When Did You Last Feel His Power to Cleanse?

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.

Holy Spirit, Light Divine (1817)

By: Andrew Reed, (1787-1862)

Listen to this karaoke version as you prepare to ponder this old hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.

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Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.

We continue our journey of resonance toward Pentecost with this lessor known hymn. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus Christ.  He is our Teacher and Guide as well, the Power to free and strengthen as we follow Jesus. Let’s tune our hearts.

Power Divine

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine

My first thoughts when I think of power are of external sources. Lighting, electric lines, body builders. I do not think of internal power.

But that is precisely the focus here. Well, kind of.

See the Spirit was an external power source for each of us at one point, but for those who have yielded their lives to Christ that has changed. Once the Spirit was outside us, working around us, influencing us and the world around us. Now it is inside  us.

Jesus promised His disciples the Spirit would come and He did.  When He did they were empowered to be witnessed to the wonder of our Savior’s redeeming work. When you yielded your life to that work, the Spirit came to dwell in you making you a witness to the world.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV

And what a remarkable power that is! It is the same power that Paul refers to when he said in Philippians “I want to know Christ -yes to know the power of his resurrection…” Phil. 3:10a Can you grasp the wonder of the that? The same power that rose Christ from the dead is at work IN you.

I believe it is true, but I struggle with it at times.  Why? Because if it is true why do I seem to battle with self and sin so? And how am I supposed to be a witness of a power I still seem to be trying to harness? We will think a lot more about this below, but first take a few moments to simply acknowledge the wonder of this power resident and at work in you.

RESONATE!
The Spirit is the source of Divine power at work in the redemption of every believer and the working out of that salvation with fear and trembling. Welcome His presence again today. Ask Him to give you the power to believe He is the source, and then the grace to tap into Him for daily living. Then revel in the fact that He actually wants to do all that for you.

At Work Within

Of all the things the hymn writer could have focused the power of the Holy Spirit on, it is insightful to consider where his focus immediately turns. Internal.

Though the verse above from Acts informs us that power is to be used to effect things externally, even to the ends the earth, it is imperative that we set the proper framework for internal matters first. If we are not convinced of the power of the Spirit to change our lives, our witness to others of the same will be powerless.

What is more internal than the heart?

Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;

If you are tempted to grab the scrub brush and get to cleaning yourself, don’t. We cannot. Doing things on our own is what got us into trouble in the first place, and perpetuates the problem. The humility of this simple prayer is also an evidence of the work the Spirit is already doing in us for none of us seeks after God on our own. [More on this…Romans 3:9-20]

So what are we to do? Enter into a divine dance with the Holy Spirit. We welcome Him to come and dwell within us.  As He does, we become familiar with the gracious way He reveals the things about which we feel guilty. We let Him lead us and agree with Him asking for His gentle cleaning work.

He could tear into us with His power. Instead, He leads us with the kindest of strokes which first reveal the guilt, then their source, and then remove them as we confess them.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 ESV

How kind of God to give us this promise so that we may ask for His cleansing with confidence knowing He will grant it. Then we begin to see the connection between cleaning and witnessing.  This assurance of cleansing pours confidence into our witnessing because we can assure those with whom we testify that God desires to forgive them, because we are walking in the reality of it daily. I am not sure there is a clearer demonstration of His power than in His saving work. 

RESONATE!
Praise God for His faithfulness and His forgiveness. Take a few moments right now and do that. Have you asked for His forgiveness about anything lately? If He has seemed distant, maybe this is why. Ask the Spirit to reveal any sin so that you may confess it and receive His forgiveness. Then bask in the power of God to do that work in you, and be prepared to share it with others.

Jesus, thank You for sending Your Spirit to be Divine power in me.  Teach me to walk in a daily dependence on the Spirit’s ongoing work to cleanse me. In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Reverent Tuning!

Keep coming back, and we will work to help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence.   We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.

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Video 17.2 Transcript

Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.

Holy Spirit, Pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.

The Spirit also represents for us the power of God.  Jesus promised in Acts 1:8 we would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon to make us witnesses.  What better thing to share than His cleansing work in our lives.  Thank the Spirit for His power.

We all fall short of the glory of God, and even as Spirit-filled Christians struggle to always do right.  Our failures bring guilt into our hearts and lives.  Some of the most powerful work of the Spirit is cleansing us so we can live free of guilt.  Ask Him to cleanse you today, and every day.

Mercy is not receiving what we deserve.  Certainly our failures bring guilt, but they can also bring condemnation.  The Spirit can free us from both and in His great mercy He gladly does so.  Welcome His mercy again today, and walk in it by His power.

Sin would like to keep us bound, tied up and encumbered so we can not walk in the power of the Spirit.  We can walk in freedom when we yield instead to His power.  Invite His presence and the power it brings into your heart right now.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more.

Sing

Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond.  Until next time, be Resonant.

The post When Did You Last Feel His Power to Cleanse? appeared first on Resonant 7.

Image Attributions
Power Divine – https://pixabay.com/photos/flash-thunderstorm-thunderbolt-3087117/
Cleanse This Guilty Heart – https://pixabay.com/photos/wash-brush-soap-heart-soap-wood-1253911/