Romans 8:9
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
Thoughts for Today:
In Acts 19, when Paul first arrived in Ephesus, he met some men who knew about Jesus, had been taught about Jesus, and even might have believed that Jesus was Messiah. However, the big problem was Paul didn't see any evidence of the Holy Spirit. So he asked them (verses 2-7), "'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.' So Paul asked, 'Then what baptism did you receive?' 'John's baptism,' they replied. Paul said, 'John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.' On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied."
If we are not conscious of the Spirit's presence in our lives then it would be wise to do what Paul instructs in 2 Corinthians 13:5: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you -- unless, of course, you fail the test?" Knowing about Jesus, reading the Bible, memorizing Scripture, doing good works, or regular attendance at church does not equate to salvation. Only a relationship with Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior will do. This is what Paul means when he writes: "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." I think we make an error when we divide Christians into the two categories of Spirit-filled and non-Spirit-filled. Paul's point today is simple: If a person does not have God's Holy Spirit, then they are not a Christian at all.
If we are not conscious of the Spirit's presence in our lives then it would be wise to do what Paul instructs in 2 Corinthians 13:5: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you -- unless, of course, you fail the test?" Knowing about Jesus, reading the Bible, memorizing Scripture, doing good works, or regular attendance at church does not equate to salvation. Only a relationship with Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior will do. This is what Paul means when he writes: "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." I think we make an error when we divide Christians into the two categories of Spirit-filled and non-Spirit-filled. Paul's point today is simple: If a person does not have God's Holy Spirit, then they are not a Christian at all.
Questions to Ponder:
Do you belong to Christ ? How do you know ?
Do you just have information about Jesus or a relationship ?
Ask yourself these questions:
Has the Spirit given you the desire to honor Jesus?
Is the Spirit guiding you to become more like Jesus?
Is the Spirit at work in your heart? In your life?
If you don't know or are unsure, ask God for His Holy Spirit.
The Bible says,
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)
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