Living from the Spirit and Not the Soul

We have spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 4:12). Our soul includes our intellect.
 
Many believers focus on their intellect (Acts 17:21), but if our brain power alone is sufficient to know God, Pharisees with deep knowledge of the Bible would have accepted Christ (John 5:39). The intelligent can be misled by their knowledge and grow unwilling to seek God with humility.
 
Intellect is important. For example, we need to love God with all our soul as well (Matthew 22:37), but our intellect by itself cannot transform us into the worshippers God seeks.
 
Christ taught us how God seeks those who worship Him in the spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). Let’s try to understand what this means.
 
We worship God in the spirit because God is Spirit. And we need the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of truth) in us to guide and change us so we can know and worship Him (John 4:24).
 
The Holy Spirit reveals to us our sins. Like Job, when we see our iniquities and inadequacies, we despise ourselves, repent, fall on our knees, and worship God (Job 42:6, 1 Corinthians 14:24-25).
 
We should let the Holy Spirit flow from us like rivers of living water, glorifying the Heavenly Father (John 14:15-17, 7:38-39).
 
Worshipping God in truth implies we should have honesty and integrity in our worship. The person who prays to God should be the same person during the rest of the day. Christians should follow God in their everyday life. This is more important and difficult than public ministry.
 
So, do not be controlled by selfish desires or become jealous of one another and form cliques to fight with one another (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). Do not let transient worldly things take us over (Job 1:20-21).
 
Learn from Abraham. He worshipped God such that he was willing to offer to God that which was most precious to him—his son Isaac. He desired nothing more than God (Genesis 22).
 
In the garden of Gethsemane, Christ prayed. He admitted His preference but still followed His Father’s will, not His (John 6:38, Matthew 26:36-46).
 
To worship God truthfully and honestly, we need to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him every day (Luke 9:23).
 
In conclusion, let the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, guide you to worship God in your spirit. In your everyday life, follow Christ. That is how we live from the spirit and not the soul.
 
Summarized a sermon by Zac Poonen:
https://youtu.be/rsJs3F8VeGM

 
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靠灵而不是魂而活
 
每个人都有灵、魂、体 （帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:23；希伯来书 4:12）。魂包括一个人的智力。
 
许多信徒都注重智力（使徒行传 17:21）。但如果仅仅靠智力便可以知道神，那么对圣经有深厚知识的法利赛人应该接受基督（约翰福音 5:39），然而他们却拒绝祂。聪明的人会被他们的知识误导，不愿意谦卑地寻求上帝。
 
智力很重要，例如需要尽意地爱上帝（马太福音 22:37）。 但智力本身并不能将人变成上帝所寻找的敬拜者。
 
主耶稣教导上帝寻找那些用心灵和真理敬拜祂的人（约翰福音 4:23-24）。这是什么意思呢？
 
因为上帝是灵，要用心灵敬拜祂。 人需要圣灵（真理的灵）在心中的带领和改变, 使自己能认识和敬拜上帝（约翰福音 4:24）。
 
圣灵显明人的罪。使我们如约伯一样，看到自己的罪孽和不足时就会鄙视自己，悔改跪地，敬拜上帝（约伯记42：6；哥林多前书 14:24-25）。
 
让圣灵像活水的江河一样，从我们身上流出，荣耀天父（约翰福音 14:15-17; 7:38-39）。
 
在真理中敬拜上帝意味着我们诚实正直地敬拜祂。向上帝祷告的人应该在其余时间里也是同一个人。基督徒应该在日常生活中跟随上帝, 这比公开的事工更重要，也更困难。
 
所以，不要被自私的欲望左右，不要互相嫉妒，不要结党争斗（哥林多前书 3:1-3），不要让短暂的世俗之物辖制我们（约伯记1:20-21）。
 
当向亚伯拉罕学习。他敬拜上帝，甚至把最宝贵的儿子以撒献给上帝。他最深的渴望是上帝祂自己（创世记 22）。
 
基督在客西马尼园祈祷。祂在祷告中承认自己的选择，但依然遵循天父的旨意（约翰福音 6:38；马太福音 26:39）。
 
如果要在真理中诚实地敬拜上帝，应该每天舍弃自己, 背起自己的十字架跟随基督（路加福音 9:23）。
 
总而言之，让圣灵(真理的灵)引导我们在灵里敬拜上帝，在我们的日常生活中跟随基督。 这就是靠灵而不是靠魂而活。