St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

We live by the Spirit

We live by the Spirit,
Oh Holy Spirit come fill us,
we walk by the Spirit:
the Spirit of Christ within.

The natural state of our sinful flesh
means we can't do the good we desire.
But when Jesus enters he brings refreshment
and fills us with holy fire.

We live by the Spirit ...

The Spirit of Jesus has set us free
from the Law which imprisons the soul,
and we will resist bonds of slavery
as he heals us and makes us whole.

We live by the Spirit ...

A man's sinful nature will end in hate,
for his acts lead to sin, hurt and shame:
The Spirit makes war on our sinful state,
and transforms those who bear Christ's name.

We live by the Spirit ...

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
and the virtues which bring self control:
and as we continue to seek release
through our Saviour, we reach our goal:

We live by the Spirit ...

As the season of Pentecost approaches (27th May this year), we should all ask ourselves: What difference the Holy Spirit is making in my life? I wrote this song while reading St Paul’s letter to the Galatians and asking myself that question.

Some Christians will give you this answer: you can feel the Holy Spirit by the warm glow he gives you, by the gift of speaking in tongues which you can now exercise, and by the sense of the direct presence of God with you as you pray. Well, that’s great if you do experience these things - but it’s not actually what Paul says when he contrasts life in the Spirit with life the way ordinary people live it.

Paul says you can tell you’ve received the Holy Spirit by the fact that he makes war on the sinful nature that still lives inside you. A person who is trying to follow Jesus still has the old selfishness and rebellion living inside, but s/he has now recognised that it needs fighting, and the Holy Spirit helps him/her to fight and win the battle.

I need more of that in my life, and I bet you do too!

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. May 2007, Page 8.
Home Page. Index of articles: by subject, by date. In this issue: (May 2007) Hope not hate, Dark Moon, From Egypt, Finances, Hymn, History. Other hymns and songs. Music for this song.	We live by the Spirit We live by the Spirit, Oh Holy Spirit come fill us, we walk by the Spirit: the Spirit of Christ within. The natural state of our sinful flesh means we can't do the good we desire. But when Jesus enters he brings refreshment and fills us with holy fire. We live by the Spirit ... The Spirit of Jesus has set us free from the Law which imprisons the soul, and we will resist bonds of slavery as he heals us and makes us whole. We live by the Spirit ... A man's sinful nature will end in hate, for his acts lead to sin, hurt and shame: The Spirit makes war on our sinful state, and transforms those who bear Christ's name. We live by the Spirit ... The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and the virtues which bring self control: and as we continue to seek release through our Saviour, we reach our goal: We live by the Spirit ... Words and tune copyright © John Hartley 2006. From Galatians 5:16-25. A tune can be found on our web site. As the season of Pentecost approaches (27th May this year), we should all ask ourselves: What difference the Holy Spirit is making in my life? I wrote this song while reading St Paul’s letter to the Galatians and asking myself that question. Some Christians will give you this answer: you can feel the Holy Spirit by the warm glow he gives you, by the gift of speaking in tongues which you can now exercise, and by the sense of the direct presence of God with you as you pray. Well, that’s great if you do experience these things - but it’s not actually what Paul says when he contrasts life in the Spirit with life the way ordinary people live it. Paul says you can tell you’ve received the Holy Spirit by the fact that he makes war on the sinful nature that still lives inside you. A person who is trying to follow Jesus still has the old selfishness and rebellion living inside, but s/he has now recognised that it needs fighting, and the Holy Spirit helps him/her to fight and win the battle. I need more of that in my life, and I bet you do too! John Hartley
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