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The Power Within
By Charles Stanley

Ephesians 3:14-21
Bertha Smith, a missionary to China, once pronounced some of the most discouraging words IÔÇÖd ever heard: ÔÇ£Charles, I want to tell you that youÔÇÖre as good as youÔÇÖll ever be. YouÔÇÖre as good as youÔÇÖve ever been, and you wonÔÇÖt ever be any better than you are.ÔÇØ

I had grown up believing a falsehoodÔÇöthat believers were to pour effort into turning their flesh around and doing right all the time. Thankfully, Bertha wasnÔÇÖt finished. ÔÇ£God never intended for you to get better, because you canÔÇÖt improve flesh,ÔÇØ she said. ÔÇ£But the Holy Spirit, who is living inside you, will enable and live through you.ÔÇØ

She was right. My flesh hasnÔÇÖt changed one bit. But as the Holy Spirit releases His supernatural power in my life, I find myself going beyond what is inherent to the nature of man. And the indwelling Spirit intends to do the same with every follower of God

Although the works of the Holy Spirit are many, four are basic to the life of faith: The Spirit illumines the mind, enabling believers to understand the things of God; He energizes physical bodies to serve the Lord; He enables the will to follow through on doing what is right; and He quickens emotions to feel and express the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Bertha Smith passed on an important truth to me: Flesh is insufficient. Only the Holy Spirit living inside us has the strength and wisdom to live out the Christian life victoriously. ThatÔÇÖs why God gave us His Spirit, through whom we reap all the benefits of a righteous and godly life.