***By doing these things (though I often fail)***
It is the power of intention?
***To live clean and focused on Christ is how "we give the Spirit" the freedom to inject into our lives Faith***
Are you saying you giving God the power here, kind of releasing him out to work?
I got people I take care of and they respect me because I give them stuff for things that have done. When their intentions are good I reward them and when they are not I do not. It is all about the intentions. Are you punished and also rewarded by the "One" when you have good/bad intentions?
***What are your thoughts on this?***
What are your thought on this?
***It is the power of intention?***
In some mysterious way it's not our "power" at all.
Phil 2:12,13
"Dearest friends, you were always so careful to follow my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to put into action God's saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.
For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him."
***Are you saying you giving God the power here, kind of releasing him out to work? ***
Not in any New Age sense.
In Eph. 4 Pauls says...
"And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption."
By choosing to live in ways that displease him, we greive him and as a result he limits his activity in our lives. If we give in to sin he will not empower us or use us - just a s a surgeon whould not use a dirty instrument.
Paul describes it this way in 2Tim 2...
"In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use.
If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work"
***Are you punished and also rewarded by the "One" when you have good/bad intentions? ***
God looks at intentions. "Man looks on the outward appearance, bu God looks on the heart." So yes, intentions are very important in your relatioship with God.
***What are your thought on this?***
May I say that, in all of this discussion, what I am describing is a new type of relationship with God - the "spiritual birth". This is not something that comes naturally to every person, but it is something that any person can enter into should they so desire.
The spiritual birth, or regeneration, comes when one puts their faith in Jesus as Savior and submits their life to him as Lord. At that point their sins are forgiven and the Holy Spirit comes to live within their heart. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit that makes the new relationship possible.