Gal. 3:1-5
Theme - Avoid being blinded to the Spirit by relying on works of the flesh.
What happens to people who prefer to live by the letter of the law rather than by the Spirit of grace? While the Bible urges us to perfection, you do not become holy through the keeping of the law. Paul saw in the Galatians, people who were going back to their former legalistic traditions. The Judaizers convinced them to return to the law of offering sacrifices for sins instead of relying on Christ’s atonement. The Gnostics tried to convince the Galatians of the importance of getting God’s favor through superior knowledge. Both were using heretical substitutes for the sufficiency of faith in Christ. They tried to substitute the law for the reliance on the Spirit for righteousness. The Spirit is not given because we worked for His favor. We do not deserve His precious gifts. The Spirit is not given to whoever struggles to be good. The Spirit is given to those who trust in Christ for their righteousness. Do not try to erect extra requirements for bringing others into God’s family. Stop inventing human qualifications for spiritual maturity. He will perfect us according to His timing, will, and power! The pursuit of perfection is the pursuit of love, truth, and light.
Question - What are the problems of living by the flesh and not by the Spirit?
Prayer - Lord, help us avoid being more dependent on our works than on your Spirit’s power.
March 2nd Gal. 3:10-14
Theme - As promised in the Abrahamic covenant, the Spirit is the sum of all blessings.
How can we become beneficiaries of the promises God gave to Abraham? Righteousness is not merely the absence of vice or the presence of virtue. It is a consuming passion for God that sends you forth in His name to establish His kingdom. Through the Spirit, all believers share in the great covenant blessings God gave to Abraham. (Gen. 15 & 17) "Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness." While the law brings condemnation, faith brings justification. The purpose of the law is to expose and judge the guilty. Since Christ has redeemed us from the curse of law, we receive these promises by our saving faith. The covenant is a promise from the Father that we will share in His divine nature escaping the corruptions of the world. As our faith grows He will multiply our spiritual seed as many as the sand that is by the sea. If we have not fully received the Holy Spirit into our lives, we are deprived of these eternal benefits. None of this is earned by church attendance, education, or even right human friendships. Let Christ free you from slavery to the law. Live by the promise of the Spirit rather than by your cunning, connections, or culture. Human excellence besides God, is like the fabled flower that is beautiful, but artificial.
Question - What are the reasons some people fail to experience the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant?
Prayer - Lord, help us to appropriate all of the blessings given to us through the Spirit by faith.
March 3rd Gal. 5:22,23
Theme - The fruit of the Spirit is love; joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control are its by-products.
What are the ways that people misunderstand the nature of the fruit of the Spirit? A person’s wealth does not depend so much on what he has as on what he can without. The fruit of Spirit allows a person freedom from dependence on the works of the flesh. Paul tells us that He gives the fruit in a singular not plural form. Love is the crowning virtue of a Spirit controlled believer. Love is an unselfish concern that seeks anothers’ good. It is the true expression of the Spirit that lives within each believer. God is love. Those who do not love, do not know God. When one loves through the power of the Spirit, joy will follow. Joy is the deep satisfaction gained through His will. Peace is given to those love, resting in the Spirit. Patience is an expression of love’s endurance. Kindness is shown through those who love with an understanding of God’s considerations to weaknesses. Goodness is the quality of a sterling character softened by love. Love endures all types of suffering without losing control of one’s emotions. The wealthiest man is the most spiritually fruitful. Spiritual fruit abides forever, riches fly away with time. The fruit of the Spirit gives one a many-sided virtuous character. Do not be content to blessed by the Spirit, produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
Question - What are the ways that we can determine if we are deficient in the fruit of the Spirit?
Prayer - Lord, help us to abide in you so your Spirit can produce much fruit through us.
March 4th …………
Gal. 5:24,25
Theme - Living by the Spirit means applying the teachings of the Spirit in our actions, words, and thoughts.
What is the reason some people live by the Spirit, yet fail to walk in the Spirit? Passive Christians grow complacent to the prompting of the Spirit to obedience. They are like one military Governor of Plateau State who called idle workers, "Those who sit all day killing their trousers." "Zaman kashe wando." To walk in the Spirit means that we recognize there is much work to do. Wonderful things happen to us when we live expectantly, believe confidently, and pray affirmatively. Be willing to cooperate with His ministries. Do not be lazy, undisciplined, or slow to respond to the Spirit’s directives. Soldiers who are out of step with their commanders are disciplined. Believers who are not walking with the Spirit will be chastened. As He leads, we must follow. Do not lag behind His commands offering excuses. There is no excuse for failing to keep in step with the Spirit. Do not try to do things without His enabling. Try not to fall behind or run ahead of His marching orders. Live so anyone speaking against you will be recognized as a liar. Straight living cannot come out of crooked thinking. If your religion means much to you, live so it will mean much to others. Keep in step with Spirit or you will become conceited, provoking, and envious.
Question - What are some errors to avoid in failing to walk in the Spirit?
Prayer - Lord, help us to walk according to your will, way, and Spirit in every aspect of life.
March 5th Gal 6:1,2
Theme - The Spirit controlled man can restore the erring brethren.
What is the reason that many erring brethren are seldom restored to full fellowship? The most lonely place in the world is human heart without the Spirit’s love. Many people are lonely because they build walls and not bridges. Only through the Spirit can one display the gracious patience, forbearance, and understanding needed to bring one back to fellowship. Remorse does not always mean one is repentant. Sorrow does not always mean Godly sorrow. The Spirit gives you discernment to determine the genuinely repentant. First, be sure that you are a Spiritual person. Seek to be reconcile men through the Spirit. This means use the scripture, prayer, and Godly counsellors. Reconciliation requires a person who will not get personally embroiled or tempted in the process. We must stay objective without letting our personal feelings cloud our judgment. It is impossible to mend a broken bone without the Spirit’s healing touch. Likewise, men vainly struggle to unite backslidden brethren without the Spirit’s reconciling hand. The Spirit helps restore men through His love, tenderness, and understanding. Spiritual men are needed to restore erring people. Forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the high cost of hatred, and the waste of energy. Ask the Spirit for His restorative help in bringing straying sheep back to the fold.
Question - What are the requirements of one who wishes to carry out the ministry of restoration?
Prayer - Lord, help us be led by the Spirit in our restorative ministries.
March 6th Rom. 8:1-6
Theme - Wasting time is wasting the Spirit’s seed for sowing and missing out on an eternal harvest of joy.
What are the reasons some people fail to sow fruitfully in the Spirit? Some men who say what they think may be courageous, but also fruitless. Carnal people prefer to sow to their flesh. They enjoy following their impulses rather than the prompting of the Spirit. The carnal life is hostile to God. If you think you have an unpleasant neighbor, chances are he thinks so too. God’s Spirit opposes the fleshly minded man. Selfish interests are self-destructive. One day, these people will awaken to discover all of the many wasted opportunities. They could have sown Spiritual seeds rather than fleshly ones. They will weep at all the treasures they could have laid up in heaven. Lost chances to love, lead people to Christ, and serve the Father, will be remembered for an eternity. Many carnal believers will be given no more than a guard shack to dwell in heaven. Let us labor for the food that never perishes. Self-sacrifice is the real miracle out of which all the reported miracles grew. The more a man denies himself, the more the Spirit can control. The more we deny ourselves for Christ, the more we shall enjoy ourselves in Christ. God created time to use for investing in eternity.
Question - What are the reasons people succumb to temptations to sow to the flesh rather than to the Spirit?
Prayer - Lord, help us to count the costs of sowing to our selfish nature considering the benefits of sowing Spiritual seeds of righteousness.
March 7th …………
Phil. 1:19-26
Theme - The Spirit’s help supplies us with the grace we need to turn everything from being tolerable to triumphant.
What are the reasons people lack assistance in times of need? Some great people in history were poor. God could have made all of us rich or all poor. Had all people become rich, who would need to be patient. If all men were poor, who would understand the goodness of God’s bounty. Paul wrote, "My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory." (Phil. 4:19) At the time Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, the word "supply" took on special meaning. Paul wrote these words while chained to a guard in prison. Somehow, Paul sensed the supernatural supply of grace to accomplish His will. No matter what shortages you faced, He can supply all your needs. In Paul’s day, if someone wanted to prepare for a wedding, he would have to hire the performers for the music and entertainment. Paul writes that the "supply" of the Spirit not only works in giving us God’s resources, but makes them harmonize with our situations. The Holy Spirit becomes our band-leader supplying, harmonizing, and adding to whatever is needed. He supplies us with abundant grace for every circumstance. His supply may not make us fat, but it will always be sufficient. Even the devil’s blows cannot deter us from gaining His spiritual, emotional, or material provisions. If you are short of provisions, ask God to supply you according to His Heavenly Central Bank. His supply chests are unlimited.
Question - What are the reasons people seem unable to draw upon the supply of the Spirit?
Prayer - Lord, help us to wait, trust, and seek your supply for our every need.
March 8th Phil. 2:1,2
Theme - Communion in the Spirit emphasizes our fellowship, oneness, and common purposes.
What are the problems faced by those who are not in communion with the Spirit? There are several things that sap man of strength: fear, ignorance, and sin. David writes in Psalms 84:5, "Blessed is the man who strength is in you." To be in fellowship with the Spirit means that we have all things in common with God. To be out of fellowship with Spirit is to be disunified with His purposes and power. As oil and water do not mix, so the holy God cannot have communion with a person without the Spirit. We are constantly dependent on Him for our reconciliations, renewal, and restorations with God. The Spirit provides our spiritual electricity that allows us to stay plugged into God’s power. Without the communication provided through the Spirit, much confusion, misunderstandings, and problems result. His Spirit gives us the ability to come to agreement on the truth through His ministries of illumination. Through this communion we can love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. Without this communion we all become cold, harsh, and self-righteously judgmental. Selfishness and conceit are the worst enemies to fellowship with the Spirit. Do not let anger or pride hinder your communion with the Father. Pride and grace do not dwell in the same place at the same time. When trouble knocks at your door be too busy in communion with the Spirit to hear the temptation.
Question - What are the difficulties faced by one who loses His communion with the Spirit?
Prayer - Lord, help us to appropriate our fellowship in the Spirit through a more intimate communion.
March 9th …………
.. Col. 1:3-8
Theme - The love of the Spirit is totally unlike the natural love of man.
What are the chief distinctions between the love of the Spirit and natural love? All love should be a stepping stone to loving God. Those who love in the Spirit never grow old, they may die of old age, but they die youthfully. While natural love relies on one’s instincts to care for members of the family, the love of the Spirit relies on God’s supernatural motivations. The natural love of man is given in measure, degree, and is subject to our personal moods. Spiritual love is unchanging. Human love is usually partial to its own people, but the love of the Spirit knows no such prejudices. Man’s love is temporary, but the love of the Spirit lasts through all kinds of situations. Natural love is based on attractive qualities, but spiritual love comes from within a person’s mind. Human love is often conditional, selfish, and ends when one’s gratifications cease. An unconditional love of the Spirit gives without thought of getting back. It knows no limit to its endurance, no fading of its trust, or diluting of its commitment. Spiritual love is a fruit from the Spirit. It is impossible to manufacture Godly love without the Spirit’s controlling. The more Spiritually mature you are, the sweeter your fruits will become. Love demands all and it has a right to. If you neglect to love your neighbor, you profess your love for God in vain.
Question - What are the ways that we can replace our human affections with heavenly love.
Prayer - Lord, help us to love others through the Spirit’s controlling.
March 10th I Thes 1:5-9
Theme - The power of the Spirit converts, changes, and transforms idol worshippers into world class worshippers of God.
What are the ways that the power of the Spirit produces changes? Men never need to be taught how to hate, but the Spirit produces a supernatural love. The Spirit teaches us how to give unconditionally without thought of getting anything in return. The gospel given without the power of the Spirit has little effects upon its hearers. Yet, when the Thessalonians became Christians, Paul said, "Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction." The Spirit through the gospel and the testimony of Paul transformed idol worshippers into Godly men and women. Truly their attitudes, conversations, and actions gave witness that they did not just have a superficial experience with God. Paul’s ministry exhibited effective contextualization both in content and in method. The Thessalonians changed was heralded around the world. He said that the word of the Lord has sounded forth through the whole world. The Spirit enabled these former idol worshippers to embrace the truth while forsaking their former allegiances. The Spirit brought such a strong conviction in the new believers that they can resist stiff persecutions from even members of their own families. Paul could fully attest to the transforming power of the Spirit. The highly educated former Pharisee, Paul wrote, "If I have not love I am nothing." Question - What are the evidences that a person is speaking in the power of the Spirit?
Prayer - Lord, help us to speak, love, and act through the power of the Spirit and not simply with our own energies.
March 11th …………
I Thes. 5:18,19
Theme - Do not quench the Spirit’s warmth, love, and spontaneous expressions of giving.
What are the various ways that people quench the Spirit of God? The person without the Spirit’s love becomes a burden to everyone, including himself. In contrast, the Spirit infuses great motivations in believers. Believers are given new desires to love and obey the truth. However, an overly mechanical, authoritarian, or legalistic leadership style can stifle the Spirit’s ministries. It is easy to pour cold water on the fire of some young believer’s enthusiasm with overly critical attitudes as well. Do not be guilty of stifling the Spirit in others with a overly judgmental attitude. Many young people have lost interest in the church because some elders burden them with adherence to worn out traditions. The Spirit is interested in growth far more than adhering to traditions for their own sake. Disobedience to the will and character of God can further extinguish the light of the gospel. Unbelief can dampen the Spirit’s fiery brilliance to those who are in darkness. The Spirit is a sensitive lover who can be hurt through our insensitivity, rudeness, or lack of respect. Failing to give people opportunities to exercise their gifts because of jealousy, suspicion, or pride may also quench the Spirit’s fire. To quench means to stifle, suppress, or extinguish the Spirit’s energizing. Let us be careful of doing anything that will dim the glow of the Spirit shining through us. Kindness converts more sinners than zeal, eloquence, or knowledge.
Question - What are the some common ways that people you know quench the Spirit of God’s ministry?
Prayer - Lord, help us to do what we can to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit aglow.
March 12th I Tim. 4:1-5
Theme - The Spirit warns us of the increasing degree of evil during these final days before Christ’s coming.
What are indications that the Spirit’s prediction of increased evil is coming true? If you cannot hate evil, you cannot love good. Today we are seeing more people live as if evil is only a temporary moral lapse. The Spirit told Paul that the latter days would be filled with liars, demon-possessed men, money lovers, loveless men, unforgiving men, slanderers, conceited, and pleasure seekers etc. Many are going to be deceived by false spirits. The naive will suffer through their gullibility. Being able to listen closely to the discernment of the Spirit will save one from disaster. Through the preserving ministry of the Spirit, we do not have to grow discouraged or lose heart. Through Him we are enabled to escape every temptation that comes our way. (I Cor. 10:13) The Spirit has a way of helping us keep up our guard against all the wickedness of this world. He provides us with a calm in the midst of the stormy dissolutions. Beware of the false teachings of deceitful teachers who will lead many astray. Do not be shocked that many will abandoned the truth for attractive philosophies. Many will allow themselves to be used by the devil for personal profit. While the world grows darker, the Spirit filled believers will grow brighter in their discernment. Vision is the art of seeing things others cannot see.
Question - What are the reasons some believers fall into the traps of these evil temptations?
Prayer - Lord, help us to take heed to the Spirit’s warning and shine brighter as the world becomes darker in sin.
March 13th …………
.. 2 Tim. 1:13,14
Theme - The Spirit helps guard the treasures given to us by our Father.
What are the ways that the Spirit helps protect our spiritual treasures from theft or destruction? God has deposited untold riches into every believer that the Holy Spirit stands guard over. He can keep that which we entrust to Him until we reach heaven’s shore. His glory, testimony, and kingdom are entrusted to us by the Father. Nothing can penetrate the Spirit’s shield since God’s reputation is on the line with His children. The Spirit never sleeps, becomes distracted, or is tricked by any clever thieves. His defense is so sure that neither spirits, set-backs, or even our sinful nature cannot break down the walls of His fortress around us. Do not think that the Spirit will assume all the responsibility for your protection. Never grow passive in thinking that the Spirit’s defenses renders you invulnerable to attack. The devil prowls around you like a roaring lion, seeking to destroy your reputation, peace, and testimony. It is only when we allow the Spirit to control our every thought, attitude, and action that He can do His greatest work. Guard the deposit of the Spirit by becoming more intimately acquainted with Him through a deeper faith and love. Habitual obedience allows you to sink your roots deep into the soil of His fertile grace. When the winds of trials threaten you, the Spirit will keep you strong, steadfast, and firmly rooted in Him.
Question - What are the ways that our sins make us vulnerable to attack from the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Prayer - Lord, help us to remain committed to your Spirit’s sure defense.
