Day 18 - Filled by the Spirit

Read Romans 8: 9-11

As members of the fallen race of humanity, we were born with a fallen nature and a carnal mind that can never, ever please God. The thoughts and the intention of man’s fallen nature are only evil continuously. The natural, unsaved man is dead in his sins and at enmity with God.

Paul reminds us, “you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

The major difference between the unsaved sinner and the saved saint is that the Christian has been given the indwelling Holy Spirit and a new, Christlike nature - the new, born-again life of Christ.

As believers, we have been lifted out of the fleshly realm and placed into the heavenly sphere. As believers, we are not in the flesh but in the spirit. As believers, we have the permanent, indwelling Spirit of God, Who has been given to us to lead and to guide our new nature in Christ so that we can be conformed to Christ’s image and likeness. As believers, we belong to HIM and should not allow the flesh to usurp our privileged position in Christ. Rather, we should walk in spirit and truth so that we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

by Michael Baldwin