Tag: the Holy Spirit

Stand firm

These reflections on how to stand firm are based on 2 Timothy 1:6–13.

‘For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.’

Paul wrote this letter to Timothy from prison, knowing that he was going to die soon. In it, he was encouraging Timothy to stand firm in the midst of difficulties, to ‘fan into flame’ (v6) the gift already inside him. It is obvious that Paul was enduring persecution for his faith. However, he knew Timothy’s leadership was also under fire. So he reminded him that he had all he needed.

All Christians, whether leaders or not, have the power, love and self-discipline that comes from the Holy Spirit. Those qualities help us to ‘guard the good deposit’ that we each have.

ENCOURAGED BY EXAMPLES

These devotional blogs are based on Bible study notes I wrote previously, and it was quite poignant for me to read who I mentioned in the entry about this scripture. I had been organising a women’s event called ‘praising through the pain’ and asked three women very dear to me to speak, who retained resolute faith through incredible suffering.

One of those was my dear mother, who, as I have shared many times before, endured so much physical suffering in her life. The others, too, have both encouraged me to stand firm through their own example. Paul was a great example to Timothy – who do you have in your life being the same for you?

GUARDING OUR HEARTS AND MINDS

Whatever we are facing we can stand firm in Jesus, and do not need to suffer shame – although we may endure difficulties. This passage reminds us of the truth and grace of the gospel. We may need to be bold, and fight against the schemes of the enemy at times. But we may also endure suffering for the sake of the gospel. Let’s remember we can call on the Holy Spirit to help us draw on the power, love and self-discipline He has already placed inside of us.

Prayer: Lord You have given me all I need to stand firm today. Holy Spirit, help me to avail myself of Your power, love and self-discipline. Amen.

Learning from Jesus

Reflections based on Matthew 3:13–4:11.

‘And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”’ (3:17)

We can learn much from Jesus about His use of time. There were three important truths that helped Him as He started His ministry:

1. Jesus knew who He was. Even before He had done anything, God publicly affirmed Him (v17). But straight after that amazing experience, He went into the wilderness and faced huge temptations. The truth of knowing His identity anchored Him, so when the devil tried to drop doubts in His mind to manipulate Him, such as: ‘If you are the Son of God… ’ Jesus didn’t entertain them. Instead, He countered Satan’s words with scripture

2. Jesus knew He was deeply loved and that God was pleased with Him. The verses cited about here publicly stated that, but He also said it Himself at other times (see, for example, John 8:29).

3. Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit (we read about the Spirit descending upon Him in verse 16). He also remained in close contact with His Father, only doing what He saw Him doing (John 5:19).

Jesus was purposeful with His use of time, even when He was surrounded by urgent demands. He made sure He took time to rest and offered that same rest to others (Matthew 11:28–30).

We, too, can use our time wisely and fruitfully by learning from Jesus. By reminding ourselves that we are secure in who we are in God, and that we are totally loved by Him, we can resist the lure of people pleasing or comparing ourselves to others and feeling we come up short. And when we learn to ask for the Holy Spirit’s fresh infilling each day, we can rest assured that we are being empowered to face whatever we will with His guidance.

Prayer: Lord help me to learn from You, and be secure in the knowledge that I am deeply loved. Help me to remember to seek a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit each day too. Amen.

A prayer for holiness

Reflections based on 1 Thessalonians 3:12–13; 2 Timothy 2:20–22.

Today’s short reading, which I have chosen from 1 Thessalonians 3:12, is my prayer for you as we end this study on holiness together. The verses talk about how it is Jesus who makes us strong and enables us to love one another. Not only that, Paul is reminding the Thessalonian church that it is the Holy Spirit alone who can strengthen them – from the heart outwards. He does this for each one of us, in order for us to be ‘blameless and holy’ before God. 

During this study we have looked at how holy our God is, why blood sacrifice was necessary for us to have a restored relationship with Him and what responsibility we have to pursue holiness. In our final look at holiness I want to come full circle, back to a reminder that, for all the efforts that we do need to put in, becoming holy is based on our standing in Christ and the work that the Holy Spirit does within us.

As we have seen, holiness means being set apart. Two Timothy reminds us that vessels can be used for both noble or common uses. Paul was urging Timothy to allow God to use him for His higher purposes. I love the way The Message translates verse 22: ‘Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.’

There needs to be a willingness to set aside our own agendas and bow to God’s will for our lives in order to be made holy and to bless others. But that is also the way to satisfaction and fruitfulness. Remember: we have been made alive in Christ – becoming holy simply means becoming more the people that we were created to be.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that in You I am blameless before God. I recognise that continuing to pursue holiness is the way to become the person You want me to be. Help me to submit to the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in my life. Amen.