CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING SPIRITUALLY- SENSITIVITY

Jas 1:16-27 KJV Do not err, my beloved brethren.  17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.  19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.  21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.  22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  23  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  24  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.  26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.  27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

We have heard of or read about stimulus in recent news which can be viewed as something that stimulates or acts as an incentive.

Stimulate: To rouse to activity or heightened action, as by spurring or goading; excite.

A stimulus is an agent (as an environmental change) that directly influences the activity of a living organism or one of its parts (as by exciting a sensory organ or evoking muscular contraction or glandular secretion) (Free Online Dictionary) we all probably know of the Mimosa pudica

Living things are aware of their surroundings through a characteristic called sensitivity and respond to these stimuli in a way that will prove beneficial and protective. This means they will move away from harmful stimuli and move towards helpful stimuli. We shrink away from fire and intense cold. Our eyes involuntarily close to protect them from harmful light intensity and foreign objects. It is vital that we are able to respond appropriately as the alternative is dangerous or even fatal.

Response can be controlled ...remember Pavlov's dogs?

What causes you hair to rise and "skin to grow?"

We respond and react to feeling cold, hot, thirsty, hungry, sleepy, angry, etc. Some of our responses are instinctive, others are controlled (learned) and deliberate.

We respond to fear, hatred, love,

We have external and internal stimuli!

When it comes to things spiritual we also have instinctive responses and learned responses.
Fear is an instinctive response that we learn to control and in the spiritual realm we learn that we can conquer fear through Perfect Love!

Mar 10:17-22 KJV  And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?  18  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.  19  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.  20  And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.  21  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.  22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

 

PHYSICAL SENSITIVITY	SPIRITUAL CHARACTERISTIC	SCRIPTURE/COMMENTS
Living things respond to favorable external stimuli in order to benefit from their environment	The spiritually alive person responds favorably to spiritually favorable surroundings with beneficial influences. Respond to the Holy Ghost Respond to God's Word Response to nature of surroundings	And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Heb 10:24-25 KJV Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.  2Ti 4:8 KJV
Living things respond to unfavorable external stimuli by moving away to ensure their protection	The spiritually alive person shuns all appearances of evil and avoids Flee fornication. 1Co 6:18 KJV; Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  2Ti 2:22 KJV	Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  1Jn 2:15 KJV Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.  Rom 16:17 KJV
Internal stimuli such as hunger and thirst move animals toward a source of supply	Internal promptings to pray, study his Word and fellowship comes from the Holy Ghost and should be heeded.	Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.  Mat 5:6 KJV
Infection produces intense bodily activity towards defense, healing and protection.	Sin brings the stimulus of conviction which should drive us towards godly sorrow and repentance in order to obtain forgiveness and cleansing.	But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Jas 1:14-15 KJV
Ignoring warning stimuli exposes to danger and ultimately death	Ignoring the promptings of the Spirit and the Word of God is the sure road to spiritual suicide. Being unaware or negligent of your surroundings leaves you in danger of being blindsided. Being unaware of our surroundings leaves us helpless to respond appropriately! Quench not the Spirit.  1Th 5:19 KJV	See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Heb 12:25 KJV Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. Jas 1:21 KJV

THERE IS NEED TO BE AWARE OF OUR SURROUNDINGS

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  1Pe 5:8 KJV

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.  1Co 16:13 KJV

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.  1Th 5:6 KJV

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  Rom 13:11 KJV

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 1Ti 6:3-11 KJV

DANGERS OF INSENSITIVITY.

Hearing the Word and not obeying the Word leads to insensitivity and hardness of heart

Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. Heb 3:7-15 KJV

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.  Heb 10:24-27 KJV

Developing of calluses over a period of time results in less if any sensitivity in that region of our body. Constant resistance to the Holy Ghost in areas of our lives result in us being unable to feel and respond to Him after awhile. Remember when He moved you before and your heart was fresh and sensitive before Him? Remember when you lived expectantly awaiting his promptings and touch? Have you asked yourself where it all went? Remember the eager anticipation you had to meet with likeminded saints to worship and praise? Where did it all go? We have ended up like rocky bumps in a flowing river immovable! The ONE river in which we needed to let go and flow with the stream is the one we have ended up resisting. Yet how quickly we have responded to the latest trends, fashions and lifestyles. How instant was our move to adopt and fit in until no one recognizes that we are different! We have yielded and responded to the world and its fashions and flowed with its streams like so much flotsam and jetsam while we have steadfastly resisted the gentle wooing of the Spirit

It's a horrible thing when we have hardened ourselves to the Spirit's voice for then we allow the enemy access with his insistent compelling siren deception to wreck havoc with our will.

Response to the Holy Ghost is important in knowing the will of God. When God told Philip to leave a tremendous, miraculous 'revival' and "Go Join that chariot" in Acts 8:29, GOD did NOT tell him why! However, when Philip obeyed God (without asking why!) and heard what the eunuch was reading he KNEW why, and was able to take it from there. The result? The gospel was taken to Ethiopia! POINT: Just flow with God. Do not wait for a "twenty year plan in an Excel spreadsheet, broken down into fifteen minute increments with a guaranteed happy ending"!!!

When Israel failed to respond they ended up in a vicious endless cycle of moving in circles until they died never finding the ultimate purpose of God for their lives. A tragic result of disobedience, rebellion, murmuring, fear and unbelief or failing to respond properly to Spiritual Stimuli! DO NOT LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU!

Eph 4:26-32 KJV Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:  27 Neither give place to the devil.  28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.  29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.  30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Rom 8:14-17 KJV For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.  16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Many years ago Henry Ford was driving down a highway. Soon he noticed that a car had pulled off the road, that its hood was up, and its driver was attempting a repair job. Henry Ford pulled his car behind the ill one, got out and asked the driver if he could help him. The driver, in anger, said something like this: "Old man, there's not anything that you can do that I can't do. You go your way; I'll take care of this myself." Very quietly, graciously and gently, Henry Ford got back in his car and drove off. Little did the driver realize that he had turned down the maker of the car! Certainly the maker could repair it. The Holy Spirit comes to me and says, "I notice your having trouble with your life."" I say to Him, "I can make it by myself, thank You." He will very quietly and unobtrusively take His flight, and I will have turned down my Maker, certainly the only One Who can adequately do the repair!