Kids Blog-Life by the Spirit
Last Sunday, kids learned that the Holy Spirit changes us to be more like Jesus.
Bible verse: Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25
In Acts 9, we see an example of a man who was completely changed from the inside out. Acts 9 starts by describing a notorious man named Saul, who maliciously threaterend, persecuted, and arrested the believers. Saul was on his way to Damascus to take the believers as prisoners to Jerusalem. Suddenly, a light from heaven flashed around him. Saul fell to the groundand heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, who do you persecute me?" Saul asked, "Who are you, Lord?" He replied, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." Saul got up from the ground but he could not see anything. For three days, he was blind, and he did not eat or drink anything. In Damascus, there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord appeared to him in a vision and instructed him to go pray for Saul. Then Ananias went to the house where Saul was staying and placed his hands on him. The Lord restored his sight and filled him with the Holy Spirit. Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, Saul was baptized and after taking some food, he regained his strength. After that, Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus and he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished because they knew that this preacher was Saul who used to persecute and imprison the believers. Now we know him as Paul who completely surrendered his life to Christ and defended and spread the Gospel even through suffering and hardships.
Just two chapters earlier in Acts 7, when the people stoned Stephen, a faithful believer to death, Saul approved of their killing him. Saul was merciless, ruthless, violent and evil man that despised the followers of Jesus. So how did he change? In Acts 9 verse 15, the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrucment to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." God chose Saul as His instrument. It was God's plan and and His Will for Saul to spread the Gospel. And God demonstrated His Saving Grace to Saul. God took away his sight. Then God restored his sight. And He filled Saul with the Holy Spirit. That is how Saul was completely transformed, forgiven by God's unfathomable saving grace and changed by the Power of the Holy Spirit. It is God who fills us with the power of the Holy Spirit to correct, train, teach, lead, help and comfort us. The Holy Spirit changes us to be more like Jesus. Galatians 5:16 writes, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." Galatians 5 commands us to live by the Spirit, producing the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, forbearence, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentless, and self-control. This week, let's ask God to help us live by the Holy Spirit's power every minute of our lives so we may be more like Jesus.