And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11
The Holy Spirit is a part of our salvation. He (the Holy Spirit) comes to convict the world concerning sin and righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit draws us to faith in Christ by first convicting us of our sinfulness. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”. This assurance is the beginning of our victory in our battle over sin, our understanding of spiritual matters, and our quest of Christlikeness.
When we become a child of God, we enter into a process called sanctification. This means the process of changing daily to be more like Jesus until we go to Heaven. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:11 says, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” In 2 Thessalonians 2:13, “God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” From these two verses, what does sanctification mean? This process is not always easy. There are spiritual battles to be fought. We have external enemies and we have internal enemies with our flesh and the Spirit of God. Check out the scripture in Galatians 5:17 about this. Our very flesh, which is desires, thoughts, values, and behavior is opposed to God. We naturally feel the pull of obeying God and yet want to do the desires of our flesh.
Do you know your heart attitude towards the flesh and of the Spirit? Here are some characteristics to help you dig a little deeper to see where you are at with your walk with God.
Do you have an attitude of abrasive, anxious, irritable, unmoved, focused on self, impatient, bitter, easily hurt(offended), jealous, demanding, proud, selfish, wants credit, critical, self-righteous, manipulative?
Do you have an attitude of a sweet spirit, pleasant, tenderhearted, kind, gentle, lowly in heart, sacrificial, servant heart, faith is delightful, meek, merciful, pure in heart, peacemaker?
This battle really is a battle of control. Do you live under the control of the flesh or the control of the Spirit? When the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we have a desire to be free from the control of the flesh. We do this by loving the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. It means daily making God first in our life. It not about ourselves anymore but what God desires. His purpose.
Read Romans 8. According to this chapter, what process is required on our part in the battle between the spirit and flesh? in your daily life, what do you spend your day thinking about – spirit or flesh? The flesh may be strong, however, the Holy Spirit is more powerful. Don’t’ be afraid to lean into the Holy Spirit to help you fight these battles, He has the power.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your Spirit has the power to help each of your children. I pray that we lean into the Holy Spirit. I pray that we will reflect in our life where we are at with our flesh and with your Spirit.
In Jesus Name
Amen
