Inwardly Directed
Deuteronomy 25-27; Galatians 5
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”
Galatians 5:24-26
The only way we can live dead-to-self and alive in Christ is through the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. We have been crucified with Christ when by faith we repented of our sin and received Christ’s forgiveness and sacrifice on our behalf. The passions and desires of our sinful nature no longer control us, if we yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit. To live by the Spirit is to daily humble ourselves in listening to and obeying the Spirit’s promptings, conviction, and encouragement. It’s not enough to know the Spirit at conversion; we must daily keep in step with the Spirit. The alternative is self-centered living marked by conceit, envy, and constant comparisons with others. Social media feeds this kind of distraction. Instead, let us live by the Spirit, daily focused on our inner Counselor even as we love our neighbors and live the Gospel.
Is our life marked by the inner guidance of the Spirit, or the external conformity to the world?
“Lord Jesus, I need you and surrender my will to your Spirit’s empowerment and guidance, for your glory.”