Good morning Lord Jesus, Spirit of the living God come fall afresh on me.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is present in each of us who through repentance and faith have been saved by Jesus Christ through the merits of his death, resurrection works on the cross. His presences in me is my only source of holiness. His indwelling in me is what allows me to hear from and experience God and Jesus in prayer and the searching of Scriptures. It is his presence in me that assures me of my salvation in In Jesus Christ.
Since I am Arminian in my soteriology (theology of salvation) and do not believe like my reformed brothers in predestination, that some are eternally chosen elect of God and some are eternally chosen as reprobate. And since I do not adhere to a “works” based salvation, where if my good deeds out weigh my sinful deeds I am saved, How could I ever truly be sure that I am in God’s grace? That my assurance was not of pride and arrogance given to me by my flesh, but by the workings of the Spirit inside me? It is through praying and reflecting on it, such assurance I immediately and directly perceive when my spiritual senses are rightly disposed. Then the Spirit of God witnesses to my spirit that I am a child of God. And the testimonies and witnesses that I am a child of God and not a child of the devil I am able to see clearly. As John Wesley put it, “as you distinguish day from night.”
And that just as God did not remain distant from me, a completely heavenly being, but became incarnate so I may better understand and have a closer relationship with Him on earth, also now my assurance that I am pleasing in God’s sight is not something that can be confirmed only in heaven and realized on the last day when I discover if I was one of the elect or the reprobate, or if I completed enough good deeds to offset my sinful deeds. But my assurance I am saved is something that can be confirmed in me by the spirit of God in me and realized all the days of my life in this world, including today. For which I say, “Praise God!”
It is a holy presence in me that is more than a feeling. It is constant in me, at times even more so in the valleys of my life as in the mountain tops. And the Holy Spirit is constantly calling me into a deeper state of holiness, as he reveals to me areas in my life where I have not let his indwelling in me to enter into, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Through prayer and in the Spirit, I seek each day to be more Holy, more like Christ, a process we Wesleyans call Sanctification. Day by day we hope to become more sanctified, more set apart in Holiness for God, with the goal of complete sanctification. For me not to believe this is possible in my life today, and only after I am dead as some believe, would elevate sin above the merits of Christ on the Cross.
My family, Read Rom 8:1-17, 15:13; 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 2 Cor. 3:17-18; Eph. 3:14-21; 1 John 4:13-15. Spend time then in prayer and ask God’s Spirit to witness to your Spirit. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fall afresh in you, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my freinds!
Please post any comments, questions or reflections you may have below.
In July I will step out of pastoring Toney UMC and pour completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You
