City Life Starter

Written by Stefan Johnsson

The Word

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

1 Corinthians 12:11

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Luke 11:11-13 (ESV)

Reflection

There are some who pray for the Spirit because they long to have His light and joy and strength. And yet their prayers bring little increase of blessing or power. It is because they do not rightly know or desire Him as the Holy Spirit. His burning purity, His searching and convicting light, His making dead of the deeds of the body, of self with its will and its power, His leading into the fellowship of Jesus as He gave up His will and His life to the Father, -of all this they have not thought. The Spirit cannot work in power in them because they receive Him not as the Holy Spirit, in sanctification of the Spirit. At times, in seasons of revival, as among the Corinthians and Galatians, He may indeed come with His gifts and mighty workings, while His sanctifying power is but little manifest. But unless that sanctifying power be acknowledged and accepted, His gifts will be lost. His gifts coming on us are but meant to prepare the way for the sanctifying power within us. We must take the lesson to heart; we can have as much of the Spirit as we are willing to have of His Holiness. Be full of the Spirit, must mean to us, Be fully holy.

The converse is equally true. We can only have as much holiness as we have of the Spirit. Some souls do very earnestly seek to be holy, but it is very much in their own strength. They will read books and listen to addresses most earnestly; they will use very effort to lay hold of every thought, and act out every advice. And yet they must confess that they are still very much strangers to the true, deep rest and joy and power of abiding in Christ, and being holy in Him. They sought for holiness more than for the Spirit. They must learn how even all the holiness which is so near and clear to Christ, is beyond our reach, except as the Holy Spirit dwells within and imparts it. They must learn to pray for Him and His mighty strengthening, to believe for Him, in faith to yield to Him as indwelling. They must learn to cease from self-effort in thinking and believing, in willing and in running; to hope in God, and wait patiently for Him. He will by His Holy Spirit make us holy. Be holy means, Be filled with the Spirit.

Holy in Christ by Andrew Murray (Excerpt from the chapter titled “The Holy Spirit”)

Application

Andrew Murray points out to us that there is no way we can live a holy life without the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to truly live and serve God.

Stop trying to be a Christian based on your own will power and effort as you will not succeed. You need to pray for the Holy Spirit’s power to help you and guide into a holy life, dedicated to the will of the Father. This is how Jesus did it, this is how we need to do it.

Prayer

Father in heaven, I pray for your Holy Spirit to fill me and give me the power I need to live a holy life dedicated to You. I cannot do this on my own and I need Your strength that you have provided by Your Spirit. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.