Romans 8:1-8
Scripture teaches that one aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work
is to convict us of sin (John 16:8). His purpose is to turn us from our
iniquity and direct us to God.
One example is Peter, who felt great remorse after denying
he knew Jesus (Matt. 26:75). Another is Paul, who fell to the ground when
Christ came to confront him about his behavior (Acts 9:4). Both men responded
to these convicting experiences by repenting and following the Lord.
At one time we all were spiritually dead. Sin’s presence was
corrupting our human nature from the inside out, blinding us to spiritual
truth. With our will directed towards self and against God, “we were by nature
deserving of wrath” (Eph. 2:3 NIV). In other words, we were under
condemnation and facing eternal death—God’s required payment for our
transgressions. (See Rom. 6:23.) So in our natural state, we were
unconnected to the Lord and headed toward eternal separation from Him.
Although we were helpless to change our situation, God had a
plan that would satisfy His justice and include us in His family. He sent His
Son to be our substitute—to bear our sin and guilt and to die in our place. Not
only did Jesus pay our sin debt in full, but His righteousness also becomes
ours the moment we place trust in Him.
The Holy Spirit convicts us of our guilt before God, and,
thankfully, we don’t have to be separated from Him now or throughout eternity.
Have you received Jesus as your personal Savior? If so, then recognize that
your position before the Lord has been changed from guilty to righteous.
Thought for today:
Am I willing to let go of the illusion of control to let God have His way?
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