of the false doctrines that God admonished them to do. They clung to their unbelief, and consequently, they did not have “oil” in their lamps. Oil is always the symbol of the Spirit of God. No oil, no fire, no spiritual light…So, unlike the five wise Christians, they waited till the last minute to get it right, but it was too late. The scriptures state that most will fall into this category, I am saddened to say. The wise, like you, Annette, are humble and have opened their hearts for the Spirit to teach them. The foolish are the Christians who will be cast into “outer darkness” where there will be much wailing and crying…[This is so profoundly heartbreaking, I would rather not write it, but there it is.]
Christ expounds about the fate of the five foolish virgins of Mt. 25: 1-13 in the very next verses in the parable of the man travelling into a far country and gave his servants (Christians, virgins) the talents. The fearful servant called an “unprofitable servant” by God and was cast into “outer darkness.” Not good. The five wise are prepared rewarded and praised and are a part of the celebration. The five foolish were fearful and unprofitable to God and His purpose and plan. They didn’t study and pray and change and grow…And the five foolish will no doubt say at that time, ” But Lord did we not prophesy in thy name and cast out devils and done many wonderful works?” (preachers and parishioners of the churches). But He will say, I never knew you (Mat.7:22-23)….Hope this helps. kwh