The Holy Spirit (Part ii)
'And I will give you a new heart with a right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command. Then after I have poured out my rains again, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions. In those days, I will pour out my Spirit even on servants, men and women alike. But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth' - Ez. 36:26-27, Joel 2:28-29 & Acts 1:8 The Reality of the Holy Spirit
Last week we said that the Holy Spiritis the third person in the Godhead and that He is very central to our coming to faith in Jesus Christ. He is also very central to sustaining our faith. It is therefore essential that Christians recognise the importance of the Holy Spirit in God's redemptive purpose. The Holy Spirit is the One who gives us power to live our new life in Christ as well as power to share the gospel of God's salvation of the world through Jesus Christ. His work is therefore, crucial to the believer. Yet though the Holy Spirit is so important, most believers do not have the faintest idea about who the Holy Spirit really is and what He does in the lives of us who believe. God's plan for believers in that we be transformed in character to become like Jesus Christ as we read in Rom. 8:29: For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like his Son. So that His Son would become the first born with many brothers and sisters, This is reiterated in 2 Cor. 3:18b - And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more ; and ended on the New Testament Times. Please enjoy how the Holy Spirit relates to us: New Testament Times
i. The Holy Spirit acts as our divine teacher - guiding us into all truth – John 16:13, 1 Cor. 2:9 - 16 disclosing Jesus to us and guiding us into close fellowship and oneness with Jesus – John 16:14.
ii. He continually imparts God's love to us – Rom. 5:5 and gives us joy, comfort and help - John 14:16; 1 Thess. 1:6.
3. Agent of Service
The Holy Spirit empowers believers for service and witness, giving us divine anointing and enabling us to proclaim God's word with boldness – Acts 1:8.
He enables us to work miracles, He gives spiritual gifts to edify the church – 1 Cor.12:14 so that Christ's presence, love, truth, and righteousness are made real to the fellowship of believers for the common good – 1 Cor.12:7-11.
4. Agent who incorporates believers into the Body of Christ.
The Holy Spirit lives in the Church – 1 Cor. 3:6:
Building it – Eph. 2:22;
Inspiring the Church for worship – Phil. 3:3;
Directing her mission – Acts. 13:2 &4;
Appointing her workers – Acts 20:25;
Anointing preachers – Acts 2:4;
Guarding the Gospel – 2 Tim. 1:4;
Promoting her righteousness – John 16:8, 1 Cor. 3:16;
There are many more activities that the Holy Spirit performs but these are complementary and the facets of His work interlocked and inseparable. For example we cannot experience these four facets of the Holy Spirit's work without getting involved in all the four aspects of His work.
Fullness of new life in Christ;
Righteousness as a way of life;
Power to witness for the Lord; and
Fellowship in His body.
Promised Gift
The Holy Spirit was promised as a gift to believers – Luke 24:49; John 14:16; Acts 1:5. Part of His ministry is to seal believers at the moment they receive saving faith in Christ.
The term ' seal ' includes four truths;
He is a provision of security;
a mark of ownership;
a certification of genuineness;
and a sign of approval - Eph. 4:30.
Indeed, the Holy Spirit's presence in believer's life is the final evidence, both to us and to others, of the truth of what we have believed. Further, He is the down payment, providing both a foretaste of the believer's spiritual inheritance and a legal claim to the fullness of that inheritance in the future.
The issue though is: do you have the Holy Spirit indwelling you? Do you have the new birth? Have you invited Christ by an act of your own will, to be your Saviour and Lord? If not please do it today. Tomorrow may be too late!
Stay blessed!
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