Twin Peaks

The scripture for today is Ephesians 4:30

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed unto the day of redemption. 

Those who are redeemed by the blood of Christ have received the most precious gift that God has given to us. In addition to His redeeming grace, God extends His very presence into our lives. That presence is the person of the Holy Spirit. He is, at once, the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. "But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." Romans 8:9 

God has always sought to have a people whom He could personally dwell among. He created man to live with Him, to enjoy fellowship with Him, to have an intimate relationship with Him. God is holy; He can only enjoy fellowship within the context of holiness. Those who desire to have heart a where the Spirit of God lives must present themselves in holiness. Holiness is not something that we manufacture; it is received from God as our lives are surrendered to Him. We come to God, offer Him our tattered, bruised and sinful lives, which He takes, and transforms into new lives. These transformed lives are dedicated to God, they become His and are no longer our own. Everything that is dedicated to God becomes His and is holy. The problem arises when we take the lives that are dedicated to God and use them for ungodly, unholy activities and purposes. The Holy Spirit is grieved when a life that has been redeemed by Christ is used to promote anything other than Christ. We must not use that which is dedicated to God to glorify the world.

In the Old Testament, everything in God's sanctuary, His dwelling place, reflected Christ, His holiness, and His plan of salvation. Today, God's people are that dwelling place and everything in us should reflect Christ and His holiness. How can a living sanctuary, a dwelling place of God's Holy Spirit be entertained by ungodly movies and TV programs, worldly music, fleshly poetry, violent video games and the like? How can the living temples of God talk like the world, think like the world and behave like the world? It grieves the Holy Spirit. Let us leave the ungodly things of the world to the world and let the people of God boldly live the life of Christ; holy and undefiled with the world and its perverted way of thinking and living. God has sealed us with His Spirit and if we have been so sealed, let us live lives that reflect Him, His holiness and His pure love that extends the saving grace of Christ to a world that so desperately need Him.

God bless you as you continue in His service.

Tim