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July 20, 2024
- By Ed Powell
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"Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cling to that which is good." Romans 12:9
Christianity's foundation is a person, Jesus Christ. It is a life...His life lived through us. Jesus Christ gave His life for us, that He might abide in us, and manifest His life through us. If the whole of our spiritual being is possessed by Jesus Christ, the life and love of Christ will be manifested in all that we do. Norman Grubb, a great man of faith, said, "It's the overflow of the Holy Spirit that ministers, and is a blessing, inspiration, and encouragement to others." And what is it that prevails above all else? The love of God flowing freely and fully through us! Love is to characterize the believer who has become the "temple of the Holy Spirit." Love must take off every disguise of deceit, discharge every sham of shallowness, and cleanse every impediment that will hinder the flow of His love through us.
Recently, I was working to repair my sprinkler system. The grass was getting brown from lack of water. I proceeded to take the sprinkler head apart and found a very small pebble lodged in the groove where the water sprays out. It was an impediment, ever so small, but it stopped the free flow of water. I thought, how true that is to my spiritual life when sin, as small as it may seem, comes between my heart and the Holy Spirit. The flow of God's love through me ceases, and my spiritual life becomes ineffective and lifeless. Love must flow within our hearts in an unhindered channel free from every impediment, with our lives made bare before the world, overflowing with His life within.
The story is told of an elderly retired man who was anxious to be used of the Lord. So he went to his pastor and asked if he could teach a Sunday school class of boys. "That would be a great idea," the pastor said, "but you will have to round up the boys for your class." The man diligently went around the neighborhood and finally gathered together 16 boys. He tried to interest them with activities, but his personal interest and his loving heart, more than anything else, won these boys to Christ. His life was simply overflowing with the love of God, and these boys responded with the dedication of their lives to the Lord. One day the elderly teacher had a heart attack and soon died. His teaching had ended, but the influence of his "heart of love" had just begun. Thirteen of those boys are in full-time ministry, and the other three are Christian laymen...the influence of a life lived under the control and lordship of Christ!
What was the magnetic force that brought such startling results? It was a life without impediments, a transparent life in which the Holy Spirit not only filled his cup, that overflowed with the love of God to minister, encourage, challenge, and inspire those young boys to give their lives without reservation to the Lord. Oh, that we would put the principles of our faith into the practice of our faith, letting HIS LIFE BE LIVED THROUGH US...WITHOUT IMPEDIMENTS...EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPRIT. Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me."
© 2007 by Ed Powell. Used by permission.
This page was reprinted by permission from: http://litmin.org/dare.php?date=2024-07-20&print=1
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