Life Change
When the Holy Spirit comes into a person's life, there are unmistakable changes which take place. Some of them are immediate changes, and others are gradual. However, if there is no life change, there is no presence of the Holy Spirit. When Samuel anointed Saul as king of Israel, we see this truth in action.(I Samuel 10:6)
Saul was not a particularly faithful believer, but God chose him to be the king that the people wanted. I think it was because he was handsome and tall. However, God gave Saul every opportunity to trust Him and to succeed as king. The Holy Spirit came upon him, he prophesied to show an immediate change, and on the inside he was turned into another man. All of this was done in the Old Testament context of having the Spirit come upon him to empower him for service to the Lord. Now, we have it much better, because the Spirit indwells each believer for the rest of our lives.
Take a minute and consider your own life. What happened when the Holy Spirit came to live in you at the moment of your salvation? Think back to when you turned from your sins, put your trust in Christ as Lord, the One who died and rose again for you, and asked Him to be your personal Lord and forgive your sins. How did God show Himself to you? What were the immediate changes? What has happened since then to show you are a new person? If there is no Holy Spirit in your life, you are not saved.(Romans 8:9) If there is no change, there is no Holy Spirit. This is God's way of confirming to us that He has saved us. Remember, salvation is by grace through faith. It is not by any works we do. Therefore, if God has not changed us and adopted us into His family, we are not one of His.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 12-14.
Saul was not a particularly faithful believer, but God chose him to be the king that the people wanted. I think it was because he was handsome and tall. However, God gave Saul every opportunity to trust Him and to succeed as king. The Holy Spirit came upon him, he prophesied to show an immediate change, and on the inside he was turned into another man. All of this was done in the Old Testament context of having the Spirit come upon him to empower him for service to the Lord. Now, we have it much better, because the Spirit indwells each believer for the rest of our lives.
Take a minute and consider your own life. What happened when the Holy Spirit came to live in you at the moment of your salvation? Think back to when you turned from your sins, put your trust in Christ as Lord, the One who died and rose again for you, and asked Him to be your personal Lord and forgive your sins. How did God show Himself to you? What were the immediate changes? What has happened since then to show you are a new person? If there is no Holy Spirit in your life, you are not saved.(Romans 8:9) If there is no change, there is no Holy Spirit. This is God's way of confirming to us that He has saved us. Remember, salvation is by grace through faith. It is not by any works we do. Therefore, if God has not changed us and adopted us into His family, we are not one of His.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 12-14.