SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/8/2019
9:58 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-8 “The Spirit’s Power”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ephesians
3:14-16
Message of the verses: “14 For this reason
I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth
derives its name, 16 that He would grant
you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power
through His Spirit in the inner man,”
In
our last SD I promised to quote the ending from John MacArthur’s rather long
commentary on this subject. I have mentioned
the importance of this section as I remarked on the fact that the first two and
a half chapters of Ephesians were written to mostly show us, who are believes
what we have in Christ, and not Paul prays that what he explained in theses
first two and a half chapters to become a part of the believers walk with the
Lord. We have to understand what Paul
first writes which we took a bit over three months to go over, and now as we
study this wonderful pray of Paul we can pray ourselves that God will make this
prayer true in our lives.
“When
the ‘inner man’ is feed regularly on the Word of God and seeks the Spirits will
in all the decisions of life, the believer can be sure he will be ‘strengthened
with power through His Spirit.’
Spiritual power is not the mark of a special class of Christian but is
the mark of every Christian who submits to God’s Word and Spirit. Like physical growth and strength, spiritual
growth and strength do not come overnight.
As we discipline our minds and spirits to study God’s Word, understand
it, and live by it, we are nourished and strengthened. Every bit of spiritual food and every bit of
spiritual exercise add to our strength and endurance.
“Spiritual
growth can be defined as the decreasing frequency of sin. The more we exercise
our spiritual muscles, yielding to the Spirit’s control of our lives, the less
sin is present. Where the strength of
God increases, sin necessarily decreases.
The nearer we come to God, the further we go from sin.
“As
that occurs, what happens to the outer man matters less and less. Paul could tell the Corinthians,
8 We are hard-pressed on all
sides, but we are never frustrated; we are puzzled, but never in despair. 9 We
are persecuted, but are never deserted: we may be knocked down but we are never
knocked out! 10 Every day we experience something of the death of Jesus, so
that we may also show the power of the life of Jesus in these bodies of ours. 11
Yes, we who are living are always being exposed to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may
be plainly seen in our mortal lives. 12 We are always facing physical
death, so that you may know spiritual life…16 This is the reason why we never
lose heart. The outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear, but every day the
inward man receives fresh strength (2 Cor. 4:8-12, 16 Phillips).’”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: What I have been publishing in my other blog
seems to me, that it goes along with what this section is about as they both
are about spiritual growth. 5 Now
for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral
excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your
knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your
perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness,
and in your brotherly kindness, love (2 Peter 1:5-7).”
My Steps of Faith for Today: Give myself to the Lord today to be used of
Him as He sees fit.
Verse that goes along with yesterday’s
quote: “Whoever has no rule over his own
spirit is like a city broken down, without walls (Proverbs 25:28).”
2/8/2019 10:21 AM
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