Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
If you've ever been in that place where you knew you shouldn't do something, but you ended up doing it anyways, you're not alone. We've all had those moments where we knew something was wrong, but we really wanted it. Before we knew it, we indulged ourselves. Maybe we even felt those promptings that said, this isn't right. Or maybe we felt that knot in our stomach, but we kept moving forward anyways. It's just part of being human.
If you've ever found yourself in that place, I've got an encouraging verse for you today. It comes from Galatians chapter 5, verse 25. The apostle Paul writes this: "Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives."
We Will Sin Less
There's an old saying in the church that goes like this: after we're saved, we won't be sinless, but we will sin less. That's good news. It's because as soon as we put our faith in Jesus, He gives us His Holy Spirit to live within us. The Holy Spirit has a very specific purpose in our lives. He is leading us into all truth, and He is helping us to be obedient to the call of Christ as He transforms our hearts and our minds and our hands to follow in all of His good works.
The Spirit is the one who is prompting us into holy living. When you're in those moments where you're looking at something that you really want and know is bad for you, that's the Spirit teaching you what's right. When you get that knot in your stomach that says, stop, don't do this, that is the Spirit helping you.
We Need the Spirit of God
We need the Spirit of God. When we don't listen to Him, we forget the very reason we put our faith in Jesus—because we knew that we needed somebody to free us from sin. Jesus pays the penalty for us, so that God sees us as perfect and sinless. But it's the Spirit who practically helps us to work away from sin and live in holy living.
I love what Paul says here: "If we are living by the Spirit, we need to follow His leading in every part of our lives." I really want you to focus in on that idea of every part of your life, because this is the deal that God makes with you. You can have all of Him, but it requires that you give Him all of yourself.
You Can't Compartmentalize Your Life
You can't compartmentalize parts of your life to say, God, I want You in this area. But, you know, I'm really happy with this area and I would prefer you to not change that. That's not what He wants for us. He wants our whole lives to experience the joy and satisfaction of being obedient, knowing good from evil. We need to press into all that the Spirit has for us.
I lived so much of my life compartmentalized. On the outside, I looked like everything you would expect a follower of Jesus to look like. I was reading my Bible, I was praying, I was going to church. I had Christian friends. I didn't watch bad media. I was doing all of the things outwardly, but inwardly I was keeping parts of my heart and life to myself. I was bitter, I was angry, I was judgmental. You name it—I probably had those negative emotions and feelings and thoughts inside me.
I remember getting to this point where I was just trying to build this wall to keep God out of certain parts of my life, and He just shattered me. Not to punish me, but because the only way to get me to stop living in compartments was to just break it all apart so He could put me back together. This began a journey with the Spirit as He led me closer to the heart of God, closer to my purpose in Jesus.
The Spirit Does Incredible Things
The Spirit does incredible things. I mean, think about the first person in Scripture who is said to be filled with the Spirit. His name was Bezalel, and he was appointed as the chief artisan to build the tabernacle. He crafted the Ark of the Covenant, the dwelling place of God amongst the people of Israel. Now God calls you His tabernacle, His holy place of dwelling, and He wants to lead you down paths of righteousness.
Don't hold any part of your life away from Him, because He wants to change all of it for His glory and your good.
