"Spirit"

Didn’t understand the Spirit,

Though I didn’t really fear it,

But trying hard to hear it,

And claim the holy pow’r.

I asked the Lord to help me,

Humbled down real low, see,

Whatever comes I will be,

His right from this hour.

He’s wind and flame and water,

For every son and daughter,

We’re clay and He’s the potter,

Who shapes us to God’s will.

He comforts and He heals us,

Compassions strong He feels us,

His Word always reveals us,

And always with us still.

And I can say He met me,

With quiet peace He blessed me,

And every burden left me,

I took the easy yoke.

The Spirit’s help received it,

Without a doubt believed it,

And finally perceived it,

Empowerment, no joke.

And all the things beyond me,

He’ll always respond see,

To be all that I can’t be,

It’s Jesus’ life for mine.

And so the life of Jesus,

Flows strong and will free us,

There is no doubt He sees us,

His light through us will shine.

“To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27, NAS)

The scriptures clearly teach us that after Jesus ascended back to heaven He was and is eternally seated at the right hand of the Father. So how can Christ be “In” us? He can because of the Holy Spirit who has always been with us and comes to live within us when we receive salvation. From that point it is the will of God for us to be continually filled with the Spirit. This empowerment can come to us after and sometimes simultaneously with the new birth. In any case the actual experience of empowerment is to be an ongoing interaction with the life of Jesus flowing through us. This is our hope of glory and enables us to experience the blessings of heaven before we get there. It also raises the odds that someone will want to go with us.

Lord, live through us, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Don Weller, used by permission. Thanks, Don, and God bless you.