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 now 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 on 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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