Day 21: The Spirit of Christ

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9)

The mark that makes us God’s is not speaking in tongues, nor is it working miracles, nor is it preaching tremendous sermons. It’s having the Spirit of Christ.

If I were to ask myself what the Spirit of Christ was like, I would have to say it was a meek spirit, it was a humble spirit, it was a gentle spirit. It certainly was not arrogant, self-assertive, or self-pleasing. And that, I believe, is what marks the true child of God: the Spirit of Christ.

We hear a good deal of teaching about claiming your inheritance, and getting what belongs to you. I’ve preached along that line many times myself, using such texts as the third epistle of John, verse 2: ‘Beloved, I wish above all things thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth.’ Thank God, I believe it! But do you know, in God’s sight you don’t prosper by asserting your rights.

The Spirit of Jesus did not lay claim to His rights. I believe prosperity, health, and inward peace and well-being of soul are the right of the new creation; but many times they are illegally appropriated by the old man for his own selfish purposes. Your strength isn’t what you have or what you can demonstrate.