What the Love of Christ Cost Him (Romans 5:8)
Romans 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Can you imagine this kind of love? The Father sacrificed His Son to save others who weren't even looking for Him? No wonder that heavenly host filled the sky, proclaiming, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14)! Angels joyfully announced that the time for the plan of all ages, the redemption of mankind, had finally come! Christ loved us so much that, even when we were enemies of God, He died for us. He knew the only thing that could save us from Hell was a perfect sacrifice given in our place. He came with the sole purpose to die for our sins so we could spend eternity in Heaven with Him. He didn't come to show us the way, He came to be the way. There was nothing we could do, so He did it all. He didn't hold anything back. Jesus proved and demonstrated His love for the world as He bore the wrath His Father poured out. He showed His love by leaving heaven, the adoration of angels, and the throne of glory. He became a Man of sorrows. He hungered, thirsted, was betrayed and suffered. Love led Him to the cross where He was nailed and crucified. He proved His love for us when He died on Calvary. I don't believe we can fully comprehend the extent to which Christ went to redeem us. We cannot imagine what He gave up in glory to come to this earth. The physical abuse and pain He suffered on the cross is more than we can put into words, and there is no way to describe what it was like for the Son of God to take on all the sin of the world. It is no surprise that the world falls short when it comes to love, but that should never be true for us. Each of our relationships with family members, friends, fellow church members and the lost should be characterized by this Divine love. Questions to Consider: How often do we stop and appreciate what Christ did for us on the cross? How far are you willing to go for Him? Are you willing to share the Gospel with those around you? Points to Ponder: It is impossible to truly love people without being willing to sacrificially give to them. Spend some time today thanking Him for His love for you and purpose to show Him your love today. Prayer, Father in Heaven, thank You for not sparing Your Son that I might become Your child by faith. Thank You for the assurance that I can come to know and believe the love You have for me, expressed so ultimately in Your Son. Thank You for Jesus who died for me, walks each day with me, and is waiting for me in eternity. I bring You my gratitude under the authority of His matchless name, Jesus. Amen. If this post has blessed you in any way Please share this website and its articles with others www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
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Spirit Filled (Ephesians 5:18)
Ephesians 5:18, And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; be filled with the Spirit. When believers are filled with the Spirit of God, God’s power is unleashed in that person’s life to do the work and the will of God. There is one baptism of the Spirit, but there can be, and needs to be, many fillings of the Holy Spirit as Christians serve the Lord. As believers are yielded and controlled by Him, the power of God is unleashed in their lives, giving boldness in preaching and witnessing about Christ. The Holy Spirit enables a Christian to have gentleness, self-control, humility, love, faith, peace, goodness, great joy, and glorify God with his or her life. The filled means controlled, intoxicated, permeated, thoroughly influenced, overcome by a power greater than your own. We know what it is to be filled with pain, with joy, or with sorrow. Being filled with excruciating pain, for example, eclipses everything else in our consciousness. We feel only the pain and fixate exclusively on it. The filling of the Holy Spirit is a similar experience—the Christian is overcome and under the influence of a power greater than himself. When a person is under the influence of alcohol (Luke 1:15; Acts 2:4, 13–17), or drunk, they don’t act like themselves. They have little control of their minds, emotions, words, or actions. In the same way, we are to yield control of ourselves to the Holy Spirit. But unlike alcohol, we can’t get too much of the Spirit. We can never be too filled. When D.L. Moody was asked, “Why do you focus so much attention in your sermons on being filled with the Holy Spirit of God?” His reply was, “Because I leak!” This one little verse contains three critical truths about the filling of the Spirit: 1. The filling is commanded. Notice God’s tone. He is not giving us a mild, optional suggestion. If you have some extra time, you might want to consider being filled with the Spirit. It’s a command: “Be filled.” And because God commands it, we know it’s possible. Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to be indwelt, baptized, or sealed with the Spirit because those are God’s work in us at conversion—but we are commanded to be filled. 2. The filling is for everyone. This command to be filled with the Holy Spirit is for every believer, not just for preachers, missionaries, evangelists, or pastors. It is for all of God’s children—it’s for you. 3. The filling is not permanent. Filling is not permanent, it's an ongoing process. We are to be continuously filled, day by day. Never in the New Testament do we see a believer baptized by the Holy Spirit more than once. But we do see multiple fillings (Acts 2:4, 4:8, 9:17, 13:9). There is only one baptism at conversion, but there are many fillings of the Spirit. Concerning the filling of the Holy Spirit, Christians are commanded to be Spirit-filled which means they are to be yielded to the control of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The Christians on Pentecost were filled with the Spirit of God. The filling of the Spirit is not the same as the baptism of the Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit means you belong to the body of Christ. The fullness of the Spirit means that your body belongs and is yielded to God. You are surrendered and controlled by the Spirit of God. Shortly before his death, Timothy Richards, missionary statesman to China, told of this experience. He was in Shantung visiting with a Chinese philanthropist who voiced unashamedly that he had read the New Testament through three times. Richards asked what were his impressions and what ideas were generated. Reflectively he replied, "I think that the most marvelous thing that impressed me was this, that it is possible for men to become temples of the Holy Ghost." What an honor and blessing! Questions to Consider: When have you experienced the empowered life of the Holy Spirit controlling and living through you? We must clear the way for the filing of the Holy Spirit. What do you need to confess and repent of? What acts of restitution do you need to do to make things right with others? Points to Ponder: The Holy Spirit helps us to understand the truths of Scripture. The Holy Spirit helps us to gain wisdom to make the right decisions. The Holy Spirit will help us to discern God's will for our lives The Holy Spirit will guide you into the unknowns of your future. PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I know You want to fill me but will not until I remove the barriers. Please bring to my mind my unconfessed sins and help me repent of them. Will You fill me with Your Holy Spirit? Live Your life through me today. Make me the person You want me to be that You would be glorified, in Jesus name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com |
AuthorDr. Blackman is passionate about helping others grow in the grace of the Lord. His devotions are centered on how to grow closer to the Lord through a personal relationship with Christ. Archives
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