Day 10 Devotional Before United Prayer: (about 2:20 minute reading)
Christ Living in the Believer
Christ living in the believer through the infilling of the Spirit causes the character of Christ to be fully developed in them. The Holy Spirit produces the “fruit of the Spirit” when He dwells within us (Galatians 5:22-23). This wonderful fruit of character will be manifested in the life more and more abundantly as the Spirit takes greater possession of the life. The Spirit will take such control of the believer that they will become like Jesus in every way (1 John 3:2). Ellen White very nicely described this in the following statement:
All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God, as it is our privilege to know Him, our lives will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us. (Desire of Ages, 668)
The baptism of the Holy Spirit will bring about the fulfillment of Christ’s promise that the believers would do the “works” He did and even greater works (John 14:12). Christ will do the same works today through the believer as He did when He walked this earth 2,000 years ago. This happens when the believer receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit and continues to walk in the Spirit. In fact, Jesus said the believers would do “greater works” because Jesus’s works will be manifested through every believer that receives Him fully through the daily baptism of the Holy Spirit. In a very real sense every believer reflects Christ to the world. We become Christ’s mouth, Christ’s hands, Christ’s feet, doing the very works He did: preaching, teaching, healing, casting out devils, etc.
Christ is our example in all things. Every word He spoke, and every work He did, was not really Him speaking and doing. He was simply an empty vessel in whom His Father dwelled through the Holy Spirit. Because of this Jesus said of Himself:
“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”
Personal Reading for Discussion:
Our experience is to be similar to that of Christ. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is to live in us, speak through us, and work through us. Our daily receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit enables Christ to live out His righteous life of obedience in and through us. Our personal victory over temptation and sin is simply Christ’s victory lived out in our lives. As a result, His righteousness will be seen in us as we choose to let Him manifest His righteous life in us and believe He will. This is righteousness by faith.
It is this full “manifestation of the sons of God” that the whole of creation awaits (Romans 8:19). When this occurs in its fullness the earth will then be lighted with God’s character of glory, and the end will come (Revelation 18:1).
This full manifestation of Christ is also what Christ awaits.
Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own. (Christ’s Object Lessons, 69)
Notice in this statement by Ellen White that Christ is not waiting for you and me to simply become like Jesus by copying His lifestyle. No, Christ is waiting for the manifestation of “Himself” in us. Also, note that we are not to reproduce the character of Christ for Him. No, He is to reproduce His character in us for us.
Day 10 Prayer Focus: Pray for
- The baptism of the Holy Spirit
- Revival in your life and in the church
- God to lead the church and you to fully experience Christ’s living presence within every day
- Those on your prayer list
Day 10 Going Deeper Discussion Questions: (based on pages 38 to 40 of “Righteousness by Faith” by Dennis Smith [pages 58 to 60 of the PDF version])
- Whose desires will the Spirit filled believer develop? • Philippians 2:5.
- What two passions of Christ will the Spirit filled Christian receive? • Psalm 40:7-8 • Luke 19:10
- List other qualities Jesus had that the Spirit filled believer will also have. • Galatians 5:22-23.
- How does Ellen White describe the change that takes place in the believer who receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
- What did Jesus say His followers would do? • John 14:12
- What happens in this earth when the sons of God are fully manifested? • Revelation 18:1
- What does this statement mean to you “Christ is not waiting for you and me to simply become like Jesus by copying His lifestyle. No, Christ is waiting for the manifestation of “Himself” in us.”?
- What is God’s glory? • Exodus 33:18-19 • 2 Corinthians 3:18
Day 10 Heart preparation/challenge:
- Throughout the day ask God to remind you what He is speaking to you in today’s reading and going deeper discussions and to help you to apply them in your life.
- Read “Righteousness by Faith” by Dennis Smith pages 41 to 42 (pages 61 to 62 of the PDF file) in preparation for Day 11.
- Prayerfully answer Day 11 discussion questions in preparation to share on Day 11 Going Deeper segment of united prayer.
