A Few Words of Warning
Read 2 Corinthians 10:5
We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB)
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Insight for Today
Written by Chuck Swindoll, these encouraging devotional thoughts are published seven days per week.
One Grand, Positive Command
Read Ephesians 5:3–18
So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:15–18)
Remaining Open and Teachable
Read 1 Corinthians 2:9
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Virtually every day of my life I am digging into the treasures of the Word of God. I am probably more theologically orthodox than I’ve ever been in my life. But that does not mean I have stopped learning. I am still thinking, and I am still dissatisfied with the status quo.
The Spirit Reveals What’s Hidden
Read 1 Corinthians 2:10; Romans 11:33–36
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. (1 Corinthians 2:10 NASB)
The Spirit of God is the One who gleans truth from within the Godhead and then reveals this wisdom to individuals like you and me. Thanks to the Holy Spirit, such deep truths are deposited into our minds. Without the Helper’s supernatural assistance, we’re sunk! He must reveal, or we don’t receive.
The Spirit’s Unique Power
Read 1 Corinthians 2:2–5
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. (1 Corinthians 2:2–3 NASB)
The Spirit Discloses Truth
Read John 16:12–13
“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. (John 16:12–13)
During the Last Supper, Jesus made a sweeping prediction most of us have never accepted at face value; namely, “He [the Holy Spirit] will guide you into all truth.” Imagine!
How Are We Filled with the Spirit? Part Two
Read Ephesians 4:1
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. (Ephesians 4:1 NASB)
The Spirit’s filling is like walking. When we are little children, every tiny step is a conscious effort and a magnificent achievement. Soon, we learn to link two or three steps together before we fall. And then before you know it, by the time we’ve reached four or five, we’re walking and not even thinking about it. Walking has simply become a part of life.
How Are We Filled with the Spirit? Part One
Read Ephesians 5:15, 17–18; John 15:5
So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people, but as wise....Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:15, 17–18 NASB)
Even though every believer has the Holy Spirit, it is possible to operate our lives apart from His control. But when that happens—which it does with many Christians every day—what is missed is nothing short of tragic.
Fuel That Never Runs Out
Read Colossians 2:6
Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. (Colossians 2:6 NASB)
When the Spirit Takes Control
Read Romans 6:16; 8:15–17, 26–28; Galatians 5:22–23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22–23 NASB)
Good news! You don’t have to serve our old master, sin, any longer! By the Spirit‘s filling, evidences of our new nature emerge.
