Terry Somerville

I  frequently  wonder how believers in  third world nations function in spite of  terrible traumas, suffering and death. In fact these new Christians  seem to be effective and powerful in the Lord in a way  we only dream of.    If they were in Canada they would still be in Christian counseling. It seems that our version of  "Spirit Filled Christianity" has become far too complicated, and fear filled. Certainly not "child like". (See my article on Child Like Faith)

 For me, the complications began in the charismatic movement. Initially I experienced great things in God as a new believer. Then we  "learned" how to minister in the Holy Spirit and  tried to fit the things of the Spirit into our head   Much of it  was good teaching, but it produced a great striving in me. After a while, I thought the power of the Lord depended on my ability to know the truth, walk in the Spirit, quote the right scripture, say the right prayer, and discern  every demon . Only after I recovered the simplicity of Jesus and His love in me did I see a restoration of the simple power of God in my life. As I see it, this 'spiritual performance mentality"  is a huge obstacle  in the coming move of God. 

Think about it. Spirit Filled living has developed into a  legalism of the Spirit. We have...

Spiritual Freedom Legalism : now we have to dig through every detail of persons life for them to be completely free - find and break every spiritual inheritance, repent of  every generational sin, renounce vows and  curses.  Where do you stop? What happened to "If the Son sets you free you are free indeed?" Could it be simply a matter of faith?   

Financial Blessing Legalism -  The search  for  God's favor, and fear of the  "Malachi curse" are driving Christians to search for the next "key" to releasing financial blessing.  A friend recently  told me the latest requirement is giving  the "first fruits" -  the first pay at a new job for example.  Where will this stop??  This is  not New Testament living.  What happened to "my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory"? Can it be the Father knows what we need?

Spiritual Warfare Legalism.  - Many Christians  are paranoid of demons, witches, curses, or accidentally saying the wrong words. It seems that victory over the enemy depends on their  ability to do spiritual warfare, rather than  the triumph of the cross. One slip up and the enemy slips in, as if having the Holy Spirit in us is barely a match against Satan. Even the popular practice of "washing off" after ministry makes no sense when we think it through.. It's like saying 'I'm afraid my light will catch some of the  darkness here".  What ever happened to God is crushing Satan under our feet?  It's been replaced by  a creeping spiritual legalism.

Healing and Miracle Legalism - I minister in healing and miracles, and  meet  many Christians desperate for healing. But often they strive to be healed through spiritual performance.  "Just tell me what to do, say, or pray, how long, how often, find the blockage to my healing"  Their faith is being placed in their ability to be spiritual. This really  "make believe" rather than true belief - trying to talk themself into healing. Some  Christians won't even acknowledge their condition for fear it negates faith. They may have cancer but  quickly tell me  "don't say it!"  This is spiritual legalism -faith  in the ability to say and do the right things.  True faith is placed in God and His love.  


Spiritual Performance Burnout
What I am seeing in many Christians these days is  "Spiritual Performance Burnout."  Christians who tried hard to do the right thing -  the required spiritual performance, but can't go on performing. They scrutinized every step wanting to please God and be fruitful, but they have come to the end of themselves.  A few years ago I was there myself.   This has led to a generation of believers who feel like  wounded  failures.  They feel they are disqualified, broken and bleeding.  They don't fit the spiritual performance teaching of the church and many  finally drop out. But God has an answer. He wants us to reveal to us the wonder of the new creation heart He has put in us, and it is good!



"I Want to Reconnect their Head to Their New Creation Heart"
While I was ministering in Holland a few weeks ago the Holy Spirit impressed  me with a prophetic directive. "I want to reconnect their  heads to their  hearts."  I immediately understood the meaning of this word.  Many in the meeting had  labored under the same "spiritual   performance" mentality I once did, and some had dropped out in failure and brokenness. Satan wanted them  to believe they had a bad heart, a failed heart, a  sinful heart, and a ruined heart. But God wanted to enlighten the "eyes of their heart"  to  see the  wonder of the new creation  in them. 

Theres no doubt that many scriptures refer to heart problems, but the promises of the new heart are very explicit.

1. He gives us a new heart!


This promise of the Father is fulfilled in every believer according to Hebrews 8.  Look what he says. 1. I will clean you  2. I will give you a new heart.  3. I will put a new spirit in you. 4. I will put my Spirit within you. This is accomplished by God  at the new birth. We have it now! A new heart and a new spirit!  

2. Our New Creation Heart is Good!


God dwells in our hearts, He will not dwell with sin, but we are in fact cleansed of every sin. Our new creation heart must be good! How this flies in the face of our modern spiritual performance mentality. But it is true.  This new creation God accomplished in us is good. Period.

3. Sin Is In Our Flesh, Not Our Heart


 I have seen a pattern in Christians struggling with drug  addiction. When they connect to grace, and see they are new in Christ, they immediately have victory over the drug life. But in church they soon  fall into spiritual performance  and fail. They believe any struggle is a failure of their heart, that their  heart  is very bad. After a while drugs look good to them and they go into the old life. Amazingly, if they catch a glimpse of grace again, they can spring back into victory, and pick up where they left off in walking with God! Why is this? It's because we have been taught the problem we-that is our heart, is bad. We end up forever trying to accomplish what has already been done for us. If we really believed the gospel,  we would change our song from "Create in me a clean heart" to  "Thank you for creating in me a clean heart O God..." 

Conclusion
 In Holland as I began to minister this "reconnecting the head to the heart" I was amazed at what the Lord did. Many were weeping, and felt great weights lift off. Some were physically healed, some experienced  deliverance. God is calling forth a mighty army for this next and greatest wave of revival.  Our "spiritual performance mentality" will never work. Our new hearts have been covered over by years of spiritual performance and failure. But, deep down inside, this new creation heart of ours  wants to get out through all the debris and brokenness. God wants to reconnect our mind to the new creation heart he has put in us.

How radical is this? Dare we believe that God actually cleansed us from all sin?  That He really did create a new heart and a new and right spirit in us, and all that He creates is good? Dare we believe that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead actually lives in us NOW. Will we abandon spiritual performance and simply "partake of the divine nature" and "abide in His love"?  We  need to have a revelation of the new creation heart God has given us in order to  step out in the new things He is doing in th earth.
 
Terry Somerville
www.totalchange.org