ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

The Holy Spirit: Our Help Right Here, Right Now

Romans 8:11

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Christ's death on the cross is God's way of getting at the core of sin in our body, mind, and spirit. God condemned mankind's sinful nature on the cross so it would have no more right or control over us. However, He did not eliminate sin -- He only removed its consequence (for believers) which is death. It's important to realize it is the Holy Spirit who is our Deliverer from sin while we remain in our mortal bodies. He is our help right here and now.

Paul writes: "He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you." The Holy Spirit allows us to live the Christian life where we are today -- in the middle of this sin infested world. In other words, down here is where we need the help which God has given us through His Holy Spirit. In John 17:15 Jesus prayed for us: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." The Holy Spirit is God's answer to Jesus' prayer.

How are we to deal with our sinful nature? How do we overcome our tendency to give in to fleshly habits, activities or desires? Paul tells us: The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is in us, and He will live His life through us. God has given us His own Spirit to claim victory over our sinful nature. Isn't that cause for great celebration?

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