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2017 40 Days of Prayer, Day 9

The Abiding Presence of God:
A Life of Complete Dependence

Day 9

“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”  Romans 8:9

Spirit of God, Spirit of Christ

A quick theological note…In this verse Paul uses three phrases interchangeably, “the Spirit,” “the Spirit of God,” and “the Spirit of Christ.”  The third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, comes to work in the life of a believer because He is sent from God the Father at the request of God’s Son.  In John 14:16, Jesus tells the disciples about the coming work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  He said, “I will ask the Father and He will give you another Comforter.”  In the next verse, Jesus refers to the Comforter as “the Spirit of Truth,” because of mission of revealing divine truth to the disciples.  In this same passage on the coming of the Comforter, Christ revealed the doctrine of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  When the Holy Spirit comes to you, “He will be in you.”  In Romans 8, Paul’s theology of the Holy Spirit parallels Christ’s own description of the work of the Holy Spirit in John 14.  In this way, Paul can refer to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of God” and as the “Spirit of Christ” since the Spirit proceeds from the Father and because the Spirit comes to work in our lives at the request of Christ. 

The Spirit of God Dwells in Us

The Spirit of God takes up residence in the life of every believer in Christ.  There is no exception to this truth.  If an individual has the Spirit of God dwelling in them, then that individual is a Christian.  If a person does not have the Spirit of God dwelling in them, then that person is not a Christian.  The moment we put our trust in Christ, many monumental events occur.  We have our sins forgiven.  We are justified before God and we are treated as though we are righteous even though we are sinners.  We are set free from the power of sin and death.  We are given life and peace.  We are adopted into God’s family where we have an everlasting inheritance.  All of this and many additional glorious truths are ours the very moment we become believers in Christ.  In this verse, we discover another aspect of our Christian reality.  When a person believes in Christ, Christ sends the Spirit of God to live within that person.  The Spirit literally takes up residence.  As a permanent resident, the Spirit affects every facet of our inner life.  The Spirit directs our thinking and adjusts our motives.  The Spirit reminds us of God’s Word and verifies the truthfulness of God’s Word.  The Spirit brings God’s truth to our memory and leads us into a path that is pleasing to God.  The Spirit refines us by bringing conviction of sin and purifies us by producing spiritual fruit in us.  “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

If a person is not a believer in Christ, then they do not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them.  This is why it is impossible for an unbeliever to please God.  This explains why unbelievers cannot comprehend the truthfulness of the Word of God.  This underscores the substantial difference in priorities and radical difference in thinking between believers in Christ and those who do not know Him.  If you describe to an unbelieving friend what God has done to bring salvation to you, that unbeliever may be unable to comprehend the beauty of your life-changing condition.  They do not understand because they cannot understand.  This is another proof of our relationship with God.  If someone does do not have the Spirit of God directing their inner life: guiding, convicting of sin, adjusting priorities, changing passions, then that person does not belong to Christ.  “Christian” is defined by Paul in this verse as belonging to Christ.  If you are a Christian, then the Spirit of God dwells in you.  The Spirit comes to bring about change by making us more like Christ.  The Spirit begins the process of transforming us from our self-focused life to a Christ focused life.

Prayer Focus

God, I believe that I have put my trust in Your Son as my Savior and Lord.  Right now, I reaffirm my absolute dependence upon You through faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ.  I trust completely in Christ’s death and resurrection as the only means of my salvation.  I confess that Jesus Christ is the treasure of my life.  I want my life to reflect this great work of salvation.  Lord, through the work of Your Holy Spirit, purify my life.  Bear fruit in my life today.  Lord, search my heart and purify my mind through the power of Your Spirit’s presence in my life.  Amen.

From DL Moody’s Secret Power

I remember the morning I came out of my room after I had first trusted Christ, and I thought the old sun shone a good deal brighter than it ever had before.  I thought that the sun was just smiling upon me…I had not a bitter feeling against any person, and I was ready to take all people into my heart.  If a man has not the love of God shed abroad in his heart, he has never been regenerated…it is hard for us to live in the right mindset all the time.  Someone comes along and treats us wrongly, perhaps we distain him.  If so, we have not continued feeding on the word of God as we should; a root of bitterness springs up in our hearts, and perhaps we are not aware of it, but it has come up in our hearts; then we are not ready to be a work for God.  The love of God is not being shed abroad in our hearts as it ought to be by the Holy Spirit.  However, the work of the Holy Spirit must impact our love.

2017 40 Days of Prayer, Day 8

The Abiding Presence of God:
A Life of Complete Dependence

Day 8

“and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:8

Pleasing God

On the subject of pleasing God, the Scripture says that this is the goal of our lives, II Corinthians 5:9, “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” Scripture gives clear indications as to how we may please God.  In pleasing God, faith is absolutely essential, Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”  In pleasing God we cannot seek to please others more than pleasing God, Galatians 1:10, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”  God is most pleased in the exaltation of His Son, especially in the work of salvation brought about in the work of His Son’s death and resurrection to save us.  Colossians 1:19-20 tells us, “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

These parameters give clarity to Paul’s statement in Romans 8 that “those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”  First, wrong motives keep “those in the flesh” from pleasing God.  Individuals who live according to their own desires do not seek to please God.  They seek to please others (themselves, friends, family, etc.)  more than God.  Therefore they are incapable of pleasing God.  Second, self-reliance prevents “those in the flesh” from pleasing God.  Individuals who live according to their own desires do not live by faith.  Instead, they trust in their own abilities, relying on their own righteousness or their own goodness.  God pleasers give God all the credit for righteousness and goodness.  Faith is the means by which God provides us the opportunity to give Him full credit.  By faith we give God all honor and glory for who He is and for all that He has done.  Self-exaltation prevents “those in the flesh” from pleasing God.  God created the universe with the express desire to bring glory to Himself.  His primary means of bringing glory to Himself is through the exaltation of His Son.  Individuals who live in the flesh seek their own glory.  Even acts that appear to be “good” are done by “those in the flesh” with the motive of self-glory.  Believers, “those who are in the Spirit” do good works in the name of Christ for this is the Father’s will, Christ exalted in us.  

Cannot Romans 8:6-8 holds a grim view of the ability of humanity apart from the work of God.  Apart from God we are driven by our selfish desires.  Apart from God we seek to please ourselves.  We do not want God in our lives.  We hate His word.  We revolt against His glory.  We are incapable of doing anything else.  There is nothing good in us, apart from the good that God brings.  This maximizes the glory of God.  If we possessed some hint of goodness apart from God, then we would share in the glory of our own salvation and steal glory from God.  Instead, our salvation comes entirely from God.  This maximizes His glory for no one can share in the credit for this glorious work of salvation.  Before coming to faith in Christ, we were unable to do anything to please God.  We had no faith, no submission to God’s Word, and no desire for the exaltation of Christ.  Now, because God has overcome our inability, we can and do please Him.  Now, because of Christ, we can submit ourselves to His will.  Now, through faith, God brings us into right relationship with Himself.  Through faith, we can please God in the way that we live for Him.  This reality is summarized in Christ’s statement to His disciples, “Apart from Me you can do nothing,” John 15:5.  We are to live a life of complete dependence on God.  This is God’s will for us, our complete dependence upon Him.

Prayer Focus

Thank You, God for saving me.  I have nothing good in me apart from You.  Christ Jesus, I long to walk with You so that I may please You in all things.  Do good works in me today.  I confess that any good that I do this day is done in Your name and for Your glory.   By the power of Your Spirit, help me to live in complete dependence upon You, renouncing sin and doing good works for Your everlasting honor and glory.  I confess that in my own power I cannot please You, but you have overcome my inability.

From DL Moody’s Secret Power

THE RESERVOIR OF LOVE (con’t)

Paul when writing to Titus, second chapter and first verse, tells him to be sound in faith, in charity, and in patience. Now in this age, ever since 1 can remember, the Church has been very jealous about men being unsound in the faith. If a man becomes unsound in the faith, they draw their ecclesiastical sword and cut at him; but he may be ever so unsound in love, and they don’t say anything. He may be ever so defective in patience; he may be irritable and fretful all the time, but they never deal with him. Now the Bible teaches us, that we are not only to be sound in the faith, but in charity (love) and in patience. I believe God cannot use many of His servants, because they are full of irritability and impatience; they are fretting (worrying) all the time, from morning until night. God cannot use them; their mouths are sealed; they cannot speak for Jesus Christ, and if they have not love, they cannot work for God. I do not mean love for those that love me; it don’t take grace to do that; The rudest Hottentot in the world can do that; the vilest man that every walked the earth can do that. It don’t take any grace at all I did that before I ever became a Christian. Love begets love; hatred begets hatred. If I know a man loves me first, I know my love will be going out towards him. Suppose a man comes to me, saying, “Mr. Moody, a certain man told me today that he thought you were the meanest man living.” Well, if I didn’t have a good deal of the grace of God in my heart, then I know there would be hard feelings that would spring up in my heart against that man, and it would not be long before I would be talking against him. Hatred begets hatred. But suppose a man comes to me and says, “Mr. Moody, do you know that such a man that I met today says that he thinks a great deal of you?” and though I may never have heard of him, there would be love springing up in my heart. Love begets love; we all know that; but it takes the grace of God to love the man that lies about me, the man that slanders me, the man that is trying to tear down my character; it takes the grace of God to love that man. You may hate the sin he has committed; there is a difference between the sin and the sinner; you may hate the one with a perfect hatred, but you must love the sinner. I cannot otherwise do him any good. Now you know the first impulse of a young convert is to love. Do you remember the day you were converted? Was not your heart full of sweet peace and love?

2017 40 Days of Prayer, Day 7

The Abiding Presence of God:
A Life of Complete Dependence

Day 7

“because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,”  Romans 8:7

Hostility Toward God

R.C. Sproul describes sin as “cosmic treason.”  Treason constitutes a very serious crime against a ruler and a nation.  As Creator, God is the Sovereign Ruler of the universe.  He created the universe for His own pleasure and establishes the means by which He is most glorified.  Human sin assaults the purposes of God.  A mind set on sinful desires remains in a state of rebellion against the Creator.  Each act of sin under the guidance of the sinful mind represents ongoing cosmic treason.  Thus, each individual mind that is set on self-rule denies the sovereign authority of God and resides in this state of hostility against God. 

Unable to Submit to the Law of God

The mind set on fulfilling sinful desires rejects God’s law.  Instead, the mind of unbelievers subjects itself to fulfilling its own sinful desires.  From Paul’s perspective, a mind set on fulfilling the sinful desires of the flesh is incapable of living according to the law of God.  Living according to the Law of God is the standard requirement for every person.  No one without perfection in the Law of God may dwell with God forever.  Any imperfections will bring everlasting banishment from God.  For those in Christ, through faith in His life, death and resurrection, "the requirements of the law have been fulfilled" in us.  Believers in Christ receive their perfection before God as a gift.  God gives the fulfillment of His standard of perfection as a gift to those who believe in Christ.  For those outside of Christ, the perfection required by the Law must be met.  The problem with this demand of perfection is inability.  We understand the concept of inability.  If the average person off the street were put in the lineup to face the top pitcher in professional baseball, this would be an unmitigated disaster.  At 98 mph, the baseball would not even be seen by the vast majority of Americans.  The coach could give an inspiring speech as the batter left the on deck circle.  The batter could try as hard as they might, but there is no way that an average person off the street could succeed.  When major league hitters succeed at hitting that pitcher less than a third of the time, someone with no baseball acumen and no athleticism would never have a chance.  This illustration breaks down because there are a select few individuals, who through natural ability and through hard work, might experience some success.  However, God does not require a one out of three success rate with the law, but in order to be righteous before God, we must fulfill every aspect of God's Law from birth until death.  From Paul’s perspective, no amount of hard work or natural gifts can bring success for the mind set on fulfilling sinful desires.  No moral law can reform the heart of any person.  The work of reformation is God’s work.  He performs the transformation of the heart by His divine and gracious will.  Prior to this work, we could not honor Him no matter how hard they try.  Prior to Christ coming into our lives, we were incapable, unable, and powerless to fulfill the purpose of God. 

Prayer Focus

God, You alone deserve praise.  You alone are the Sovereign Ruler of the universe.  You alone deserve my unwavering loyalty.  Forgive me for my moments of cosmic treason, when my actions reflect a denial of Your ultimate authority in my life.  Forgive me for pursuing my own purposes ahead of Your purposes.  Empower me to live for Your glory.  I confess that only by Your gracious and divine work am I able to submit myself to Your will for my life.  Come, Lord God, and renew the work You have started in me. 

From DL Moody's Secret Power

HIS PERSONALITY

I was a Christian a long time before I found out that the Holy Spirit was a person. Now this is something a great many don’t seem to understand, but if you will just take up the Bible and see what Christ had to say about the Holy Spirit, you will find that He always spoke of Him as a person never spoke of Him as an influence. Some people have an idea that the Holy Spirit is an attribute of God, just like mercy - just an influence coming from God. But we find in the fourteenth chapter of John, sixteenth verse, these words:

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter that He may abide with you forever.”

And again, in the same chapter, seventeenth verse:

“Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world can not receive, because it see Him not, neither knows Him; but ye know Him; for He dwells with you and shall be in you.”

Again, in the twenty-sixth verse of the same chapter:

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said to you.”

Observe the pronouns “He” and “Him.” I want to call attention to this fact that whenever Christ spoke of the Holy Spirit He spoke of Him as a person, not a mere influence; and if we want to honor the Holy Spirit, let us bear in mind that He is one of the Trinity, a personality of the Godhead.