Tuesday, February 18, 2020

What A Difference The Spirit Makes

I [Paul] say then: ‘Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.’”  – Galatians 5:16

It is so important to be aware of the importance of living your life submitted to the leading of the Spirit of God who has sealed you until the day of your redemption.  Living your life fully aware that you are no longer bound to the way that you once lived.  Not trying to be good and do rightly, but yielded through the Spirit to the One who IS Good.  Let me use a story that you are familiar with  - Peter and his transformation.

Peter said to Him [Jesus], ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’” –  Matthew 26:35

Peter was apparently convinced that he could do more than he was capable of on his own. Fiercely adamant even. He was expressing what he wanted to be true and was depending upon himself to make it happen.

And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, ‘This man was also with Him.’ But he denied Him, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know Him.’ And after a little while another saw him and said, ‘You also are of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’” – Luke 22:56-58

So much for “I will not deny you.” We very often have the right intention but fail to understand that our new life is Spirit-dependent.  That it is impossible to live the Christian life in the power of our flesh and self-will. But we try anyway, don’t we? Like Peter – facing the truth brings a feeling of shame and guilt – knowing that we have failed the One we pledged our hearts to.

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” – Acts 4:8-13

Same guy, different focus.  You may not have to stand before a court defending your faith, but you stand before the world as a witness to your faith every day. Peter shrank away from a woman by the fire but stood boldly before the religious leaders.  The difference was the Spirit of God.  As we live out our new lives, we must live fully submitted to the Spirit of God.  You won’t do that if you ignore your faith except on Sunday or at the dinner table. Stop trying to live a “normal” life where you make all the choices and look to good only when you fail.  Oh – one other thing – we are all like Peter – it’s not just you. You are a child of the King. You don’t have a signet ring and your finger, you have the Spirit of God in your heart.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

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