ICS Daily Devotions
Our Soul
Romans 12:2 (NKJV) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Our soul consists of our mind, will, emotions and personality. The Bible tells us that we are a new creation in Christ the moment we are saved. The new creation is in the spirit/heart or inner man; our thinking, which is in the realm of the soul, cannot change until we start renewing our mind with the Word of God. It takes time to unlearn or break free from all the worldly indoctrination and ways of thinking that may have been with us since childhood.
Skepticism can hinder us from hearing God clearly or trusting the leading of the Holy Spirit. The soul will struggle because we are so used to a “seeing is believing” mentality that requires concrete evidence before we can step out in faith. However, the Christian is called to a lifestyle of faith; if we only believe when we are able to see the evidence, there is no place for faith.
The soul is self-centered. We are used to the soul ruling and reigning in our lives; there can be a tussle between what the flesh wants to do and what the Holy Spirit prompts us to do. The soul will continue to rule, reign, be self-centered and hinder the work of the Holy Spirit until we submit to the Lordship of Christ.
Once we submit to His Lordship, we are a step closer to yielding to the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. As we allow Christ to take His rightful place in our heart, it becomes easier to follow His prompting to do what is good and correct, and even that which is new or foreign to us. It becomes natural to continually seek guidance and wisdom from the Holy Spirit.
If we desire to have a breakthrough in our relationship with the Holy Spirit, have an increasingly clear inner witness in our spirit when He speaks, and also move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we will need to accept and understand that He speaks to us through our spirit.
Sermon Series: How to be Led by the Holy Spirit in your Daily Living (Part 2) (Devotional 3)
