The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 10:10 (NKJV)

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Acts 1:8 (NKJV)

The immensely popular BBC Television science-fiction series Dr. Who, which has been screened almost continuously since 1963, features a space-travel/time-machine called the TARDIS. On the outside, the TARDIS looks like a small, 1930s-style police call box, barely large enough to fit two people. But, when the Doctor and/or his associates insert the key and enter through the narrow door, they find themselves in a spacious, futuristic environment, equipped with buttons, levers, flashing lights, and gizmos that can whisk them almost instantly to the planet and the time of their choice.

Life in the Spirit is something like that. It may not look very attractive or promising to the uninitiated but, take one step over the threshold and you are ushered into an entirely different dimension. As you enter this new realm, you realise something about the world you just left it had a virtual reality aspect to it that was indiscernible when you were in it.  You also realise something about this new world; it is bigger, brighter, and more real than you had ever imagined.

Life in the Spirit is about an adventure with God (and no adventure is without some sort of risk). It will require us to let go of all those things that we commonly depend upon for our security, status, a sense of identity in the world, and comfort. 

Life in the Spirit is about developing that relationship with God which began with our conversion, and regeneration through repentance, faith, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is about loving God with our whole heart, trusting him completely, and being led by the Spirit, day by glorious day and moment by precious moment.

Life in the Spirit is not so much about laying aside our wrongs (we did that at repentance remember?) but about laying down our rights. It is about the cheerful and total abandonment of ourselves to Gods will. It is a recognition that all that we have and all that we are belongs not to us, but to the One who redeemed us with the blood of His dear Son. It is the recognition that we own nothing that this world affords, but neither do we lack anything of any lasting value. It is the recognition that each new day is a gift from God, to be used for him and his glory. Each breath is a gift and, without Christ, we have nothing and are nothing.

Life in the Spirit is a reality when we understand what Paul meant when he said, In Him we live, and move, and have our being. (Acts 17:28 NKJV)   

The fullness of God is something that we see in Christ and His Apostles. We desire it, but most of us never attain it. We may long to be able to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. We may desire to speak prophetically and reveal the secrets of mens hearts. We may dream of confronting the powers of darkness and expelling demons from the oppressed. We read in the Scriptures that those who believe in Christ can do the works that He did and, because we are not experiencing it ourselves we become frustrated or disillusioned.

Watching children and grandchildren grow and develop can be quite illuminating. Toddlers see parents doing something interesting and immediately they want to participate. Allowing them to do so might be good for them but might equally lead to disaster. Similarly, we might think we are ready to step out in faith and do something significant for God but unless He sees that we are ready (not simply willing) the power and the anointing will be absent.

Being ready necessarily includes dying daily to our own desires and ambitions. It requires a wholehearted desire to only do Gods will and to do it His way. It demands that we resolutely turn our backs on the world and earnestly seek Gods kingdom and His righteousness. It demands the believers life, the believers soul, and the believers all. And when we consider how much Christ gave for us, how could we give any less?