DAILY VIDEO DEVOTIONAL
Romans : Chapter 12
9) Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10) Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11) Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12) Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13) Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14) Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15) Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16) Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited. 17) Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18) If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19) Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20) On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e] 21) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Book of the Month
Sammy Tippit told his fiancée, “I can’t promise we’ll be rich, but life won’t be boring.”
Sammy had no idea what an understatement that would become. Beginning in the bars of Baton Rouge and the nightclubs of Chicago, Tippit has shared the news of life-changing faith in Christ all over the world – including in the middle of a revolution in Romania, the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda, and war in Burundi and the Congo.
Sammy’s lifelong adventure has come at a great price. He’s been cursed, threatened, arrested, deported, and blacklisted. He’s also been personally broken, ravaged with illness, and devastated by grief.
Yet he continues to preach to in stadiums, in open fields, and via satellite technology to hundreds of thousands around the globe. For all other books…
Day 8 – Filled with the Spirit
Picture two people trying to live the Christian life. One struggles constantly, trying harder, failing repeatedly, living in defeat and frustration. The other lives with supernatural peace, joy, and power, walking in victory over sin and circumstances. What makes the difference? It’s not their background, their intelligence, or their willpower. The difference is simple: one is trying to live the Christian life in their own strength, while the other is living under the control and power of the Holy Spirit.
Someone once said, “What’s important in the Christian life is not how high you can jump, but how straight you can walk once you’ve landed.” That perfectly captures what being filled with the Spirit is all about.
Here’s the life-transforming truth I want you to understand today: The victorious Christian life is not about trying harder – it’s about trusting deeper. It’s not about your performance – it’s about His presence controlling every area of your life.
Ephesians 5:18 gives us God’s clear command: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
The victorious Christian life stands in stark contrast to the typical Christian life. It’s one of dependence on God rather than independence from Him. It’s trusting in Him rather than trying in our own power. It’s being emptied of self and filled with God’s Spirit. We’re no longer in control of our lives – Christ holds the reins of our hearts.
God commands His children to be filled with the Spirit, yet few know what it means to live in His fullness. There’s much talk about being filled with the Holy Spirit, but very little walk in the power of the Spirit.
Dr. Bill Bright described being filled with the Holy Spirit as “spiritual breathing.” “As we confess our sins,” he said, “we are exhaling.” God cleanses us from sin as we take our position as dead to self. Then we must “inhale” – we appropriate the fullness of the Spirit by faith.
Control is the key to the fullness of the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Spirit, Christ is in control of our lives. He directs our paths and empowers us to be all that God intended. That’s why the victorious Christian life is one under the control of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16 explains the secret: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Then verse 25 adds: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Paul knew that how we walked was more important than how we talked.
When I was a new believer studying with Campus Crusade for Christ, Dr. Bright challenged us: “Get alone, take paper, and write out your known sins. Pray, ‘Lord, search my heart and show me if there’s anything displeasing to you.’ If He shows you anything else, write it down. Agree with God that it’s wrong and turn from it. He will forgive and cleanse you. Then ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit.”
I took his challenge. I found a quiet spot and wrote out all my known sins. Then I prayed and asked God to show me anything that displeased Him. I had to get more paper! God showed me so much that I had called “weaknesses” or “problems” – God showed me they were sin. As I confessed and turned from them, He cleansed me.
I then asked God to fill me with His Spirit. I didn’t have an earth-shattering experience – I just allowed Him by faith to have complete control of every area of my life. There were no great sensations, but as I learned to do this daily, the evidence showed up in my life.
As I allow the Holy Spirit to control my life, He produces within me the fruit of His righteousness – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control from Galatians 5:22-23.
When Paul contrasted being filled with the Spirit to being drunk with wine, he revealed something profound. Before I became a Christian, I got drunk several times. One of the first things that happened was I couldn’t walk straight, no matter how hard I tried.
There’s a contrasting truth when we’re filled with the Holy Spirit: we walk straight spiritually, and there’s no effort! We’re no longer living in our own power but walking under the influence of the Holy Spirit. He walks the way of holiness and purity, the road of integrity. When controlled by the Spirit, we walk the same way.
Many begin well in the Christian life but don’t finish well, often because they haven’t learned to draw from the living waters deep within. We must daily appropriate the fullness of the Holy Spirit. He is our enabler, empowering us to live as we ought. He overcomes every weakness and obstacle in our walk with God.
Here’s the life-changing question: Are you trying to live the Christian life in your own strength, or are you daily allowing the Holy Spirit to control every area of your life?
The choice is yours: victory or defeat, His power or your weakness, the fruit of the Spirit or the deeds of the flesh, Christ in control or self at the center.
Right now, take Dr. Bright’s challenge. Get alone with God. Confess every known sin. Ask Him to search your heart and reveal anything that displeases Him. Agree with God that it’s wrong and turn from it. Then by faith, ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit and take complete control of your life.
Don’t try to live the Christian life – let Christ live His life through you. Stop trying harder and start trusting deeper. The question isn’t how high you can jump spiritually, but how straight you can walk daily under the control of God’s Spirit.
How straight have you been walking? The answer speaks volumes about how much you truly know about the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
About Sammy Tippit Ministries
STM has been providing inspiration and help around the world for nearly 50 years. Sammy Tippit, founder and president, is a world renowned counselor, teacher and evangelist with experience serving and helping people in over 80 countries. Sammy provides materials that help people tackle a broad array of social, societal, psychological and spiritual issues. He is particularly passionate about making materials accessible to other countries around the world. Sammy is married to Debara “Tex” Tippit, and they have two children and five grandchildren.
Sammy Tippit Ministries is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization.
Contact: info@sammytippit.org
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