40 Days of Prayer - Day 5
Devotional
There are two purposes for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. One is to reflect Jesus fully in our life:
"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart" (2 Cor. 3:3).
God's goal is that Christ be seen in us; that we be a living letter revealing the character of Christ.
The second purpose of the Spirit's infilling is to receive a power for witnessing:
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
In today's devotional we will focus on the first purpose – reflecting Jesus' character.
The Holy Spirit was very much involved when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. In fact, it was the Spirit who wrote the commandments on the tables of stone. This becomes clear when we compare Jesus' statements in which He equates the "finger of God" with the "Spirit of God":
"But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you" (Matt. 12:28).
"But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you" (Luke 11:20).
Hence, the same Holy Spirit who wrote the Ten Commandments on tables of stone will today write God's law on the heart of God's Spirit-filled children:
"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart" (2 Cor. 3:3).
The professed Christian can participate in two kinds of obedience. First is what I call external obedience. This obedience occurs when the believer obeys the law of God simply because God says to obey it. This type of obedience is actually legalism, not being from the heart. The second form of obedience is internal obedience, and occurs because of a deep, inner desire within the believer to obey God. External obedience without heart obedience is unacceptable to God:
"For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, a God, thou wilt not despise" (Ps. 51: 16, 17).
"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me" (Matt. 15:8).
I came across an illustration many years ago that clarifies the difference between external and internal obedience. Let's say my father died, and I'm not sure if I should mourn his death, or not, so I go to a friend and ask his advice. We discuss whether or not I should mourn. My friend finally says, "After all, he was your father, and you are his son. So I think you should mourn his death." On his advice I begin mourning his death. I think it becomes obvious that my mourning in this case would not be genuine mourning from the heart. Rather, it would be external mourning because it was my obligation, as my father's son, to mourn his death. True mourning would come spontaneously from the heart. I couldn't help but mourn if it was genuine mourning. The same is true of obedience to God. When one is in right relationship with God through the infilling of the Spirit, obedience springs naturally and spontaneously from the heart without even thinking about it. Temptations to disobey will come; however, they will be much weakened in influence by the strong desire God has placed in the heart to obey.
Through the baptism, or infilling of the Holy Spirit, God's law is written in our hearts, and we obey from the heart. This does not fully happen when we accept Christ and are baptized by water. Paul states that we must continually be "filled with the Spirit," which is necessary for God's law to continue to be written on our heart:
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5: 18).
Ellen White described this "internal" obedience, which springs from daily experiencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, when she wrote:
"All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God, as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us" (The Desire of Ages, p. 668).
Personal Reflection and Discussion
What are the two purposes of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Which member of the Godhead wrote the Ten Commandments on the tables of stone?
What are the two types of obedience that professed Christians can participate in?
What is the only kind of obedience God accepts?
How does Ellen White describe obedience from the heart?
Prayer Activity
Continue your efforts to contact all on you prayer list this week to tell them you are praying for
them, and ask them what they want you to pray for on their behalf.
Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotionatwith him/her.
Pray with your prayer partner:
• for God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit.
• for God to write His law on you heart.
• for the individuals on your prayer list.
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit) Psalm 51:10-12
presence; and take not thy holy spirit from
There are two purposes for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. One is to reflect Jesus fully in our life:
"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart" (2 Cor. 3:3).
God's goal is that Christ be seen in us; that we be a living letter revealing the character of Christ.
The second purpose of the Spirit's infilling is to receive a power for witnessing:
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
In today's devotional we will focus on the first purpose – reflecting Jesus' character.
The Holy Spirit was very much involved when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. In fact, it was the Spirit who wrote the commandments on the tables of stone. This becomes clear when we compare Jesus' statements in which He equates the "finger of God" with the "Spirit of God":
"But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you" (Matt. 12:28).
"But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you" (Luke 11:20).
Hence, the same Holy Spirit who wrote the Ten Commandments on tables of stone will today write God's law on the heart of God's Spirit-filled children:
"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart" (2 Cor. 3:3).
The professed Christian can participate in two kinds of obedience. First is what I call external obedience. This obedience occurs when the believer obeys the law of God simply because God says to obey it. This type of obedience is actually legalism, not being from the heart. The second form of obedience is internal obedience, and occurs because of a deep, inner desire within the believer to obey God. External obedience without heart obedience is unacceptable to God:
"For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, a God, thou wilt not despise" (Ps. 51: 16, 17).
"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me" (Matt. 15:8).
I came across an illustration many years ago that clarifies the difference between external and internal obedience. Let's say my father died, and I'm not sure if I should mourn his death, or not, so I go to a friend and ask his advice. We discuss whether or not I should mourn. My friend finally says, "After all, he was your father, and you are his son. So I think you should mourn his death." On his advice I begin mourning his death. I think it becomes obvious that my mourning in this case would not be genuine mourning from the heart. Rather, it would be external mourning because it was my obligation, as my father's son, to mourn his death. True mourning would come spontaneously from the heart. I couldn't help but mourn if it was genuine mourning. The same is true of obedience to God. When one is in right relationship with God through the infilling of the Spirit, obedience springs naturally and spontaneously from the heart without even thinking about it. Temptations to disobey will come; however, they will be much weakened in influence by the strong desire God has placed in the heart to obey.
Through the baptism, or infilling of the Holy Spirit, God's law is written in our hearts, and we obey from the heart. This does not fully happen when we accept Christ and are baptized by water. Paul states that we must continually be "filled with the Spirit," which is necessary for God's law to continue to be written on our heart:
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5: 18).
Ellen White described this "internal" obedience, which springs from daily experiencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, when she wrote:
"All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God, as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us" (The Desire of Ages, p. 668).
Personal Reflection and Discussion
What are the two purposes of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Which member of the Godhead wrote the Ten Commandments on the tables of stone?
What are the two types of obedience that professed Christians can participate in?
What is the only kind of obedience God accepts?
How does Ellen White describe obedience from the heart?
Prayer Activity
Continue your efforts to contact all on you prayer list this week to tell them you are praying for
them, and ask them what they want you to pray for on their behalf.
Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotionatwith him/her.
Pray with your prayer partner:
• for God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit.
• for God to write His law on you heart.
• for the individuals on your prayer list.
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit) Psalm 51:10-12
presence; and take not thy holy spirit from
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