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In Romans 12: 9- 21, we read about the marks or characteristics of a follower of Christ. These are not marks that we can do in our own strength or willpower, but because of the Holy Spirit living in our lives.
Romans 12:10-11; “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in Spirit; serve the Lord.”
We need the daily work and ministry of the Holy Spirit to:
- Love people! We cannot love people without the Holy Spirit. We need Him to live with and to love people. Because without Him we cannot love ourselves or love people!
- Honor people! We live in a culture today where we do not honor people. We put down people; we hate people who are different than ourselves. We do not respect people today. That is why we need the Holy Spirit to honor people because they are created in the image of God!
- We will not lose our spiritual zeal! Have we drifted spiritually, or are we willing to shift? Are we just going through the motions of serving Jesus, or do we still have passion in following Him?
- Be fervent in Spirit! That means we are still in love with Jesus! We are still spiritually hot, and not lukewarm!
- I will serve the Lord today! I will do His will in my life and not become a spectator spiritually.
Remember, these are marks of the Spirit in our personal life with Jesus. I must stay filled with the Spirit to see these things produced in our daily life!
How are we doing? Can these marks be seen in our life?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Pastor Ronald Squibb has been the International Christian Center (ICC) Lead Senior Pastor at Staten Island, New York, since 2011. He draws on many experiences from his over 40 years as a pastor and from significant emotional experiences.
His new book, Following the Journey with Jesus, which he co-authored with Daniel McNaughton, was recently published and is receiving rave reviews. The daily devotion appears in this publication.
