Charles Stanley Daily Devotional 3 October 2025 (In Touch) Friday Message
Charles Stanley Daily Devotional TOPIC: What Is the Spirit-Filled Life?
SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: Ephesians 5:15-21
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Although God wants all His children to be filled with the Spirit, many Christians are not sure what this actually means. Every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but the extent of His impact is affected by the Christian’s willingness to comply.
Think of this as a voluntary choice to surrender your life to the Spirit’s control—in other words, to be sensitive to His leadership and guidance, obedient to His promptings, and dependent upon His strength. The evidence of the Holy Spirit’s control is revealed in a person’s character. Those who have yielded their life to Christ’s leadership are continually being transformed into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18). The degree of surrender determines the level of transformation.
Even though good works and faithful service result from being filled with the Holy Spirit, in and of themselves, they are not necessarily signs of being yielded to Him. Remember, God prioritizes character over actions (1 Samuel 16:7). After all, it’s easier to serve the Lord in some manner than to love the unlovable or be patient with difficult people.
When the Spirit is in charge, He works through us to accomplish what we cannot do on our own. Godly character and fullness of the Spirit await those who choose God over self.
Bible in One Year: Matthew 1-4
Thought for Today: If we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, we become more and more like Christ.
Dr. Charles F. Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. Throughout his ministry, he demonstrated a keen awareness of people’s needs and provided Christ-centered biblically based principles for everyday life