The Rest of the Story - Karen Pourbabaee “The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.” Acts 9:31 NAB
The Church was born at Pentecost, while Christians waited and prayed as Jesus instructed. They welcomed the Holy Spirit, who came with fire and ignited their hearts with the gospel of love. The adventurous and miraculous stories that followed in Acts form the inspiring beginnings of our faith, templates of how to live the victorious Christian life in the power of the Spirit and spread the kingdom of God. They did it—it’s possible. The Lord wanted to show us and inspire us to do likewise. The Holy Spirit’s story didn’t end in Jerusalem. The rest of the story belongs to us. We are left to write the continuing chronicles of the Church.
Our life in Christ we owe wholly to the Holy Spirit’s work. We’re saved by the renewal of the Spirit. (Titus 3:5) He then inspires us to cooperate with His continuing efforts to transform us into the image of Christ and to be attentive to His promptings. While the Spirit is promised, we must choose to live by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16) When He’s in control, Christ-like qualities are produced in us—fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The fruit and charisms of the Spirit enable us to live in His power, to persevere in all things, and be at peace, just like the Church in Acts. That’s how the kingdom of God grows.
What part will you play in the rest of the story? You were saved for a purpose. Ask, and discover what that is. Then add your narrative to the great story that is unfolding.
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