In the 1986 movie The Mission, a guilt-ridden slave trader named Mendoza struggles to climb a treacherous mountain while carrying an overloaded pack of armor and weapons. It is a task of his own making: He purposely selected this cumbersome burden as penance for the violent sins in his past.
At the peak of a mountain and the height of his frustration, Mendoza balances precariously at an impassable ridge, his awkward bag preventing him from moving another inch. As he pulls with every ounce of his strength, a young native boy suddenly comes toward him and draws a large knife. Mendoza fears for his life, but the youth has something else in mind. He cuts the heavy pack from Mendoza's back and lets it fall into the deep ravine.
Unable to communicate with each other, the two men embrace as Mendoza’s tears reveal his deep feelings of gratefulness and relief.
Though sin mars the life of each of us, God has not called us to carry the weight of guilt on our backs. Neither does He require us to atone for our own wrongdoings. Instead, God sent His only Son Jesus to bear the sin of the entire world. The Savior’s blood was shed to relieve us of the debt we each owed to God (John 3:16; Romans 4:25).
What burden are you carrying right now? Psalms 55:22 says to cast it on the Lord. Will you allow Jesus to “cut the ties” and receive you into His outstretched arms?
“Draw near to god and He will draw near to you.” That is an amazing promise! As we open ourselves up to the Lord, He opens up to us. If we come to Him in submission, repentance, and brokenness, He rushes in with forgiveness, love, and faithfulness. There is no room for self-sufficiency or self-protection in this interaction. Only in the humility of helplessness will we discover the sufficiency of His presence.
At first glance, it may seem that we were the ones who began the relationship, but in reality, God took the initiative; we merely responded to His overture (John 6:44). Many times He uses situations and difficulties to get our attention and stimulate our thirst for Him. What appears to be a painful or desperate situation is often His invitation to draw near.
Even our greatest failures and sins can lead us to Christ, as we seek forgiveness from the Father. With an attitude of humble repentance, we can enter into a more intimate relationship with God. However, if you and I continue living in rebellion and are unwilling to confess and repent, He will not reveal more of Himself to us. Sin always blocks our ability to know the Lord.
Have you allowed adversity or failure to pull you away from God rather than toward Him? To put distance between you and Jesus, Satan will misuse the very situations that the Lord can utilize to draw you to Himself. Don’t let the enemy win the battle. Instead, “resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Yesterday’s reading offered scriptural proof that the Holy Spirit is a person. Yet there’s a persistent misconception that casts Him as some kind of intangible force. The underlying assumption is that “the power of the Holy Spirit” is something Christians wield for themselves. But in fact, the phrase refers to His work in the believer’s life.
Jesus was clear that serving God is not a one-man or one-woman show. It takes two—a believer and the Holy Spirit—to live the Christian life victoriously (Luke 24:49). The Spirit takes up residence in a person the moment that individual receives Christ’s forgiveness for sins. From then on, His job is to equip the believer so he or she can consistently model Jesus to the world.
When the apostle Paul said, “I can do all things through [Christ] who strengthens me,” he was talking about the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence (Philippians 4:13). What this means is that within the believer is an indescribably rich power source. The Spirit works through people to get done what is impossible for them to accomplish alone. In fact, the Bible says that He can do “far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). And Paul certainly proved that with his prolific ministry.
What is God calling you to do that’s “far more abundantly” beyond all you think you can achieve? Stop making excuses and get to work! Within you lies untapped potential—not your own strength and abilities, but the unlimited might of the Holy Spirit. His power will be unleashed in response to your acting on faith.
During the early weeks of my seminary education, a doctoral student invited me to his dorm room. When I arrived, he sat me down, put a Greek Bible in my hands, and said, “I noticed that you called the Holy Spirit an ‘it’ while we were talking at dinner tonight. He is not an ‘it.’” This man then led me through the New Testament, translating scriptures concerning the third person of the Trinity. An hour later he said, “The one thing I want you to remember is that the Holy Spirit is a Somebody.”
God’s Spirit possesses three defining characteristics of personhood: intelligence, will, and emotion. Let me prove these points by guiding you to some New Testament verses, just as that doctoral student did for me. First Corinthians 2:10-11 explains that the Spirit knows God’s thoughts and illuminates the truth for us. Later in the same book, He is identified as the One who determines the spiritual gift(s) of each believer (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). Finally, the Holy Spirit’s feelings are revealed in verses like Romans 15:30, which tells of His love, and Ephesians 4:30, which warns against grieving Him.
Consider also that Jesus spoke of a Helper who would come after Him (John 14:16, 14:26). Aiding and assuring others are the acts of a person, as is teaching—these are some of the Holy Spirit’s primary tasks.
Perhaps you misunderstand the Spirit of God as I once did. He isn’t an “it” any more than God the Father or Jesus Christ is. The Spirit is a member of the Trinity, and if you’re a believer, He is with you now. God has given you His Spirit as a special Helper—one who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).
The moment a person receives Christ as Savior, he or she enters a battle. The enemy is determined to destroy believers’ testimonies. But God has supplied a mighty weapon to those who serve Him—His Son’s strength flowing through their life.
Christ’s power is supreme. Satan, with all his demonic forces, can’t throw anything our way to match Jesus’ supernatural strength. Even so, temptations and trials expose weaknesses when most would prefer to appear strong. That is one reason human nature rebels against hardship and tries to avoid it.
God wants Christian soldiers to be armed with the Savior’s might so they can confront life’s difficulties. He promises us strength only when we set down pride and accept that we are too weak for battle (2 Corinthians 12:9). And Jesus’ power is available to every believer right now—a gift the Commander gives His followers so they can endure conflicts victoriously.
The world encourages keeping up the appearance of handling one’s own problems. So Christian soldiers’ marching orders probably seem quite strange to onlookers. However, arrogance does not bring blessing; rather, it causes confusion, distance from the Lord, and ultimately failure. If we desire victory, then we must not follow the worldly strategy of facing the enemy alone.
Until our life is over or Jesus Christ returns, we are locked in a battle with Satan. But we have nothing to fear. When we are totally dependent upon the Lord for His strength, we are filled with supernatural energy and endurance.
