God's Holy Fire: 'Through the Spirit'

Sunday, July 26, 2026

Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God.
— Hebrews 9:15 MSG

Key Thought

Jesus' sacrifice, his offering of himself as an "unblemished sacrifice," was not an accident. Yes, evil men put Jesus to death, but it was also part of God's plan (Acts 2:23). The Holy Spirit guided, prophesied, directed, and led God's redemptive story through history and brought Jesus to the time of his sacrifice and through his sacrifice to free us from all of our dead-end efforts trying to make our lives lasting and meaningful. This story, Jesus' triumph, and our part in this story are no accidents! They are because of the work of God's Spirit, who has been present every step of the journey.

Today's Prayer

Righteous Father, thank you for your plan and for the Holy Spirit who helped proclaim it and carry it out. Thank you for Jesus who accepted it and won my freedom from sin, death, and uselessness. I praise you from the bottom of my heart. In Jesus' name, I praise you. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

2 Related Resources by Heartlight

Last Will and Testament
Article by Alan Smith
What did you get in the will? Alan Smith tells the story of a wild will and how Jesus' last will and testament is far different and far better!
New Covenant People
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Child of the Father, Today you are going to read excerpts from Hebrews chapters 7-10. The teaching in these chapters is challenging, especially...."

Illustration

Illustration of Hebrews 9:15 MSG — Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, July 26, 2026

Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Even If It Means a Cross' (Acts 9:15-16)
"[Since Saul was persecuting Christians, Ananias was concerned that God wanted him to go share the message of Jesus with Saul.] But the Lord said,..."
Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Phillips Brooks:
"Christ is the Word of God. It is not in certain texts written in the New Testament, valuable as they are; it is not in certain words which Jesus spoke, vast as...."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'God Tests You to See if You Will Obey Him'
"Carefully obey every command I give you today. Then you will live and grow in number, and you will enter and take the land the Lord promised your..."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Nothing Will Be Lost' (1 Co. 15:58)
"Dear Father, Thank you for the assurance that my work for you will never be lost. The Lord Jesus promised that even a cup of cold water given in his...."

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.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations