Nothing Apart From Jesus
Just because we can do something, doesn't mean that we should. In the same way, just because something is "spiritual" doesn't mean something is of God. Self-Control and discernment go hand in hand.
Jesus is the Son of God. When he walked this earth, there were MANY things he COULD do, but when he was tempted with the the things that he could do in the wilderness, fully as a man, yet fully God, He didn't enter into them. It wasn't that Jesus couldn't do them, it was simply that the Father would not be glorified through what was being presented to him to do, He would have glorified himself by tapping in to his own ability apart from the Father.
Any type of "spritiual" action or practice that doesn't bringing you face to face with Jesus, doesn't reveal the savior or bring you into deeper intimacy with the Father, is FALSE.
Exploring becoming like God apart from being with Him is one of the biggest roads to deception ever invented by the enemy. It fuels the lie that God doesn't want us to know things, so we must search for them apart from Him. This is the original deception that the enemy used in the garden.
We become what we behold. When we behold ourselves and our own abilities and even things appearing "spiritual" that are available to us apart from Jesus, we will become full of ourselves and open ourselves up to the counterfeit things of the enemy. All knowledge of the things of God must lead us to an encounter with Him in intimacy, or we will become puffed up with pride and full of ourselves instead of Him.
Here are four questions to help you discern if you should make yourself available or open to doing something appearing or promoting itself as "spiritual".
1. Is the Holy Spirit directing Me and leading me to do this?
2.. Will this bringi me closer to Jesus and the Father or just give me a "spiritual experience"
3. What fruit will it produce in my life? Will it bring Righteousness, peace and joy? If not, it's not for you to do.
4. Is Jesus the center, is Jesus is the focus, is Jesus the foundation? If not, then Jesus is not in it. DON'T PARTAKE OF IT!
In this day and age, where knowledge and "spiritual" information is just a click a way, we must be equipped with Self-Control and discernment, vigilant in guarding the well-spring of our hearts from being contaminated with the deception that true living water flows from another source apart from God. Jesus is the only WAY, The TRUTH and the LIFE!!
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV
But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
