Your daily goal:
Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
(Monday-Friday, from my daily study time, I will write a short thought for that day which I pray God will use to motivate you to ‘GO’ for that day. Your objective is simple…to GO…to GO OUT and share the love of Christ with someone in that day….to GO and bear fruit …to be light to the world.)
Today’s Daily Light
Continuing …The Search For Significance, by R. McGee
The Holy Spirit is Our Agent of Change
The clear implication of what we have been studying…the theme…is that the absence of spiritual growth signifies one’s lack of understanding concerning forgiveness. Seeking an emotional experience, going to seminar after seminar, or looking for a ‘deeper life’ may not be the solution. Emotional experiences, seminars, and studies are only valid if they are founded on the love, forgiveness, and power of the cross and resurrection of Christ. There is nothing more motivating, nothing more comforting, nothing else that compels us more to honor Christ, and nothing else that gives us as much compassion for others as the sacrificial payment of Christ that has rescued us from eternal condemnation.
At least five obstacles stem from a misunderstanding of Christ’s love and forgiveness, and often prevent us from experiencing His presence and power:
- We have wrong motives.
- Our approach to the Christian life is too mechanical or regimented.
- We are too mystical.
- We lack knowledge about the availability of Christ’s love and power.
- We are harboring sin that blocks our fellowship with Christ.
Today, we will look at point #5: We are harboring sin that blocks our fellowship with Christ:
Willful sin is an obstacle that clouds our fellowship with God. Indeed, sin may be pleasurable for a moment, but inevitably, its destructive nature will reveal itself in many ways: broken relationships, poor self esteem, and a poor witness for Christ. Whether it is a blatant sin of immorality or the subtler sin of pride, we must learn to deal with all sin decisively, for our benefit and for Christ’s glory.
Christ’s death paid for all of our sins; they are completely forgiven. Comprehending His love and forgiveness encourages us to admit that we have sinned and claim forgiveness for any and every sin as soon as we become aware of it. Again, this prevents our fellowship with Christ from being hindered and enables us to continue experiencing His love and power. Paul wrote to the Galatian Christians: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
As we respond to the love of Christ and trust His Spirit to fill us, these characteristics will become increasingly more evident in our lives. The filling of the Holy Spirit includes two major aspects: our purpose (to bring honor to Christ instead of to ourselves) and our resources (trusting in His love and power to accomplish results instead of trusting in our own wisdom and abilities). Although we will continue to mature in our relationship with the Lord over the years, we can begin to experience His love, strength, and purpose from the moment we put Him at the center of our lives.
Our own willingness to be filled with the Holy Spirit is a direct response to the magnificent truths centered in the cross and the resurrection of Christ and our participating in relationships in which we sense His love for us. We are deeply loved and completely forgiven by God, fully pleasing to God, totally accepted by God, and complete in Him.
As you continue in the process of experiencing more of God’s grace, take time to reflect on His love and power. Trust Him to guide you by His Word, fill you with His Spirit, and enable you to live for Him and be used by Him in the lives of others. Abiding in Christ does not mean deliverance from all of your problems, but it will provide a powerful relationship with the One who is the source of wisdom for difficult decisions, love to encourage you, and strength to help you endure. (con’t tomorrow).
Father..I realize how ‘stuck’ I would be in my ‘self’ without your indwelling Spirit that constantly is at work to change me from the inside out. I am dependent on You…I need You every moment of every day…to reproduce the fruit of Your character in me. Thank You for Your work in my life. Thank You.
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