Chapter 4

The Holy Spirit

            The Holy Spirit is not some inanimate creation of God that floats about the universe doing whatever God dictates. He is God. However, He is the instrument through which God accomplishes His will in the universe. Without Him, nothing would happen in our lives despite all that Jesus bought and paid for. We would not see our destiny come to fruition. Now let’s look at some of the ways we discover and obtain our destiny through Him.

At Work in Salvation:

            Gift:

            Given without measure:  

Luke 11:13
13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

John 3:34
34 “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.

            First notice that the Holy Spirit is a gift. We don’t have to earn His presence in our lives. If earthly fathers give good gifts, then surely our Heavenly Father gives the good gift of the Holy Spirit. Second, notice that we have to ask. Now some believe that we receive the Holy Spirit at rebirth, and others that we must have a second experience (the Baptism in the Holy Spirit) in order to have the indwelling of the Spirit. Remember, we’re not going to argue over this. We are assuming that we do have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, whether it happens the moment we are born again or during a later experience. Of course in the first instance, there is usually not an asking for the Holy Spirit to be given. It is assumed that He comes in at rebirth.

            Finally, notice that we don’t just get a little dab of the Holy Spirit. He is given without measure. We have all of Him that we will ever need.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "For I have given you more than any earthly treasure. I have given you of My Spirit. It is He who will bring you into all the truth. This is the truth that will set you free … not the truth of the world, but My truth. You cannot survive without this truth. You cannot succeed without My Spirit. For it is He who will bring justice upon the earth and no one can escape His wrath. He is the one who will show you the way to go. He is the one who will be with you in all circumstances. He will guide you into the path of light for My name sake. Do not refuse Him. Do not refuse to follow His guidance. I could have left you alone, but I desired that you experience My presence through His indwelling. You cannot fail as long as you obey Him.”

            41. I have been given the Holy Spirit without measure as a gift. I wasn’t given just a little “dab”; I received Him in full. Because He was a gift, I did not have to do anything to earn this privilege.

Chapter 4

The Holy Spirit

            The Holy Spirit is not some inanimate creation of God that floats about the universe doing whatever God dictates. He is God. However, He is the instrument through which God accomplishes His will in the universe. Without Him, nothing would happen in our lives despite all that Jesus bought and paid for. We would not see our destiny come to fruition. Now let’s look at some of the ways we discover and obtain our destiny through Him.

At Work in Salvation:

            Gift:

            Given without measure:  

Luke 11:13
13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

John 3:34
34 “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.

            First notice that the Holy Spirit is a gift. We don’t have to earn His presence in our lives. If earthly fathers give good gifts, then surely our Heavenly Father gives the good gift of the Holy Spirit. Second, notice that we have to ask. Now some believe that we receive the Holy Spirit at rebirth, and others that we must have a second experience (the Baptism in the Holy Spirit) in order to have the indwelling of the Spirit. Remember, we’re not going to argue over this. We are assuming that we do have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, whether it happens the moment we are born again or during a later experience. Of course in the first instance, there is usually not an asking for the Holy Spirit to be given. It is assumed that He comes in at rebirth.

            Finally, notice that we don’t just get a little dab of the Holy Spirit. He is given without measure. We have all of Him that we will ever need.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "For I have given you more than any earthly treasure. I have given you of My Spirit. It is He who will bring you into all the truth. This is the truth that will set you free … not the truth of the world, but My truth. You cannot survive without this truth. You cannot succeed without My Spirit. For it is He who will bring justice upon the earth and no one can escape His wrath. He is the one who will show you the way to go. He is the one who will be with you in all circumstances. He will guide you into the path of light for My name sake. Do not refuse Him. Do not refuse to follow His guidance. I could have left you alone, but I desired that you experience My presence through His indwelling. You cannot fail as long as you obey Him.”

            41. I have been given the Holy Spirit without measure as a gift. I wasn’t given just a little “dab”; I received Him in full. Because He was a gift, I did not have to do anything to earn this privilege.

Kingdom – priests to His Father:

Revelation 1:5-6
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—
6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

            I know the King James reads that we are kings and priests, but this is the better translation. We are a kingdom … His Kingdom which He rules over. It is not some ordinary kingdom. It is a Kingdom of priests. We are ministers unto the Father. We are able to be this because He released us from our sins by His blood. The priests could not come before God to minister to Him unless they had made a sacrifice for their sins. Jesus was the only sacrifice needed for us to come unto the Father to minister to Him. We need only confess our sins and come before Him with a repentant heart.

           

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "I have not chosen you to be slaves. I have chosen you to be My children. As such, you are not some lowly creature. You are My chosen and anointed ones. You shall minister unto Me as the priests of old did. Only those of Aaron’s descendants were privileged to minister unto Me, but you can all be ministers unto Me. For I have chosen you to be special priests unto Me. No one can overcome you for you are My chosen priest who will reign with Me eternally.”

40. He has made us to be a Kingdom of priests to His God and Father. We should therefore behave in a manner befitting such people.

            Jesus has done so much for us. He has accomplished a lot for our destiny. He paid the price for us to obtain our destiny in God. If it weren’t for this, we would have little to look forward to in this life. But because of Him, we can go boldly through life trusting in what He did to supply all we will ever need to do whatever God asks us to do.

Aid those tempted:

Hebrews 2:18
18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

            We are all tempted. Sometimes it’s easy to resist. Sometimes it’s impossible without help. It’s “tempting” to say, “You’re God. You don’t know what it’s like to be tempted.” However, this verse says differently. Jesus, God in the flesh, was tempted. He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. He was tempted through the words of Peter who said, “No way is anybody going to kill you!” He was tempted in the Garden to call on the angels to rescue Him. He knows what it’s like to be tempted. And yet He resisted. Thus, He is able to come to our aid when we are tempted. Corinthians says that God won’t let us be tempted beyond what we are able to resist. We know it is not God’s will that we sin and that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears and grants our requests. So, we know that when we are tempted, we can call upon Jesus who will hear and help us to resist the temptation.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You cannot succeed in life without Me. You cannot be an overcomer without Me. You will fail in life without Me. I know the way, for I have been there before you. You can never come upon anything that is too difficult for you; for I have been there and have succeeded. I will show you how to succeed if you follow Me. I did not fail, and neither will you provided you follow My example. I will guide you into the truth as you follow Me; for My Spirit is the Spirit of Truth.”

            39. When I am tempted, I am not alone in my struggle against that lure. He is there to aid me in not yielding to that enticement.

Not walk in darkness – light of life:

John 8:12
12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

            Some people are afraid of the dark. They imagine all kinds of bad things are lurking there waiting for them. When we follow Him, we don’t have to be concerned about the darkness because where He is, there is light. This light is not just to show the way, it is the Light of life. We have life when we follow Him.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Follow Me, My children and you will walk in the light of My Will. You will never stumble if you walk in My Will. It is the safest place for you. You cannot fall, and you cannot fail if you follow Me. I will guide you into all the places of safety if you walk in My light. There is a time of great darkness coming upon the world, and those who do not walk in My light will stumble and fall. As long as you walk in My light you will never fall.”

            38. Because I am in Him, I will no longer walk in the darkness of the world system, but will freely walk in the light of His life abiding in me.

Forgiveness of our trespasses:  

Ephesians 1:7-8
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
8 which He lavished on us.

            Some of us did many bad things before we made Jesus Lord of our lives. It is through His blood that we have been redeemed from our wicked way of life. We obtained forgiveness for all those trespasses we did before becoming a Christian. It was because of His grace that this happened. It wasn’t anything we did. He didn’t just sprinkle a little bit of this grace upon us … He lavished it on us.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children, I have bought you with a very high price. I gave My only Son on the cross for you. I did not purchase you to turn My back on you. I redeemed you that you might be a beacon for those in the world who do not know Me. I have chosen you to be a light unto the world. I want you to be My representative to the world. Trust in Me that I will use you as you allow Me to. I have chosen you for a life of freedom from the sins that you have committed in the past. As you allow Me to, I will forgive and redeem your past transgressions. I may not do it in the way you think I should, but I will do so.”

            37. I have forgiveness of all my trespasses. I am no longer in bondage to the things of the past.

Destroyed the works of the devil:  

1 John 3:8
8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

            We should not be sinning all the time if we’re born again. We should be putting the deeds of the flesh to death. We should be approaching the place where we don’t sin any more. If not and you’re sure you’re saved, you need to repent and allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in your life. Jesus appeared for this purpose so that the works of the devil no longer show up in our lives. We should be doing the deeds of our Father, God, not those of the enemy.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Your father is not the devil. Do not do his deeds, but Mine. I am your Father, and I have desired that you do My deeds. The deeds of the devil will last but a moment. Mine will last forever. Do My deeds and you shall last forever too. You are of your Father. Do the deeds of you Father … for I have desired that you be like Me and do My deeds. Then all men will look to Me to be their Father too.”

            36. When Jesus died and rose again, He destroyed the works of the devil. I need not fear the works of the enemy ever again.

What Jesus does for us:

            Christ set us free:  

Galatians 5:1
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

            We were once bound to sin with what seemed like an unbreakable yoke. But then when we believed, we were set free. This freedom wasn’t so that we could do anything that we wished. It was a freedom to choose to live according to God’s Word through the empowering of the Holy Spirit. We are free to be just as Jesus was when He was on the earth. To the people of the world, this seems like bondage. But, to those released from the slavery to sin, it is a freedom to be what God intended for us to be.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You were not chosen to be slaves, but to be free in My Spirit. Your freedom is what will draw men unto Me. They will see that you are not under bondage to a set of rules … of dos and don’ts. You are free to be what I have called you to be. It is your destiny to be free. Do not squander that blessing, but avail yourself of its freedom. You are Mine, and I have chosen you to walk in My freedom. Do not use it to your own vainglory, but to glorify Me … for it is I who have given you this freedom. Use it to glorify Me.”

            35. It was for freedom, not bondage that Christ set me free. I am no longer a slave of a bunch of dos and don’ts. 

Veil is removed:

2 Corinthians 3:14-16
14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.
15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

            Many people in the world today, and not just Jews, have a veil over their hearts when it comes to the Lord Jesus. Even though they may hear the Gospel proclaimed, it’s like it doesn’t register with them. Only when we come to Him will the veil be removed. Then we can see with the “eyes” of our heart. We can then understand the Scriptures and all that they tell us about Jesus. Don’t get upset with unbelievers when they are not able to understand. Remember that we too once could not understand the Good News that Jesus died for our sins.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You cannot know Me unless I want you to know Me. I decided long before the world was in existence that I wanted you to know Me. I revealed Myself to you so that you would come to Me and know Me. I am near you. I am within you and will reveal Myself unto you. You cannot know Me apart from My Spirit. He will guide you into all the truth. Before you came to know Me, you were blind to My existence. You could not know Me without My wanting you to know Me. Now you know that I exist and that My only desire is for you good.”

            34. When I came to Jesus, the veil over my heart and mind were removed. I can see clearly now and know beyond a shadow of a doubt who I am in Him.

Follow Him:

John 10:27-29
27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
29 “My Father, who has given them to Me,  is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

            We are His, and we’re supposed to know His voice when He calls. We can only do that as we practice listening to Him. We can’t hear Him if we don’t listen. When we hear His voice, then we can follow Him. He will lead us in the right direction. He also gives us eternal life … not just eternal in length, but also in quality. It starts right now in this life. In Greek the word translated never is actually two words that are a double negative. In English that means a positive. In Greek it is a very strong negative. We will never, no never perish. He holds us in his hand, and no one is capable of snatching us out of it. To try and snatch us out of Jesus’ hand is like trying to snatch us out of the Father’s hand, and no one is dumb enough to try that.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You are My sheep little children. There is no other shepherd who would lay down His life for you. You are Mine … My special lambs. You know who I am, and you that I am trustworthy. You know that you can follow Me without fear. No one can harm you while you are in My care. I will never let anyone harm you. You can trust Me to take care of you. So relax in My presence and allow Me to minister to you. That is what I do. I take care of you daily as you allow Me to. You cannot survive without Me, and you cannot fail with Me.”

            33. I will follow Him, for He is my Shepherd and I know His voice.

One in Christ:  

Galatians 3:28
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

            There is no group of people that is better than any other. We are all the same. Males and not better than females and vice versa. The Jews are not more highly favored than the Gentiles. We are one in Christ. We need each other to complete the body of Christ. As we move closer to Him, we come closer to each other. We are not many separate groups or individuals. We are one. If we don’t start acting that way on our own, He may turn up the heat so we have to trust each other.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "There is no division in My Body. It is one whole. There is neither male, nor female; young or old; black or white; neither Jew nor Gentile. There is only one Body. You are part of My Body. You need the other parts; for without them you are incomplete. My plan is for all My Body to come into fellowship with one another. You cannot survive what is coming upon the world without each other. Trust in Me to lead all of you into the unity necessary for you to be one with each other.”

            32. I am one in Christ with all of my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Our great High Priest:  

Hebrews 4:14
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Hebrews 7:26
26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;

            He is our great High Priest. High priests offered sacrifices for the people when they sinned. They lifted up the people to God for His blessings. They even sought His will at times for the kings. Jesus does this for us. He offered up Himself, once for all. He no longer needs to offer sacrifices for us. When He died on the cross, that was all that was needed. Daily He lifts us up to God for His blessings. He also seeks the Father’s will for our lives. And when we sin, He intercedes for us according to the will of God.

            Unlike the earthly high priests, He did not and does not need to offer up sacrifices for Himself. He never did anything that needed sacrificing for. He is a living example of what we can and should do through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "I have passed this way before you. You do not have to go into unknown territory; for I will show you the way to the Father. I will show you the way into the Throne Room. I have gone this way before you that you might have free access to the Father. You may come into His presence without fear. You may come boldly before Him to make your requests known. Come unto Him and fear not for I will lead you into those paths of righteousness that will bring you unto the Father. He will be pleased at your presence. He desires to give you many things and to grant your every request. You must follow in the path that I took. It is not an easy path, but one that leads to glory.”

            31. Jesus is my great High Priest. He is my go between to the Father and presents my petitions to Him.

What He Became to Us:

           

            Mind of Christ:  

1 Corinthians 2:16
16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

            Too many times we Christians act like we have a mind of mush. We do things that cause us to get into trouble. Too often it is because we tried to think our way out of a jam and did something that got us into a worse situation. This verse says that we have the mind of Christ. That doesn’t mean that our minds will always think like Him. However, our minds do have at their disposal everything that is necessary to solve our problems. We have to allow Him to supply us with the solutions and then obey His instructions. This doesn’t mean that we wait until there is a problem to seek His thoughts. We need to seek Him every day. Then when the time comes to resolve an emergency situation, we will not be at a loss as to how to receive His directions for our lives.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You do need to worry about how to do this or to do that. I will show you how to do everything that you need to do. I will instruct you in the ways of righteousness as you go from day to day. You need not worry about the things that come against you. I will show you the way to be an overcomer. You need not fear failure and defeat. I was not defeated, though everyone believed I was. You will not ever be defeated if you listen to My Spirit as He guides you in everything you do.”

            30. I, together with my brothers and sisters in the Lord, have the mind of Christ. Thus, I should no longer rely only on my own thinking but should trust in His wisdom that comes to me and to those believers whom I trust.

Clothed ourselves with Christ:

Galatians 3:27
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

            We have clothed ourselves with Christ - with the garments of righteousness. As far as the enemy is concerned, when he sees us, he sees Jesus. He sees Jesus’ righteousness. We should behave like we’re covered with that righteousness. We shouldn’t go around behaving like the people of the world. We should act in a manner becoming to those in shining white garments.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You have put on the garments of righteousness, when you are clothed with Me. You have immersed yourself in My holiness, as you enter into My baptism. You will walk in holiness, if you will allow Me to show you the way. You need not fear that you will be rejected. You will be greatly loved, and I will show you how to walk in My holiness.”

            29. When I was baptized, I clothed myself with Christ, like putting on an overcoat. Since I have clothed myself with Him, I should walk in newness of life the same as He did on earth.

Advocate with the Father:

1 John 2:1
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

            Here John is writing words of wisdom to help us see how to keep from sinning. We need God’s wisdom to show us the way. God’s desire is that we do not sin. He doesn’t say, “Well, they’re just human. They can’t help themselves. They are going to sin sooner or later.” His will is that we stop altogether. But, if we do happen to sin, He doesn’t abandon us to our own just deserts. He provides us with our very own attorney … and not just any attorney … Jesus Christ, the righteous. He, never having sinned, though tempted in all things just like we are tempted, could very easily say, “They’re getting what they deserve. I resisted. Why can’t they?” Instead, He does all He can to help us turn away from those sins and not do them again. But we have to be willing and put forth the effort.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You know that it is not the desire of your Father that you sin. But if you do sin, I am there to plead your cause. I am there to comfort you in time of need. I will plead your case, if you will but let Me. I will draw you unto the Father, as you draw unto Me. If you let Me, I will bring you into the Father’s forgiveness.”

            28. While it is no longer my nature to sin, it is possible that I might sin. If I should sin and confess it, Jesus pleads my case before the Father.

What His death accomplished:

            Takes away the sin of the world:

John 1:28-29
28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

            It’s extremely important that we have all our sins forgiven. But Jesus didn’t come just to absolve us of those wrongdoings. He came to help us keep from committing new sins, and to even take away our desire to do those things that are displeasing to God. It’s amazing that He could and would help us resist the urge to commit sin. It’s nearly impossible to believe that He can and will take away even the desire to do them.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children, I did not come just to cover over your sin … to hide it so that it could not be seen. I came to remove it to the far corners of the universe so that it could never be discovered again. I did not come to just forgive a sin or two that you might do each day. I came to do away with the desire to sin again. I came that you might have the desire that I had when I was on the earth … to always do the will of My Father. That is what I expect of you … to always want to do His will. And you can always do His will as you allow His Spirit to control your wants and wishes. Allow His Spirit to have His way in your life, and you will not have to struggle to do the Father’s will. I will come supernaturally.”

            27. When I believed on Jesus, he took away my sin and my sinful nature. In return, He gave me the very nature of God.

Remembers our sins no more

Hebrews 8:10-12
10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws into their minds,
And I will write them on their hearts.
And I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.
11 “And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen,
And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
For all will know Me,
From the least to the greatest of them.
12 “For I will be merciful to their iniquities,
And I will remember their sins no more.”

            Keeping His commandments is not a matter of trying to keep some set of rules written down somewhere. These rules are written down on our hearts and minds. When we allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in us, He will automatically keep them. When people forgive us of wrongs that we have done to them, they still remember them and many times are not shy about reminding us of all the times that we have failed them. God is not that way. If we repent and confess our sins, He not only forgives us, but also He forgets them. He doesn’t keep dragging them up to remind us of our failures. If sins we have confessed keep plaguing us, it’s not God pointing them out. It’s either the enemy trying to oppress us, or our own poor self-image that doesn’t want to believe that God could and would forgive us.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "What you have done in the past is gone forever. I do not hold those things against you. You do not have to fear that one day I will chastise you for past wrongs. I only want good for you. I will guide you into the paths of righteousness for My name’s sake. I would not have you bring shame upon My name by wrong actions. I will show you the way to walk in My righteousness, if you will allow My Spirit to control your actions. You are My child, and I want you to walk in My ways. It is for your own good that I desire this. You can trust Me to do good for you. I will not remind you of past sins that are forgiven. You can depend on Me to only remind you of those things for which you have not received forgiveness.”

            26. God remembers my sins no more. Since He doesn’t, then neither should I.

            There is no one that a child would desire to be more like than his/her father. You can be like your Heavenly Father. In fact, you are destined to be like Him. Most of us did not like certain things our fathers habitually said or did. We said to ourselves that we would never say or do those things, especially to our own children. Then what happened? We caught ourselves saying or doing the same thing our fathers said or did. Oh how it irked us! It seemed like we were destined to say or do the same things.

            We are destined to say and do the same things that our Heavenly Father has said or done. That is very good news. Jesus only said and did the things His Father (who is our Father too) said and did. If Jesus did, then so should we.

He remains faithful:

2 Timothy 2:13
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

            We cannot depend on humans to remain faithful to us. Some will, but others won’t. Those remain faithful so long as everything is great and they are o.k. with the way we act. But if things go south or they don’t approve of what we do, they turn their backs on us. God isn’t that way. He remains faithful to us, even when we do things that He doesn’t approve of … even when we are not faithful to Him. It says it’s because He cannot deny Himself. That’s because He resides within us. We need have no fear that one day He will suddenly reject us, even if others have already rejected us.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You know Me, My children. I would not leave you alone, nor would I leave you defenseless. You know that I will always do what I say. I will never go back on My Word, but will always perform it. You can depend on Me, when I tell you that I will do something. I have only good for you. But you must trust Me to do what I say I will do for you. There is no other way than to trust Me to do what My Word says that I will do.”

            25. No matter what I may do, He remains faithful to me. He will never leave me nor forsake me.

Treasure entrusted to you:

2 Timothy 1:14
14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.

            There is a treasure that indwells us. People throughout the years have delighted to go on a treasure hunt. Well, we need a map to go on a treasure hunt. That map is the Bible. It says that the way to get to the treasure is to look inside; for there is where it’s located. The treasure is not in the things of this world, but in the things of the Spirit world. It’s inside us … a real, honest-to-goodness treasure more valuable than any of this world. We just need to make use of it. We learn how to do that through the Spirit who indwells us.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You have within you a treasure beyond compare. It is something that the men of old deeply desired, but were unable to obtain it. It is the indwelling presence of My Spirit. They knew Me from afar, but you know Me from within. This treasure has been given to you to help you and those around you in time of need. He will guide you into all the truth. You will not have to guess what My will is; for He will show you what My will is and how to walk in it.”

            24. God has entrusted to me a special treasure. I will not fail to live up to my obligation to take good care of that treasure residing in me.

Gave us the Kingdom:

Luke 12:32
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

            God has chosen to give us the Kingdom. He gave it to us; we didn’t earn it. Therefore, we have nothing to brag about. We should no longer think of ourselves as nobodies. We are someone special. We possess the Kingdom. Jesus also said to not be afraid. How can we be afraid when we have the Kingdom of the Almighty God. When God chose to give us this Kingdom, it wasn’t begrudgingly. He gladly chose to give it to us. We should gladly receive it and diligently strive to share that Kingdom with others. As those around us see us walking in that Kingdom, they will desire to also enter this Kingdom.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children, do not fear those who are of this world; for they are not your enemy. You are not of their kingdom, but of Mine. My Kingdom is a Kingdom not of the understanding of the natural mind. For it cannot understand nor even perceive its existence. For My Kingdom is one of freedom and power in Me. You are of My Kingdom, and you need not fear what man can do to you. Only fear the One who has the final power over your existence. Only fear that you fall from His grace; for there is nothing of this realm that can harm you. Only trust in Me and My Spirit.”

            23. God gladly chose to give us the Kingdom. Therefore, I am a subject of His Kingdom.

People for God’s own possession:

1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

            Look at all the things this verse says that we are. This is how God sees us even though they may not have all come to pass yet.

            We are a chosen race. First of all, we are a race. Those who are from the same race have many common characteristics. This is true of Christians. We have many things in common which we inherited from our Father. We someone looks at any Christian, he/she should see similarities with other Christians. We are also a chosen race. Our names weren’t pulled out of God’s hat. He chose this race of people with common characteristics.

            We are a holy nation. We are a nation. Those who are citizens of a particular nation have common characteristics. This time it may not be physical ones. These mainly have to do with beliefs and allegiance. This is true of us. We have common beliefs and our allegiance is to the Lamb. We’re not just a nation, we are a holy nation. That describes the chief characteristic of our nation. We’re the only nation that can lay claim to that characteristic. And the holiness isn’t our own. It’s His. We just have to walk in it.

            We are a people. The Indians of some of the tribes would talk about “the people” meaning their tribe. We are members of God’s tribe … His people. We are for His own possession. It means we didn’t just accidentally come about. He chose us to be His people.

            Why did He make us all of this? So that we might proclaim His excellencies -the one who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "I have especially chosen you to be My people. You are to lead the people of the world unto Me. You are to be a shining example to them, so that they will desire to follow Me. When I said you were special, I was telling you how much you mean to Me. When I pour out My blessings on you, you will attract many people unto Me. You are My special chosen people. There is not another group of people that will accomplish what I have chosen for you to do in My name.”

            22. I am a member of those special people who are created for God’s own possession. I am joyfully His.

More things about our relationship with the Father:

            Every good thing comes from above:

James 1:17
17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

            Have you ever received anything that was intrinsically good? How about a perfect gift? Then it must be from above. Our Father gave it to us. Of course we’re not talking about some physical present we got for Christmas. It says that with Him there is not variation or shifting shadow. He doesn’t give good things today and not so good ones tomorrow. He never changes, so the type of gifts that He gives will never change either. We can expect only the good things to come from Him.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "I would not ever give you something bad. I only give what is good and good for you. You would not do otherwise to your children, would you? Then why do you think that I would be any different. I have many treasures to give you, but you cannot receive them at this time. When I return, I will have many surprises for you. What I have for you now is beyond your dreams; so much more will I have for you when I return.”

            21. Every good thing that is in my life comes from God. His desire for me is only good.

He is at work in us:

        

            To will and to work for His good pleasure:

Philippians 2:13
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

            Do you have a desire to do things for God? Do you put forth a lot of effort to find and do things for Him? That desire to work for His good pleasure was put there by Him when you were born again. It is not something that arises naturally inside mankind. Sure, we’re grateful He saved us, but let’s not go overboard. He not only gives you the desire to work for Him, He gives you the ability to get the job done. He is doing the work. That way we can’t brag … either of desiring to do His will or of having actually done it. He gets all the glory.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "It is not up to you to live the Christian life; it is up to My Spirit. He will live My life in you as you allow Him to. He will give you the desire to obey My Word and to do My will. I will not leave you defenseless. I will give you more than enough to do what I have told you to do. As you trust in Me, I will show you the way to do what I have commanded you to do.”

            20. God is at work in me to give me the will to do His good pleasure. He also works in me to perform that will.

Keeps the one born of God:

1 John 5:18
18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

            This word keeps doesn’t mean that God keeps us vs. throws us back like a too small fish. It means that He keeps watch over us and protects us. Because we are under the shadow of His wings, the enemy cannot touch us. To get to us he has to come through God, and God won’t let him harm us. However, if we get out from under God’s wings, then we are in harm’s way. It is then possible for the enemy to attack us. Now, this does not mean that anyone who is being attacked is sinning. That’s the same thing they believed in the Old Testament, “Master, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” It simply means that we are asking for trouble when we leave God’s protective side.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children whom I love with a love unfailing … do not fear what may come upon you; for I will keep watch over you to protect you. You are My child, and I want only the best for you. You are like your Father … for your Father watches over His Word to perform it, and so should you. You are My child, and your desire is to follow after Me. You need not fear the enemy or His devices; for I will keep you from His power and influence. You are Mine and you shall live you life unto Me in righteousness. You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

            19. I am born of God, therefore, He keeps me safe from all harm.

His ears attend to our prayers:

1 Peter 3:12
12 “… And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

            He is listening attentively when we pray towards Him. He hears us and then comes to our aid. It also says in Psalm 34:15 that His ears are open to our cry. So, whenever bad things come upon us, we can lift our voices to Him, and He will hear do whatever is necessary to help us.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children, when you call upon Me, I will hear and will come to your aid. Do not think that I am too busy or do not care about you smallest need. For everything that concerns you is important to Me. For I love you with a love eternal and all encompassing. I will never turn away form your cry as long as you seek after Me. I will also face those who come against you. I will not let them come upon you unawares. If you listen to My voice, you will know the plans of the enemy. My plans for you are only good, and not ill.”

            18. His ears are always open to hear my prayers. He listens, and He responds.

His eyes are upon the righteous:

1 Peter 3:12
12 “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous …

            If God’s eyes are upon us, then nothing can sneak up on us without God warning us. We need to always stay attuned to His speaking to us. He is ever watchful over us. He will send us aid even before it is needed. We just need to be sensitive to His directing our lives. It even says in Psalm 34:15 that His eyes are toward us, the righteous.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children, My eyes are always upon you; for I watch over you day and night for your good and not for ill. I would have you know that My heart is ever towards you and that I will not allow the unrighteous to prevail over you as long as you trust in Me. I will keep watch over you by day and by night to ensure that you will be victorious in life. Trust in Me to watch over you. Rest in My promises and do not fear those that would oppose you.” 

            17. Through Jesus inside me, I am righteous. Therefore, God’s eyes are upon me.

God works for us:

            Who can be against us?

Romans 8:31
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

            God is on our side! He always works together with us to bring about what is best for His Kingdom and for us. So, if He is for us, who can be against us? One thing is for sure, it shouldn’t be His people. Of course, the enemy of our souls, the accuser of the brethren, is against us. We’re supposed to resist him. Remember that our warfare is not against flesh and blood but against those forces of the enemy that would attack us and God’s Kingdom. As long as we know whom we’re fighting, we can overcome. It’s not that person that is attacking us, but rather the forces of the enemy.

            Now we need to make sure that we don’t go too far in that direction. It is not always some demonic force that is influencing some person to afflict us. Sometimes it is just the flesh of that person that is not submitted to the Holy Spirit that is in operation. If so, we can rebuke the devil till the cows come home, and nothing will happen.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Do not think that you are alone My children. I am with you always. I am always on your side. I will work through you and for you if you allow Me to do so. Do not fear what man can do to you. He can do nothing as long as you walk in Me, and allow My Spirit to control your life. No power of the enemy can harm you while you are in My care.”

            16. God is for me. Therefore, no one or thing that matters can be against me. Since He is for me, I cannot fail!

Obtained an inheritance:

Ephesians 1:11-12
11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

            We have already obtained an inheritance. It’s not something to come some day in the sweet bye-and-bye. It is in the nasty now-and-now. This says we have been predestined for this. We’re not getting into a discussion about predestination versus free will.

            God desired for us to obtain an inheritance, and He saw to it that we did (He worked it after the counsel of His will … that means He wanted it to happen). Why were we to obtain an inheritance? So that we would be to the praise of His glory. There is nothing glorious about being sick or in poverty. Who wants to become a part of a group that has that as their common bond? It has to be great if it is to the praise of His glory.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You have an inheritance already, My children. It is one that has been promised to those who believe in Me. You were destined for this, and you shall receive it in due season. I desired for all My children to obtain this inheritance and have given it to them. Not all will operate in that inheritance, but it is available to them. I gave this to you that all men may see My glory in you and desire to become My children too.”

            15. I have already obtained an inheritance, some of which I will enjoy while I am here on earth, and the rest when He returns.

Heirs of the Father:

            Heirs according to promise:

Galatians 3:29
29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

            We belong to Christ. Therefore, we are Abraham’s descendants. Now that does not necessarily mean his descendant according to the flesh, but rather according to the faith of Abraham. We are his descendants spiritually. Since we are his descendants, this means we are also his heirs according to the promise of God. Too many Christians, though, are living like they are heirs of some pauper. In other words, they are not expecting to get anything in this life, but rather they are expecting to have to always give something to everyone else.

            Now some believe they are heirs, but that the inheritance is only spiritual. This is not the case. It is both physical and spiritual. There is nothing wrong with believing God will bless us physically. If we are physically and financially well off, we are better able to do the work of God and to help His Kingdom grow. He didn’t bless us so that we could spend it only on ourselves. It is to help others.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You are Mine little children. All that I have is yours. What I have given to Abraham is also yours. He was the first to hope in Me. You will inherit the promises I made to him as you walk in the faith that he had. He believed Me and through that inherited magnificent promises. If you believe Me like he did, you too will inherit the same promises. You will truly be like your father Abraham.”

            14. He has made me part of Abraham’s offspring. Therefore, I am an heir according to His promise which can never fail.

Makes His name known:

John 17:26
26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

            Jesus makes the Father’s name known to us. We don’t have to wonder any longer who our Father is. It says that the reason He does this is so that the love the Father had for the Son may be in us along with Jesus Himself being inside us.

            Many people love others because of something those people do for them. God loves us in spite of all the things we have done against Him in the past.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You know Me and you know My name. It is through My name that your power comes. It is through My name that all things take place; for it is in My name that you will do the greater works than I did. You cannot do anything unless it is in My name. My name is the authority that you operate in. Through it, all the powers of the enemy must submit to you. If you operate in your own name and authority, nothing will happen.”

            13. Because of His love for me, He has made His name known unto me.

Love of the Father:

            Father’s love – we’re His children:

1 John 3:1
1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

            It is because of the Father’s love of us that He delights in calling us His child. It isn’t because of something we have done, or because He just can’t get along without us. It is because of His infinite love of us that He calls us His children.

            The parents of some children act like they don’t want them, but He loves us so much that He chose us to be His.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "I do not call you servants, but rather children. You are of Me and My love flows in you. What you do for Me is done in My love. For this is My will for you that you show forth My love to one another and thus prove that you are My children.”

            12. See what love the Father has for me … I am His child!

Sons:

Galatians 3:26
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:14
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Luke 20:35-36
35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;
36 for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

            God delights to call us His “sons”. Of course that term includes the ladies also. This shows us the three-fold aspect of being His sons. In Galatians we are sons through faith in Christ Jesus. When we exercise our faith in Him and are born again, we become God’s sons in our spirits. In Romans when we allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives, then we are His sons in our souls. One day in the future when Jesus returns and the dead are raised, then we will be His sons of the resurrection in our bodies.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You are Mine dear ones, and I have desired greatly that you be with Me for all eternity. You are not of those who shrink back from doing My will but are of those who walk after My desire for you. You are not Mine for just a season but for all eternity. For those who are Mine shall live forever in My love.”

            11. I am His child and one day I will be a son/daughter of the resurrection.

Love of the Father:

We are Sons and Daughters:

           

            Abba, Father:

Galatians 4:6
6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

            Once we believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord (Romans chapter 10), we become God’s sons (and daughters). He sends the very own Spirit of Jesus into our hearts. He, the Spirit, then cries out “Abba! Father!” … or “Daddy”. That doesn’t mean that we take lightly this relationship. It is one of reverence and awe.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You are not a child of this world, but a child of Mine. My seed abides in you and shall remain in you as you remain in Me. You shall never die because My seed is eternal. You are of Mine and shall show forth My attributes. I am your Father and you shall be like Me for you are Mine.”

            10. His Spirit is in my heart crying out to Him, “Abba, Father”.

His seed abides in us:

John 1:13
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

1 John 3:9
9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 4:15
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

           

            We may have been born in the natural through the will of our parents, but when we were born again, we were born of God’s will. He desired greatly that we be born from above. We are a part of two worlds. In the flesh, we are a part of this world, but in the spirit realm, we also have a place.            

            Then the next verse says that when we are born of God, His seed abides in us. Can you imagine that? God’s seed abides in us. This verse says that no one who is born of God practices sin. That is just the New American Standard’s way of emphasizing the Greek in this verse. We don’t continually sin, if we are born of God. Our new man cannot sin because he is born of God. However, our soul can choose to sin. As we grow in God, though, we should be sinning less and less often.

            The third Scripture lets us know how we can be sure we’re born of God. It says that if we confess that Jesus is the Son of God, then God abides in us and we in God. To confess means to say the same thing as … in other words, we say the same thing as God says - that we are born of Him.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I put My Spirit in you to guide you. You were not born to please man, but to please Me. I will show you the way to do that. As you allow My Spirit to have full control over your life, you will grow in My grace and in the knowledge of Me. As you do, you will be a beacon unto others. You were not born to do the will of the flesh, but to do the will of the Spirit. Stay in My love, and you will walk in My light.”

            9. I am born of God, and His seed abides in me. I am in Him, and He is in me.

Shone in our hearts:

2 Corinthians 4:6-7
6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

            God Himself “lit up” our hearts. They were in darkness in this world, but He brought the light of His glory (Jesus) into them. Jesus said that when we walk in the light, we won’t stumble. This light should shine out of our hearts to light up the lives of those around us. Truly this is a treasure. And as it says here, the surpassing greatness of the power is of Him and not us. Therefore, we can’t brag. Just because you are an earthen vessel, doesn’t mean you are nothing and worthless. He will make you a vessel to honor if you allow Him to do so.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "How can you say that you cannot see the way to go? I have given you My light dwelling within you. That light will shine on your path to show you which way to go. I haven’t deserted you. I did not choose you to lose you. I chose you to become a light to those around you. Do not resist My Spirit when He tries to lead you along the path of righteousness. He will shine His light on your path to show you the way. It is not your power, nor your righteousness, but Mine. I will bring you into My freedom as you allow My Spirit to guide you.”

            8. He has shone in my heart and given me the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Chapter 2

Relationship with the Father

            When we have a relationship with someone, that means we have something in common. If it is a friendship type of relationship, we share like goals and ideas in many areas of our lives. If it is a kinship type of relationship, we share many physical characteristics usually along with like goals and ideas. The first part is guaranteed, while the second, though common, is not. When we grow up in a family, the children, at least in the beginning, do share like goals and ideas. As they grow older, the children may drift away from those of the family’s.

            Our relationship with God has both. We share many spiritual characteristics. We are His children, so we should appear to be like Him. This is because His Spirit indwells us. Our spiritual man will “look” like Him. We also share His goals and ideas. Just like with natural children, we could drift away from those goals and ideas. Our spiritual man still desires to act like Him, but we may decide to go our own way.

            We are going to look at those characteristics that we are destined to acquire, being children of God.

How we come to the Father:

            Partakers of the divine nature:

2 Peter 1:4
4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

            Would you look at that? We partake of the divine nature … God’s very own nature. We sure don’t act like it sometimes. How awesome that God chose to allow us to literally become like Him. Of course, children become like their earthly fathers in various ways, so why shouldn’t we become like Him? How do we accomplish this? It tells us in this verse … by His precious and magnificent promises. In other words, by putting His Word into effect in our lives, we can become more and more like Him. His Spirit inside of us needs something to work on. The Holy Spirit can accomplish some things even if we haven’t heard the Word about an area in our lives that needs changing. He can do much more if He has something to work with. Remember from Hebrews 4:12 that His Word is actually living and working inside us. The Spirit through this living Word can help us determine when something is from our soul versus from our spirit.

            By the way, I simply love the poetical-ness of Second Peter chapter one. Read it and notice how many times things come in pairs. In this verse … precious and magnificent promises.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children, you have partaken of My nature. You had the nature of the world … that nature which only wants your own good, not that of your neighbor. You have received of My life, and that life brings good to all … not just to you. Do not go against My nature and do the things of the world which you used to do. I will bring you into maturity because that is My nature in you.”

            7. He has made precious and magnificent promises to me and through them I have become a partaker of His divine nature.

Forgiveness:

            Forgiveness of sins: Acts 10:43

Acts 10:43
43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

            Again we have the significance of believing in His name. Through this we receive forgiveness of sins. It doesn’t say that we have to do anything else to receive this forgiveness. We don’t have to earn this forgiveness. It is not by our labors, but by His one-time substitutionary death in our place. We deserve to die for our sins, but He took our place. We don’t have to keep asking forgiveness for all the sins we committed before we made Jesus Lord of our lives. However, whenever we sin after becoming Christians, we do have to ask forgiveness for those sins.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You have forgiveness of sins, My children. When you were in the world, you had no forgiveness. But now, you have come unto Me and have believed in Me. Through this you truly have forgiveness … not as the world forgives … for those of the world many times hold onto grudges, though they say they forgive. I truly forgive and cast them into the sea. I do not hold them against you, but truly forgive you. Do not fear that I will bring them back. When I remove them, they do not return.”

            6. Through His work on the cross, I have forgiveness of sins.

God has many things destined for us to receive. However, we cannot receive any of them until we ask Jesus to come into our lives and take control. We cannot experience the fulfilling life of a believer until we are a believer. This book is written for those who have received Jesus as Lord of their lives. If you have not, you can right now.

            Tell Jesus that you are sorry for all the wrong things that you have done. Thank Him that He died on the cross so that you would not have to pay the penalty for doing those sinful things. Ask Him to come into your life and to take complete control. Thank Him by faith that He did come in.

            You may or may not feel something. Different people have different experiences. He said He would come in, if you asked. Trust Him to do what He said He would do. The feelings will come later, if not now.

Eat of this bread – live forever. Jn 6:51

John 6:51
51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

            We’re not going to argue whether or not the “bread” of communion actually becomes the flesh of Jesus Christ. What is important is that you have eaten of this bread (not the bread of communion of which one may participate in many times during his/her life, but the one time eating of the Bread of salvation). When one eats bread, that bread becomes a part of his/her body for a season. When one eats this Bread, He becomes part of your very soul-life forever.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "When I came to give life, I came to give it through My death. The life you live is through Me. You partake of Me through the bread you share. Just like bread gives your flesh life, so My body that was broken gives your soul life. Eat of My bread daily to grow in Me.”

            5. I have eaten of this bread of Life and shall live forever with Him.

Have eternal life in His name:

1 John 5:13
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

            This is our confidence … if we believe in His name, we know (not hope) that we have this eternal life. Jesus means Jehovah-saved. It is through God that our salvation comes … not through our effort, but His. He has done all that is necessary for our salvation. We just have to believe and receive. Then we can be like those in the verse before this one in Acts 13:48 … we can rejoice and glorify the Word of the Lord.

If you could hear God speak, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Many of My children have been taught that they cannot know whether they are going to Heaven. When I chose you, I did not choose you for a little while. I chose you for eternity. Do not fear that I will someday reject you. I have chosen you and will not change My mind. You are Mine forever.”

            4. It is through His name that I have an overflowing, all-encompassing eternal life.