Rest in HIs Promises

Good morning!  A lot may be going on in your life and in this world that has the potential to undermine your faith in Christ! But Jesus is Your Rock! Do not give in to doubt and worry. Do not let the enemy destroy the priceless treasure of your faith. Rest in His promises. Be still and know He is your God. He will never leave you or forsake you!

This week I will not be writing devotionals. I am having surgery on my eyelids. Older age means sagging skin and sagging skin blocks vision.

Don't allow sagging "doubt" to rob you of the clear spiritual vision of God's truth! He has overcome! 

May the grace of Jesus guard your heart in Him!

As Much As You Allow

 

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

— Ephesians 3:20 

 

Many people only use the first part of this verse and omit the part that says “according to the power that works in us.” This change in the verse completely alters its meaning. Although God has the power to do “exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or think,” God chooses not to work independently of us. Instead, He flows through us because of the laws of authority that He established. If the Lord were accomplishing His will without the power that’s working in us, things would be much better than they are. Unbelief limits the power of God in us, and no power working in us means there will be no power coming through us.

We don’t “use” God’s power; instead, He uses us to live through us. However, when we live for God out of a sense of obligation, we serve Him from our own strength rather than His. On the other hand, when we allow Him to live through us, we serve Him out of the fruit of our faith in Him. We recognize that in our weakness, He is strong. Serving Him becomes a privilege, and His power is unhindered. He does far more than we could ever imagine or ask.

 

Christ has gifted us with a transformed life. He traded our sins for His righteousness. We are reborn. The old self has died. We have received His righteousness. When we surrender our will, reasoning, and understanding to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide and empower us, Christ, who dwells within us, lives through us. We serve Him through His power that resides within us. Serving Him flows from faith rather than obligation. It becomes a joy because nothing rests on our ability. Everything rests on Him.

 

Yes, God does far more than we can ever ask or imagine. He accomplishes His work through us when we surrender to His work of righteousness within us. God doesn’t want us to be exhausted by our obligations. Instead, He desires our fulfillment in His finished work of grace. 

 

Surrendering to the work of the Holy Spirit is your decision. But God’s work is not yours to perform; it is His work that you allow to manifest within you. You must allow the Holy Spirit to work in you. When you give the flesh access, you deny God’s power within you. However, when you surrender yourself to His Spirit, He accomplishes what your flesh can never do. Surrendering means that the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—is flowing in your life. Surrendering means you give God permission to impart whatever spiritual gift He has chosen for you. 

 

Your surrender isn’t a selective one. Don’t resist the Holy Spirit’s plans for your life. Don’t let fear hold you back. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach, guide, and empower you in ways you’ve never experienced before. Embrace the challenges He presents, and let Him reveal Himself to you.

 

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 3:20).

 

You are God’s masterpiece, reborn as a new creation through Christ’s redeeming work. In union with Jesus, He has created you for a life of good works, which He has already prepared for you. He has a perfect plan for your life, but He doesn’t force it upon you. You must choose to let God use you.

 

It’s not you who works; it’s Christ within you. Do you believe God can do more than you can imagine? He will do so to the extent of your faith and surrender. When you believe Him, you’ll allow His power to work in you. His power is the same as the resurrection power that brought Jesus back from the dead. Trust what the Holy Spirit reveals in His Word, believe His promises, and stand on them. Then, take steps of faith. 

I pray from His glorious, unlimited resources that the Holy Spirit will empower you with His inner strength and power, and you, being rooted and grounded in His love, will experience God working in your life exceedingly and abundantly above all you ask or think. 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/06/as-much-as-you-allow.html

 

Another Work of the Holy Spirit

Over the last two days, we have seen how the Holy Spirit convicts sinners of their sin, a vital work that only He can accomplish. We also learned that the Holy Spirit confirms a Christian's God-given righteousness, revealing to believers the truth that they are made righteous in Christ Jesus.

There is another vital aspect of the Holy Spirit's work. In John 16:8-11, we read Jesus' words: "And when He [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment… of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." This passage reminds us of the importance of the Holy Spirit in reminding us that, despite Satan's apparent control, his ultimate fate is already sealed, and his downfall is inevitable. Ultimately, he will be defeated.

When we watch the news and listen to reports about the ongoing wars between Israel and Iran, Ukraine and Russia, unrest and violence within our country, society's decline, political division and retribution, and national security concerns, it's easy to feel discouraged and even fearful about the potential consequences for our lives. Morals, laws, and even aspects of the Church are undergoing rapid changes. Focusing on these changes can quickly lead to despair and hopelessness.

We are not hopeless! In John 14:26, Jesus promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit in His name to teach us and help us remember all His teachings. The Holy Spirit serves as a constant reminder that despite the challenges and tribulations we may face in this world, Jesus has already conquered them (John 16:33). He reminds us that the "ruler of this world is judged" (John 16:11). The Holy Spirit continuously reinforces this truth and helps us hold onto it. He reminds us of the authority Jesus has given us over all the power of the enemy and that nothing will harm us (Luke 10:19). Until the end, we can exercise that authority by faith and fight the enemy with the peace that comes from our righteousness. Satan will not prevail because his judgment has already been decided.

The Greek word Jesus used when he referred to Satan as "the ruler of this world" is "archon." This word signifies "a title used to describe a ruler within a specific realm" (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance). The word "world" is derived from the Greek word "kosmos," and although it is commonly associated with the earth, solar systems, and the universe, this Greek term has a broader meaning. 

The term "kosmos" in John 16:11 refers to the world and its culture and system in which humanity operates. It encompasses government, education, entertainment, and every area Satan influences. Paul used this same word in 2 Corinthians 4:4 to describe Satan as the "god of this world." Satan is the ruler of an ill-fated civilization and doomed system that currently dominates every aspect of this world.

The word "judged" originates from the Greek word "krino," which signifies a decision reached after careful consideration. An example of this would be a verdict reached by a court of law. Once a decision is made, there is no room for further debate; the verdict is final. The announcement of Satan's judgment is all that remains. Until that time, the Holy Spirit's role is to convince us that Satan is condemned without the possibility of escape from the final destruction awaiting Him.

Jesus is Lord of ALL, and everything we see and hear happening in this world will not last. Christ completely defeated Satan through His death on the Cross and His resurrection. It is only a matter of time until Jesus returns, and the judgment Satan has received is announced. 

When wars, rumors of wars, societal unrest, and the horrors you see and hear tempt you to despair, that is when you must ask the Holy Spirit to remind you that Satan, the ruler of this world, is judged, and you have authority over him. The Holy Spirit will lead you to a place of unwavering conviction, free from any doubt, that the end of Satan's reign is near and you are empowered to live victoriously until that time. Until Jesus returns, exercise the authority Jesus has given you over all the works of the enemy. Stand tall with your head held high, fighting the good fight of faith. Embrace the truth and find peace in the knowledge that you are on the side that ultimately triumphs. Jesus has conquered the world.

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/06/another-work-of-holy-spirit.html

The Convincing Work of the Holy Spirit

Jesus said of the Holy Spirit: "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment...of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more (John 16:8,10).

Yesterday, we examined the work of the Holy Spirit to convict the lost person of sin. Today, we examine the work of the Holy Spirit to convince believers of righteousness.

Just as the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, He also convicts those who have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ regarding their righteousness. Many born-again Christians struggle with feelings of condemnation and fear that they are not truly saved. They have not fully grasped the truth of their God-given righteousness and feel compelled to prove their worthiness to God. They live in fear that they will forget to ask for forgiveness for every sin they commit. They fail to comprehend that even though they fall short of God's perfection, Jesus didn't. It is crucial to understand that the Holy Spirit's conviction of righteousness is just as significant a work of the Holy Spirit as His conviction of sin. 

In John 16:8, the Greek word "elegcho" is translated as "convict." This term suggests someone receiving intense questioning that results in a decisive confrontation, where the individual, unable to refute the facts, is convinced. Yesterday, we saw how the Holy Spirit interacts with sinners, guiding them to recognize their spiritual condition. At this critical moment, they face their lost state, separation from God, and sinful nature. At this point, they have the opportunity to repent and accept Christ.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in guiding believers, teaching and helping them reach a point where they can no longer deny their new nature and become convinced of their righteousness in Christ. As believers, we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). Understanding and accepting this truth can be difficult for the human mind, as our natural tendency is to question and doubt. While it is absolutely true that we cannot attain righteousness on our own, the blood of Jesus has declared us righteous.

Instead of striving to attain an unattainable goal of righteousness, the Holy Spirit desires to open our eyes to the point where we perceive and comprehend with absolute certainty that we are not attempting to become righteous; instead, we have been declared righteous by God. The moment you have a revelation of this truth and are utterly convinced of its reality, it will profoundly transform your prayer life, your self-perception, and your actions and reactions. When you grasp this truth, you will perceive and act as a person who has become righteous in the eyes of God. Instead of sin condemning you, you will let the Holy Spirit convict you of your righteous identity and live its reality. When you are convinced of your righteousness by the Holy Spirit, you will be convicted of any behavior that is not rooted in the new nature you have received. The Holy Spirit becomes your guide and your teacher, and you His apprentice.

What a remarkable gift God bestowed upon us in the gift of the Holy Spirit! God sent the Holy Spirit to convince us of our righteous standing because Jesus, who had no sin, became sin for us. Yet, many Christians are acutely aware of their weaknesses and struggle to accept the truth that God has declared them righteous through Jesus. If you try to tell them that they are righteous, they might respond by emphasizing their imperfections instead of praising God for the gift of His righteousness.

Sinful flesh will always cling to the worst and most negative aspects of life. It will always pull you downward and never upward. It is the state of mind that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit. If the sinful flesh is not crucified by the sanctifying power of God's Spirit, it will follow its negative nature to the grave. If you allow your flesh to determine your identity instead of the Holy Spirit, you will struggle to believe God's good report, doubt His great work, and indeed doubt that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

Pessimistic and sinful thinking have been such integral parts of our old nature that it takes a convincing work of the Holy Spirit to reveal the supernatural work of righteousness God has performed within us. When the Father declares that we are His children and has made us righteous, we must allow the Holy Spirit to convince us of our righteous standing with God. If we fail to do so, our fleshly emotions will declare that we are too unworthy to be made righteous.

Many Christians are negative about their righteousness in Christ. They fail to comprehend and value the immense work He has done for them. It is a work that cost Him His life. Jesus gave His blood to redeem and transform them into "new creations in Christ Jesus" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Yet, they struggle to see anything positive about themselves. 

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). 

Another way to express this verse could be: "We are a product of His own design, wonderfully made in Christ Jesus—shaped under the influence and guidance of His divine power." This is a powerful and transformative truth, but it requires the Holy Spirit to move it from our minds to our hearts. Just as the Holy Spirit convinces a sinner of his lost condition, He must also assure us of our right standing with God.

Our old, sinful nature is so negative that it requires a supernatural work of the Spirit to help us comprehend our new identity in Christ. Understanding that we have been made righteous is just as miraculous as a lost person recognizing their own lost condition.

If you struggle with self-image issues and feelings of condemnation, you need the Holy Spirit to work His transformative power in your life. Only He can illuminate your faith in God's righteousness and enable you to hear His voice. Once your spiritual eyes and ears are open, and you comprehend your righteousness in Christ Jesus, you will never again doubt its truth. When the Holy Spirit reminds you of your righteousness, you will overflow with joy, declaring, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!" You will know that is exactly who you are.

Avoid constantly dwelling on negative thoughts about yourself. Instead, open yourself to the Holy Spirit, who will convince you of your worthiness, righteousness, and transformation into a new creation. Follow His guidance in all aspects of your life, and you will live the righteousness you have received.

The Holy Spirit Convicts the World of Sin

“And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment,” Jesus said, informing the disciples about another work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8).

Let’s look at the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin (John 16:8). He probes sinners about their lost condition, revealing their guilt to them to convict them. Despite the whole world’s need for salvation (Romans 3:19), the lost remain unaware of their guilt until the Holy Spirit enlightens them.

Jesus stated in John 6:44: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”

A person is drawn to Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit's work to reveal our sinful state, we would remain in darkness and without  God.

Without the conviction of the Holy Spirit, a person fails to comprehend the profound consequences of their sin. They may even hear the Gospel message, acknowledge its truth, and recognize their own sinfulness, yet choose to reject it and walk away. However, something extraordinary occurs when the Holy Spirit relentlessly probes a person until they are finally challenged. Their eyes open to their condition, and their sin is exposed, bringing them to a full awareness of their lost condition.

Now they face a crucial decision: will they continue in sin or choose to repent and turn to God? The Holy Spirit's conviction is the work that guides them to the life-altering decision that changes their lives forever.

How have you ever shared the Gospel message with your family and friends about the need for them to accept Christ, but it seems they can't comprehend your message? Even if they admit their sinfulness, they may not seem troubled by it. However, the truth is they are "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). People who are spiritually dead don't experience anything. They don't feel the conviction of sin. It takes the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit to awaken a human conscience to realize its sinful state. Only through God's Spirit can a spiritually dead person be awakened and drawn to Christ.

May the Holy Spirit continually work in the lives of my family and friends, helping them to recognize God’s goodness, drawing them to repentance. Jesus died for them, and He sent the Holy Spirit to draw them to Himself. If the Holy Spirit prompts me to speak, I will, for He knows how to touch every heart. I believe in my heart they will eventually recognize their need and come to believe in the loving, saving grace of Jesus.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it was the Holy Spirit who called and awakened you to your sinful condition. He lovingly drew you to Jesus Christ. Once the Holy Spirit brought you to this place of indisputable conviction, He invited you to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord. At that divine instant, you were reborn.

Nothing will ever surpass the miracle of God breathing His life into our spirits, transforming us from spiritual death to spiritual life. The convicting work of the Holy Spirit is one of the foundational works He performs in our lives, but it isn’t the end of His work. Not only does He convict a person of their need for salvation, but He also convicts a believer of his God-given righteousness. In the next devotional, we will look at the convincing work of the Holy Spirit.

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/06/the-holy-spirit-convicts-world-of-sin.html

Reaping Holiness

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

—1 John 1:7

According to 1 John 1:5, God is light. Walking in the light is not about living a sinless life because we all have fallen short of God's perfection (Romans 3:23). If walking in the light meant living a sinless life, then there would be no need for Jesus to cleanse us from all sin, as I John 1:7 declares. 

Walking in the light is walking in God. 

All believers in Christ are "in" God. They are joined to Him spiritually (1 Corinthians 6:17) but don't instinctively walk in Him or live the way He desires. In Romans 8:5-9, Paul teaches about being in the Spirit and walking after the Spirit. He explains why only those who walk after the Spirit experience the righteousness of God fulfilled in their lives. 

Walking in the light or walking in God doesn't produce fellowship with God. However, fellowship with God produces the ability to walk in Him. This is a crucial difference and one that is often overlooked. Our actions reveal whether or not we have fellowship with the Lord. However, our actions do not cause us to have fellowship with the Lord.

Failure to understand that our actions do not establish a relationship with God has led many believers to attempt to earn fellowship with Him through their deeds. When we do this, we are trusting in our own holiness. We are coming to God without trusting in Christ and His righteousness. When we come to God on our own merits, we are defenseless against Satan's condemnation. God doesn't accept us based on what we do. He accepts us based on our faith in Jesus. If we have faith in Jesus and fellowship with Him, holiness will come as a fruit of that fellowship (Romans 6:22).

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit" (Romans 8:5).

Romans 8:5 provides a test to determine whether we are walking after the flesh or after the Spirit: we must examine our thoughts. If we consistently think about the things of the Spirit (John 6:63), then we are walking in the Spirit. If we are thinking about carnal things, then we are walking according to the flesh and are subject to our feelings instead of God's truth. We need to constantly remind ourselves—to be continually renewed in the Spirit of our minds (Ephesians 4:23) that to be carnally minded is death and to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6).

We are now new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and have a new identity, which is our spiritual man and not the flesh. But we will always be in the flesh until we put our faith in Christ alone. We have to put on the righteousness in which we have been reborn.

"And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).

Ephesians 4:24 presents a word picture describing the way we should wear our new, born-again selves on the outside, through our actions, in a way that all can see. In the same way that people see our clothing instead of our nakedness, so should our new attitudes and actions be visible instead of our flesh. We have to put Jesus on.

We live God's holiness by faith in Christ, realizing that within ourselves, we are nothing. We can't earn the righteousness of God. It is His gift to us in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we believe this in our hearts and surrender to the righteousness born within us, holiness is the fruit of our relationship with God.

Jesus prayed this surrender in John 17:17: "Sanctify them by truth. Your Word is truth." 

The word "sanctify" means "to set apart for sacred use; consecrate" (American Heritage Dictionary). There are two aspects of sanctification described in the New Testament. 

First, there is a positional sanctification that is the possession of every New Testament believer who believes in the finished work of Jesus Christ through faith. They are sanctified in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2, Hebrews 10:10). We might refer to this positional sanctification as "justification."

Secondly, sanctification is also used in the New Testament to describe the separation of believers from evil things and ways. This sanctification is God's will for believers (1 Thessalonians 4:3) and His purpose in calling them by the gospel (1 Thessalonians 4:7). It must be learned from God (1 Thessalonians 4:4), as the Holy Spirit teaches it through His Word (John 17:17, 19), and it must be earnestly pursued by believers (2 Timothy 2:15, Hebrews 12:14). Holiness is not bestowed upon us; it is gradually built up through obedience to the Word of God and following Christ's example. As believers, we are already sanctified in Christ (Hebrews 10:10), and we continue to be sanctified daily as we surrender to God. Ultimately, we will be sanctified entirely when we see the Lord (1 John 3:1-2).

As believers, we sanctify ourselves to God by daily surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and pursuing Him. Holiness is the fruit of the daily relationship we cultivate with Jesus, a relationship that continues throughout our lives as we surrender to His work within us. 

"And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:10-11).

Holiness is not a byproduct of your actions; it is the fruit of your relationship with God in Christ. Jesus, who dwells within you, manifests life through your actions as you surrender to Him. The Word sanctifies your life as you embrace its truth, and fellowship with the Lord empowers you to walk in His presence.

"Walk in the Spirit," Paul wrote, "and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).

You reap holiness in your life as a result of your relationship with Jesus Christ.

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

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