April 10

The Indwelling Of The Spirit

You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. — Rom 8:9 BSB

It is of utmost importance to know that we have been born from above, through the incorruptible seed of God's nature implanted within us. How can we be certain that we are sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty? The Apostle John gives us several assurances in his first letter. If we are God’s children, we will be content to be unknown by the world (1 John 3:1). Though the world may scorn us, as it did our Lord, we will refuse to ally ourselves with worldly ways and will lose our taste for things that once appealed to us.

We will also be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading, as Philip was when he left the revival in Samaria to meet the Ethiopian official in the desert. There was no hesitation in his obedience to the command: “Arise, and go toward the south...and he arose and went” (Acts 8:26-40). Are we obedient to the Lord’s call to share the gospel with those who have never heard, or do we make excuses for our indifference?

We will certainly love other believers (1 John 3:14). We may start by loving them through acts of service and self-sacrifice, but as we grow, we will learn to love with the spirit of Christ. We will also be quick to speak up for our Lord when others dishonor Him, boldly confessing our devotion.

Finally, we will be sensitive to sin. When we offend against the law of love, we will not rest until we have confessed, been forgiven, and cleansed. We will immediately seek the cleansing of our merciful High Priest. As an old Puritan once said, both a pig and a sheep may fall into the same mud pit, but the pig will wallow in it, while the sheep will seek to be cleansed as quickly as possible!

Prayer

O God, make me increasingly aware of the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit. May He testify with my spirit that, despite my sins and shortcomings, I am still Your child. Amen.