S) "28 'For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.'"
Acts 15:28-29 (NASB)
O) The role of the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible as a unifier is one of my favorite ways He interacts with us. Also, this verse speaks to the "baby Christian" and is a reminder not to overwhelm people with rule upon rule about every single thing. There are the most basic things, like the Ten Commandments, and then we build from there more and more toward holiness.
A) Seeking the unified confirmation of the Holy Spirit should be paramount to decision making. Ultimately, if something contradicts the written Word of God, then we can't accept it. However, much of the Bible must still be interpreted to some degree, in order to apply it to our lives today, and that can cause a lot of confusion or division among people. But the unity of the Holy Spirit clarifies things for us, so seeking that clarity and confirmation is a big deal. Beyond that, the second half of this verse mostly applies to my kids at this point. Sometimes, I want to just download all of my knowledge directly upon their brains, but that's (a) not possible, and (b) not Biblical. In order to teach, especially regarding God and His commands and our relationship with Him, we need to start at the base and build - even if it takes a lot of time and effort.
P) Father, make me sensitive to the Holy Spirit and give me unity, especially with my wife. With other believers, let the Holy Spirit minister between us, to be unified in our understanding of the word, one to another, and also with Your Spirit. When I minister Your Word, whether to my kids or anyone else, let me be patient and obedient to build one piece at a time, to ensure that what is built will stand. Let me lay the foundation starting with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and go from there. Let it be an encouragement to those who hear it. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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