Plants in the Garden of the Lord (4)

Awake, O north wind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
Thatits spices may flow out.
Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant fruits. Song of Solomon 4.16

Free in the Spirit
The Apostle Paul wrote, in 2 Corinthians 3.17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” How could it be otherwise?

The Spirit of God is not bound by sin or the finite limitations of human thought or flesh. The Holy Spirit is not constrained by any inability to know the future, access the wisdom of God, or to exercise His power in accomplishing His purposes. It makes sense that, wherever the Spirit of God is full, overflowing, and exerting His cultivating presence, liberty and fruitfulness would be the order of the day, and the Bride of Christ would be liberated from every hindrance and constraint that keeps her from flourishing as the garden of the Lord.

But what can we expect in those places where the Spirit of God is not active and flourishing? Bondage to sin and the limitations of human strength and resources; indifference to matters of truth and eternal consequence; a casual and self-centered approach to seeking the Kingdom of God; and a church that is not pouring forth its bounty to bless its members, its community, and its Lord.

A garden locked, a spring dammed, and a well of life sealed.

Sadly, this is where a great many of our churches are today. They continue going through the motions of worship and ministry, but there is little telling evidence of vital spiritual liberty at work in their midst, freeing them from all self-interest, fear, and indifference to God’s Word and empowering them to turn their communities rightside-up for Jesus Christ.

More of the Spirit
The only way to shatter the locks, burst the dams, and break the seals that keep churches from flourishing as the garden of the Lord is to have more of the Spirit of God present in, with, and through them.

Jesus said that, when the Spirit comes to dwell with us, He will guide us into all Truth, thus setting us free from every hindrance and limitation ((Jn. 16.13; Jn. 8.32). He brings forth the fruit of holiness in us (Gal. 5.22, 23), and all the gifts for ministry we require (1 Cor. 12.7-11). He empowers us for effective witness throughout our communities (Acts 1.8), and He causes us to overflow with refreshing and renewing water of life to everyone with whom we have contact (Jn. 7.37-39).

These things are happening but a little in our day, and this suggests to me that churches need to regain a focus on and renew their pursuit of the Spirit of the Holy God. How do we do this?

Pray for the Spirit
First, by committing the congregation to pray for the Spirit. The Lord Jesus promised that, if we will pray for the Spirit, faithfully and continuously, our Father will grant Him to us (Lk. 11.1-13). Pastors must instruct their people in the importance of seeking the Spirit and His filling every day. The service of worship, every Sunday school class, and all the other activities of the church must feature prayer for the Spirit continuously. Thus we will show the Lord that we mean business and earnestly desire to have His promised Spirit more a part of our lives and ministries.

We can be sure that, since being filled with the Spirit is God’s will for us as His people, if we seek the Spirit earnestly in prayer, the Lord will supply Him increasingly.

A welcome dwelling-place
But we also need to make ourselves the kind of welcome dwelling-place where the Spirit will feel at home.

This means we need to nurture love for God’s Law, since the Law of God is a primary component of the Spirit’s disciple-making curriculum (Ezek. 36.26, 27). We must also cultivate the practice of thanksgiving, singing to the Lord and rejoicing in Him at all times, and offering ourselves to one another in ministries of mutual concern and love (Eph. 5.18-21). Since these are evidences of the filling of the Spirit, we must suppose that adorning the garden of our lives with such furnishings will cause His winds to blow more fruitfully within and through us.

And we must earnestly seek the glory of God in all our study of God’s Word and in every aspect of our lives. For it is the glory of God that the Spirit uses to transform us increasingly into the image of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 3.12-18).

God’s Spirit can unlock the fruitfulness of our gardens and undam the waters of spiritual life we require. Only as we earnestly and diligently seek the Spirit can we expect the Wind of God to blow through His garden and spread the fruit and fragrance of Christ from us to the surrounding world.

For reflection
1.  Do you pray for the Spirit regularly? Is your “garden” a welcoming presence for the Spirit? Explain.

2.  Meditate on Galatians 5.16-23. What is the difference between walking “in the Spirit” and walking “in the flesh”? How can we know which of these we’re walking in at any time?

3.  Meditate on Ephesians 3.20. Is the Spirit – God’s power at work in you – able to make you more fruitful in holiness, spiritual fruit, ministry, and witness? How much more?

Next steps: How might you begin seeking the filling, fruit, and fragrance of the Spirit more consistently in your life each day? Talk with some fellow believers about this question.

T. M. Moore

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This week’s ReVision study is Part 5 of a 10-part series, “Full Faith.” You can download “Plants in the Garden of the Lord” as a free PDF, prepared for personal or group study. Simply click here.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.