Romans 8:9
“Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.”
What of Today’s Verse…
It is of the utmost importance to know that we have been born from above of the incorruptible seed of God’s implanted nature. How can we be quite sure that we are the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty? The beloved Apostle gives us many assurances in the first Epistle of St. John. If we are the children of God we shall be content to be unknown of the world (1Jo_3:1). The leaders and rulers of society may view us with contempt, as they did our Lord, but we shall refuse to enter into any alliance with the children of the world, and shall lose our taste for the things that used to appeal to us.
We shall be very sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, as Philip was when he tore himself away from the revival in Samaria, to go to a lonely spot in the desert, and there await the arrival of the Ethiopian statesman. There was no hesitation in his obedience to the command: “Arise, and go toward the south.., and he arose and went” (Act_8:26-40). Are we being obedient to the call and command of our Lord to tell the good tidings of the Gospel to those who have never heard? Or do we make all sorts of excuses for our apathy?
We shall certainly love the brethren (1Jo_3:14). We may begin by loving them with our strength, and by sacrificing ourselves on their behalf, but we shall pass through the different phases of self-sacrifice until at last we come to love with the Spirit of Christ. We shall be very sensitive for the honour of our Lord, and when men speak ill of Him we shall hasten to avow our discipleship and devotion.
We shall be very sensitive about sin. Directly we have offended against the law of Love, we shall be restless and unhappy until we have confessed and been forgiven and cleansed. We shall hasten at once to our merciful and faithful High Priest that He may remove the stain. An old Puritan once said that a sow and a sheep might fall into the same miry pit; the one would wallow in it, whilst the other would never rest until it was extricated and cleansed!
Let us Pray:
O God, make me increasingly conscious of the indwelling of Thy Holy Spirit; may He witness with my spirit that in spite of all my sins and shortcomings, I am still Thy child. Amen.
Words of Wisdom
One With God
I am one with God every moment of every day.
What does it mean to be one with God? Is it a feeling in my heart? Is it an assurance deep within my soul? Perhaps it is an inner knowing that, regardless of appearances or circumstances, I am one with the peaceful, all-providing presence of God.
The word oneness implies a sense of belonging. I belong with God. I am one with the spirit of God, the Spirit that is forever guiding me, protecting me and strengthening me in mind and body. My oneness with God assures me that I am never alone. I am one with God day and night. Knowing that God is with me and within me, I feel safe and connected, healthy and whole, assured of peace in all situations.
He came to her and said, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.”–Luke 1:28
