Victorious PowerSample

The Danger

I Thessalonians 5:19

Do not quench the Spirit.

 I still remember my childhood days when we would camp for two weeks each summer in Yosemite National Park. There was nothing like the smell of the campfire in the morning in that cold, crisp air. That fire not only provided warmth against the morning frost it also provided the heat to cook an amazing outdoor breakfast. 

But one of the jobs we had before we would head out to hike or fish was to put out the fire. I can remember dumping water on the fire to quench it and watch as the potency of the fire faded away. Once the embers were out, we could head out for a day of fun.

Right now, in this moment, the indwelling Holy Spirit is like a roaring fire prepared to empower your every moment. In fact, that is His natural disposition. Think about what Jesus tells His disciples in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” 

 He doesn’t say, “You will receive the potential for power.”  He says, “You will receive power.”

 Paul affirms this truth in 2 Timothy 1:7, when he writes, For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. As a follower of Jesus, because you have the Holy Spirit indwelling you, you have that power in you right now. Not the potential for power. But God’s actual power.

The problem is, most Christians live a life of quenching that power. It’s like pouring water on that roaring campfire. The potency of the indwelling Christ is diminished to smoldering ashes. It’s a simple but powerful truth: if you aren’t experiencing God’s power in your life, then you’ve doused it. You're keeping the power of God that indwells you from living through you.

So how do you realize the power of the Holy Spirit in your life? Through a life of faith and obedience. 

In the last reading we saw the imperative of faith. The writer to the Hebrews affirms this in Hebrews 11:6, without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Faith is the key.

 To take it a step further, in Ephesians 4:30, the apostle Paul commands us, And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. You and I grieve Him when we fail to trust Him to work through us or we sin. And His power is then quenched.

Here’s what I encourage you to meditate on today. What is your disposition towards the indwelling Spirit of God? It shouldn’t be to try and figure out how to get more of God's power. But rather you should lean into every day with the knowledge that the Spirit is indwelling you and He expects to empower you each and every moment. Your role is to get out of His way and trust Him to work in your life!

Don’t continue quenching the work of the Spirit in your life. Let go and entrust your life each day completely to Him. And then watch as He goes to work. You’ll be amazed.