Devotional Thoughts for Christians***
“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”
— Romans 8:9 (NIV)
Paul makes a striking statement here: “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” The Holy Spirit, then, is not an optional addition to the Christian life, reserved for a select few who have reached some higher spiritual level. To belong to Christ is to have His Spirit. The Spirit dwelling within us is a defining reality of being born again.
And this wonderful gift is inseparably connected with the exaltation of Jesus Christ. Before the cross, Jesus spoke of the Spirit who would come. After His resurrection, He ascended to the Father and was glorified; from that place of exaltation, He poured out the promised Spirit. Pentecost was heaven’s declaration that the crucified and risen Jesus had been enthroned. Christ glorified above and the Spirit given below belong together.
This brings tremendous assurance. Our confidence does not rest upon how strongly we feel the Spirit’s presence on a particular day. Feelings rise and fall. Nor do we need to plead as though Christ were still waiting to be glorified or the Father reluctant to give what He has promised. The decisive work has been accomplished. Jesus has died, risen, ascended, and been exalted. The Spirit has been given.
A beautiful lesson comes from the testimony of a young believer who came to understand this truth. He began praying earnestly for God to pour out His Spirit upon him because Jesus had been glorified. Then the truth suddenly dawned on him: he was asking God for something as though the foundation for the gift had not yet been laid. His prayer turned into thanksgiving. Christ had received the glory promised to Him, and the believer could gratefully receive and rely upon the Spirit whom God had promised.
What a change this makes! Instead of anxiously asking, “Have I received enough?” faith looks upward to the exalted Christ and then rests in what God has given. The Spirit within us is not a reward for spiritual achievement. He is God’s gracious gift to those who belong to His Son.
And His presence does not remain without evidence. The clearest signs are not merely dramatic experiences or powerful emotions. The Spirit turns our hearts toward Christ. He awakens a desire for holiness, produces repentance when we sin, creates hunger for God’s Word, teaches us to call God our Father, and gradually forms the character of Christ within us. His fruit begins to appear—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We may still struggle with the flesh, but we now have a new desire and a new direction. We increasingly want what pleases God.
The Spirit also makes Christ precious to us. He does not draw attention to Himself as an end in itself; He opens our eyes to Jesus’ beauty, sufficiency, and glory. Where once Christ may have been merely a name or doctrine, the Spirit makes Him living and precious to the heart.
Pause to Reflect:
Do not measure the Spirit’s presence by your emotions alone. Look instead for His quiet work within: a growing love for Christ, sensitivity toward sin, hunger for truth, desire to obey God, and the gradual appearance of Christlike character. Yield yourself afresh to the Spirit who already dwells within you, trusting Him to make the life of Jesus increasingly visible through your life.
Parting Thought:
The exalted Christ is heaven’s assurance that the promised Spirit has been given; His presence within us is heaven’s evidence that we belong to Christ.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of Your Spirit. Teach me to rest in His presence, walk in His power, and let Your life be portrayed in me. Amen.
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