“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

The risen Christ dwells within me… Seriously? Is it possible that the God of the Universe would make Himself so vulnerable as to live on earth, die a human death and be raised to life? And then, because I believe in and follow Christ, choose to have his Spirit live within me? If all of this is so, what difference does that astonishing truth make in my life?

In his book, The Voice of Jesus, Gordon Smith says that, “True consolation, the work of the Spirit of God, will result in a life of holiness, service and generosity in response to the call of Christ.” He is referring to the opportunity I have to listen to the whisper of the Spirit for direction and counsel on how to live. When I tune my ears to voice of the One who dwells within, the One who conquered death on my behalf, the natural outflow ought to be one of a changed perspective, meeting the needs of others and giving abundantly from His generous overflow.

I find myself asking the question a friend posed to me recently. Am I choosing pragmatism or holiness in life’s uncomfortable decisions? Do I obey God’s directives from Scripture and the nudging of the Spirit of the Living God who resides in me? I want to tune my heart to His voice so I can live a changed life.

Lord, thank you that your Spirit lives within in me and wants to change me to be more like you. Please help my heart to hear and my will to obey your direction. Amen.

By Shelaine Strom
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Fill the Temple
• Temples of the Holy Spirit
• How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit

The post Is It Possible? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“You are not your own. For you were bought at a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:20 (NKJV)

Sitting in a Shari’s booth the other day with a friend, I looked outside as someone’s car alarm was blaring incessantly.  I wondered what was taking the guy in the backseat so long to turn it off.  (This happens to me frequently.  It’s embarrassing!)

Suddenly the “guy in the backseat” took off running, carrying something close to his chest. The car alarm continued to blare in front of a whole line of onlookers watching from their booths.

Just as he jumped into a waiting car, someone in the restaurant cried, “Call the cops!” and the car reeled away in a mad escape.

I had just witnessed a burglary.

Burglary.

Just the word sounds evil, dirty;  like something I would never do.
I would never take something that belonged to someone else.  And certainly not in front of curious onlookers trying to enjoy a meal!

Then, I read in Scripture that I am not my own.  I don’t belong to myself.  I am God’s.

If my life is not my own, what kind of theft am I committing when I make decisions without Him in mind?  Without considering if my decisions would reflect His ownership over me, or mine?

This would be “Grand Theft,” because we’ve been bought with a price far greater than we could have paid.

Belonging to the Lord is true freedom, and He is a careful Guardian. We don’t need to take what belongs to Him into our own hands and do whatever we think is better.

What kind of lives would we live in secret and in front of onlookers if we remembered that our lives are not our own?

They are either His. . .

Or Stolen.

by Bethany Hayes
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Our Mistakes Do Not Define Us –  by Laura Rath
• God Will Not Waste Your Life – by Claire Colvin
• Our Interests and God’s Will – by Daniel Forster

The post Grand Theft appeared first on Thoughts About God.