_edited.jpg)
How the Holy Spirit Can Transform You into Your Most Christlike Self
Leviticus 11:44 "I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy."
The bible teaches us in Leviticus 11:44 that we are to be holy because we serve a holy God. WOW! That's a verse loaded with pressure. It feels impossible to be holy even on our best days. However, like many in their Christian walk, I do see myself slowly transforming to be more Christlike all the time. I wouldn't call myself holy, but I'll keep striving to be because that's what the Word calls me to do.
Today, I'd like to share a few ways in which we can be filled with the Holy Spirit every day. First things first, you have to be a believer. You have to receive Jesus as your savior. Acts 2:38 tells us to "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Repent and be baptized. Yes, Jesus died for our sins because we are imperfect, but we still must strive be holy. Repentance is an important part of that. For a long time, I thought that repentance meant being remorseful over my sins. But repentance and remorse are two different things. Remorse is a state of being regretful, but repentance, according to the bible, is about changing your ways.
You'll never be perfect overnight but asking the Holy Spirit to make you strong enough to change your ways is a great start.
Acts 1:8 tells us clearly that you will 'receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.' To channel this power all you have to do is ASK. Every single morning, wake up and pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
We need this power each and every day because we are living in the flesh. Paul tells us in Romans 8:6 that"the mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."
Living in the flesh means giving into our bodily desires instead of living in the Spirit of God. In this world those of us not living in the flesh are the minority. In this culture its tough but we must hold strong to our faith. This is why it's important to seek Christian community to help us stay strong and to be lead and influenced by the ways of Jesus. For more on living in Christian community check out the link below to read my blog about Christian Community: Why You Need It and What the Bible Says About It (kingdomthreadsbyamy.wixsite.com)
Another reason to be filled by the Holy Spirit daily is that 'the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans' (Romans 8:26).
The Holy Spirit will pray for us and intercede for us when we don't know what to say or don't even realize we need prayer. The most important way that the Holy Spirit can help us become more Christlike is because of the gift it brings. In Galatians 5:22-23 we learn that 'the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.' Jesus was all these things so to be more Christlike we need to strive to be these things as well.
The last step is to rest in His grace and surrender to His will. This means walking in faith, knowing that God's plans and timing are greater than ours. We can't see the full picture like God can. Knowing this is so important because it's hard to let go of control and trust that it is all in His plan when we can't see or understand the WHY. We must walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
So, lets recap. To be filled with the Holy Spirit we must:
1. Believe and repent.
2. ASK to be filled with the Holy Spirit! I recommend doing this daily. As soon as you wake up.
3. Surrender to His will
4. Walk by faith.
In Jesus, the work is already done. The battle has already been won. That's why Jesus is the best news ever. If you're not a follower of Jesus prayer this prayer for me to change your life today. "Heavenly Father, I believe the Jesus died for me on the cross, paying for my sins. I believe that He rose from the dead. Forgive my sins and wash me clean in the blood of Christ. I ask you to be my Savior. I put my faith and trust in you knowing that my salvation is not dependent on my works but on the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Amen.
Hey! While you're here, click the link below to check out my Christian Apparel Store!
Comments