Friday, October 31, 2008

Ablaze for God - Day 47 Devotional


“The Marks of the Spirit-filled Person”
Submitted by Heath Davis
Key text: Galatians 5:22,23

When the kingdom of God comes Jesus will not be recognized by a crown or robes. He’s never been into that kind of garb. The Scripture teach He will be known by His scars. We will identify the King of Kings by nail-scarred marks on his hands and feet.

In the same way the Holy Spirit today is recognized by specific marks. The two most significant marks of God’s Spirit in a person’s life is purity and power.

As God’s Spirit fills our lives there is a instantaneous and ongoing desire to serve God with a pure heart. One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit’s work is that there is an increased sensitivity in our lives to those things that dishonor the heart of God. We recognize all too quickly what the disciples experienced. . .“The Spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” The habits of our bodies (course talk, loose lips, wandering minds, rolling eyes, stingy hands, lazy feet, etc.) quickly are confronted by the Spirit inside us. I’ve noticed that when the Spirit is at work in a person’s life, a crisis occurs within the self. The Spirit is screaming “purify, purify” and the body is screaming “I am a creature of habit…I hate change.” So, the Spirit’s quest to purify leads in this internal crusade towards holiness.

In order to win this battle we need power over the sinful habits at work in the members of our body (Romans 7:21).

How convenient! The second mark of the Holy Spirit is power. The Scripture says that the Spirit “helps us in our weakness”. We want to become holy, but cannot go it alone. As we admit our need for God’s help, the Spirit comes with divine assistance.

First, He intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:27).
Second, He reminds us Whose we are (8:16).
Third, He embeds in thick skulls the truth that we no longer are defined by condemnation (8:1), but by conquest (8:37)!

His marks in our life are simple to detect. Purity and Power. And, they compliment one another us they lead us towards the image of Christ.

Are His marks recognizable in your life today?

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