RSS

Tag Archives: Holy Spirit

The Path to Holiness

05 Mar
The Path to Holiness

As we’ve been going through Peter’s first letter, we see a clear path that leads us to the walk of holiness. He has taken us step by step through the process. It’s what I’ve talked about for the last few posts.

First, we needed start the renewal of our minds by the Word of God. Then, we must become spiritually sober. After that, we can take up an eternal perspective.

At this point we’re beginning to hear from the Holy Spirit. Now, the final piece is to do what we’re hearing from the Lord.

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

1 Peter 1:14 NIV

We need to understand that this word, obedient, literally means to hear attentively. So Peter is addressing people who want to see God at work in their lives. They are closely listening for the Lord’s instructions to them.

Also, don’t forget that he calls them children who hear attentively. At this stage in their spiritual development, they’re not quite mature yet. But they’re headed in the right direction.

Peter now gives an exhortation to those who want to grow spiritually. If you’re trying to hear and obey God’s voice, then you must stop conforming to your old lifestyle.

The word picture speaks of external conditions. It’s like the apostle is telling us to stop wearing the uniform of our old life before Christ. We need to stop running after the things we used to long for when we didn’t know what we know now. Basically, we must walk in what we know.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul talks about the world. How they’re operating in ignorance. They don’t understand that their longing will never be fulfilled.

The more they run after these things, the less they’re satisfied. That’s the effect of pursuing the temporary.

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.

Ephesians 4:20-21 NIV

We don’t serve Christ like the world lives. Paul says the same as Peter. The truth of God’s Word is the foundation.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV

First we have to be taught by the Word. Then we can put off the old self. We can stop conforming to the old lifestyle.

He also tells us to renew our minds. That includes beginning to look to the eternal things and spiritual issues.

Then we can walk in the new self. That’s what will lead us to true holiness and righteousness. Which also means we are now acceptable for his service.

That’s the difference between simply being called versus being chosen for the Lord’s work.

Our goal is to be holy. It must be done the Lord’s way. Setting ourselves apart for His use. He’s done His part – it’s time for us to do ours.

Question: How far along the path to holiness do you see yourself?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on March 5, 2025 in Anointing, Leadership, Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Chosen for a Purpose

12 Feb
Chosen for a Purpose

We’re now studying the book of 1 Peter. For the last couple of posts I’ve been talking about Peter’s opening remarks. They are very eye-opening.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

1 Peter 1:1-2 NIV

I’ve talked about the fact that he is writing to the elect; aliens, scattered throughout the world. Today I want to emphasize that we are chosen. That word chosen means selected, hand-picked, or favorite.

Why has God chosen us? The answer is simply because we responded to His call.

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 22:14 NIV

We are all invited – called – but chosen means that you responded and put yourself in the position of being selected. I talked about that in my first post of this series. Now we’ll take it a step further.

The Apostle Peter described this truth in the verse we looked at above. He said that we were chosen according to the foreknowledge of the Father. Then we were sanctified by the working of the Holy Spirit in us.

That, in and of itself, is great news. But he didn’t stop there. He had to put in that tough little word – “for”. That changes everything. That means that there was a reason for all that He did. It can be summed up in one word – purpose.

It turns out that we are strangers, scattered and chosen for a purpose. What is that purpose? According to Peter, the purpose is obedience to Christ.

That word obedience literally means to hear under. You could also call it attentive listening. If I’m an alien, then I must listen to MY King. Being scattered in the world I have to listen for the Lord’s special instructions for me.

If I’m chosen, then I need to listen to the one who chose me. We must listen carefully and follow His instructions. If we don’t, then things will start to go wrong.

The problem is that listening requires time in the Lord’s presence. We live in a fast paced world. We look for the quick fixes. How can I get it done immediately?

The truth is that there’s no technology that can speed up the development of relationship. The only way is by spending time. Whether it’s with another human, or the Holy Spirit, I have to take the time necessary to get to know them. This fact will never change.

I am a stranger, an alien, to this world. I am scattered to be salt. I am chosen by God to obey Him. Therefore, I must listen attentively.

We need these attitudes if we’re going to be effective for Christ. Only then will we see a difference in the world around us. The world is desperately waiting for a church that knows who they are in Christ.

Question: How have you made a difference for Christ in the lives of those around you?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 12, 2025 in Leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Your New Clothes (Part 4)

29 Jan
Your New Clothes (Part 4)

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul talks about our spiritual clothing in Christ. In my last few posts I talked about some of these. I spoke last time about bearing with and forgiving one another.

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Colossians 3:14 NIV

Paul now tells us that the bottom line of how we treat one another is love. There’s no way around that. He says that love is the glue that holds all these pieces together.

Usually, we like to teach everything separately. I did that over the previous posts. We looked at compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and forgiveness. But the fact is that none of these virtues exist in a vacuum. Love makes them work in unity.

However, love is probably one of the most misunderstood concepts among Christians. Of course, that’s to be expected in our society. The media throws that word around with no clue as to what they’re talking about.

The love that Paul talks about is the Greek word, agape, which has a very specific meaning. This is not something that you can just do by accident. It has to be a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

Probably the best description given was by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13. If you’re able, you should read through it before continuing with this post. Let me quote a small section for you.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

Think about what this passage is saying. Especially in the light of what Jesus told us. He commanded us, as His disciples to love one another (John 13:34-35). That statement alone should show us the fallacy of the world’s view of love.

This kind of love has nothing at all to do with our emotions. It’s purely a choice that we make in our treatment of others. It also includes action. It’s impossible to love this way by simply saying it or thinking it. God’s kind of love has to be visible.

But what do I really have to do to show love to someone? By looking at the above verse, it’s clear that there’s a group of people I actually want to treat like this. They’re my friends. I want to show them how much I like them.

There you have it; love means that you treat everyone as if you like them, whether you do or not. After all, isn’t that the teaching that Jesus left us with?

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

Luke 6:27-28 NIV

This is why we need the power of the Holy Spirit operating in us. Loving our enemies is not natural to our human make-up.

“I love them, but I just don’t like them.”

Wait a minute. I didn’t tell you the best part of all this. Not only do you have to treat everyone as if you like them – even your enemies, there’s more. You have to treat them this way whether they’re physically present or not.

After all, you wouldn’t gossip, slander, or speak evil about a friend of yours. Love deals with the total package of how we treat others. Whether they know about it or not isn’t the issue. The God kind of love is a lifestyle.

This is why Paul tells us that it’s the binding agent for all the other virtues in our Christian walk. We need to spend quality time in the Father’s presence. That’s the only way to let Him cultivate His love in us.

Question: How well do you see God’s love operating through you?

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on January 29, 2024 in Fellowship, Power of God, Relationships, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Your New Clothes (Part 3)

26 Jan
Your New Clothes (Part 3)

For the past couple of posts, I’ve been talking about our spiritual clothing. Paul was writing about it in his letter to the Colossian church. So far, we’ve looked at compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:13 NIV

This is probably one of the most difficult to master. We definitely need the strength of the Holy Spirit in us to accomplish it.

Bearing with each other. The original meaning of this is simply, putting up with each other.

It seems this ability has been lost in our generation. So many times I’ve seen people who don’t like what someone said or did. Their first response is to leave the church. They either leave that congregation or leave the Church altogether. That seems to be what so many have done in our society.

The Scripture makes it clear. It’s not just talking about a mistake someone made. The word translated, grievances, means something done that was wrong. They can be blamed for something.

Forgiveness. You have to understand that the church is made up of imperfect people. That includes the leadership. We can’t expect everyone to live up to our standards 100% of the time.

What’s the answer to this? Paul says it three times in this one verse. Forgiveness, plain and simple. Well, simple but not easy.

Know this, the command to forgive is a New Covenant truth. But nowhere in the Old Testament is there a command for people to forgive each other. Why? Because forgiveness is more than just feeling better about someone.

That brings me to a definition that I found in Webster’s Dictionary.

“To cease to demand the penalty for, to pardon.”

That’s what God did for us in Christ. He paid the penalty for all the sin of mankind. That’s why we can receive His full and clear forgiveness. A while back, I did a series of posts on the forgiveness of God. To see that series, click here.

Here’s the difficult part. The above verse says that you need to forgive as the Lord forgave you.

I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s very tough for me to cease to demand the penalty for a wrong done against me. That’s especially true when the person in the wrong is a brother or sister in Christ. After all, they should have known better.

However, when we look at the forgiveness that God showed to us in Christ, the biggest difficulty becomes apparent. We are called to forgive before the guilty party ever admits they were wrong. Sometimes, before they even know they did something wrong.

We can’t live like the world. Society says that you must admit you were wrong and ask for forgiveness. Then, if I believe you’re serious and won’t do it again, maybe I’ll forgive you.

I’m glad that God doesn’t operate like that! His forgiveness was perfected before I was born. Without even knowing it, I was forgiven before I ever sinned. Of course, I didn’t reap the benefit of His forgiveness until I openly asked for and received it.

As God’s people, we need a deeper understanding of the forgiveness of God. Only in that way, will we understand how to treat others the way God want us to. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to clothe us with this ability to bear with and forgive others.

Question: How well have you exemplified God’s forgiveness to those around you?

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on January 26, 2024 in Fellowship, Relationships, Revival, The Church, The Gospel

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

A Change of Clothing

17 Jan
A Change of Clothing

As we go through the book of Colossians, Paul is giving practical insight in serving God. In my last post we saw that we can put to death the misdeeds of the flesh through the spirit.

We have to move forward with this understanding.

You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Colossians 3:7-8 NIV

We cannot just take these verses out of context. This is not just a set of rules for how we are to speak to one another. As I said in the previous posts, trying to follow the rules doesn’t change your behavior.

It’s clear from this passage, that Paul is speaking about the sins of our mouths. We need to change our speech patterns. However, we know from Scripture that controlling our speech is beyond our ability (James 3:7-8). Victory over our tongue can only be accomplished in the spirit.

The apostle now shows us the only clear path ahead.

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Colossians 3:9-10 NIV

In these simple verses we’re shown the best way to change for the better. It involves two important words. In this passage they’re translated taken off and put on.

Both of these words, in the Greek, deal with clothing. The first means to step out of your clothing. The second means to sink into them. That’s important.

In the natural it would be silly for me to tell you that you have to take off what you’re wearing, in order to put on something new. But that’s not the case in the church.

There are many believers who desperately try to hang on to their old way of life. At the same time they want to “wear” some of the blessings found in Christ. That doesn’t work.

We have to submit to the working of the Holy Spirit in us. As we pray in the spirit, the Lord is able to remove the old, dead way of life we were living. Then, as we continue in Him, He clothes us in the new man, renewing our mind day by day.

His goal is that we show forth His glory. God wants the world to see His image active and working through us. That’s what will draw people to the Lord.

The good news is that it has nothing to do with who you were. The past has no bearing on your future.

Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Colossians 3:11 NIV

Everything is washed clean under the blood of Christ. How you were brought up has no hold on you. Your past life with all of its baggage, burdens and bondage can’t hold you back. That is, if you’re willing to change your old “clothes” for the new set in Christ.

Allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in your life. It will make you a whole new person.

Question: How has your life changed by the spirit?

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 
1 Comment

Posted by on January 17, 2024 in Legalism, Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Our Spiritual Surgeon

27 Dec
Our Spiritual Surgeon

As we’ve been going through the book of Colossians, we see a picture of who Christ is in all of His glory. We also see our relationship to Him.

Now, there’s something that Paul is hoping you’ll move into by faith. Paul describes this step to the Colossian church.

In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

Colossians 2:11-12 NIV

This is what we want to concentrate on – the putting off of the sinful nature. According to Paul, this is a surgical procedure that can only be done by Christ.

It isn’t a work I can perform. It doesn’t matter how much will-power I put forth. Only Christ, Himself, can bring it to pass in my life. I must submit under the blade of the divine Surgeon.

There are two prerequisites to this surgery. The first is baptism and the second is faith in the power of God. This means that I can’t look to myself and how well I can obey God. It’s all about how much I trust His power working in my life. How much am I willing to surrender to Him?

It’s the same as in the natural world. If I don’t trust the surgeon in a medical procedure, then I will not allow them to put me under the anesthesia. I’ll only let someone I trust have that much power over my body. Do we trust Christ enough to consent to His life changing work in us?

No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.

Romans 2:29 NIV

There’s another key point to this work of Christ in us. It can only be done in the spirit. It’s not something that I can physically accomplish. Neither is it a choice that I make in my mind.

The change is required in my heart. The old self has to be removed. How can my sin nature remove itself? It would never willingly choose to do that.

To get the old sin nature out of our heart requires outside assistance. That’s why it’s a work that only Christ can do, and it must be a spiritual work.

It’s for this reason that an understanding of the Word of God as a sword is so important.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12 NIV

The sword of the spirit is the scalpel that performs the work in our heart. In the past I’ve emphasized that the things of the spirit can only be received through prayer in the spirit. This is the work that needs to be done in us. It’s a work that must be done in the spirit. Only prayer in the spirit will accomplish the change that’s necessary in our hearts.

In order for God to do this work in us, we must yield ourselves to Him. As in any surgery, we must willingly go under the knife if our healing is to take place. This is true for our spiritual surgery as well.

Question: How has prayer in the spirit changed your life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on December 27, 2023 in Faith, Legalism, Power of God, Prayer in the Spirit, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

In the Arena

08 Dec
In the Arena

We’re continuing our walk through Paul’s letter to the Colossian church. If you remember, this is a church that Paul never visited personally. It was established by his spiritual son, Epaphras.

In my last post, Paul talked about his desire to see all believers rise up to their full potential in Christ. The last verse we looked at in chapter 1 actually ties in to the first verse of chapter 2.

To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.

Colossians 1:29-2:1 NIV

In both of these verses, he talks about how he is struggling. That’s an important word. Unfortunately, in the English language there are many kinds of struggling.

You could be struggling, climbing a mountain. You could be a soldier in a war against a bitter enemy. There are so many different ways you could interpret this.

The Greek language, however, gives us a clear picture of what Paul is referring to. This word, struggling, comes from a root word that means a gathering place, such as an arena.

So, this is a struggle that would take place in an arena. It’s a public spectacle like a boxing match or a race. It’s about struggling for a prize.

So, what’s the prize that Paul is struggling for? I’m glad you asked! It’s what every church leader should be striving toward. And, actually, it may take me a couple of posts to explain it.

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:2-3 NIV

This passage is full of important truth. Let’s start with the phrase, encouraged in heart and united in love. These are not two separate things – there’s no “and” between them in the original Greek verse.

The word, encouraged, means to be called together. It’s an invitation to join a group. They’re being called to one place, for one purpose.

There’s a clear reason for this call. The original says that it’s for their hearts to be united in love. Again, this needs an explanation in the English language.

The words that Paul uses literally mean that he wants their hearts to be compacted or coalesced together. He wants them mixed together in such a way that they form one whole.

Think of it this way. If you’re making a cake, you get many different ingredients. You have flour, milk, eggs, oil, and flavoring. But then, you have to blend them all together until they coalesce into one finished bakery item.

That’s what Paul is looking to accomplish in the church. Trust me, anyone in church leadership can tell you that this process is a struggle. It requires all the people involved to submit themselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

And this is only the first part of the prize Paul is aiming for. In my next post, I’ll continue with this thought.

Question: How well is your heart united with your fellow believers?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
1 Comment

Posted by on December 8, 2023 in Leadership, Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Spiritual Maturity

06 Dec
Spiritual Maturity

I have been posting a series about the letter to the Colossian church. The Apostle Paul has been talking about his ministry to the body of Christ. His goal is the maturity of all believers.

Paul understood this aspect of his work as an apostle of Christ.

We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Colossians 1:28-29 NIV

That’s the goal of the ministry. All who are in leadership are here to present everyone – not just a select few – perfect and mature in Christ. This requires supernatural strength and wisdom.

We cannot hope to perform this on a merely human level. As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I need to yield to the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this great task.

The belief that this is impossible to achieve in our lifetime only serves to undermine the Lord’s goal for us. We need to recognize where He’s leading us to and cooperate with the Lord’s program for our development. After all, He’s bringing us on an incredible spiritual journey.

That’s exactly what the Lord taught His disciples.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48 NIV

This word, perfect, also means to be mature and complete. This is God’s desire for His people. That we attain to the same level of maturity as Christ.

The unfortunate thing is that many teach that this is impossible. Over and over, we are told that to walk like Jesus is beyond our reach. I don’t buy into this type of reasoning.

When I see the lives of the Apostles in the book of Acts, I don’t get the idea that they’re immature. I see the same signs and wonders that were performed by the Lord. I see thousands of people drawn to, and changed by, the Word of God. If it was possible for them, then the same is true for us – if we’re willing to walk the same road they walked to get there.

One of the key ingredients to us reaching this level is the ministry gifts God has given to the body of Christ. In talking about apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, Paul said that they were given as gifts to the church. They have a very clear purpose.

…to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:12-13 NIV

The goal of the five-fold ministry is the maturing of the saints. The level of that maturity is beyond question. It is that we would live and minister as the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Why would the Holy Spirit inspire Paul to write these words if it were not possible? We need to stop making excuses and start working towards the walk of maturity.

Question: What would the ministry of a spiritually mature believer look like?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on December 6, 2023 in Leadership, Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , ,

God Lives in Us

24 Nov
God Lives in Us

As we continue through Colossians, I just want to remind you of some things. A man named Epaphras was the founding pastor of this church. He was one of Paul’s spiritual sons.

He visited Paul with a question about the Gnostic heresy that was creeping into his church. The Gnostics taught that everything in the material world is evil. God cannot touch it, so He created a number of lower beings as mediators.

According to their cult, Jesus was at the bottom of this list. This was a blatant denial of the Lord’s deity. Because he’s dealing with this subject, Paul gives us one of the clearest pictures of Christ in this small letter.

In my last post, Paul showed us that we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Christ. Now he describes exactly who Christ is.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

Colossians 1:15-16 NIV

In this verse we see Christ as the Creator. Sometimes that confuses people. They trip up over the words, God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Much of the problem is that we’ve developed a religious language that’s not based on the Bible. It seems like it’s based on songs and traditions. If you listen to our language, you get the idea that there are three Gods.

The fact is that there is only one God. Another important point is that we’ve been created in the image of God. That should give us a foundation for understanding Him. Just like us, there are three parts to His being – Father, Son and Spirit.

Part of the problem is that we like formulas. Many times, I’ve heard that we must pray to the Father, through the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus. While there’s nothing wrong with that, a lot of what we do sounds like this…

If you were meeting with a friend, would you say, “I just want to sit down with your body and talk to your mind through your ears.”

We don’t do this in the natural. We simply say, “Can I talk to you?”

Even something as simple as “Who created the world?” sometimes can be confusing.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Genesis 1:1-3 NIV

We know that God created everything, but we argue over whether it was the Father, the Son, or the Spirit who said, “Let there be…”

This is why Paul’s description of Christ is so important. It answers the burning question. Was it Father, Son, or Spirit who created us? What I’m trying to say is that it doesn’t matter – God created us – all the parts of His being worked together.

That’s like asking; was it my spirit, soul or body who drove my car? I DROVE MY CAR!!!

I think that we get so caught up in the parts of God’s being, that we miss the big picture. God Himself lives in us. I have access into His presence because of Christ.

I don’t believe that the Lord is as concerned over our formulas as much as our relationship with Him. We must deepen our walk with Christ, by spending quality time with His Holy Spirit.

Question: How would you characterize your relationship with the Holy Spirit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
1 Comment

Posted by on November 24, 2023 in Creation, Power of God, Prayer in the Spirit, The Gospel

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Spirit of Power

17 Nov
Spirit of Power

As we go on through Paul’s letter to the Colossian church, he’s telling them about the power of God at work in us. It’s the Holy Spirit within us who’s doing the work.

Did you know that it’s what’s on the inside that counts? The things that are happening around us don’t determine our destiny. We need to learn to live above our circumstances.

…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 1:11-12 NIV

One of the things that the Holy Spirit desires to do in us is to strengthen our inner man. He wants to give us the power we need to stand our ground for Christ.

This life is very draining on people. I don’t believe there’s any such thing as an easy life. We all have to go through struggles and trials.

We look at the lives of others and think that they have it easy. That’s only because the things that get me down don’t affect you in the same way. Conversely, the things that you’re having trouble with don’t bother me at all. We all experience things differently.

That’s why everyone needs an abundance of endurance, patience, and joy. Those are qualities we seem to lose so easily. But they are the things that the Holy Spirit wants to equip us with.

Endurance. This comes from a Greek word that means to remain under. Sometimes we have to go through experiences that are uncomfortable. We feel like giving up. The Holy Spirit can give us the power to see it through to the final victory.

Patience. This one sounds the same as endurance but it’s a little different. It literally means to be long passioned. In other words, it’s the ability to go through a hard time without “having a meltdown.” Sometimes in the midst of problems we say or do things that we’re sorry about for the rest of our lives. The Lord wants to keep us from making these kinds of mistakes.

Joy. Joy is an interesting concept in the New Testament. It’s very different from the emotion of happiness. Happiness is based upon what happens. Joy is based upon the knowledge that you’re in Christ and nothing can touch you without His permission. Therefore, you can have a positive outlook on life because Jesus has the final say.

The fact is, apart from His Spirit we would give up too soon. I want to see the finish line and cross it with strength. I don’t want to barely finish my race then collapse in exhaustion. I want to enter Heaven with my head held high, knowing that the Lord has brought me through victoriously.

To finish strong, I must rely on His strength for my life. I must come to the realization that “without Him I can do nothing.” It’s a humbling experience to tell the Lord that you need Him. But that’s why Scripture teaches that if you humble yourself before Him, He will exalt you.

Draw on the power of the Holy Spirit today. Spend quality time in His presence and watch what the Lord can do in a life that’s yielded before Him. Make use of His promises. Let Him grant to you His endurance, patience, and joy.

Question: How have you seen the Lord’s strength working in you recently?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 17, 2023 in Ministry, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →