God’s powerful presence within

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses…Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:16-18, 24-25

Living the life pleasing God is only through the working of the Holy Spirit within. No matter how strong our desire to obey God there will always be a struggle with our old sinful nature. “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate” (Romans 7:15). We have to submit to the working of the Holy Spirit for it is only through the filling of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life that God’s powerful presence could be manifested. The result of such filling is seen through Christian virtues; “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). The presence of the Lord in a believer’s life ought to be obvious. When the Spirit of the Almighty God fills a believer, the believer cannot go on living as before; they will start to reflect the life of God. From the Old Testament, God told His people through the prophet Zechariah that His presence ought to make a difference in their lives that people around them will seek God’s blessing. ““This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you’” (Zechariah 8:23). When God’s people walked closely with Him and people around them seeing the difference God is doing in their lives would consider knowing the God believers’ serve. As we live our lives in dependence on God’s working through the Holy Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of our old sinful nature. Victory over sin happens when we continually yield to the Spirit. He will empower us to live in obedience to God and manifest the fruit of the Spirit. Are the people around you see the evidence that you are walking closely with God? The more you allow Christ to make His presence evident in your life, the more you testify to His powerful working in you and might cause others to seek Him.

Blessings,

Noel De Guzman

www.my-wbc.com