The Daily Word of Righteousness

Living in the Fullness of the Spirit, #7

Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' Then the one inside answers, ‘Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:5-13)

We must ask for more of the Holy Spirit.

We always are to seek God's will in all that we pray.

However, the parable above tells us something about God's Nature that may not always be clear to us. God responds to boldness and insistence.

We all want to have bread for those who come across our path. To give people information about the blood atonement is important. Perhaps it is more important that we communicate the Life of God to them. The Kingdom of God is not in word but in power, the power of resurrection life.

I think all of us in Pentecost need a new "dip," so to speak. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We need to live in the fullness of eternal life.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (I Timothy 6:12)

The above two verses reveal that eternal life, which is the Spirit of God, comes in degrees. We can have life, more life, or life to the full. We have to take hold of eternal life. We have been called to live in the fullness of eternal life, but eternal death continually strives to keep us in the bondage of our sinful nature.

We see, then, that we need more of the Holy Spirit. We need more of the Holy Spirit so we may escape from the bondages of our sinful nature. We need more of the Holy Spirit so we can bring the Life of God to other people.

To be continued.