Unexpected Joy: Finding True Purpose in SurrenderSample

The "Real How" Is a "Who"

God has called us to loving actions for his glory and our good, but he also says we can’t do it without him, at least not in the way that aligns with our purpose, or that results in the complete joy and life-giving fruit he desires for us. Some will be encouraged and excited to know that God has graciously provided his Spirit to come alongside us to accomplish his will. Others will push back on the idea, will be discouraged at the (apparent) loss of control, and will struggle to let go of the ideas of fairness and comparative performance.

The case of the apostle Paul is helpful to this discussion. Of all those who followed Jesus in the first century, Paul would’ve benefited most from a system of fairness that rewarded effort and performance. Instead, he consistently pointed to God alone as the source of salvation, faith, and any good deeds that truly honor God. The only way Paul would promote a system that didn’t offer him an advantage would be if he knew, from experience, that the system of fairness and reward was not from God.

The apostle Paul often taught about how incapable we are in our own strength, by specifically identifying actions that require faith and the Holy Spirit. Even our faith itself is a gift of the Spirit and has nothing to do with our efforts. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

An abundance of Scripture says the Spirit will help us with just about anything and everything related to growing in Christian maturity and fulfilling our purpose. He helps us with things like prayer, unbelief, understanding Scripture, fighting against the schemes of the enemy, and even what to say when we are witnessing for Christ.

Let this sink in for a moment. The Savior of the world promised to ask the Father to send the Spirit, we can have an intensely personal relationship with him, and he lives in us as a guide and helper, to accomplish the will of God, for our good and for his glory. In the context of the fairness and performance-driven world we live in, this is one of the most encouraging truths we can ever know.

Just like our sin problem was addressed on the cross by the person of Jesus Christ, our inability to live fully for the glory of God is addressed by the person of the Holy Spirit. We can’t do self-transformation, but Scripture says the Spirit can transform the heart of the believer. The question is simply: will we settle for the limited love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness (and the rest) we can produce on our own, or will we embrace the real how and pursue the life-giving fruit that only comes from him?

Something to Remember:

None of us can live the Christian life on our own. We need the fellowship and power of the Holy Spirit to grow in faith, maturity, and holiness.