Recently, someone asked if I would meet up with them but—specifically requested that I NOT bring up the subject of religion. It made me think—does he know what he is asking? I mean, does he really want to meet with me—without Jesus? What do I have to offer??? I told him I could not leave Jesus at the door because after I was born again, He became the most important part of who I am. Further, I would NEVER want to do that—because he really doesn’t want to see what I’m like—without Jesus. I would be deficient, ugly, and unhelpful without HIS—love, joy, peace, goodness, gentleness, meekness, patience, wisdom, and strength. I said, “I promise you do not want to have dinner with THAT person!”
He said, “Point taken—Jesus can come to dinner.”
You may think I was joking…but I 100% was not! None of you would want to hang out with me for long—without Jesus. The fact is, when we are born again and freed from the power of sin, we enter into the remarkable experience of knowing God and His generous forgiveness. We are experiencing a little of heaven on earth, and we don’t want to go anywhere without Him. In fact, we want everyone to know the experience of His REAL love. We realize how powerless and empty we are without Him.
My friend, you do not want to meet up with me—without God.
But in God’s presence, I have much to share and so do you! When we are close to God and live in HIS ways, we engage the power of His Spirit. Paul the Apostle wrote:
“And I, when I came to you…[I]…did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might NOT rest in the wisdom of men but in the POWER of God.”
(1 Corinthians 2:1, 4-5)
Our life can be a “demonstration of God’s Spirit and power!“
What does a “demonstration” of God’s Spirit look like and why don’t we see it more often? Paul wrote:
“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
Galatians 5:16-17 NKJV
We have a daily battle with the enemy within; that is, our flesh. It wants what it wants. What does the flesh want?
“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV
Does that describe a person you want to meet up with?
Not for very long, or you might not live to tell about it. Wouldn’t you rather hang out with someone who demonstrates..
“…love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control?”
Galatians 5:22-23
My friend, if you are born again, you possess the ability for the fruits of God’s Spirit to flow through you. Without God, the best you can do is produce the fruits of your own spirit. According to the Bible—without Christ—your spirit is dead. Without Christ, we are so needy that we have very little to give away. We must have a source greater than ourselves. Without Christ, our own need for love and satisfaction simply crushes our relationships. But when we have Christ living in us, we desire to “walk in the Spirit” and “not after the flesh.” Soon, living in the fruits of God’s Spirit becomes our greatest addiction.
The fruits of God’s Spirit are so transformative that when others look at us—they see Jesus.
We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.
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