God's Holy Fire: 'How Did You Receive the Spirit?'

Sunday, June 23, 2024

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?
— Galatians 3:2 NIV

Key Thought

Most of us love lists. We can check things off our lists and show we've completed our tasks. If we don't complete our list, we feel like we deserve any negative consequences. The Holy Spirit, however, is not something we deserve. The Spirit is a gift Jesus gives to those who believe in him — those who trust in and share with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection through baptism (1 Corinthians 15:1-5; Romans 6:3-6). Paul was reminding these Galatian Christians that no list, not even one given in the law, can bring the Holy Spirit to them. They received the Spirit because they fully believed in Jesus who poured out this gift upon them (Titus 3:3-7). No wonder Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit as one of God's greatest gifts (Luke 11:11-13).

Today's Prayer

O Father, thank you for the gift of your Son who died for my sins and was raised from the dead to give me the victory over sin and death. I also thank you, dear Father, for the gift of the Holy Spirit who is your presence that lives in me. May my life be to your glory, O God. In the name of Jesus, I offer you my deepest thanks! Amen.

Comments

Archived Facebook Comments

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, June 23, 2024

A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
"Dear Disciple, Some of Paul's language in his letter to the Galatians is harsh. He begins his letter without his normal prayer of thanksgiving for..."
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
"Even in this world saints are God's children, but men cannot discover them to be so, except by certain moral characteristics. The adoption is not..."
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
"We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But...."
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
"John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn't in our group.""

Illustration

Illustration of Galatians 3:2 NIV — I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.