July 30

“The freeing of the self to love God, I believe, is typical of what took place on the Day of Pentecost when the disciples were ‘all filled with the Holy Ghost’ (Acts 2:4)."  Hannah Whitall Smith, God is Enough, 7/30

Hannah says this is what happens now when people experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  We all, who trust Christ for our salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, but not all of us experience this filling that comes only when we die to self.  This is good to understand.  Too often people think they aren’t “saved” because they continue to struggle with sin in their lives.  They are so focused on that and are continually running “back to the altar” to receive Christ that they are distracted from taking care of the real problem--freeing themselves from self so that they can love God fully.  We can only love God to the extent that our hearts are turned toward Him.  We cannot love two masters we are told.  If our flesh is still in the equation we will find ourselves vacillating between the two and never fully experience the baptism of the Spirit--the freeing of oneself from all the worldly cares so that we can find rest in Christ.

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  Matthew 6:21