DEEPENING YOUR SPIRITUALITY

"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. Ephesians 4:15

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" Colossians 1:10

To deepen is to increase the intensity of something, to increase in degree and to be more affecting, to be more serious.

Spirituality is the degree of someone’s relationship with God and how impartful he or she is to the body of Christ and humanity.

To deepen your spirituality is to increase the increase the intensity your relationship with God and to be more impartful to the body of Christ and humanity.

To deepen your spirituality is to grow into Christ and be more like Him. Ephesians 4:15.

To grow into Christ is to grow into his life, ministry/purpose and into him as the source and fountain of life.

To experience spiritual depth, one must first realize that salvation is not only a light bulb, that it is not an insurance policy against hell only, but that it is a gateway into God and that God is all that we can have and can desire.

Christianity is a gateway into God and that when you are into God, with Christ Jesus, then you are on a journey into infinity, into infinitude because there is no limit to the knowing of God. There is no limit and no place to stop.

There is nothing boundless but God, nothing infinite but God. God does not extend into space but contains space.

EIGHT ASPECTS TO DEEPEN SPIRITUALITY

11       Deepening your spirituality in deep joy; 1John 1:1-4.

Spiritual depth in Joy comes by truly knowing Christ and joyfully sharing in his passion.

“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable unto His death”. Phil 3:10.

Three things that happens by knowing Him;

a.       Experiencing the power of His resurrection brings joy.

b.      Partaking in the fellowship of His suffering brings deep joy

c.       Being made conformable unto His death brings joy.; Gal 2:20.

The fellowship of his suffering is the offence of the cross and the martyrdom for truth; 2Corinthians 1:5-7; Colossians 1:24.

“But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy”. 1Peter 4:13

Spiritual depth in joy also comes by having a deep fellowship with (a) God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit; Romans 14:17; 1Corithians 1:9, 1Corinthians 3:16 and (b) fellowship with believers; Matthew 18:20; Philippians 2:1-3; Ephesians 5:19.

22       Deepening your Spirituality in Deep Walk with God

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”.  1 John 1:5-7.

Spiritual Depth in Deep Walk comes when we dedicate ourselves to living our lives daily in Christ. It is to walk in light and never in darkness because God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. We walk with God by having a fellowship with Him and remaining in truth. Fellowship is done in adoration and worship; this is done with the whole soul, mind, feelings, emotions and desires, not bodily fatigue. 

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth”.  John 4:23-24

To walk with God is to be Spirit led; “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”.   Romans 8:14; “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh”. Galatians 5:16.  

To walk in God is to live the substantive life of Christ; “I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. Galatians 2:20.  To live the substantive life of Christ is to be crucified in Him and live in Him. It is to grow pass one’s life, to be partaker of the life of Christ who is love and the author of faith.

33       Deepening your Spirituality in Deep Cleansing

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:   And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world”. 1 John 1:9 – 2:2    

Deep Cleansing is a life of purity and to approach God for constant cleansing. We remain in purity by living the life of integrity in Christ Jesus; John 13:11. It takes purity to see the hand of God in the affairs of men; “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God”. Matthew 5:8. It takes purity to have depth in God and know more of Him; Psalm 24:3 – 5; Purity of heart, purity of hands, living free of vanity (love of money), truthfulness, emptiness and uprightness. It takes purity and uprightness to abide and dwell continuously in depth. We are not born again to be guests to purity but inhabitants of purity.

44       Deepening you Spirituality in Deep Desire.

Deep Desire of God is how much one hungers for spirituality and depth in the Lord. Spiritual hunger is powered by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Desire or hunger is the ardent, eager, famishing, keen and all-consuming craving and passion of the soul for complete union with God and the fullness of the Spirit. It is to desire to be completely submerged in God.

THINGS TO DESIRE OR HUNGER FOR

a.       Spiritual Baptism and the Overflow; John 7:37-38

b.      Spiritual Gifts; 1 Corinthians 14:1

c.       The sincere milk of the word of God; 1 Peter 2:2

d.      A better country (heaven); Hebrew 11:10

e.      The Living God; Psalm 42:2; 63:1; 143:6

f.        Righteousness; Matthew 5:6

g.       Spiritual water of Salvation; John 4:14; Isaiah 55:1-3

h.      Wisdom and Knowledge; Proverb 2:1-11

i.         Soul Winning.

55       Deepening your Spirituality in deep truth

Truth that;

·         Jesus is the Christ

·         God is the father of Jesus

·         Jesus is the son of God

·         Jesus is the word of God, incarnate of the virgin Mary

·         Jesus was crucified, died, buried, resurrected, and ascended into heaven

·         He redeemed the human race by His precious blood

·         He sent the Holy Spirit to be the Believer’s comforter, teacher and advocate

·         He is coming back in glory to judge both living and the dead; 1 John 2:22; 4:1 -3, 9 – 10

He that has spiritual depth in truth does not resist or struggle with the truth when it is been proclaimed; 1 John 4:6. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth; allowing Him to guide us to truth is a journey to spiritual depth; John 14: 16-17; 15:26; 16:13. At spiritual depth in truth, false teachers and doctrines are identified and rejected as they are from the spirit of error (Satan); 2 Corinthians 11:13 – 15; Matthew 13:19; 1 Timothy g4:1 – 4.

66       Deepening your Spirituality in Deep Formation

Deep formation is to be formed into the likeness of Christ. It is called the stages of growth in the Lord, ministry and calling. It is a process of influencing or guiding someone into a deeper understanding of God and His kingdom. Someone undergoes spiritual depth in formation for Christ to be formed in him or her; Galatians 4:19.

WAYS OF SPIRITUAL DEPTH IN FORMATION

a.       Formation by leading and teaching by the Holy Spirit; John 14:26; 16:13; John 6:63; Jude 20

b.      Formation by the word and prayer; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 Timothy 4:5; Jude 20

c.       Formation by discipleship

d.      Formation by partnership, association and kingdom team work

e.      Formation by love; 1 Corithians 13:8 – 12

STATGES OF SPIRITUAL FORMATION

·         Infancy – newborn ( from a Greek word called Tekina); 1 John 2:12

·         Little Children- from a Greek word (Paidia) meaning those who have started walking and talking; 1 John 2:13

·         Young men- those who have grown to the prime of life and no linger tossed about like children by fallacies; 1 John 2:13 – 14; Ephesians 4:14

·         Fathers; those who are matures in the Lord and in faith; 1 John 2:13 – 14

77       Deepening you Spirituality in Deep Love

Deep Spirituality is founded on love. Love is the foundation and bedrock of spirituality and spiritual depth. God is the love upon which spiritual depth is established. Spiritual dryness and shallowness is found where there is no love. Show me a person of love and I will show you who is in spiritual depth. Love is a proof of Christian experience and spiritual depth; 1 John 2:10. Sacrificial love is the digger for spiritual depth and the springboard for spiritual growth; 1 John 3:18; 4:21.

Spiritual depth in love comes by deep love for God, mankind, kingdom service and soul winning, worship and truth.