“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…” Luke 4:18
Dear Ones:
One of the great doctrines of Scripture is the “omnipresence” of God, God being everywhere. David would even write on this subject: “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.” (Ps. 139:9-10) However, there is a big difference in believing God to always BE there, and believing Him to be sovereign, and active, in the life and heart. David had a knowledge of the constant presence of God in all places, but he was also one who lived BY that presence, dependent and submitted to God.
In the Biblical account of the events leading up to the birth of Christ, we find mentioned over and over again, that the Holy Spirit was present, and operative. John the Baptist, in the womb of his mother Elizabeth, was filled with the Spirit. Elizabeth, after the birth of John, and receiving Mary, the mother of Jesus, into her home, was filled with the Spirit. After the birth of John the Baptist, Zacharias his father, was filled with the Spirit. Jesus was conceived BY the Spirit, thus Mary, was filled with the Spirit. And lastly, after Jesus was baptized, the Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove. After returning from the temptation in the wilderness, He would return “in the power of the Spirit,” standing up in the synagogue to read in the book of Isaiah, and declare: “The Spirit of the Lord IS upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor…” THIS DAY is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (Luke 4:18,21) Why is the consideration of the constant presence of God, and His work, by the Spirit, so very important? It is essential because we need to know, that because He is present, His will is for us to believe Him consistently, even constantly, to fill us, living , turning to Him in faith, for every need. Christ LIVED in the presence of His Father. He also lived BY the presence of the Father, living a life of perfect faith in that presence. How would the Lord Jesus ever have been able to accomplish all that He did in the three short years of His life, if He had not learned to live by the constant presence, the active presence, of His Father who was working on His behalf, in and through Him?
How is this truth to become operative in our lives today? We know from the teachings of the Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul, that when we truly believed, proven by committing all to Christ, we were placed by God IN CHRIST. The new birth by the Spirit signifies this, the Spirit witnessing with our spirits that we belong to Christ, and Him to us. But do we realize that we have, as John wrote, “…received the anointing” of the Spirit, that the Spirit abides with and in us? Do we count upon this anointing, realizing that God is for us, and is actively working, providing all that we can live for God’s glory? (Ref. 1 Jn. 2:27) That anointing Spirit has been given to us to reveal the things of Christ to us, to TEACH us, to lead and empower us. We are thus called to live by faith in the faithfulness of the ever-present, ever-anointing God. If we will believe Him to cleanse us and keep us clean, give us a clear vision of this union we have with Christ, and believe Him to strengthen our hearts to resolutely believe Him according to His word, then we will be enabled to appropriate Christ for every need. He will be manifested, and His name truly honored and glorified.
Dear Father, teach us Your ways, that we by faith will be enabled to appropriate the Son of God, who IS our life. Give us to live today, and every day, in the reality of Your constant presence, and availability. Cleanse us and keep us clean, with a vision of this union with Thy Son. Strengthen us to believe the fully, all day, every day. We thank and praise Thee, in Jesus’ name, Amen
Love, Dad