Our destiny in regards to the Holy Spirit.

                                                                         Chapter 4

 

The Holy Spirit

 

             This chapter is about our destiny in regards to the Holy Spirit. We are going to see how His labor in our lives assists us in becoming what God purposed for His children. We could not approach God without Him, and we can’t survive in this world without His helping us every instant of the day and night.

 

At Work in Salvation:

            Gift:

 

            Gift for the called:

Acts 2:38-39

38     Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

     39     “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

     

            Here is the formula for receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Since you have repented and been baptized (remember our assumptions), then you have received Him. There are instances, though, in the Bible in which people received the Holy Spirit without being baptized; Cornelius and family being the most prominent. Also notice that this is a gift. You didn’t have to earn it; didn’t have to get good enough; and didn’t have to understand all about it. In verse 39 it says that this is a promise. The Holy Spirit is a promise from the Father. God always keeps His promises. It also says it wasn’t just for the first Church … it’s for as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself. That means YOU!

 

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

            "I have chosen to give My children My Spirit. He is all that I am. When He indwells you, you will experience My life in you. He is for all who turn to Me, not just for a few special chosen ones. He also will be with you for all eternity. I have promised Him to all My children, and they can enjoy His presence throughout their lives.”

 

            49. God has called me to Himself; I have repented; been baptized; and I have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. I didn’t have to earn it. He was a gift to me.

You will always be accepted in the Beloved.

 With us always:

 

Matthew 28:20

20     teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

 

Hebrews 13:5

5     Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”

 

            Many of you have been abandoned by a parent, a spouse, a friend, or even a pastor. You don’t have to fear that God will turn His back on you. He is unable to desert anyone. He will be with you everlastingly. If you need Him, He will always be there for you. He cannot fail you like someone else has failed you. He will never discard you. You will always be accepted in the Beloved.

 

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

            "I will never leave My children alone. They do not ever have to worry or fear that I will turn My back on them. I have chosen them forever. I am intimately acquainted with every aspect of their lives, and I want them to enjoy all that I have chosen for them on earth. When they trust in Me, they will know My joy and My provision. Eternal life is not just a very long life, but one filled with joy and blessings abundantly.”

 

            48. I can trust God to always be with me. He will never desert me nor forsake me. I will never be alone again.

 

 

           

            Jesus … that one word sums up the entire thing. Without Him, we would be nothing as the song says. With Him, we are more than conquerors. We are destined for all this because of what He did. We are now His brothers and sisters. We share the same Father. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus … there’s just something about that Name.

We have the potential to do all things

 You can do all things:

 

Philippians 4:13

13     I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

   

            Remember that we talked about this in the opening. This doesn’t mean that we are guaranteed to do all things, but that we have the capacity to do them through Jesus who will strengthen us. We have the potential to do all things. We don’t have to do them in our own might. We can do them, if we let Him employ His approach.

 

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

            "There is nothing that could ever come upon you that you cannot handle through Me. I have supplied all that you will ever need to do what I have called you to do. You are not weak in Me. You are strong in the power of My Spirit. He will guide you and supply you with all you will ever need to accomplish My goals for your life. Apart from Me you can do nothing, but in My strength, you can do all things.”

 

            47. I can do all things through Christ. That means that there is nothing that comes to me that I cannot do. I will never fail as long as I entrust myself to Him and His strength.

We will follow our Shepherd, because we recognize His voice, and because He knows us by name.

 No one snatches out of His hand:

 

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 will follow our Shepherd, because we recognize His voice, and because He knows us by name. Some people say that you can’t hear God. This says that we not only can hear Him, we can distinguish when it is His voice and when it is another voice. This also says that we know we have eternal life, and that we will never perish. This is a further verse that gives us assurance that God didn’t choose us just for a lifetime. He chose us eternally. No one can steal us out of Jesus’ hand, because no one is powerful enough to seize us out of the Father’s hand. We don’t have to fear that we’ll be kept from making it to the end.

 

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

            "My children are special unto Me. I did not choose them just to have them depart from Me after a short time. I chose them forever. There is no one nor any thing powerful enough to snatch them out of My hand. I will hold on to them as long as they will let Me. They need not fear that I will ever reject them, nor that anyone can keep them from knowing My love forever.”

 

            46. I can rest assured that I am safe in Jesus’ hand. The Father will see to that. I have eternal life and will never perish.            

When Christ was crucified, we were legally crucified with Him

 Crucified with Christ:

 

Galatians 2:20

20     “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

     

            When Christ was crucified, we were legally crucified with Him. He lives His holy life in us, as we permit Him. If we try to live this life in our own power, we will fail. We can only live it by having faith in Him to live His life in us. It’s hard for us to keep from trying to live it on our own. We are so used to doing things for ourselves that we won’t rely on Him or anyone else to live it for us. He gave Himself up for this … we should do our best to allow Him to live His life in us.

 

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

            "There is no way that you could live the life that I have chosen for you in your own strength. You need My help in all that you do. You cannot live the life that My Son lived without My help. Too many people have tried and failed. Do not try to do it in your own strength and willpower. You must have My help in order to achieve all that I desire for you. My Son in you will provide the way. He has succeeded in living the life that I desire for all My children, and He will do the same in you. If you let Him, He will provide the way to be what I desire for all My children.”

 

            45. I am crucified with Christ and therefore dead. I will live the Christian life by having faith in Him to live it through me. I will succeed, because Christ cannot fail.