Good morning Lord Jesus, I need you to wrap your arms around me this morning so I can wrap my arms around others today.
It was the Holy Spirit working in us, wooing us, placing us in the presence of Christ, before we even knew Christ, that began our “process” of salvation. The Holy Spirit seeking us is grace, a gift from God. It led us to a place of repentance and acceptance by faith of the saving works of Christ on the cross and in his resurrection, which is also a gift of grace. All the power of the Holy Spirit that it took to raise Christ from the dead is available to us and is at work in us in our salvation. And just like we could not initially save our selves, but it was the result of us seeking out the working of the Holy Spirit in us to place us in Christ, we can not daily live out our salvation without daily seeking out the the presence of the Holy Spirit. All the power of the Holy Spirit that was required in our initial salvation, is required for us to daily live out our salvation.
Salvation is not received like a “Thing” that you receive from a giver, then you can possess it and pass it on to another without the giver being present. For instance, If someone gives you a pen, it is yours,. You do not need the person who gave it to you to use it. You can put it in your pocket and walk away and never encounter that person again. Salvation however is found in a covenant relationship with God. You step out of that covenant, and you step out of that saving relationship. Salvation if like a hug, nothing is physically transferred, and when you come out of the hug, you can not take it with you. It is like the covenant relationship of marriage. You could be married to a person, but if you are separated, living in different towns, seeing other people, are you living out your marriage? No. Are you receiving the blessing and joy God intended in marriage? No. Your living into your marriage covenant comes out of your daily love and desire to be with that person. Time spent with them, talking to them, and actively spending and enjoying time in their presence.
Your living out your daily salvation is only possible by your daily relationship with the Father and Son through the Holy Spirit. It flows out of your love and desire to be with God. By actively seeking and spending time with God through the Holy Spirit in prayer, in The Word, and serving and seeking him in those around you. Again, the power and presence of the Holy Spirit needed in my initial salvation, is required for me to experience my daily salvation. I can’t over come my desires of the flesh today without seeking the presence of the Holy Spirit today. I can’t have a relationship with my neighbor today and be able to love him as I love myself without having a relationship with the Holy Spirit today. And I can absolutely forget about loving my enemies, or loving those who curse me without the power of the Holy Spirit. I can’t love my wife or my daughters completely unless I see them through the eyes of God. And the gift of my walking around today in joy and glory because I identify myself as a child of God is only possible by placing myself like a child in the presence of God. John tells us in the beginning of his Gospel, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13) The verbs “Receive” and “believed” are not past tense verbs as we understand in English. Things that happened once. They are verbs that reflect a past action that continues to the present. Those that “receive and continue to receive, those who “believed and continue to believe” have the right, the ability to live as children of God today.
My family, I pray as I have done this morning , you will also spend time in prayer with the Holy Spirit. Reflect on how you are remaining connected to Him. Reflect on how your are living out the daily joy of you salvation. Ask the Holy Spirit to increase in you your longing to be in deep relationship with him. To increase your desire to spend time with him in prayer, reading the word, and seeking him in others, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Read Romans 8:1-17, John 4:14, Joel 2:28-32.
Post any reflections, questions, or prayer requests in the comments block below.
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