Harnessing Your Emotions Part 8

The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of G.o.d.

Galatians 2:20

Many Christians know that faith works and that faith has power to change things. They don't doubt any of the testimonies about the great things that have happened in other people's lives because they believed G.o.d. But when it comes to their own situation, they see themselves as faithless because they don't feel feel faith. So they go to the Lord and say, "Oh, G.o.d, please give me faith in this situation." How is G.o.d going to give them something He has already given them? faith. So they go to the Lord and say, "Oh, G.o.d, please give me faith in this situation." How is G.o.d going to give them something He has already given them?

In Galatians 2:20, the Bible teaches us that we have the faith of the Son of G.o.d. Galatians 5:22,23 tells us that faith is a fruit of the Spirit that has been given to every believer. In Ephesians 2:8 we saw that it was by grace through faith that we were saved to begin with. If we did not have faith, we would not be born again. That faith has the power to change things. That's why it was given to us.

You already have all of the faith you will ever have or ever need, but it's in your spirit. If you let your feelings tell you otherwise, you will never benefit from that faith. If you perceive yourself as being faithless in your situation, you will say, "I know faith works, but I just don't have any." You will end up defeated again and again. You will continue to go through life intimidated, fearful, filled with worry, care, and anxiety. Your life will continue to be difficult and depressing, because that's the way you think.

But if you can begin to renew your mind so that you say, "I have inside of me the same faith that raised Jesus from the dead, the same faith that Jesus used when He spoke to Lazarus and caused him to come out of the grave," that faith will empower you to do the same things that Jesus did, and even greater things, just as He promised. (See John 14:12.) These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of G.o.d; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of G.o.d.

1 John 5:13 You may have to be honest and just say, "Father, I don't know all of the laws governing faith yet, but I know it's there." Just knowing that it's there will get you excited. It will give you hope that you have what you need even though you don't know exactly how to draw it out. Just knowing that it's there will be exciting and encouraging.

There was a time when I desperately needed some money. My wife and I were very poor and when our first son was born, we struggled to keep him fed. We went without food ourselves a lot of times, but we always fed him. We had made a decision that we would never let our son go hungry. It was a time of really putting our faith on the line.

One day it got to where we didn't have enough money to get our son any food for supper. He had eaten earlier that day, but he didn't have anything for the last meal, and I knew we had to come up with something quick.

I was praying and believing G.o.d to answer our need. Many times when I prayed, I would expect G.o.d to send someone by - supernaturally. I am a minister, and therefore the people I minister to give back to me financially. It doesn't usually work that way for non-ministers. You may get blessed through your job and through things you set your hand to, but the Bible says that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14). So I a.s.sumed that my money would come through people just coming by. (1 Corinthians 9:14). So I a.s.sumed that my money would come through people just coming by.

As I was praying over this need for food for my son, the Lord spoke to me and said, "You've already got it. It's right here. You don't have to have someone come by." All of a sudden, I started thinking, Well, maybe I left some money in my clothes pockets. Well, maybe I left some money in my clothes pockets. I went through every piece of clothing I had and found nothing. I took the cus.h.i.+ons off of the couch and began to look behind them. Nothing. Finally, I took the back seat out of the car and found three or four dollars worth of change that had fallen there. I went through every piece of clothing I had and found nothing. I took the cus.h.i.+ons off of the couch and began to look behind them. Nothing. Finally, I took the back seat out of the car and found three or four dollars worth of change that had fallen there.

That's not the best example, but it makes my point. I have come a long way since then. I no longer have to search pockets, sofa cus.h.i.+ons, or behind car seats to find needed money. But the point is, there was some degree of anxiety as long as I thought that my finances had yet to come. In my own mind, I was sure G.o.d was speaking to someone to come by the house and help us out financially, but I wasn't sure they would be obedient, or if they were obedient, whether they would arrive in time for. supper. So there was some anxiety even though I was supposedly trusting G.o.d to provide what I needed.

Once the Lord spoke to me, "You've already got it - it's just a matter of finding it," all anxiety, fear, and worry left. Instead, there was antic.i.p.ation, expectation, and hope. I really believed the money was there somewhere, and when I found it, I confirmed my belief.

Ask, Seek, and Knock And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Luke 11:9,10 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the pet.i.tions that we desired of him.

1 John 5:14,15 As long as you approach your situation thinking, Oh, Lord, if I could just have faith or if I could just have peace of mind, I would be all right, Oh, Lord, if I could just have faith or if I could just have peace of mind, I would be all right, as long as you see those spiritual blessings as being on the outside and are constantly going to G.o.d and asking Him for them, there will always be some degree of doubt, anxiety, worry, fear, and care about whether you will receive them or not. But once you understand you already have all of these things, you will quit depending upon your emotions. Once you understand who you are in Christ and begin to see your true ident.i.ty in Him, all the worry and anxiety will be removed, because you will no longer be controlled by your emotions. as long as you see those spiritual blessings as being on the outside and are constantly going to G.o.d and asking Him for them, there will always be some degree of doubt, anxiety, worry, fear, and care about whether you will receive them or not. But once you understand you already have all of these things, you will quit depending upon your emotions. Once you understand who you are in Christ and begin to see your true ident.i.ty in Him, all the worry and anxiety will be removed, because you will no longer be controlled by your emotions.

That doesn't mean you will never have to go looking, as I did in the back seat of the car. There is going to be a period of time before you actually make the exact connection that releases your answer. But what peace and security it brings just knowing you already have what you are seeking. That's ninety percent of the battle, even if you don't understand everything about how to release it yet.

A good friend of mine used to have a saying, "Even an old blind hog, if he keeps rooting long enough, will come up with something." What he meant by that is that if you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have something, and you don't give up, it's just a matter of time until you find it. The key is releasing the faith that G.o.d has already given to you, and if you won't quit looking for it, you will eventually hit upon it and see it come to pa.s.s. A person who is not totally convinced that they have what they need may try a little bit, but when they don't see results, they will quit because they never really see themselves in possession of it.

In Matthew 13:24, Jesus likened the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden in a field, saying that the man sold everything he owned to buy that field because he knew what was buried there. Let's think about that ill.u.s.tration.

Suppose I told you there was a million dollars buried in your back yard. If you had a steam shovel you could start digging up huge amounts of dirt at one time looking for the money. That would be fairly quick and easy. But if you really believed what I told you, you could eventually get the same results with nothing but a spoon. It would require patience, determination, and a lot of hard work, but if you were so convinced, you wouldn't give up and quit. Then, eventually you would find that million dollars.

But suppose I told the same thing to someone who wasn't fully convinced it was true. If they didn't have the proper equipment, but only a spoon to dig with, they would probably quit after the first blister. They would soon lose their motivation and would miss the blessing that was theirs all along.

One of the keys to using your faith is to know you have what G.o.d has promised and to keep after it until it manifests in the natural.

Destined to Win Thanks be unto G.o.d, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:14 I know I'm a winner. Does that mean I always win? Well, it means I have the capability of always winning. Sometimes I have quit in my physical self and haven't always seen things work out the way I would have liked, but I was still convinced that I was a winner. Losing didn't change the picture of who I am in Christ. If we take this scripture to heart and realize that it is G.o.d who always causes us to triumph through our Lord Jesus Christ, we will know we are winners. I've seen it in the Word. I know this scripture is talking about my born-again self.

Situations often come against me that honestly look bigger than I am, and they are. They're bigger than my physical self and my emotional self, but not my spirit man. In my spirit, I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (See Philippians 4:13.) Because of that knowledge, sometimes I have just gutted it out when in the physical, natural realm, it looked like I should have quit. But I just couldn't quit, because I knew I was a winner. And, praise G.o.d, I've seen the victory come.

Understanding who you are in Christ, your true ident.i.ty, is one of the greatest motivating factors in the Christian life.

When my wife and I first got started, we didn't know very much of the Word of G.o.d, but I had this revelation that I knew I was a winner. I knew I was destined to overcome. I knew that the works Jesus did I could do also. I just didn't understand how to get it done. I hadn't heard "Copenhagin" - meaning the teachings of Kenneth Copeland and Kenneth Hagin. I didn't understand the ways of faith. I didn't know about confessing the Word and many other things about the faith life, but I had it burned in my heart that as a Christian I was a winner, a victor.

I saw great miracles in my ministry. I saw blind eyes and deaf ears opened and people raised from the dead. When I look back at it, I wonder how in the world I saw so much success in those areas. I didn't know what I know now, but the key was that I was convinced it would work. I just kept at it and kept at it. My motivation was the difference, because I saw myself differently. I wasn't seeing myself as just a physical person - I saw myself as a new creature in Christ Jesus.

I ask you again, how do you see yourself? Do you see yourself filled with the mind of Christ enabling you to operate in His power and authority, or do you still see yourself as simply a sinner whose sins have been washed away? Purpose in your heart and in your mind to see yourself as being the righteousness of Christ. The divine wisdom of G.o.d is yours today and forever. You no longer have to submit to your carnal emotions.

G.o.d has given you everything you need to operate with your new mind so you can control your emotions through the power of the Holy Spirit. You may not see your circ.u.mstances change immediately, but remember who you are in Christ - a victor, an overcomer, and a winner. You are a new creature, empowered with the mind of Christ.

Chapter 9 9.

Walking in in the the Spirit Spirit

Many Christians see themselves as having been forgiven of their sins at the point they made Jesus their Lord, so their past sins are dealt with. But from the point of salvation on, every time they sin or do something wrong, they consider that to be a new infraction between them and G.o.d, one that has to be repented of and put under the blood of Jesus so it can be cleansed and washed away. They believe that if they were to die without having confessed, repented, and been forgiven of their sin, they would go to h.e.l.l in that sinful state.

That is a typical belief among many Pentecostals, but it simply is not what G.o.d's Word teaches. G.o.d's Word teaches that when we accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we were sanctified sanctified and and perfected perfected forever. Our spirit was made perfect once and for all. forever. Our spirit was made perfect once and for all.

I have a relative who many years ago had a very rebellious daughter. She was always pus.h.i.+ng her mother to the limits of tolerance. One evening as this woman was fixing supper, her daughter pushed her too far and she hauled off and hit her. She decked her own daughter right on the kitchen floor.

She was so shocked at what she had done that she ran upstairs and threw herself across the bed. She cried out to G.o.d for help, because she knew if she started crying it would be the next morning before she could compose herself. Her husband was bringing people home for supper, and she had to pull herself together.

What the Lord spoke to her was amazing. He said, "When you asked me to forgive you for your sins as an eight-year-old girl, I already knew about this and forgave it too." What a word! The Lord didn't only forgive us of past and present sins at our salvation, but He also forgave our future sins.

Sealed With the Spirit

In whom [Christ] [Christ] ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom [Christ] [Christ] also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.

Ephesians 1:13 When we are born again, we are given a brand-new spirit. We are a new creature - old things have pa.s.sed away, all things have become new. We are now recreated in righteousness and true holiness. There is no sin and no impurity in our new spirit whatsoever, because at the moment of salvation we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Notice the word "sealed" used here in Ephesians 1:13. There are different types of seals. There is a seal like the one placed on the garden tomb where Jesus was buried after the crucifixion. (See Matthew 27:66.) It was an insignia that would show if anyone moved the stone away from the entrance to the tomb, because the seal would be broken. There is also the seal of approval or certification, such as the Good Housekeeping Good Housekeeping Seal, which testifies that a certain product or service has been tested and shown to meet a certain standard of quality or excellence. Seal, which testifies that a certain product or service has been tested and shown to meet a certain standard of quality or excellence.

But when Paul says in Ephesians 1:13 that we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, the seal he is referring to is the kind of seal that is used when a person cans food. They put it in an airtight container and then place paraffin over the top to ensure that no air can get in. In this way the contents are preserved, because the seal keeps out any impurities.

That is what happened to us when we were saved. The Holy Spirit sealed our salvation and completely encased our born-again spirit so no impurities could get in.

All of the scriptures we have examined thus far show that when we got our new spirit, it was given to us in righteousness and true holiness (see Ephesians 4:24) - sanctified and perfected forever (see Hebrews 10:10,14). Our spirit was immediately sealed so that regardless of how we might sin in our physical, emotional realm, that contamination would not get into our spiritual realm. Our spirit retains that holiness, allowing us to have a pure relations.h.i.+p with the Lord.

Our Spirits Are Made Perfect But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living G.o.d, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general a.s.sembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to G.o.d the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. the general a.s.sembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to G.o.d the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.

Hebrews 12:22,23 A lack of understanding has caused many believers to experience the love of G.o.d and to be excited and joyful about their salvation when they are doing everything right, but when they sin, they hit the skids and go through the depths of depression asking, "G.o.d, how could You love me?" They see themselves as sinful, contaminated, sorry, no good, worthless, and hopeless, and they think that's the way G.o.d sees them.

The writer of Hebrews says that the spirits of those who are in Christ have been made perfect. In John 4:24, Jesus said, G.o.d is a Spirit: and they that wors.h.i.+p him must wors.h.i.+p him in spirit and in truth. G.o.d is a Spirit: and they that wors.h.i.+p him must wors.h.i.+p him in spirit and in truth. Since G.o.d is a Spirit, we can only fellows.h.i.+p with Him through our spirit, which has been perfected for that very purpose. Since G.o.d is a Spirit, we can only fellows.h.i.+p with Him through our spirit, which has been perfected for that very purpose.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of G.o.d: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For we are his workmans.h.i.+p, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which G.o.d hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10 Our perfect spirit does not fluctuate based on our performance. As we see in this scripture, our spirit is totally G.o.d's workmans.h.i.+p created in Christ Jesus unto good works. As such, it is not dependent upon us or our personal purity or holiness. Because of what G.o.d has done for us in Jesus Christ, our spirit is righteous and holy in itself and it stays that way. Given our unchanging spiritual nature, even when we sin we can still go to G.o.d and receive His love and acceptance because our spirit - the only part of us that is born again - is still righteous, holy, pure, and acceptable to G.o.d. It is not stained by our sin.

Does that mean it is immaterial whether we live a holy life or not? Does that mean we can choose to live in sin because our spirit is righteous? Absolutely not!

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 6:16 Even though our spirit is still righteous in the eyes of G.o.d and we are not contaminated in the born-again part of us, if we choose to live in sin we are giving Satan access to us. When we yield to Satan, we yield ourselves to his control. He is then free to do with us whatever he wants to do. If we choose to give in to sin, our spirit will still retain its righteousness with G.o.d, but our emotions and our body will suffer because we have opened the door for Satan to come in to steal, kill, and destroy. (See John 10:10.) It is very important to live a holy life. Why? So G.o.d will accept us? No, He has already done that through Jesus. Once we were born again, we became a new creature - sealed and perfected forever. But we still have a physical body and an emotional realm that we cannot ignore. We are not only a spirit, but we also have a soul and a body to maintain. Our emotions are in the soulish realm, so if we choose to live in sin, we are going to give Satan access to our emotions and our body. We will end up leading a miserable life even though, in our spirit, we are sanctified and made perfect in the eyes of G.o.d.

Free to Fellows.h.i.+p with G.o.d Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16 One of the biggest benefits of understanding our new ident.i.ty in Christ is the recognition that our new person - our born-again self - is now able to fellows.h.i.+p freely with G.o.d. Because our new spirit is His creation, it is righteous, holy, and pure, and there is nothing to condemn us or to make us feel guilty or unworthy before Him. Our worthiness is not based on anything we have done, but solely on what Jesus has done for us. He has made us a new person. Once we understand that, it gives us boldness to enter into the very presence of G.o.d.

We can get rid of our guilt and condemnation - not by denying that it exists, and not by saying that it doesn't matter what we do with our mind and body because they are ours to do with as we please - but by becoming a new person in Christ. Regardless of what has happened to us in the past, or even what may be happening to us in the present, we can go before the Lord and say, "Father, thank You that I am still righteous in Your sight."

We don't confess our sin for the purpose of getting our spirit saved or born again, because that has already taken place. We have already received a new spirit within us. It is a past-tense event that stays complete. It has been sealed forever. We confess our sin for the purpose of kicking Satan out of our life. We gave place to him when we sinned. Now, as we repent and confess that sin, we kick him out and receive the forgiveness that is already a reality in our spirit, bringing it out into the soulish and emotional part of us to set us free from depression, guilt, hatred, and bitterness - all of the negative things that sin brings to our emotions.

Isn't that powerful? G.o.d has already done everything in your spirit that needs to be done to save you from sin so you can live in holiness and fellows.h.i.+p with Him now and forever. You are righteous, you are holy, you are pure, and you always will be. That knowledge will give you stability in your Christian life. Your emotions won't be up or down based on your performance. Instead, your emotions will remain as stable and unchanging as your spirit.

Remember, your emotions are based on who you are in Christ. Even though your actions may fluctuate up and down, your emotions won't. Because of the knowledge you have within you, when you have failed some way and see those emotions beginning to plummet, you will simply say, "Father, I'm sorry. I'm out in the flesh. I'm doing wrong things, so I repent in Jesus' name."

When you get your mind off of who you are in yourself and put it back on who you are in Christ, your emotions will come right back to a level of peace and joy that are yours because of what Jesus has done for you. Everything will begin to become more stable, because you will be focusing more and more on the eternal things that are true on the inside of you, rather than on your temporal, physical circ.u.mstances and emotions.

Walking Out the New You

This understanding has transformed my life. There's no way I can share with you in this short book everything I have learned about this lifestyle, but during the more than thirty years that the Lord has been teaching all this to me, I have been realizing that there is a totally new me on the inside. I have been developing a whole new att.i.tude about myself. That may sound a little crazy to you at first. You may be asking yourself what planet I came from, because this new way of life is radically different compared to the thinking of this world.

Again, one of the major differences between psychology and true Christianity is that psychology doesn't tell you that you can become a new person. It doesn't tell you to see yourself in Christ Jesus. It doesn't tell you that you are righteous, holy, pure, and forgiven. Instead, it just takes your old self and tries to get you to feel good about it, to place the blame for your emotional problems on someone else, and to teach you how to deal with things from a merely human perspective.

What I am talking about is supernatural. It requires a revelation from G.o.d. It takes a miracle from G.o.d to make it a reality. But that's what Jesus came to do.

You are a totally brand-new person in your spirit. You are righteous, holy, and pure. G.o.d loves you. He is not displeased with you - not your new born-again self. I guarantee you that there are things in your old unregenerate self that G.o.d does not care a lick for, but your born-again self is totally brand-new, and you need to learn how to dwell in it. This is what the Bible calls "walking in the spirit."

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the l.u.s.t of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16 Walking in the spirit does not mean walking in some weird posture, going around with your hands folded, saying "Hallelujah!" and looking "holier than thou." Walking in the spirit is simply believing what G.o.d's Word says about who you are in Christ. When you truly do that and walk in accordance with that revelation, you are walking in the spirit. That revelation of who you are in Christ becomes the way you think, the way you see yourself, and the way you act toward yourself and others.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22,23 This scripture tells you what is a reality in your spirit. In your emotions you may not feel love, but the Bible says your spirit is love. What are you going to do about that truth? Are you going to go by what you feel in your emotions or by what G.o.d's Word says you have in your spirit?

Some people hear that and think, But it would be hypocritical if I said that I have love, when the truth is 1 feel hate. But it would be hypocritical if I said that I have love, when the truth is 1 feel hate. It would be hypocritical It would be hypocritical if if you think the physical fleshly part of you is the real you. If you consider that emotional part of you to be the real you, then it would be hypocritical to say you love someone when on the inside you are ready to cut their gizzard out. you think the physical fleshly part of you is the real you. If you consider that emotional part of you to be the real you, then it would be hypocritical to say you love someone when on the inside you are ready to cut their gizzard out.

However, if you have come to realize that the real you is your spirit, the born-again part of you, it would be hypocritical for you to say you did not have love on the inside of you. Don't deny that the emotional, physical part of you exists, but it is not the real you. That's the old you. That's the way you were before you were born again. Although the physical part of you still exists, refuse to allow it to rule over you or dominate you. When you feel hatred for someone, that doesn't mean that, like a hypocrite, you lie and say you love them. You simply recognize that the hatred you feel is evidence of the existence of the old carnal thinking still within you. When you feel that emotion, it helps you to identify that you are walking in the flesh and need to get back into the spirit, because in your spirit you have G.o.d's love for that person.

Isn't that simple? The Christian life is so easy once you understand this principle that you have to have someone help you to misunderstand it. Sad to say, we've had more than enough help with our misunderstandings.

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, of out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

(By this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) John 7:38,39 Some people know the Word of G.o.d says we are supposed to love our enemies, but they feel hatred, so they ask, "Lord, what's wrong with me?" Their problem is that they are trying to change their feelings and force their physical being to line up with the Word of G.o.d. It's never going to work.

When you find yourself in that kind of situation, you need to say, "Father, according to Galatians 5:22 the fruit of the Spirit is love. Because I have Your Spirit, I have that love, but at the moment I'm not feeling it. That must mean I'm walking in the flesh, and I am letting my emotional, physical, soulish part dominate me." Then you should go to the Word of G.o.d and start reading and meditating on scriptures about love. You will see the spirit of love Jesus had in Him when He prayed for G.o.d to forgive those who crucified Him. (See Luke 23:34.) You will see the spirit of love that was in Stephen when he forgave those who stoned him to death. (See Acts 7:60.) Then you can say, "I have that same spirit on the inside of me." Start thinking that way and start seeing yourself as having the love of G.o.d within you. As you think on that and dwell on it, your emotions will begin to fall in line, and the love of G.o.d will begin to flow out of you, just as Jesus said it would.

Let the Spirit-Man Rule

Many people don't know they have a choice about how to feel. They think, If I feel depressed, that's the way it is. I can't help it. If I feel depressed, that's the way it is. I can't help it. But that's not true. Your born-again spirit is never depressed. It is always full of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Your spirit never gets depressed. Your spirit has never been down, defeated, sad, or self-pitying. The born-again part of you is always rejoicing in the Lord. But that's not true. Your born-again spirit is never depressed. It is always full of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Your spirit never gets depressed. Your spirit has never been down, defeated, sad, or self-pitying. The born-again part of you is always rejoicing in the Lord.

If you know that, then when depression comes your way, you will realize that you have a choice: Are you going to be dominated by your old unregenerate emotions, or are you going to let your born-again feelings dominate you? Are you going to dwell on who you are in yourself and let your negative emotions make you miserable, or are you going to dwell on who you are in Christ and let the love and joy of His Spirit flow out of you?

Some of us have spent years in depression praying and asking G.o.d for help, and the help was within us all along. Our spirit was rejoicing, and if we had renewed our mind with what G.o.d's Word says and started thinking in line with it, we could have experienced that joy the whole time.

If that describes you, you have been asking G.o.d to give you something that you already have. How is G.o.d going to respond? Suppose you stood in front of me and asked me for my Bible. Imagine that I handed it to you and said, "Here." Then once you had it in your hand, you kept saying, "Would you please give me your Bible?" What could I do? How could I give you something you already had? I would probably look at you and wonder what's wrong with you.

That's the reason why some of us have prayed, "Oh G.o.d, deliver me from depression," then wondered why we weren't getting an answer. G.o.d is wondering, "How do I respond? I've given them My life, what more can I do?"

The same joy you will have throughout all eternity is already on the inside of you. It's not a matter of going to G.o.d and getting something from Him; it's a matter of releasing something that's already there. You start doing that by seeing what G.o.d's Word says about who you are in Christ and then dwelling on it.

The Bible says that the first three fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, and peace. Start thanking G.o.d and praising Him for the fact that you already have these things, and they will start manifesting in your life. As your mind begins to be renewed and you choose to believe who you really are in Christ, then you will bring the things that are already there in your spirit out into the physical realm.

Your mind is the key. As you renew your mind, then these things that are in the spirit will manifest themselves in the soulish, emotional realm. You will experience the peace that goes with the love and joy that are in your spirit, and you will be on your way to letting the Holy Spirit within you rule and reign over every part of your life.

Dying to the Flesh