In 1 John 3:1a we read, See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!
The New King James Version puts it like this: Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
In some translations, the word for “bestowed” is “lavished”. We don’t use that word too much these days but it means “to give without limits.” God has given us His love without limits and because of that we can be called His children. What a privilege!
As Christians, we are to be more than showpieces of morality. We need the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to accomplish our mission in the world. We are called to be salt and light, a preserving and uplifting influence among people. Empowered by the Holy Spirit we are to bring about change in the world.
In 1 John 3:23-24 we read, And this is His commandment: We must believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. 24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with Him, and He with them. And we know He lives in us because the Spirit He gave us lives in us.
Paul in Romans 8:2 wrote, And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
Maybe you are wondering, “How can I know that the Holy Spirit is within me?” In 1 John 4:2 we read, This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. Just because someone claims to be a prophet and has the Spirit doesn’t mean it is so. The Apostle John says we are to test them. 1 John 4:3 – But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.
I beg you to remember the power of the Holy Spirit is greater than the power of the Antichrist. The Apostle John in 1 John 4:4 wrote, But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the Spirit who lives in the world.
Folks, we need to appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit. An unbeliever would say, “Seeing is believing.” But God says, “Believing is seeing!” The same LORD we trust to save us from hell is adequate to keep us in life, but our faith determines His power in our lives. Little faith – spiritually weak. Great faith – spiritually strong – with confidence and power.
The Holy Spirit is within us but do we allow Him to control us? The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:18 wrote, Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit…. In other words, let the Holy Spirit control your life and you do this by faith. Paul in Galatians 2:20 wrote, My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer me who lives, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. When we allow the Holy Spirit to be in control, He will prompt us to follow the example of Christ. He will let us know when something is not of God. He will do everything possible to keep us from sin.
2 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Freedom to be what God wants us to be. Freedom to love as Christ loves. Freedom to courageously resist temptation and sin. The Spirit within us empowers us to win others to the Savior.
Years ago, John W Peterson wrote these words:
Come, Holy Spirit, Dark is the hour –We need Your filling, Your love, and Your mighty power; Move now among us, Stir us we pray. Come, Holy Spirit. Revive us today.
Dear ones, let the Holy Spirit fill you each and every day.
Pastor Leonard
