July 04th, 2021

​The Holy Spirit resides in us when we decide to accept Jesus into our hearts. At this moment we are ‘sealed’, or a sign of ownership is placed in us, a pledge from God of what He will do for us (Eph 1:13-14). The great news is that we become God’s own possession! ​The indwelling Holy Spirit then sets up shop and begins a long-protracted expansion and renovation programme inside of us.

​ Before we come to into a relationship with Jesus, we are spiritually dead, this new life begins to form in us and renovate us to become more like Jesus. This is to enable Jesus to live His life out through us.
As Christians it can be very easy to fall into a wrong view of Holiness. Even though we have the Holy Spirit living within us, we should not shy away from taking Him into our everyday situations. Sometimes we can hide away our belief in Jesus in our work situations like we are guarding a candle against the wind. We cover it we hide it from the breeze that may snuff out or violate something we are trying to foster.
The problem with this thinking is the example lived out by Jesus. He did not believe His holiness was something to be kept separate from the ‘dirty’ world like the Pharisees did. Jesus was not about to undertake ceremonial washings or purification rights that were more made for man than by God. Jesus took His holiness (The Holy Spirit) right into situations.
Jesus ate with the hated tax collectors like Matthew, prostitutes, sinners, the spiritually dirty, those who’s sin had broken them and cost them more than they had. He spent time with the people that the Pharisees considered unclean. The great unwashed, those who found it too hard or too difficult to live up to the religious laws because of the social status, their lack of education these were the people Jesus chose to sit down with and break bread.
It must have been such an honour for some of these to have Jesus who was revered as a teacher, a Rabbi, and his followers (Though how many of these enjoyed these dinners we will never know) coming to spend time with those who would more than likely never get a look in.
Jesus, the sinless son of God spent time with those who would never get a look in the temple. God stepped aside from those who practiced righteousness (albeit their own) to step towards those who were lost, stepped in sin and far from God.
Because…. Jesus believed that His holiness was contagious. He believed that by being close to these people shone a light into them that they craved. Jesus sought to bring healing to the lives of those who would love God when the light was shined into the darkness of the spiritually dead.
He calls us to do the same. To take His Holy Spirit in us into our everyday lives. Not as a candle in windy conditions, but as a light to shine into the darkness of a spiritually dead world. The Holiness of His Spirit will draw people to Himself through us. What an amazing privilege.
Let us this week ask God how we can bring the contagious Holiness of Jesus into our everyday situations and ask for wisdom for who that light is for (James 1:5).
 
Dave Maharey