1 John 3:24 – Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
THEME OF THE DAY: RECOGNIZING THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK. God gives us many gifts in life. And when it comes to the Christian life, He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is the One who not only applies Christ’s death and resurrection to us which makes us Christians, but empowers us to live the Christian life. He also illumines the Word of God to our hearts and minds so that we might understand and apply it to our lives. His work is essential. We cannot live the Christian life without Him, yet, it is important we recognize His work in our lives. There are a lot of things happening in the modern church claiming to be works of the Spirit which may not pass the scriptural tests of being a work of the Spirit. Jesus warns us that in the last days there would be many false teachers and false doctrines. Such a warning demands our discernment on what is of the Spirit and what is not. Today, let’s consider four Biblical proofs which are works of the Spirit in the life of the Christian. And they also apply to a church. As we consider these, be encouraged as the Spirit Himself affirms His workings in our lives.
The first work of the Spirit and chief work is making much of Jesus Christ. In fact, apart from salvation, this is the most important work of the Spirit; promoting the centrality of Jesus Christ in a Christian and a church. We may know immediately if the spiritual experience we are having in our private lives and church life is of the Spirit by the supreme place Jesus Christ is taking in the experience. If He is not central and dominant, it is not a work of the Spirit (John 16:12-14). And if Christ is the preeminent figure in our experience, we will know by our deepening love for Him in attitude, action, and speech.
Another work of the Spirit in us and our churches is the cultivating of His Fruit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Do some self-examination. Is our character being transformed more and more by the presence of this Fruit? After making much of Christ, the Spirit’s next chief work is making us like Christ by the producing of this Fruit in our hearts, minds, and lives.
A third work of the Spirit is creating a burden for the lost. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love, not only for Christ and other believers, but for lost sinners. We simply cannot claim to walk in the Spirit, love Jesus, and have no concern for the many people around us heading to hell. Where the Spirit is at work, the Christian will be praying for the salvation of the lost, actively sharing the Gospel in some form, and find themselves yearning for God to save sinners (Matthew 9:36).
The fourth work of the Spirit in us is love for other Christians. When the Spirit of God takes up residency in the heart of the newborn child of God, He implants Christ’s love within that includes a deep affection for and commitment to other Christians. This might be one of the clearest evidences proving the Spirit of God is at work in us. Our love for one another is not merely emotional, or a nice thing to experience. It is life-changing. Where the Spirit of God is at work among Christians, they long to be together. They cannot be apart. They yearn for spiritual fellowship. They anticipate family meetings on the Lord’s Day with eagerness. They will not sacrifice sacred together times for worldly events and activities. And this is not a work of socializing, but a work of the Spirit creating mutual spiritual desires that bring God’s people together for mutual encouragement and growth (Hebrews 10:23-25).
Yes, God has given us His Spirit and He is at work in God’s people and God’s church. Take time and ponder the four workings of the Spirit we looked at today. And as we do, let’s pray that God makes them more and more evident in our daily walk with Him.
PRAYER: “Lord, help me to recognize a true work of Your Spirit in my life.”
QUOTE: “A clear work of the Spirit always elevates Jesus and takes our eyes off ourselves.”