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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The scriptures are clear on one very important gift that’s granted to every believer who places their faith and hope in Jesus as Savior.
“...you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14
Think about this for a moment and consider the power and significance of the Holy Spirit as communicated by Jesus to His disciples before He ascended into the heavens to sit at the right hand of His Father God.
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5
And so it was on a special day we know as Pentecost:
When the day of Pentecost came, they (Jesus’ disciples) were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from Heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4
It was then, only after all Jesus’ disciples were “filled with the Holy Spirit” that they were ready to go forth and properly carry on Jesus’ Gospel ministry. Immediately after this Holy Spirit anointing, the scriptures tell us that Peter delivered a sermon to a gathered crowd in Jerusalem and the results were staggering as “about three thousand” people “accepted his message” and as a result, were baptized (Acts 2:41).
Friends, this same Spirit is alive and well, dwelling within each and every one of us, ever ready and able to produce the same incredible results that we read about in the Book of Acts as the Christian church began to take root. Through Him, we receive:
- Guidance and direction in regard to living holy just as Jesus lived.
- Discernment and understanding as we read and seek to comprehend God’s Word.
- A multitude of beneficial Christian character traits that will help us in life.
In regard to the latter, what’s included in these beneficial Christian traits?
We find the answer in the fifth chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia. Here’s what we find in verses 22 and 23:
“...the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
In yesterday’s passage, we learned that we could gain peace beyond human comprehension by refusing to be anxious about anything as God commanded, instead, bringing all our concerns and burdens to Him through prayer and petition with thanksgiving. For when we unload all of life’s pressures and stresses onto His broad, strong shoulders, acknowledging and trusting that He can handle whatever we’re going through, we can experience the peace that transcends understanding with our hearts guarded by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).
Today, we see where the Holy Spirit is used by God to produce the fruit of peace in our hearts, minds, and souls. The more faith we place in the Lord over ourselves and others, the more abundant the harvest of peace. Ditto for all the other fruits the Spirit provides.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, what an amazing force we have within us, a force that is transformative in the most divine ways. This Advent season, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of our Savior, let’s all work harder to turn away from our seemingly incessant desire to be in control of everything, submitting instead to the powerful leading and influence of the Holy Spirit so to be blessed by all the blessings produced by Him.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.
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