The Spirit...not by measure

John 3: 31 - 36; Acts 5 : 27 - 33

For it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit.....

It is amazing how the apostles could witness so boldly to their faith, immediately after having been imprisoned for their beliefs. It was certainly the work of the Spirit, nothing less than the continuous outpouring of the Spirit, beyond measure, into their lives. We have a few weeks more before the Celebration of Pentecost - fifty days from Easter. But the readings are a daily reminder of the work of the Spirit that should surely be the mark of a Christian's life.

I know this is something I need to remind myself of constantly. It is not enough to 'know about' the wonderful gospel and lead a 'good, moral' life, dabbling in 'good works'. That simply does not measure up to the kind of people who have been 're-created' (1 Cor. 5: 17) whom we read about in the book of Acts. Their life is a constant reminder of the inner transformation that must have occurred and continued to occur, despite setbacks and persecutions. The issue is not just the Spirit's presence, that is assured for all believers, but how much of one's life is opened up to the Spirit's purifying and transformation.

When we did the prayer exercise "Breathing in the Spirit of love" as a family the other day, I had to remind my children - who of course had the smart answer - "we already have the Spirit" - that there are certainly many areas of our lives that are not yet open to the Spirit's action. We do keep the doors of many rooms closed, those spaces that we would rather not invite the Lord into. For myself personally I think the daily review will help me notice reactions that might indicate a closed up space.....of course I also need the courage to invite the Lord in to help me clear out and make the space hospitable to myself and to others.