Romans 8:1,2&5
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong
to Christ Jesus. For the power of the
life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin
that leads to death. Those who are
dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.
I would like to share a true story with you. While being part of the duty team at a recent funeral here at the church in Holytown, a young lady was one of the first to arrive. On speaking to her, I learned that she had been a good friend of the bereaved person and because of this friendship, she wanted to be present at this service. To get to Holytown for the 12.30 service, she had travelled on public transport all the way from Kilmarnock. This involved a bus into Glasgow and another bus from Glasgow to Holytown then a walk up the brae and she would have to repeat the process in reverse to get home. I told her that I had a friend in my working days that for over thirty years had travelled through from Kilmarnock by car to work in various council offices. It turned out that he was a friend of her family and she knew him well. What are the chances???
It made me wonder if myself or any of us would do as this person had done just to be at a funeral service for someone who had some significant impact on our lives. When we are faced with a choice of doing what we know to be right (even although that may be fairly challenging) or choosing an alternative option, what could it be inside of us that makes our mind up in regard to which option we choose? We must all have seen films or even cartoons where one of the characters has a little angel on one shoulder urging him/her to make the right choice and a little demon on the other urging him/her to do the opposite.
When we pray in church, the worship leader may finish his/her prayer with the words: ‘in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When we listen to the message on a Sunday morning, we tend to hear of the accomplishments of God in the Old Testament and the accomplishments of Jesus in the New Testament. Occasionally the importance of the Holy Spirit is overlooked. I am sure that when any of us who would class ourselves as Christians or believers are faced with one of these choices mentioned earlier and take the correct option (even although it may not be the easiest option) it is the Holy Spirit within us that helps and encourages us to reach that decision.
As today’s reading concludes: ‘those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit’.
I would like to share a true story with you. While being part of the duty team at a recent funeral here at the church in Holytown, a young lady was one of the first to arrive. On speaking to her, I learned that she had been a good friend of the bereaved person and because of this friendship, she wanted to be present at this service. To get to Holytown for the 12.30 service, she had travelled on public transport all the way from Kilmarnock. This involved a bus into Glasgow and another bus from Glasgow to Holytown then a walk up the brae and she would have to repeat the process in reverse to get home. I told her that I had a friend in my working days that for over thirty years had travelled through from Kilmarnock by car to work in various council offices. It turned out that he was a friend of her family and she knew him well. What are the chances???
It made me wonder if myself or any of us would do as this person had done just to be at a funeral service for someone who had some significant impact on our lives. When we are faced with a choice of doing what we know to be right (even although that may be fairly challenging) or choosing an alternative option, what could it be inside of us that makes our mind up in regard to which option we choose? We must all have seen films or even cartoons where one of the characters has a little angel on one shoulder urging him/her to make the right choice and a little demon on the other urging him/her to do the opposite.
When we pray in church, the worship leader may finish his/her prayer with the words: ‘in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When we listen to the message on a Sunday morning, we tend to hear of the accomplishments of God in the Old Testament and the accomplishments of Jesus in the New Testament. Occasionally the importance of the Holy Spirit is overlooked. I am sure that when any of us who would class ourselves as Christians or believers are faced with one of these choices mentioned earlier and take the correct option (even although it may not be the easiest option) it is the Holy Spirit within us that helps and encourages us to reach that decision.
As today’s reading concludes: ‘those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit’.
Prayer – Heavenly Father, we thank you that we
have been born again of the Spirit by faith and been made spiritually alive in
Christ. Thank You that we have the Spirit of the resurrected Lord Jesus living
in us. Thank You that although we live in a body of sin which is subject to
physical death we will one day be clothed with an immortal body, by faith in
Christ Jesus, our God and Saviour, in whose name we pray, Amen
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