Vindication And VengeanceSample

DAY THREE: Vindication by the Spirit is the best way forward

There are two kinds of vindication: external and internal. External—the kind we all naturally want—is when everybody congratulates you. They say, “You were right; they were wrong.” But that is not the way Jesus was vindicated.

The Pharisees did not say, “Jesus, we think You are wonderful.” Pilate did not say, “I will never sentence a man like You.” Vindication by the Spirit is a secret vindication. It is between you and God. If God gives you vindication by the Spirit, you should be the happiest man or woman on the planet. Think about it. It is when the Most High God witnesses to you in a definite and undoubted manner that you please Him. It doesn’t get better than that.

Which gives you more satisfaction: when God pleases you or knowing that you please God? External vindication is God pleasing you—making you happy by people affirming you. And that feels good. There is no doubt about that. But there is something better than external vindication. It is the internal testimony of the Spirit that tells you in a definite and undoubted way that you are pleasing God. You are following the footsteps of Jesus.