Thursday, Feb 24
Pour Your Spirit Out!
Scripture: Leviticus 19-20, Psalm 24, Galatians 3
Galatians 3:2 I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard?
Galatians 3:5 So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard—
Galatians 3:14 The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Observation
Paul is arguing vigorously that we made right with God through faith in Christ, not keeping the Jewish law. As evidence of this, he points to the Galatians’ own experience: “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard?”
Twice more in the next few verses he points to their experience of the Spirit as evidence of their salvation by faith, not keeping the law.
Clearly, the Holy Spirit was not just a point of doctrine, but an experienced reality for them. He was received by them, which points to an experience, as does Paul’s reference to miracles.
The promise of the Holy Spirit—of God’s indwelling presence and power with accompanying gifts and fruit—was a central sign of the new covenant. Paul uses it to prove His point that the new covenant of justification by faith in Christ has come.
Application
We need the Holy Spirit! We need to experience His presence and power. We need His gifts to enable us to do God’s work. We need His infilling to empower us to live like Jesus. We need the Holy Spirit.
Today, I’m singing the song, “Pour Your Spirit Out” as a prayer for me, for those I love, for our church, for our world.
Prayer: Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit today. I want—I need—to experience Your presence and power in my life today. Pour Your Spirit out!
I also pray for a speedy cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, for peace and justice to prevail.