Morning By Morning #171

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:4

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

The rich blessings of the day of Pentecost and the ultimate consequences of the sacred infilling of the Holy Spirit in Christian souls are impossible to overestimate. Indeed it is impossible to separate life, comfort, light, purity, power, peace, and many other precious blessings from the presence of the benevolent Spirit.

As sacred oil, the Holy Spirit anoints the head of believers, setting us apart to the priesthood of saints and gracing us with everything we need to execute our calling and position well. As the only truly purifying water, He cleanses us from the power of sin and sanctifies us unto holiness, working in us “to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Phil. 2:13). As the light, He first reveals to us our lost estate, and then continues to reveal the Lord Jesus to us and in us, and guides us in “the way of righteousness” (Matt. 21:32). Thus, enlightened by His pure celestial rays, we who “were once darkness” are now “light in the Lord” (Eph. 5:8). As fire, He not only purges the dross from us but also sets our consecrated nature ablaze. He is the flame of the altar of sacrifice upon which we are enabled to offer our entire beings as “living sacrifices…to God” (Rom. 12:1). As heavenly dew, He removes our barrenness and fertilizes our lives. Oh, that He would fall in this way on us even this morning, for such early morning dew would be such a blessed start to our day!

As the dove, the Holy Spirit broods over His church and the souls of believers with wings of peaceful love, and as the Comforter He dispels the cares and doubts that disturb the peace of His beloved people. He descends on His chosen as He did upon the Lord Jesus at His baptism in the Jordan River (see Matt. 3:16), and He bears witness to our sonship by working a family spirit in us, by which we call out, “Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:6). As the wind, He brings “the breath of life” (Gen. 2:7) to people and “blows wherever [He] pleases” (John 3:8), performing life-giving miracles by which His spiritual creation is made alive and sustained.

My prayer to God is that we would sense His presence today and every day!

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Another consequence, and beautiful benefit, of having the Holy Spirit is assurance: “This is how we know that [Jesus] lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us” (1 John 3:24). “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Rom. 8:16).

Through the power of the Spirit the very life of Jesus is given to us. Thus, the Spirit is also known as “the Spirit of Christ” (Rom. 8:9). And, it is His Spirit who led the Old Testament prophets, as the following passage attests:

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them…by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

1 Peter 1:10-12