Daily Encouragement: Day 294

Adapted from Handbook to Spiritual Growth

DEPENDENCE

The life of Christ can only be reproduced in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. As an inner work of God, it is not achieved by human effort, but by divine enabling. Apart from Christ and the power of His Spirit, we can accomplish nothing in the sight of God (John 15:4–5; Acts 1:8). Therefore it is crucial that we develop a conscious sense of dependence upon the Spirit’s power in all that we do (see Ephesians 1:19; 3:16; 5:18).

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”
(Galatians 5:16)

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”
(Galatians 5:25)

The word for “walk” in the first verse is general and refers to life in its totality. The word for “walk” in the second verse is specific and refers to a step-by-step process of daily life. Just as Jesus walked in total dependence upon the life of His Father (John 6:57; 14:10), so we must rest in the same source of power. We were never meant to create life, but to receive and display Christ’s life in us.

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