Luke 2:25
And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him"
Oh, to stand before my Lord at the end of my earthly days and hear him say my life was "just and devout". There may be no higher praise for any believer than receive this honor of our Lord.
Notice it is said of Simeon that the "Holy Spirit was upon him". Not that the Spirit came upon him at that moment, but at all times, the Spirit controlled his life. I think this short phrase lets us know the basis of a life just and devout before God. It comes when the Spirit touches our lives, not just for our salvation, but at the point of every moment of our existence.
While every believer has the Spirit within them, that doesn't bring about justice and devotion in our lives, but it does form the basis from which these attributes are made possible. When we surrender to the Spirit's touch, Christ lives fully in us and our lives begin to reflect God's holiness, not just at a moment in time, but in every day. This brings about justice and devotion in our hearts.
When we think of justice, we normally speak of getting one's just rewards, like receiving a fine for speeding. Justice has been served. But with the Spirit, justice is different. In God's economy, justice is the holiness we receive through faith in Christ. This holiness grows by faith and service unto the Lord through the Spirit's touch until justice defines our very lives.
When we consider a person as devout, we think of piety in worship--humility before God. Again, this humility is not of ourselves, but comes only when the Spirit is upon us.
I, for one, long for the day the Spirit causes my life to be just and devout before my Lord.
LORD JESUS
I invite your Spirit to invade every moment of my life, that my heart and mind would be given fully to you in justice and devotion. Amen.
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