God's Holy Fire: 'Not of the Letter but of the Spirit'

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Merry Christmas!

We pray the Lord blesses you with the grace of Jesus' presence this Christmas!

 Read More
Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
— 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 NIV

Key Thought

God's words in Scripture remind us of both his holiness and his holy standards for us. "The letter" — that is, legalism — kills. It leaves us afraid because of the deadly results of our sin. It leaves us full of shame when we rebel against the will of our Father in heaven. However, through Jesus' death and resurrection, we are brought to a new covenant between God and his people. Filled with the Holy Spirit, each of us is transformed and empowered to be a new person, literally a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are redeemed, saved by grace, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to find life and to live to honor and display the character and compassion of our Father (Romans 8:1-4). We are freed from fear and shame because the Spirit is the guarantee not just of our forgiveness but also of our cleansing (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) and our salvation (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14).

Today's Prayer

O God, our confidence is in Christ, who died for our sins and who was raised for our righteousness and now has filled us and empowered us with the Holy Spirit. May our words, our thoughts, our hearts, and our lives show Jesus as we seek to share him with others. It is in his name, the Lord Jesus Christ, that we pray. Amen.

Comments

Archived Facebook Comments

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Charles Dickens:
"Train up a fig tree in the way it should go, and when you are old sit under the shade of it."
Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
Proverbs 29:13
"The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both."
Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
Acts 9:4-5
"He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"   "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.   "I am Jesus, whom you are..."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'Love Displaces Fear of Judgment' (1 Jn. 4:18-19)
"There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of..."

Illustration

Illustration of 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 NIV — He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations