Everything that believers have must come from Christ, but what we have comes solely through the channel of the Spirit. And just as all blessings flow through the Holy Spirit, no good thing—holy thoughts or devout worship or gracious acts—can come out of us apart from the sanctifying operation of the same Spirit. Even if good seed has been sown in you, it lies dormant unless God “works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Do you desire to speak for Jesus? How can you unless the Holy Spirit touches your tongue? Do you desire to pray? Oh, what dull work that is unless the Spirit intercedes for you. Do you desire to subdue sin? Do you want to be holy? Would you imitate your Master? Do you desire to rise to the greatest heights of spirituality? Do you want to be made like the angels of God, full of zeal for the Master’s cause? You cannot do any of this without the Spirit—“apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NLT). You branch of the vine, you can’t produce fruit without the sap! Oh, child of God, you have no life in you besides the life that God gives you through His Spirit! So let us never grieve Him or provoke Him to anger by our sin. Let us not quench any of His faintest movements in our souls—let us nurture every suggestion and be ready to obey every prompting. Since the Holy Spirit is indeed so mighty, let us attempt nothing without Him; let us begin no project, carry on no enterprise, and conclude no deal without first begging His blessing. Let us do Him the appropriate honor of recognizing how entirely weak we are apart from Him. Then, depending solely on Him, we should make this our prayer: “Open my heart and my whole being to your entrance, and uphold me when I have received you in my innermost soul.”
- C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
One thing that has been with me my whole life is a feeling of inadequacy concerning living for Jesus as the Scriptures say.
One key request that I have added to my prayers on my way to work is that Jesus would guard and guide my mouth. That He would guide my hands so that I would not make mistakes. I am more than 100 percent convinced that I am a fallible human being. The things that I do will impact possibly thousands of people or more.
I don't want to grieve the Holy Spirit in my thoughts, conduct or actions.
The thing about this world today is that it's so saturated in idolatry, and is taught at such a young age, people don't know what is or is not an idol. Idolatry grieves the Holy Spirit.
People don't realize that Satan thrives at making idols. He wants people to cling to them and not see or hear the God of the Bible who is real. He doesn't want you to believe the truth of the Bible. His goal is distraction. Waste your life on other things and die without hearing about Christ or die without doing anything for Christ. He knows the Bible. He knows what it says. You would be a fool to think that he doesn't know how that book ends.
He wants people to cling to idols of self and of things. To grieve the Holy Spirit of God.
The New Testament tells us, as believers, what to focus on. Thankfulness towards God. Psalms, hymns and Spiritual songs.
Focusing on the one whom saved us and gave up His life for us.
We are all tempted by the things of this world. To get our time, energy and talents spent on anything else but on service to God.
Work we must do, that was the curse brought upon Adam after the fall, but it shouldn't take the place of God in our lives. No sports, no person or thing should take God's rightful place in our hearts.
Our world is under siege. More discretely than you know. To shut down churches and silence God's people. Even before this virus the Church of God was under siege because of God's Word. That a marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman. It was under siege because people refuse to accept that God does not accept homosexuality in any form. It was called intolerant before this virus hit. Now many states are still trying to shut down Churches. Some states are fighting that.
God had been against abortion since before it was ever done. It grieves the Holy Spirit that this nation accepts it. It grieves the Holy Spirit when a child is taught to accept untruths. When anyone is taught to believe anything contrary to the Word of God.
Look at your life and see if there is anything you are doing that grieves the Holy Spirit. You choose what you do. You aren't being forced to disobey the Holy Spirit. Scripture says that if anyone preaches a different Gospel than what we heard at first, that lead us to Salvation, they are to be accursed.
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