Bible League: Living His Word And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.The Holy Spirit was first poured out on believers on Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2). As a result, the Holy Spirit now dwells in every Christian and thereby empowers and enables us to live the Christian life. The Apostle Paul asked: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (I Corinthians 3:16). The Holy Spirit, however, does more than dwell in us. He also gives us special gifts and ministries (I Corinthians 12:4-11), and He fills us with the fruit of the Spirit, like love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22). Notwithstanding all of this, our verse for today makes it plain that it is possible to grieve the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, there is a difference between the indwelling of the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit. Although the indwelling of the Spirit of God is a permanent feature of being a Christian, being filled with the Spirit is not. If we grieve, resist, or quench the Holy Spirit, we will not have the fullness of the Spirit. It is our sin that grieves the Holy Spirit and thereby hinders our ability to live the Christian life, operate in our gifts and ministries, and manifest the fruit of the Spirit. The indwelling and empowering of the Spirit of God, therefore, is not something that should be taken for granted. If we want to have the fullness of what the Holy Spirit has for us we must not grieve Him. The Apostle Paul commands us in Ephesians 5:8 to be filled with the Spirit. In order to do this, however, he also says that we should avoid debauchery, like getting drunk. Anything that stands opposed to the will of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit will hinder the fullness of the Spirit's work within us. Jesus lived a sinless life and the Bible tells us that He was given the Holy Spirit "without limit" (John 3:34). A sinless life, of course, is beyond our ability in this dispensation. Consequently, whenever we do sin, we should quickly confess our sin and receive God's mercy and grace (I John 1:9). If we do this, then we will also quickly get back on track to being Spirit-filled people of God. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 34, 35 Psalm 34 -- David's Psalm Before Ahimelech (1Sa 21) NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 35 -- Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 22 Acts 22 -- Paul's Defense to the Crowd NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion “No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.” Insight The lamp is Christ; the eye represents spiritual understanding and insight. Evil desires make the eye less sensitive and blot out the light of Christ's presence. Challenge If you have a hard time seeing God at work in the world and in your life, check your vision. Are any sinful desires blinding you to Christ? Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Isaiah 37:22 The daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.Reassured by the Word of the Lord, the poor trembling citizens of Zion grew bold, and shook their heads at Sennacherib's boastful threats. Strong faith enables the servants of God to look with calm contempt upon their most haughty foes. We know that our enemies are attempting impossibilities. They seek to destroy the eternal life, which cannot die while Jesus lives; to overthrow the citadel, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail. They kick against the pricks to their own wounding, and rush upon the bosses of Jehovah's buckler to their own hurt. We know their weakness. What are they but men? And what is man but a worm? They roar and swell like waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. When the Lord ariseth, they shall fly as chaff before the wind, and be consumed as crackling thorns. Their utter powerlessness to do damage to the cause of God and his truth, may make the weakest soldiers in Zion's ranks laugh them to scorn. Above all, we know that the Most High is with us, and when he dresses himself in arms, where are his enemies? If he cometh forth from his place, the potsherds of the earth will not long contend with their Maker. His rod of iron shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel, and their very remembrance shall perish from the earth. Away, then, all fears, the kingdom is safe in the King's hands. Let us shout for joy, for the Lord reigneth, and his foes shall be as straw for the dunghill. "As true as God's own word is true; Nor earth, nor hell, with all their crew, Against us shall prevail. A jest, and by-word, are they grown; God is with us, we are his own, Our victory cannot fail." Daily Light on the Daily Path Romans 3:1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?Romans 3:2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. Jeremiah 4:4 "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds." Leviticus 26:41,42 I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies-- or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, • then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. Romans 15:8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, Colossians 2:11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, Ephesians 4:22-24 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, • and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, • and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
Click for Video Devotionals     |