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"'Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen."
(Matthew 28:20)
The presence of God in our lives is an incredible truth and blessing. God is awesome, and there is nowhere that His presence is not felt. Abraham Kuyper said, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!"
This week we are looking at Dr. Charles Stanley's life principle on how God's presence energizes His people to do good works. Stanley began his message by asking, "When have you felt the presence of God so powerfully in your life?" I am reminded of when God saved me and called me to ministry, how I felt God's presence so powerfully. I also think of when I preach His Word, and about our prayer meetings at our church on Wednesday nights. Stanley read Matthew 28:16-20, the Great Commission, and said he did not think the disciples would have obeyed were it not for the last phrase, the promise of His presence: "And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Proverbs 15:29 states, "The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous." God enjoys making Himself known. Stanley's definition of the presence of God is "the revealing of God by His Spirit to our spirit for the purpose of enabling, energizing, informing, or warning us." I am reminded of Romans 8:37-39: "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The presence of the Holy Spirit is critical in understanding the presence of God. I love Stanley's teaching on the Holy Spirit. He teaches that the Holy Spirit is God, and He is amazing. He convicts us of our sins and deals with our conscience. When we repent and receive Christ as Lord and Savior, that very moment, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives. He regenerates us, gives a new spirit and a new life. He seals us and begins to indwell us at that very moment. He is our teacher and gives us understanding of the Word. We could never do these things in our own strength. He had to come into us to change us so we can relate to and know God. A lost person can't see this. If you don't have the Spirit of God, you are not His. Now we can communicate with Him. He is the sovereign Lord but has condescended to us so He can live in us and we can relate to Him.
Praise the Lord for His power in our lives. Praise the Spirit for indwelling us and enabling us to do all things through Jesus who gives us the strength (Philippians 4:13).
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