Faith is often a word that has been used interchangeably in english to mean the religion I follow or my family religion. Sometimes we simply mean what I believe. Certainly Faith has to do with a belief system or world view. But faith is more than this. Faith is my Trust in God added to those beliefs in a personal God. There is only one God that desires close relationship with the people He created, a relationship that is based on more than right or wrong or acceptable behaviors but on a life-giving right relationship with God the Father, through Jesus the Son, empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. 

Faith then in also how that Belief and Trust are lived in the day to day. Faith without action is dead, and a faith that doesn’t transform the person is then of no lasting value. 

God invites us then to live by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. 

The simple answer is this: prayer is a two way conversation with God. We pray when we open our heart to the Almighty. We use our voice, songs, written words, eyes, ears, and attitudes in response to what He speaks to us in our hearts through the faculty of the imagination and by engaging the Holy Scriptures. 

Just like learning to talk, we need to learn how to pray, and to mature into prayer. We grow from talking at God, to talking to Him, and with Him, to just learning to be with God. 

Prayer is the means by which we exercise our faith. By learning to be (abide OR dwell) with Jesus moment by moment we are able to live by faith. It is in this faith, and praying that we receive grace (favor and power) to live like Jesus and with Jesus. 

The greatest key to the Deeper Christian Life is the Person of the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is the 3rd person in the One God. (Sometimes called the Trinity). 

It is through the Holy Spirit who indwells those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ that the deeper life is lived.

We are also told to walk (or run) in pace with the Holy Spirit. This picture is of the life journey, one of fellowship with God and other Christians. 

It is a deeper life because the Holy Spirit is ever working to increase our capacity to interact and be filled with the Holy Presence of God in our lives. The more we live with God, the more we are able to function in His authority & power to live from blessing & purpose, and leave a Kingdom mark on the World.

Two Realities–Two Experiences

Jesus is “the one who is taking away the sin of the world” and “the one who is baptizing with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:29-33). All Christians understand first the first reality: that Christ’s blood has atoned for their sins and they no longer need to fear eternal separation from God. But most Christians do not understand or experience the second reality—the fullness of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

This Spiritual Journey into the Deeper Life is often referred to as Sanctification. More than just not sining or learning to “do” the right things, sanctification is about becoming like God as we become one with God. 

Because many Christians have been taught badly, or because they have chosen to disregard the clear teaching of the New Testament regarding sanctification, they are missing out on much of what God has made available to every believer in Christ.

Holiness is two complex realities that together involves 7 characteristics. They are:

1. Salvation  – (1) Separation from sin & the World and  (2)Being Set apart to God, for God.
   • (4)Being Justified (restored to right relationship).
     
2. Sanctification – (3) Living in the Fullness of the Holy Spirit.
   
   • (5) Being Washed.
   • (6) Being made Clean & Whole.
     
   • (7) Enjoying the Abundant and Everlasting Life.

Notice how they build off of each other. Being separated from sin and the evil desires and practices of the world leads to a Life Abundant and Everlasting. Or what we call the Deeper Life. 

The opportunity to experience these two realities of sanctification is available to every believer. The path to the Spirit-filled life requires taking faith-filled risks, which always involves change.

1. Surrender We can’t make ourselves holy any more than we can make ourselves saved—we become holy only by realizing that we haven’t got what it takes to be holy (Romans 6:11; Romans 12:1-2).
2. Accept Christ is our Sanctifier in the same way that He is our Savior (Colossians 2:6; Galatians 2:20).
3. Abide We maintain a continuous relationship with Jesus through obedience to His Word and by His Spirit (John 15:1-11).

The term “deeper life,” identifies a revolt against the “ordinary” Christian experience and towards the insatiable yearning of a few discontented souls after the deep, essential, spiritual and inward power of the Gospel message. This life in the Spirit is a far wider and richer thing than mere victory over sin. It includes also the reality of the indwelling Christ, of an acute God-consciousness, of rapturous worship, separation from the desires of the world, the joyous surrender of everything to God, growing internal union with the Trinity in the practice of the presence of God, the communion of saints, the freeing, healing and strengthening grace of God and intimate prayer without ceasing. To enter into such a life, those seeking it must be ready to accept without question the Revelation of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit through the New Testament as the ultimate authority on spiritual matters. They must be willing to make Christ the one supreme Lord and King of their life. They must surrender their whole being to the destructive purpose of the cross, to die not only to their sins but to their own self-righteousness as well and to everything in which they formerly prided themselves. And the mighty anointing of the Holy Spirit that follows will restore to their soul infinitely more than has been taken away. It is often a hard way but always a glorious one. No one who has known the sweetness of it will ever complain about what they have lost. They will be too well pleased with what they have gained. (Adapted from A.W. Tozer, The Alliance Weekly November 3, 1954)