“Don’t be backward in zeal. Glow with the Spirit. Serve the Lord.” Romans 12:11 As we draw nearer and get to know God better our zeal shows by our glow with the Spirit as we serve the Lord. This inner glow is a reflection of the glory of God.
The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And all of us, reflecting the Lord’s glory in our unveiled faces, are changed from glory to glory to be like Him, as we expect it from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Messiah, he is not his. If Messiah is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him who raised up Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Messiah Yeshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:9-11 WMB
The Spirit produces the fruits of the presence of the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Messiah in us and through us. What the Spirit produces makes for harmonious relationships in the kingdom of God on earth. As we grow up into the Messiah, more and more of our thoughts, emotions, motivation and actions are in accord with the love God pours into our new creature hearts.
Judy and I know a man named Leonard who loves with that kind of love. He is so full of God’s love he can’t contain it. It oozes out of his pores. He glows with the Spirit.
When we were first getting acquainted back in the 70’s, I had some very rough edges. God gave me prophetic insight and disinterment of the sorry condition of some of His people and sorry teachings that violated God’s Word and thwarted Jesus’ leading. During a conversation I would occasionally burst out with a short but harsh tirade about a blatant error being promoted in books, on TV or in our church gathering. Leonard’s glow would dim. He wouldn’t say anything to me, but I could see I was grieving his heart. It convicted me and helped me get back to the gentle nature God gave me by His Spirit and by my parents example. Gentle love is the better way to serve the Lord.
The gospel of the kingdom prepares us for real life. In real life, we need a lot of help from God, especially to walk in love, glowing with the Spirit. Just going about our life with family, friends and co-workers often presents challenges. Children get sick and cranky. We have a spat with our spouse. Friends turn out not to be friends. Co-workers connive on ways to make us look bad. Our trusted Christian leaders teach error or their atrocious hidden sins are revealed. On top of that, the devil is still running around loose and his evil forces are arrayed against us.
Love breaks in. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For the joy that was set before Him Jesus endured the cross. God has rescued us from the tyranny of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. Jesus conquered Satan and broke his power, but He didn’t remove him from the earth and we still need to resist the devil. He hates. We love. Faith works by love. Love is to the glory of God. When we love, we reflect God’s glory.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Messiah have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another. Galatians 5:22-25 WMB
You are a chosen people, priests of a King, a holy nation, a people saved to be His own and to tell of the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9