The same all-powerful Holy Spirit that the disciples discovered in Acts indwells God's people today. Paul reminded the Christians in Corinth of this truth by asking, "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?" I Corinthians 6:19. Why, then, are we so often powerless, defeated, and fearful? The answer is found in our failure to take this truth to heart. We try to live in our own strength. We don't give the Spirit of God full control over our lives. We grieve the Holyt Spirit with our disobedience and quench His power in us by our half-heartedness. Ephesians 4:30, I Thessalonians 5:19
But we don't have to live this way! God's Spirit lives in us, yearning to help us. To be "filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18), we must recognize His presence, depend on Him, and submit to Him. Then as we "walk in the Spirit" (Galations 5:16), He will produce in us the "fruit of the Spirit" (Galations 5:22-23).
Another benefit of being Spirit-filled is the assurance that we are God's children. Paul wrote, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." Romans 8:16-17 The path to spiritual power and joy is not that of seeking spiritual gifts but of dependence upon and submission to the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Adapted from What About Speaking in Tongues? 2001 RBC Ministries, wwww.discoveryseries.org/q0302
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