Leroy Eims used to tell how one spring his family was driving from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa, Florida. As far as the eye could see, orange trees were loaded with fruit. When they stopped for breakfast, he ordered orange juice with his eggs. "I'm sorry," the waitress said. "I can't bring you orange juice. Our machine is broken." At first he was dumbfounded. They were surrounded by millions of oranges, and he knew they had oranges in the kitchen--orange slices garnished their plates. What was the problem? No juice? Hardly. They were surrounded by thousands of gallons of juice. The problem was they had become dependent on a machine to get it. Christians are sometimes like that. They may be surrounded by Bibles in their homes, but if something should happen to the Sunday morning preaching service, they would have no nourishment for their souls. The problem is not a lack of spiritual food--but that many Christians haven't grown enough to know how to get it for themselves.
The problem could also be in their environment. If you fill a clay pot with a gallon of water and carry it on your head it will soon grow heavy. However, when you swim underwater you have many gallons of water on top of your head and the weight is not nearly as burdensome. Why the difference? The environment that you are in. When you are in an environment of air, water is hard to carry. When you are in the environment of water, it is easier. So it is in the spirit. If you are in the environment of the flesh, then God's commands are extremely burdensome. If you are in the environment of the Spirit they are much easier.
So exactly how are we to become spiritual? First of all, we are to follow Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 5:18 – “Be filled with the Spirit.” Being filled with the Spirit is the key to the spiritual life. I once demonstrated this concept with a gallon jug of Pepsi and a gallon jug of milk. I took the Pepsi jug and used it to represent the Christian life and the jug of milk to represent the Spirit. In order to fill the Pepsi jug with the milk, I found it necessary to empty out the Pepsi. Now, if I only emptied half of the Pepsi and poured milk into the jug, it became a mess. So it is with being filled with the Spirit – in order to be filled with the Spirit one must completely empty himself of self – then, and only then, can he be filled with the Spirit. If you will be filled with the Spirit, then you will be pleasing to God.
Secondly, we are to dedicate ourselves to God to do His Will as commanded in Romans 12:1-2. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” If you’ll sell out to God and be filled with the Spirit, then this will be pleasing to God.
Thirdly, we are to manifest the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. This is found in Galatians 5:16-26. Paul first lists for us in verses 19-21 the works of the flesh and warns us to not do these things. Then in verses 22 and 23, he gives us the works he calls the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” These are very much the things we should strive to demonstrate in our lives. If you will manifest the fruit of the Spirit, and sell out to God, and be filled with the Spirit, then you will be pleasing to God.
Lastly, we are allow ourselves to be fully controlled by the Spirit of God – look in Romans 8:11 – “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” If you’ll be fully controlled by the Spirit of God, and manifest the fruit of the Spirit, and sell out to God, and be filled with the Spirit, then you will be pleasing to God.
Quote – “When the dew of God’s Spirit saturates our spiritual nature, it makes the doing of God’s will an easy matter.” – Dr. F. E. Marsh
