Mar 24 2008
Monday, March 24th
Reading for Today: Genesis 24:10-28 and Acts 1:1-8
“…but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Acts 1:5
Jesus commanded them to wait for the “Promise of the Father,” speaking of the Holy Spirit. But His disciples missed the big picture, and instead, focused on earthly concerns…”Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” I wonder how many spiritual blessings or ‘Promises of the Father’ I have missed because I am too busy asking Jesus to build and/or restore my earthly kingdom. Jesus still delivered on His promise, even though their priorities were mixed up, and He’ll do the same for us today.
Many Christians today seem content to live an “adequate” Christian life.
They go to church, read their Bible occasionally, and
say their prayers once in a while.
Occasionally, they may volunteer to serve others at church—which they
consider ministry “above the norm.”
God doesn’t call you or anyone to a merely “adequate” Christian life. He
desires to have a daily, walking-and-talking relationship with you in
which you experience His presence, trust Him for wisdom, courage, and
strength, and rely on Him for remarkable results.
With every step you take, every decision you make, every conversation you
have, and every thought you entertain, the Lord desires to live within
you. He desires to communicate to you and through you. He desires to live
out His life through your expression of it—a perfect blending of His
perfection and your unique talents, traits, and personality.
To live the Christian life, in other words, is to allow Jesus to live in
and through you. That is why Paul would write, “I will not dare to speak
of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me” (Rom.
15:18). That is why the apostle told the Galatians that he labored “until
Christ is formed in you” (Gal. 4:19). And that is why he said we are all
“being transformed into the same image [of Christ] from glory to glory,
just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).
How do we get transformed into the image of Jesus? In what way does He
live in and through us? This is where the Spirit-filled life comes in.
You may say, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” If that’s your
response, you aren’t alone. Many people don’t know much about the Holy
Spirit, and they know less about how He works in the life of every
Christian.
You may say, “I’m not sure I want anything to do with the Holy Spirit.
Everything I’ve heard about Him seems divisive or too emotional for me.”
If that’s your response, I have encouragement for you. If you are a
genuine born-again Christian, you have a relationship with the Holy
Spirit, whether you have acknowledged Him or not. Furthermore, He is not
divisive or invasive. People may be, but He is not.
You may say, “Oh, yes! The Spirit-filled life is the most wonderful life a
person can know. I wouldn’t trade it for all the riches in the world or
for any other experience!” If that’s your response, I say “amen.”
In fact, the Spirit-filled life is the only way for a Christian to
experience all that God has for us. It means life to the fullest, the
abundant life that Jesus promised (see John 10:10).
The Spirit-filled life is not based on emotions, although you are likely
to feel various emotions as the Spirit works in you and through you to
produce the character of Christ Jesus and to replicate the ministry of
Christ Jesus in your life and the world.
The Spirit-filled life also is not something that a person can study from
afar. The Spirit-filled life must be experienced. It is lived out by real
people in real life facing real, and sometimes difficult, circumstances.
The Spirit-filled life is marked by purpose, power, and effectiveness. It
is not something that you do, but something that you are because of who
lives and works inside you. God desires for each of His children to live a
Spirit-filled life, and He expects you to be led by the Spirit every day.
There really is no such thing as an “average” Christian life. Either you
are living a vibrant, Spirit-filled life, or you aren’t. Either you are in
forward motion or in a pause position. Either you are living in the
fullness of the Holy Spirit, or you aren’t.
Make a decision today to choose the Spirit-filled life. That’s well within
your prerogative and will to do. God will not force Himself on you or
force Himself to operate within you. Since He works by invitation only, He
won’t overstep the boundaries of your will. But He does invite you to
allow Jesus to live His life in and through you—and believe me, you won’t
find a better offer or a more exciting adventure anywhere else.