Where is God Amidst All This Chaos?
Special: Counseled by God Free Video Event and up to 50% off!

Life in the Spirit IS an Extraordinary Life!

Mark Virkler's picture

I had a hard time sleeping because I was struggling with answering questions, like, “What exactly is the baptism in the Holy Spirit?” and “How exactly does the gift of tongues fit in?” The Lord impressed me that rather than fuss over exactly when we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and whether speaking in tongues is “the evidence,” how about we explore the real issue, “Am I living and walking by the Spirit each and every moment of my day? Am I releasing His healing touch, His infinite wisdom, and His overwhelming compassion to all I touch?”

Maybe we should begin this discussion by asking, “What will a lifestyle of living by the strength and abilities of my flesh provide?” The answer is NOTHING. Jesus said, “The flesh profits nothing” (Jn. 6:63).

On the flip side, we can say that the Spirit accomplishes everything. So following are some things which the New Testament specifically mentions that the Holy Spirit brings to my life. See if this list doesn’t take your breath away! It did mine.

The way we live and walk by the Spirit is by living as Jesus did. We do nothing of our own initiative, but only what we hear and see our Father doing (Jn. 5:19,20,30). So I fix my eyes on Jesus and tune to flowing pictures (His visions), flowing thoughts (His voice), flowing emotions (His emotions) and flowing power (His power to heal).  Notice that the River of the Holy Spirit is the flow within us (Jn. 7:37-39). 

In the verses below, you will note that some of them describe Jesus’s life in the Spirit. Since He is my example, they also describe my life in the Spirit.

The Beginning - Salvation is when I receive the Holy Spirit

  1. Altar Call – "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38; Also note that Acts 2:33 and 2:39 are citing Isa. 59:21)
  2. Salvation Means - Being a Christian means I have the Spirit in me (Rom. 8:9)
  3. Kingdom Entrance - I must be born of the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God (Jn. 3:5)
  4. A River - The Spirit is a river which flows from my innermost being (Jn. 7:37,39)
  5. A Temple - I am the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in me (1 Cor. 3:16)
  6. One Spirit - By joining my life to the Lord, I become one Spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17)
  7. Baptized into - The Spirit baptizes me into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13)
  8. Sealed by - I am sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13)
  9. His Voice - As one of His sheep I hear His voice (Jn. 10:27)
  10. Adopted Into - The Spirit has adopted me into the family of God (Rom. 8:15)
  11. Saved by - I am saved by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5)

The Power - The Spirit within IS the power I now rely upon

  1. Jesus said - It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words (rhemas) that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life (Jn. 6:63)
  2. The Sanctifier - The Spirit  is the sanctifier working within me (1 Pet. 1:2)
  3. His Energy - The energy of God’s Spirit works within me (Phil. 2:13 NASB)
  4. Spirit Working - If by the Spirit I am putting to death the deeds of the body, I will live (Rom. 8:13)
  5. My Sword Is - The sword I fight with is the words (rhemas) Jesus is speaking to me (Eph. 6:17)

The Lifestyle - I now live and walk by the Spirit

  1. My Lifestyle - I live and walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:25)
  2. I Worship - I worship God in spirit and truth (Jn. 4:24)
  3. I Glory In – I glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:3)
  4. I’m Led By – I am led by the Spirit of God, which means I am a son of God (Rom. 8:14)
  5. The Natural Mind - The natural mind does not comprehend the wisdom of the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14)
  6. I Sow To - I sow to the Spirit and from the Spirit I will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:8)
  7. The Kingdom Is - The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17)
  8. Sanctified by - I am sanctified in the truth by my faith in the Spirit (2 Thess. 2:13)
  9. Glory - God’s glory rests upon me through the Spirit (1 Pet. 4:14)
  10. Abiding - Christ abides in me through the Spirit He has given me (1 Jn. 3:24; 4:13)

The Process – I hunger for the leading of the Spirit

  1. Thirsty - I am thirsty to hear from the Spirit (Rev. 21:17)
  2. Fire - Jesus baptizes me with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt. 3:11; Mk. 1:8; Lk. 3:16; Jn. 1:33)
  3. Led - I am led by the Spirit (Matt. 4:1)
  4. Knowledge - I seek knowledge from the Spirit who lives within me (1 Pet. 1:11,12)
  5. Influenced - I live under the influence of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18)
  6. Insulting - I never insult the Spirit (Heb. 10:29)
  7. Quenching - I make sure to never quench the Spirit so I stay engaged in honoring and loving everyone, and I rejoice, pray and speak ONLY life-giving words. I honor prophecy (1 Thess. 5:12-19)
  8. Attitude - I rejoice in the Holy Spirit when experiencing tribulation (1 Thess. 1:6)
  9. Spirit Led - Since I am led by the Spirit, I am not under the law (Gal. 5:18)
  10. Released - I am released from the Law, and serve God in a newness of the Spirit (Rom. 7:6)
  11. My Focus - Setting my mind on the spirit allows me to experience peace and life (Rom. 8:5,6)
  12. Conscience - My conscience is moved upon by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 9:1)
  13. Speaking Mysteries - When I pray in tongues, my spirit prays. It is speaking mysteries, which builds me up (1 Cor. 14:2,4,14)
  14. Inner Man - I am strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man (Eph. 3:16)
  15. Strengthened - I build myself up in faith by praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 1:20)
  16. Increased Faith - It is through revelation of the Spirit that I am strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, which allows Christ to dwell in my heart through faith; and being rooted and grounded in love, I comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, and I get filled up to all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:16-19)
  17. Mind and Spirit - In a church service I pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. This way the ungifted can say amen (1 Cor. 14:1)
  18. Tuned Inward - I tune to the Spirit and I receive wisdom, revelation, prophecy, God’s voice and His vision (Rev. 1:9-11)
  19. I Listen - I have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying (Rev. 3:22)
  20. I Hear and Believe – Since I received the Spirit by hearing and faith, I continue to walk in the Spirit by hearing and believing (Gal. 3:2-5)
  21. Receiving Revelation - I pray continuously for a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God and I receive it (Eph. 1:17)
  22. Truth Guarded - I ask the Holy Spirit to guard the truth God has implanted in me (2 Tim. 1:14)
  23. Carried away - I allow the Spirit to carry me away and show me things (Rev. 21:10)
  24. I Prophesy – The Holy Spirit moves upon me and I prophecy (2 Pet. 1:21)

The Results – I am empowered and anointed by the Spirit in every area of my life

  1. Access - The Spirit gives me access to the Father (Eph. 2:18)
  2. Intimacy - The Spirit grants me intimate communion with my Heavenly Father (Gal. 4:6).
  3. Prayer - The Spirit helps me prayer properly (Rom. 8:26)
  4. Divine Thoughts - I receive the thoughts of God through the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10 – 12)
  5. Receiving Visions - The Spirit lets me see the things of God in the spirit world, and I become a reflection of that which I gaze upon (1 Cor. 3:18)
  6. Built Together - The Spirit builds me together with other believers into a temple of the Lord (Eph. 2:21,22)
  7. Guides Prayers - The Spirit guides and forms my prayers (Eph. 6:18)
  8. Opens Doors - The energy of the Spirit opens doors for me (1 Cor. 16:9)
  9. Empowered - I receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon me; and I tell others (witness) what I am seeing (Acts 1:8)
  10. 9-fold Manifestation - I have the nine fold manifestation of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7-9)
    1. Speaking Gifts - Tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy
    2. Revelation Gifts - Word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discerning of spirits
    3. Power Gifts - Faith, healing, miracles
  11. 9-fold Fruit - I have the nine fold fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control
  12. Anointed to Heal - God anointed Jesus, and me as one of Jesus’ disciples, with Holy Spirit and with power, and I go about doing good and healing all who are oppressed by the devil (Acts. 10:38)
  13. Preaching Demonstrated By Power - My message and preaching is not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that people’s faith would not rest on my wisdom, but on the power of God (1 Cor. 2:4-5).
  14. Deliverance - I cast out demons by the Spirit of God (Matt. 12:28)
  15. Reproducing Spirit-Led Disciples - I make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19).
  16. The Law of the Spirit of Life – This law sets me free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2)
  17. I walk by the Spirit – I do not carry out the desire of the flesh (Gal. 5:16)
  18. Hope Empowered By - I abound in hope because of the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:13).
  19. Discernment - I am made aware by the spirit of things around me (Mk. 2:8)
  20. Spirit Recall - The Spirit of truth guides me into all the truth, and brings things to my remembrance and discloses what is to come (Jn. 16:13; 14:26).
  21. Dreams - The Spirit gives me dreams and visions (Acts 2:17)
  22. Commissioned By - The Spirit commissions and sends me into ministry (Acts 13:2-4)
  23. Guided By - The Spirit guides my decision making (Acts 15:28)
  24. Halted By - The Spirit stops me from going in wrong directions (Acts 16:6,7)

After reviewing the above list of 73 things the Spirit accomplishes for us, I believe we can agree with Jesus: "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life (Jn. 6:63). I think we can also agree that the baptism in the Holy Spirit offers us much more than the one amazing gift of speaking in tongues. It opens the door to an entire lifestyle of intimacy with the Holy Spirit, which once mastered, releases the heavens and the provisions of God to my life.

If your focus is “living and walking by the Spirit,” your life will be extraordinary!

Dig deeper – Get transformed!

Related Resources: 

How to Be Empowered by the Holy Spirit!   
Add new comment

Add new comment

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Results

Results 31 - 40 of 479

Pages

Fulfill Your Financial Destiny

Fulfill Your Financial Destiny

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 66 Pages

Though the economic system (mammon) of this world is under a curse, we have received instructions for how to move out from that dominion and into the blessing of the Kingdom of God. God’s promises to His children have not changed with the whims of government or Wall Street, nor have His directions for how to walk in those promises. We can “choose not to participate” in the economic recession that is around us if we instead choose to obey the logos and rhema of the Lord and enjoy the blessings that result.

Price: $9.95
Gifted to Succeed

Gifted to Succeed

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 189 Pages

There is no joy so complete as knowing who you are -- who God has made you to be and what your basic giftings and drives are. The goal of this book is to get you effectively functioning in roles which allow you to adequately express your heart motivations and gifts. The fulfillment you experience when you function in your gifts and calling is a joy almost beyond belief.

"Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men." (Prov. 22:29)

Price: $17.95
The Great Mystery

Great Mystery

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 54 Pages

This is a workbook which guides you in meditating on hundreds of New Testament verses which speak of Who Christ is within us and how to touch and release Him and His wisdom, power and might continuously and effortlessly out through our lives. You will look up every New Testament verse on being "in Christ," "in Him" and "in Whom." In addition, you will meditate on the various names given to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and realize that all that He is is available within you and even joined to you (1 Cor. 6:17)! Absolutely amazing!

Price: $9.95
Health Mastery Through MRT

Health Mastery Through MRT

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 82 Pages

Wouldn't it be great if there were a way for my body to tell me exactly what it needs and desires, without having to take expensive or invasive tests? Wouldn't it be amazing if I could perform these tests as often as I wanted, right in my own home (or anywhere I wanted), with no costly instruments necessary? 

Price: $19.95

Hearing God Through Biblical Meditation

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 179 Pages | $15.99 retail list price

For many years I studied the Bible incorrectly, and it produced death rather than life. Even though I had a knowledge of the Scriptures, I did not personally experience the life and the realities they revealed. The Bible calls this the ministry of death, rather than the ministry of righteousness (2 Cor. 3:6–9). Upon coming out of Bible college, I found myself just like the apostle Paul, attacking those who disagreed with my theology. 

Price: $15.95

How Do You Know?

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 180 Pages

How do you know? What is the process you use to discover truth? I did not ask that question during the first 25 years of my life. I used eleven different methods for discovering truth including: if my parents said so, then it was so. If my teacher said it was so, then it was so. If my pastor said it was so, then it was so. If my theology said it was so, then it was so. I have discarded them all and adopted a twelfth method, which is in harmony with what the Bible teaches. We teach you this method in this book.

Price: $17.95
How to Build a Winning Team

How to Build a Winning Team

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 105 Pages

Can I succeed like others have? What do I need to do? How do I go about it? What if I don't have the gifts necessary to do something great?  The wonderful truth revealed in Scripture is that God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary feats, especially when they say, "Yes, Lord" to the destiny He has prepared for them!

Price: $12.95
How to Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

How to Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 44 Pages | Published 2002

This brief booklet walks a person through the main obstacles to speaking in tongues, and shows how each one can be successfully overcome. It is down-to-earth, practical and biblical, and in it Mark Virkler shares the struggles he went through before he was able to speak in tongues. Some were theological issues and some simply practical issues, like the fact that if I am going to speak in tongues, I will need to speak. Otherwise, nothing happens.

Price: $2.95
How to Walk by the Spirit

How to Walk by the Spirit

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 136 Pages | Previous name "Sense Your Spirit"

Are you like many western Christians who have been taught little about how to sense their spirits? Do you have trouble even defining what spirit sensations feel like within you, much less recognizing them? This training was birthed from Mark’s passion to live out of his spirit, and thus release the anointing of God. The problem he faced was lack of clear biblical definition as to what his spirit felt like. So Mark looked up every verse in the Bible on heart and spirit.

Price: $13.95
Intimacy with the Holy Spirit

Intimacy with the Holy Spirit

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 223 Pages

This book leads you in meditating on and journaling about two hundred and fifty verses that discuss the Holy Spirit. You will grow in intimacy with the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the anointing within you will increase! You will exclaim as the disciples did on the Emmaus Road “Did not our heart burn within us…while He opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32)! In addition to being led to journal through these verses, you will read numerous two-way journal entries from Mark Virkler, as well as a five-page prayer at the conclusion of the book.

Price: $10.95

Pages