Core Christian Value: As long as we inhabit this mortal body, we will face temptation. But, we never face it alone. God permits the test and as long as we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, Satan loses.
Sealed by the Holy Spirit… How do you know?
Paul teaches us that those who love You and obey You are “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise”. Father, for this degree of certainty, we are grateful.
Does the “law” redeem you or convict you?
We do not trust in our obedience to the law for our salvation. Only by the redeeming blood of Jesus, shed for us, can we ever hope to stand in Your Holy presence. That Father is what separates Christianity from every other belief system. We can not enter into Your presence stained by sin and Jesus takes away our sin, forever.
Did you say that God knew me before I was born?
You ordained John before he was born. You set him apart and Father, when he proclaimed the coming of Jesus, You had already seen the entire scene. It is Your omniscience, Your knowledge of the beginning, the process and the end that we are witnessing.
Rich and without joy?
Father, we learn from these verses that spiritual poverty makes us ineffective in fulfilling Your will. Yet, when we are full of the Holy Spirit, no matter what our economic situation by worldly standards, we possess all which You intended and by giving it away, we see others inherit the wealth, the Spiritual wealth that You desire for each of us.
Wisdom from within, a gift of the Holy Spirit
Your gift to us, a Spirit-filled life, is clearly something that we do not deserve nor are we able to earn it. It is a gift of grace, one that gives us access to the mind of Christ, in us, a promise and a reality that exceeds reason.
Eavesdrop on Satan’s chat with God!
Satan has powers to tempt us (to sin), granted by the Father. Father, this excerpt makes a powerful point. Satan is claiming that some men love You who are blessed by You and that if their blessings are taken away, apparently for no good reason, they will abandon their faith in You.
Why aren’t prayers always answered in the affirmative?
Your Spirit in us is our Light and may we be content to know You care more than we can possibly understand and that you will direct our steps, daily, if we but ask. We seek to be led by You and serve You. Thank You Father for the reality of Your leading Spirit.
Does God guarantee our salvation?
Our inheritance is guaranteed. It was purchased by the blood of Jesus, whose redemptive act guarantees our standing before You. Help us, this day, to fully grasp what has happened, what was foreknown to You before it ever happened and that which was clearly declared by Your prophets, hundred of years before it happened. Prophecy fulfilled; adding certainty where doubt could arise.
I am sure proud that I am humble!
Peter goes on to say that pride, the opposite of humility, is resisted by God. It is “under Your hand”, Father, that we are to be truly humble, not some self-imposed portrayal of humility. You promise to exalt the humble in due time, to lift us up.