Live Righteously

March 11, 2020

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT

Many of us are in awe of the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. That’s legitimate. We should be. But too often our focus is completely off. We have almost a cultish fascination with fairly superfluous capabilities of the Holy Spirit. It is true that His presence can do anything, so it is possible that the Holy Spirit might enable miraculous healing, speaking in other tongues, other physical demonstrations, and more. But that is not the most important power of the Holy Spirit, nor even the most amazing.

The giving of the law from the beginning of time has proven consistently that we do not have the power to obey the law. Paul laments in Romans 7 his own inability to do the things he wanted to do, the things he must do. Instead he kept doing the things he hated. Can you identify with that? It’s the human condition.

But Paul discovered, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the same thing Peter did: the amazing power to enable supernatural change that we are incapable of on our own. This is our central need. Through the Holy Spirit, God has given us everything we need to live a godly life. EVERYTHING! No more saying “I can’t!” God has called us to Himself, and through His glory and excellence has given us “great and precious promises.” Those promises are fulfilled by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The promises the Holy Spirit fulfills in our lives enable us to live supernaturally in two ways: First, when the Holy Spirit comes to live in us, we share the divine nature. We have God Himself in us, changing us to be like Him. That is so much greater than any supernatural “sign” or gift. Secondly, the Holy Spirit enables us to live purely in a perverted and corrupt world. We can escape the traps of the enemy and live lives that are righteous, regret-free, and impactful. What power!

• Holy Spirit, I want You to fill me and fulfill the promises of God in my life. I will not pursue signs and symbols; I will pursue You and Your infilling of my life. I want to be empowered to live a godly life that pleases God. I know You will give me whatever I need to be pleased with my life as I surrender to You. Make my life a righteous, supernatural, transforming testimony of grace!