How can I tell when the Spirit

is momentarily changing me?   When I’m asking and thanking Jesus about everything, and curious/expectant to see what He does NEXT in me, others, circumstances.  I get no credit for Jesus-dependency.  Work of the Spirit.

So if I find myself operating in out-of-character-for-Dave ways, with other-worldly humility, and other-worldly love, clueless-about-what’s-best-for-anyone, with a joy and a peace that have nothing to do with my circumstances, then I know that Jesus, by His Spirit, is momentarily doing something remarkable in me.  Doesn’t usually last long.  And this doesn’t make me wonderful.  It makes Jesus wonderful, in the eyes of those around me.

Then, what can I do to get the Spirit to momentarily change me?   Nothing.  I CAN ask for the Spirit, claiming the promise of Luke 11, that if we ask, He will give the Spirit – fresh conviction of sin, but there is no promise as to timetable of the giving.  I can read Scripture, listen to Gospel-centered sermons, but if the Spirit isn’t freshly convicting me of sin, I will be unchanged.

What if I realize I’m filled with fear/unbelief, or am without joy/peace?  Hopefully I CONFESS.  And if there is no relief after that, there is more to CONFESS that I haven’t yet seen.  Then I might ask for the Spirit – fresh conviction of sin.  The starting place for fresh faith, is fresh conviction of sin.

–ShepherdDave, who knows the drill, but is powerless to change himself for a second, needs fresh conviction of the sin of independence/worldliness/confidence-he-knows-what’s-best, so he might momentarily be DumbSheepDave, enjoying the bliss of Jesus-dependency/humility, so the pre-believers around him might experience Jesus

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