Day 17

“You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.” — Romans 8:9-10

The purpose of the work of Jesus Christ is something far more than to forgive us our guilt and cleanse us from sin. Christ forgives our sin, not because being clean is the end product of His work, but in order that He might come and live His life within us by the Holy Spirit. It is the coming of the Holy Spirit, on the basis of one’s cleansing, that actually makes a Christian.

If I went into a bookshop to purchase a five dollar book, I would hand over the five dollars and receive the book. If a friend asked me what I had been doing, I would not reply, “I just gave away five dollars.” I would reply, “I have been buying a book.” To do that, I gave away five dollars, but the giving of the money was only a means to an end. My purpose was to acquire the book.

In a similar way, being forgiven of our sin is not what makes a Christian. God’s forgiveness makes possible the coming of the Holy Spirit into the life of the forgiven person, so that the life of Jesus Christ may be lived in them to reproduce the character of Jesus. It is sad to meet Christians who, while grateful for the forgiveness they have received, have never gotten around to enjoying the purpose of their forgiveness by living in the energy of the Holy Spirit. It’s like giving five dollars for a book, yet not enjoying it!

At Calvary, Christ dealt with our need for forgiveness when He died on the Cross. At Pentecost, however, He dealt with our need for power and godliness when the Holy Spirit was made freely available to anyone prepared to meet the conditions upon which he or she could receive Him. Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teachings. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23). That is far more than acquiring the book. It’s Jesus Christ living in us, and as every page of our lives is turned in communion with Him, the deeper our knowledge of Him and the more intimate our relationship with Him.

It isn’t forgiveness alone, but His presence in our lives that makes us a Christian!

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for forgiving my sins, which allows the Holy Spirit access to my life. Help me to grow more Christ-like and not for a minute to forget that you are my life!

To reflect upon: Am I living my days simply satisfied with being forgiven, or am I truly living life to the fullest with the work of the Holy Spirit in me? Is His work visible in my life and in what ways?