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<h2 class="devotional-title"><a href="https://www.brooklyntabernacle.org/devotional/20191227/spiritual-vital-sign">A Spiritual Vital Sign</a></h2><div class="devotional-date">Friday, December 27, 2019</div><div class="devotional-body"><p><br>
</p><p>“… <b>walk</b> in the way of love, just as Christ <b>loved</b> us and<b> gave</b> himself <b>up</b>
for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:2 <em>NIV</em>) <br></p><p><br></p>
<p>
When babies <b>are</b> born, the hospital staff immediately <b>checks</b> for certain
vital signs. <b>Is</b> the baby<b> breathing</b>? <b>Crying</b>? <br></p><p><b>Is</b> the cry healthy or
weak sounding? How much <b>does</b> the baby weigh? Just as breathing, crying,
and size <b>are</b> all indicators of a newborn’s physical health, there <b>are</b>
spiritual vital signs //that <b>can tell </b>us how healthy we <b>are</b>. <br></p><p>And the most
vital sign of all<b> is</b> love. <br></p><p><br>
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<p>
When we <b>become</b> born-again believers in Jesus Christ, we<b> receive</b> the new
heart and spirit <font color="#FF6C00">/promised </font>to us in the new covenant (Ezekiel 11). This
<b>is</b> nothing less than the Spirit of Christ <font color="#FF6C00">/dwelling </font>in us. Without him,
there<b> is </b>no true Christian experience.</p><p><br></p><p> “If anyone <b>does not have</b> the
Spirit of Christ, they <b>do not belong</b> to Christ” (Romans 8:9). Since the
Holy Spirit in us <b>is </b>God, and since God<b> is </b>love, then the essence of
the one /<font color="#FF6C00">dwelling</font> within us <b>is </b>divine love.</p><p><br></p><p> No wonder Jesus said, “By
this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one
another” (John 13:35). God’s purpose for giving us his Spirit was to
make that life of love possible… <br></p><p><br></p>
<p>
<b>Remember</b> the apostle Paul’s teaching to the Galatians: “The fruit of
the Spirit <b>is</b> love” (Galatians 5:22). Love <b>is </b>a fruit /<font color="#FF6C00">growing </font>within us
from a supernatural source. <br></p><p> It’<b>s not</b> your love, yet it<b> is,</b> since the
Spirit <b>works</b> in you both to will and to do loving things that <b>are </b>on his
mind. <br></p><p>You never <b>hear </b>of an apple tree struggling to produce its
fruit. <br></p><p><br></p><p>As long as sap <b>flows</b> within the tree, apples <b>will form</b> and
<b>blossom</b>. And so it <b>is </b>with the Holy Spirit and love. <br></p><p>He <b>is</b> our life
and <b>bears</b> the fruit—not us. That’s why he <b>was sent</b> to live in us.</p><p>
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-Pastor Cymbala (excerpted from <em>Spirit Rising</em>) <br></p><p><br></p>
<p>
Read <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4%3A22-5%3A2&version=NIV">Ephesians 4:22—5:2</a>.
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