You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. (Romans 8:9, ESV)
You know you want it: that unparalleled secret to golf excellence that reduces your scores starting tomorrow and gives you the one-up on your buddies. Oh wait, these are our buddies. If we truly find a secret to good golf, shouldn’t we share it with them too, so we can all enjoy the game that much more? It’s the dilemma of the fisherman who wonders whether he should give away the location of his favorite little spot.
In our lives with God, we might say that the “secret” is the Holy Spirit. The Gospels paint a concrete picture of Jesus, and we get a number of glimpses into the nature of the Father, particularly as he interacted with Moses.
But when it comes to the Spirit, we think often of the unseen realm and the somewhat mystical aspects of our faith. We can name the fruit of the Spirit, but we’re not sure exactly how they develop in us or why gentleness seems to be strong in us today but not so much tomorrow. We know, too, that we have been gifted by the Holy Spirit for the work of ministry with fellow believers in the body of Christ, yet we question whether all the gifts mentioned in Scripture are active today—and if not, then just how are my Jesus-loving friends in the church across the way speaking in tongues?
Yet the biggest idea, and the one that deserves our full attention, is that the Spirit of God indwells those who believe that Jesus is the Messiah. That’s right, the Spirit of God lives in you.
This would not come as a surprise, except that we so often speak of Jesus living in our heart. That is not altogether improper imagery, for we know from the writings of the apostles that the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ are one and the same. The Trinitarian tangling of the Godhead cannot be unraveled, the realization of which makes it far easier to demystify the Holy Spirit.
Have you placed your trust in Jesus Christ? If so, you have gained not only his righteousness imputed to you for your salvation, but you have gained his Spirit within you, so that “the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4).
—
Jeff Hopper
January 9, 2015
Copyright 2015 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Threads of Righteousness 1
Threads of Righteousness 2
Threads of Righteousness 3
Threads of Righteousness 4
Threads of Righteousness 5
Threads of Righteousness 6: God alone
Threads of Righteousness 7: Only God?
Threads of Righteousness 8: Humble Selves
Threads of Righteousness 9: Humble Acts
Threads of Righteousness 10: Mercy Speaks
Threads of Righteousness 11: Acting Justly
Threads of Righteousness 12: Generosity
Threads of Righteousness 13: Faithfulness
Threads of Righteousness 14: Purity
Threads of Righteousness 15: God of Love
Threads of Righteousness 16: God’s Loving Plan
Threads of Righteousness 17: Acting in Love
Threads of Righteousness 19: Spirit-led Living