Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Opening Scripture

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. Titus 2:11-15

Opening Prayer

Gracious Father, I believe that you are able to do immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine, according to your power at work within me. Help me to trust you today to meet all of my needs. May your love and peace be present and evident in my life. May others see Jesus in me. In His name I pray. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Romans 8:9-17

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. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his suffering in order that we may also share in his glory.

Reflection  

In today’s passage, Paul identifies the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as the “litmus test” for being a Christian. Pure and simple, if you are not “in the flesh” but are instead “in the Spirit,” then you are indeed a follower of Jesus. On the other hand, if you do not have the Spirit of Christ alive and active in you, you do not belong to Christ. Without the Holy Spirit, a person is “spiritually dead.”

“This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us his Spirit” (1 John 4:13). The interchangeable terms “Spirit of God,” “Spirit of Christ,” and “Holy Spirit” reflect the interplay among the Trinity in this work of sanctification. The entire Godhead is actively involved in transforming the life of a believer.

The Greek word for “if” (ei) can be translated “since” or “because” to denote a conditional statement that is assumed to be true. In verses 9-11, Paul is saying, “since the Spirit of God lives in you,” “since Christ is in you,” and “since the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you.” It is presumed to be so.

As such, even though our physical bodies are subject to eventual death, our souls are alive for eternity through the indwelling Holy Spirit imparted through the righteousness of Jesus. We look forward to our own resurrection because He who raised Christ from the dead has given life to our mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in us. “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” (1 Corinthians 6:14).

Therefore, we have an obligation! Followers of Jesus have a binding responsibility to live each day under His authority, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This invitation to holiness exists in sharp contrast to our default tendency to yield to the impulses of our sinful nature. The spiritual battle is taking place in us all the time!

As a result of the freedom God has given every person, there is an eternal “positional reality” to our salvation, as well as a present “practical reality.”

When we choose to follow Jesus and are “born again” (justified), we have the indwelling Spirit, the transforming Word of God, and the fellowship of the Church to strengthen and guide us on our journey. “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3).

However, as Paul points out, we can choose to ignore all that, remaining spiritually disconnected and immature. Too many “Christians” choose to live like “non-Christians,” appearing to be spiritually “dead” rather than alive in Christ. While they are “positionally” part of God’s family, they can choose instead – like the prodigal son – to live distant from their loving Heavenly Father.

The term “carnal Christianity” has been used to describe this kind of person. That identification assumes that it is possible for a believer who is genuinely saved (born again) to live for a time in a manner that includes willful, habitual sin, with no interest in spiritual things, and with a total absence of remorse. Surely, that condition can’t last indefinitely.

“When (the prodigal son) came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:17-20).

I reckon that the painful consequences of disobedience and the prompting conviction of the indwelling Spirit will eventually lead a wayward follower of Jesus to confession, repentance, and restoration. At some point, consistent disregard for the things of God, coupled with “a life lived according to the flesh,” tangibly contradicts any claim of “Christianity.”

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

Everything about the Christian life is about identity, devotion, loyalty, and loving relationships. Until there is a true change of heart, there is no transformation.

In Renovation of the Heart, Dallas Willard makes this point.

“Real spiritual need and change is on the inside, in the hidden area of the life that God sees and that we cannot even see in ourselves without his help. Without the gentle though rigorous process of inner transformation, initiated and sustained by the graceful presence of God in our world and in our soul, the change of personality and the life clearly announced and spelled out in the Bible, and explained and illustrated throughout Christian history, is impossible.

“Our inner (and therefore outer) being can be transformed to increasingly take on the character of Christ. That transformation is not only possible, but has actually occurred to a significant degree in the lives of many human beings; and it is necessary if our life as a whole is to manifest his goodness and power, and if we as individuals are to grow into the eternal calling that God places upon each life.

“Concretely, we intend to live in the kingdom of God by intending to obey the precise example and teachings of Jesus. This is the form that trust in him takes. It does not take the form of merely believing things about him, however true they may be. Indeed, no one can actually believe the truth about him without trusting him by intending to obey him.

“Perhaps the hardest thing for sincere Christians to come to grips with is the level of real unbelief in their own life; the unformulated skepticism about Jesus that permeates all dimensions of their being and undermines what efforts they do make toward Christlikeness. The idea that you can trust Christ and not intend to obey him is an illusion generated by the prevalence of an unbelieving ‘Christian culture.’

“If I intend to obey Jesus Christ, I must intend and decide to become the kind of person who wouldobey. That is, I must find the means of changing my inner being until it is substantially like his, pervasively characterized by his thoughts, feelings, habits, and relationship to the Father.

“The simplicity of spiritual formation lies in its intention. Its aim is to bring every element in our being, working from the inside out, into harmony with the will of God and the kingdom of God. This is the simple focus.”

God promises, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

What is your heart’s desire today?

Is your primary intent to bring every element in your being into harmony with the will of God and the kingdom of God?

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!