Thankful for the Gift of the Holy Spirit
Nicole Schrader
Access to the word of God (the Bible) is grace. Being able to pray to our Father in heaven is grace. A daily quiet time with Jesus is grace. And recently, I’ve come to appreciate the gracious involvement of the Holy Spirit moving my heart and giving me both the power and the desire to do what’s right in the sight of God.
Grace has been defined as unmerited favor from God. Our salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the gift of grace that made us children of God and citizens of His kingdom.
There are times my theology catches up with the reality of my everyday life and the Lord gives me new revelation. I’ve understood that the indwelling Holy Spirit is a gift of grace, but this week I realized even my obedience is a work of the grace of God.
Philippians 2:13 states for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (ESV)
Without the Holy Spirit of God, we would be orphans without assurance of salvation, unable to witness or speak the words of God with confidence. We would be vulnerable, weak, and without understanding. We would forget Jesus’ words. We would be at a loss for words when we needed them most. Our fellowship would suffer. God’s love would be limited to our own resources. Our testimony would be powerless. Our hearts would be empty.
Jesus knew we needed His Spirit within us to live the Christian life. So, before his death, he told his disciples:
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you…the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14: 16-17, 26 (ESV)
Hallelujah and praise the Lord for the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives! He is
- Transforming us by renewing our minds (Romans 12:2)
- Conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29)
- Assuring us of our salvation (Ephesians 1: 13-14)
- Bearing fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, etc. (Galatians 5)
- Encouraging us (Acts 9:31)
- Promoting unity among believers (II Corinthians 13:13)
- Providing words of defense and a powerful witness among unbelievers (Mark 13:11; Acts 1:8)
- Leading, guiding, and teaching us (Acts 13:4; John 14:16)
- Sanctifying us (Romans 15:16).
I leave you with this wonderful truth from my devotion this morning:
“We don’t just need forgiveness and ultimate deliverance; we also desperately need present help—help so that we will have the desire and the power to do what is good in the sight of God. Our struggle with sin is so deep that only God living inside us can give us the power to please him with our living.” (TRIPP, PAUL DAVID. New Morning Mercies. October 4. CROSSWAY BOOKS, 2021.)
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Nicole Shrader is a retired homeschool mother and children's book author who loves to travel, bake bread, read, and spend time with her kids and grandkids. www.nicolelisamaria.com. |