The Spirit Filled Marriage 2: The Worship Filled Foundation for Marriage
Outline
- Worshipping
- Thanksgiving
Introduction
How do you know your life is controlled by the Spirit? It is not by having visions and dreams, prophecies and tongues, or casting out demons, Judas could do all these and was not Spirit filled. Paul outlines for us in verses 18-21 what a Spirit filled life looks like. The imperative of being filled with the Spirit if obeyed results in us ‘addressing one another in psalms’, in us making melody to the Lord with our hearts, a pervasive atmosphere of thanksgiving arises, mutual submission and reverence. Test yourself to see if you are Spirit filled or walking according to the flesh. Do you seek out the saints to share in your common joy or are you isolated and self-absorbed? Do you find your own spiritual experience echoed in the songs and prayers of Scripture as well as those written by other Spirit filled people and feel the urge to sing or are you empty of joy and filled with the songs about vain things written by unsaved people? Is your heart smitten and in constant song before the Lord or is there an obsession over other things? Are you always grateful for the constant stream of grace that makes up your life and pour out thanks to God or are you covetous? Are you living humbly before others as a willing servant glad to give in any way you can or do you constantly veil your conceit and see others as an inconvenience? Do you live your life deeply conscious of Christ’s presence and will seeking to please Him and fearing to sin or are you indifferent to Christ and live as if God is not real not watching all that you do?
Fellowship, joy, gratitude, humility and reverence are evidences of the Spirit and necessary to a healthy marriage. Many people when dealing with marriage head straight into male headship, female submission and gender differences, but Paul does not. Paul first puts in a foundation of healthy spirituality that applies to every Christian and we want to make sure the foundation is good or we will be building on sand not rock. Today we want to focus on worship and gratitude as the necessary and daily foundations of a good marriage.
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