1 Thessalonians 5:23 reads, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Being of whole spirit refers to the level of faith that pleases God by understanding the heart and will of God and obeying. Then, what proof is there that someone has achieved whole spirit? In July, 2013, Dr. Jaerock Lee explained about the evidences in the 'Leadership Seminar 2013'. Here is a summary of it, so let's check our faith.
Proof 1_Being united with God like Enoch
People of whole spirit are united with God in the heart, will, and the purpose of intention. They are able to precisely discern the will of God in all matters and do their best to achieve it. They do everything with a grateful heart and joy and with love for God. They have criteria in speech, thought, and actions that are based only on God's will. Their hearts are set on God all the time—24 hours a day—and they give out the fragrance of their love for God.
If a person becomes united as one with God and achieves whole spirit, the power of God can be manifested, blessings received, and much fruit can be borne. As a case in point, Enoch didn't leave behind any remarkable achievements, but his being itself delighted God very much. This is because he always filled his heart with God and he had never been outside of God's will even for a moment.
Enoch tried to please God, and prayed all the time to know more about God and have an increasingly greater sense of Him. He connected all his life with God and complied with God's heart and will in speech, thought and action. This is because he wanted all things that belonged to him to be joy to God (Hebrews 11:5).
God walked with such Enoch for 300 years. Later, God wanted to keep him near Him and took him up alive to Heaven. Genesis 5:24 says, "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." God is overjoyed with people of whole spirit and wants to have them close by His side.
Proof 2_Touching and inspiring others with God's goodness and crushing evilness
When one goes into whole spirit, he or she not only has no evil but also their deeds and facial expressions and body language give out the fragrance of goodness. Such people's goodness goes beyond not seeking their own benefits. They not only seek the advantage for others but can sacrifice themselves to serve others.
Nonetheless, they don't consider it as sacrificing themselves and serving others from a subservient position. They don't reveal others' faults or talk about them, of course. They even cover their shortcomings. They don't sense discomfort seeing one who does evil, but instead they are able to move that person's heart with goodness.
Their goodness is sometimes at a totally different level from what other people think is goodness. Some may think goodness is in speaking good words, praising others, and being gentle towards others. However, people of whole spirit at times show a much different aspect and form of goodness.
For instance, they sometimes reprove others harshly or turn their faces from others. But unlike what it may seem to be, the goodness manifested in such situations is quite profound. The goodness in God's sight is different from the goodness as seen by man. At the level of whole spirit, people can discern exactly between spiritual goodness and fleshly goodness and demolish evilness.
1 Kings 18 records Elijah's confrontation with idol worshippers and demonstrating who is the true Deity, after which Elijah slew the 850 priests of Baal and Asherah in one place. With fleshly thought, it might appear to be cruel. But, even if they had been forgiven they would not have been able to turn away from their sins and could not have been saved since they had already sold their souls to Satan. They had caused the people of God to be stained with the detestable sin of idolatry. For this there was no alternative for them but to die. Perhaps if Elijah had been at the level of fleshly goodness, he couldn't have done it.
Therefore, we should discern the goodness God wants. For example, the Bible tells us to cover others' transgressions. But it does not mean that we have to just watch an evil-doer without letting him turn from it. He must be advised to turn away from evil and if he does and repents of it, then we should cover his past transgression and not keep it in our memory. True goodness is not to cover evil or leave evil as it is, but is to destroy evil with authority.
Proof 3_Being faithful spiritually according to the heart and will of God
After he met the Lord, the Apostle Paul spent the rest of his life working faithfully with his very life to spread the gospel. He was always joyful and thankful—when he was shipwrecked, when adrift in the deep sea and even when he was beaten bloody and imprisoned.
He was stoned while preaching the gospel and was thought to be dead. But soon after his body was discarded he revived and left for the next place where he was to preach the gospel. His heart was filled with desire to save souls, preach the gospel, and extend the kingdom of God. One who works faithfully only for the glory of God doesn't feel frustrated even if they are not recognized by others, and they endure any kinds of affliction. Whether recognized or not, if given a duty he had never done before or something difficult, such a person just does his best for the kingdom of God. Elijah was of weak temperament and a kind and gentle person. He couldn't have fulfilled the duty to confront the idol worshipers and put them to death if he had done it with his own strength. But he loved God so much that he would do anything to accomplish His will and providence. He obeyed with his life and did what he could never have done with his personality. By doing so, he revealed God's glory and turned the people of Israel back to the way of life.
In this way, people of whole spirit are a source of joy to God. They are beneficial for the kingdom of God by working in accordance with the heart and will of God in the way God wants. They do not consider their own ways, personal likings, or personalities in being faithful in everything.
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