Living by the Spirit

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Living By The Spirit

29th April

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

Romans 8:12-14

Isn’t it amazing that the God all of creation, sent His Son Jesus Christ to be our substitution for our sins. God knew that we couldn’t reach His level’s of perfection by our own strength, so He sent One that could and now that One, Jesus Christ, continually stands as our mediator. If it just ended there then we have enough of a reason to celebrate God’s grace for eternity. Yet the incredible truth is that it didn’t end there. When Jesus left this earth, the Holy Spirit was given to us to help us continue to live as children of God. It’s like God almost said ‘ok, you are now made right with Me because of My Son, but I want to help you live even better lives, so I am sending the Holy Spirit too!‘

Living ‘better’ lives or lives that please God, isn’t just so He can watch us and say ‘look at my well behaved puppets’. On the contrary, it is so we can be free to live life in all of life’s fullness, it is to protect us from danger and it to live more like His children. Furthermore, living for Jesus, saves us from spiritual death, “for if you live by its (sins) dictates, you will die.”

Living by the Spirit moves us away from living in the regrets and the ‘ifs and buts’ of the past but helps us to look forward. It edges us closer to the fullness of God and life in Him. It is only there that you will experience true joy, freedom and happiness. God sent Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and the Holy Spirit to lead us into Godly living. They are both a free gift of God.

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Fruit Filled Believer

12th June

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

Galatians 5:24-25

An old pastor once said to me that you can tell what kind of Christian someone is when something falls on their toe and their reaction to it. Although this has comical undertones there is a truth hidden in there. When life’s pressures and temptations squeeze us, what is our reaction to them and what comes our of us?

Galatians 5:22 highlights the list of the 9 fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Notice that not one of these things is an attribute that we alone can muster up. Every characteristic mentioned here is indicative of a life filled by the Spirit and the fruit that produces. We alone cannot be kind, loving and gentle in and of our strength. We cannot muster up self-control to withstand the enemies temptations on our own. The only way to live a fruit filled life, is to be filled with the Holy Spirit daily and rely on Him in everything.

Let us live by the Holy Spirit’s power and not in our own strength. Let us follow His leading, not just when we are in public places, but also in the quietness of our homes, in the moments we are alone. Let us nail every sinful pleasure and desire we have to the cross. Let the Holy Spirit completely fill us, remove our sin and birth new life in our hearts and minds that produces the kind of fruit that bring glory to Jesus’ Name. We don’t just want to be known as nice person who didn’t get angry when something dropped on their toe, rather we want to live our lives to show the world that through life’s hardship there is hope, through the trials there is peace and through temptations there is victory: His name is Jesus Christ.