work of the Spirit – A Place to Meet

As I began to lament the living conditions of a sister in Christ during the final years of her life my husband asked, “Wasn’t God working all things for her good?”

Unable to care for herself and living on meager retirement funds, this sister was moved to a nursing home chosen by the State. Her family, dispersed and disconnected, never visited when she made her home in a little cabin built for hired hands on a cattle ranch, and did not visit the group home either. Members of her church family rarely made the drive following her move because it was eight-hours round trip.

I imagined that minutes would tick by on the clock each monotonous day. There would be no pending visit she could anticipate.

The verse my husband referred to when he asked about her good is: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:28-29 ESV

The move was part of my friends honing process. All that was not of God was being chipped away to reveal the work of art God envisioned when He created her to reveal the glory of His Son. Our God is sovereign and He has an intelligent, intense love for us that wills our best. The home was good for this sister in the Lord. She would be made more Christ-like during her stay.

The Holy Spirit can confront our unbelief in many ways. This time He used my husband. It seems it is easy to be deceived by Satan and the powers of darkness. My mistake was to allow what I would label compassion, caring, and empathy to fill my heart and keep me from thinking clearly. In my mind, God’s idea of compassionate care did not match mine, and I became pompous putting myself above God. In my mind, her best would be living near friends who would drop by to shake up the routine of an otherwise normal day. I doubted God’s goodness, His agape love. BUT!

“The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately sick;

who can understand it?

“I the Lord search the heart

and test the mind,

to give every man according to his ways,

according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Jeremiah 17:9-10 ESV

For a brief time, I thought I had the knowledge and understanding to assess God’s actions and motives. Fear of the Lord was illusive.

A more appropriate response to my friend’s end days would have been one of reverence and thankfulness to a sovereign God who knew exactly what was needed.

Jerry Bridges, author of “Trusting God,” writes: “If we trust Him to work in all our circumstances for our good, then we should give Him thanks in all those circumstances—not thanksgiving for the evil considered in itself, but for the good that He will bring out of that evil through His sovereign wisdom and love.”¹

Bridges continues: “To derive the fullest comfort and encouragement from Romans 8:28, we must realize that God is at work in a pre-active, not reactive, fashion. That is, God does not just respond to an adversity in our lives to make the best of a bad situation. He knows before He initiates or permits the adversity exactly how He will use it for our good.”

How we perceive God is of utmost importance. We live in a fallen world. A world where health fails and the elderly sometimes live in nursing homes due to their frailty. However, a loving God is in the midst of the situation making sure it works out for their best.

Let’s Talk:

1-If you have been convicted of unbelief share the verse with which you struggled.

2-Bridges stated that before God initiates or permits adversity, He knows how He will use it for our good. How does this change your perspective of the adverse situations in your life?

References:

1-“Trusting God” by Jerry Bridges. Published by NavPress in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

John 7:37-38
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me [Jesus] and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.”
(from THE MESSAGE)

At Bible study we discussed the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, sharing anecdotes of how He convicts us, redirects us, provides understanding, reveals implementation strategies, and helps us to walk in a manner that honors God.

One woman described a battle she had with the flesh (what we want and desire, versus what the Spirit wants and desires).

While working on a massive cleaning project, with the kitchen a mess, her husband asked, “what’s for dinner?” His comment was like a match to gasoline, it ignited a firestorm of feelings such as anger and indignation. It seemed impossible to approach the situation with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)

These attributes are known as the fruit of the Spirit. In other words, they are produced by the Holy Spirit within us. We can’t produce them ourselves.

But what is this battle my friend entered that evening, triggered by a casual comment during the chaotic chore of reorganizing her kitchen? According to the Apostle Paul it is a clash between the old self-centered nature and the new nature that wants to bless others (Romans chapter 7). “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing,” he writes.

The believer realizes there is a struggle within between the flesh and the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-18) and one or the other must be in control, Warren Wiersbe writes in his commentary “Be Right, How to be right with God, Yourself, and Others” a commentary on the book of Romans.

In my friend’s situation, the Spirit helped her win her battle over the flesh. She did practice self-control and respond with kindness.

Wiersbe explains how this happens. As the Spirit of Life, the Holy Spirit empowers us to obey Christ and be more like Him. However, He is also the Spirit of death enabling us to put to death the sinful deeds of the body.

“As we yield the members of our body to the Spirit (Rom. 6:12-17), He applies to us and in us the death and resurrection of Christ. He puts to death the things of the flesh, and He reproduces the things of the Spirit,” writes Wiersbe.

Yes, my friend experienced the death of the flesh and production of fruit, all a work of the Spirit.

The fact the Holy Spirit is the source of life—helping us live as a new creation—and the source of death, helping us crucify the sinful nature is a win, win situation. He provides all we need.

Examine your battles with people. Have you responded in the flesh or the Spirit?

When our first thought is toward a godly response, and we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit He will answer. As he reveals the right response our attitude will change so we are able to follow His instructions.

I find it extremely beneficial to exchange learning experiences with sisters in Christ. The Holy Spirit is our teacher. However, we learn best when the classroom is filled with students sharing our questions and answers.

If this short article has helped you understand the work of the Holy Spirit a little better, please share it with someone.

Let’s Talk:

1-In the comment section below, name one way the Holy Spirit has directed your steps. He promises to teach us all things and remind us of all things!

References:

1-“Be Right, How to be Right with God, Yourself, and Others”

by Warren W. Wiersbe published by David C. Cook, Colorado Springs, CO.

A Place to Meet

Tag: work of the Spirit

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