Sunday, 7/6/2025

CONTROLLED BY THE SPIRIT

2 Timothy 3:1–5 (NLT) You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. ² For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. ³ They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. ⁴ They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. ⁵ They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

Romans 12:2 (NLT) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

We all have influences in our lives. 

We are all a product of multiple influences.

When an idea, a substance, or another person controls us, it affects nearly everything we do. 

Good influences are gifts from the Lord and help us develop into the people he wants us to become.

Regardless of whether we have had good influences or bad influences, we still get to decide what will influence our future.

Application: How about you? Reflect on the influences in your life. Are they godly? Are they leading you toward or away from God’s purpose?

God saved us for the purpose for making us human temples, inhabited by his Spirit. 

“naos” referred to the inner sanctum, the place where there was a visible manifestation of the shekinah glory of God.

Faith in Jesus makes us walking miracles who have been changed through the Holy Spirit personally dwelling in us!

God’s plan in redemption was that we should live life full of the Holy Spirit. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). 

“being filled” is to say the Spirit controls us.

Acts 6:3 “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom”. 

In the New Testament church, even the job of distributing food to widows required leaders who were Spirit-controlled and full of wisdom.

Being a Christian does not necessarily guarantee that a person lives a life controlled by the Spirit. 

Revelation 3:15-16 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth”.

Ephesians 5:15-17 “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is”. 

If we’re not Spirit-controlled, we will miss out on being what God wants us to be.

The church began with Spirit-controlled Christians who yielded themselves to God. 

The circumstances will differ from person to person, but an undeniable expression of Spirit-controlled living is that we will be lifted above the limitations of mere natural talents and abilities.

The irony of Spirit-filled living is that we have to give up power in order to gain a greater power. 

How many times in your Christian walk have you come to a place where you struggled to do something, so you just tried harder?

Christianity is not a self-effort religion but rather one of power—the ability and might of the Spirit. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Phil. 2:13).

The Spirit is the only one who can produce self-discipline, love, and boldness. But to do so, he has to control us daily. 

We can’t rest on a religious experience we had years or even months ago.

Challenge: Surrendering control to the Spirit is scary but necessary for God’s power, love, and self-discipline to flow.

2 Tim. 1:6–7 “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline”.

Charles Finney, three key points about the Holy Spirit:

Jesus promised the Spirit’s fullness. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Scripture commands Christians to be filled with the Holy Spirit. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). 

The fullness of the Spirit is a necessity in our lives. When Jesus declared, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), he meant what he said.

When God takes control of a life or a church, he takes control through the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit is the Helper Jesus sent to do the job. 

When we fear giving control to the Spirit, we really fear God’s control over our lives. 

Reflect on and ask: Who or what is controlling your life? Anger, fear, or the Holy Spirit?

Surrender to the Holy Spirit, yielding control daily.

Seek godly influences to fan the Spirit’s flame.