FRIDAY
For our last day on this topic of the Spirit revealing truth to the believer, we must also take note of the comforting passages in Scripture. In this first group of passages, we see that the Spirit reveals to the believer that he/she is indeed a child of God.
Romans 8:16 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Galatians 4:6 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
Ephesians 1:13–14 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
One of the more common questions in the Christian life is, “How can I know that I am saved?” This is one of the Bible’s more common answers to that question. The Spirit of God reveals it to be true. The Spirit of God is not just a theological category to be believed theoretically, he is to be experienced. This experience confirms our adoption to the family of God. We often experience this power of the Spirit in a deep, abiding sense of being loved by God, peace with God, joy in God, moral transformation (power over sin), spiritual gifts, and inspired speech. It’s revealed, as we’ve learned this week, in the illumination of the truth of the gospel. These are evidences of the Holy Spirit at work in the life of the believer.
Next, in Ephesians 3 Paul prays to the Father for the believers in Ephesus to be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit. This gift of strengthening is according to the riches of his glory.
Ephesians 3:14–19 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
These verses are very logical. So let’s walk through the logical sequence. The result of the Spirit’s strengthening is Christ dwelling in their hearts through faith. The result of this is them being rooted and grounded in love. The result of this is the strength to comprehend with all the saints (all believers will grasp this) the breadth, length, height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge and be filled with all the fullness of God.
This love of Christ is so great that it surpasses physical knowledge. It must be revealed by the Spirit. With the Spirit indwelling, believers are filled with all the fullness of God. It is only through the Spirit that we can know this great love.
Reflection
Pray that the Spirit would reveal more and more in your life the vastness of Christ’s love.