What is your biggest difficulty as a Christian?
Is it hardest to simply live for Christ day by day?
Is your biggest problem witnessing for Christ?
Are you living a defeated life instead of knowing victory in Christ?
Do you realise that God the Father has given you the Holy Spirit to live in your heart to solve these problems for you?
It is the Holy Spirit alone who can enable us to live the Christian life day by day. He takes the full and complete salvation Christ purchased for us and applies it to our daily experience. In other words, the Holy Spirit was sent to make real to us all that Christ made possible for us on the Cross.
Who is the indwelling Spirit and what is He like?
We need to be clear first of all regarding the Person of the Holy Spirit as well as his work.
The Bible tells us about both.
The various names given to the Holy Spirit in the Bible reveal something of His personality and character. For example He is called the ‘eternal Spirit’ (Hebrews 9:14) and is often referred to as the ‘Spirit of God’ (Romans 8:9).
Perhaps His most familiar title, ‘the Holy Spirit’, tells us more than any other. ‘Holy Spirit’ immediately suggests holiness, purity, cleansing, sanctifying, and other similar thoughts.
The Hebrew word for ‘Spirit’ is often translated ‘breath’ in other places in the Bible. It reminds us that He is the Unseen One, the presence of God within us who does not draw attention to Himself but to Jesus Christ.
The Bible clearly tells us that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer. He enters when Christ enters. No one needs to plead with Him to come in John 14:16 and 17 states : ‘I will ask the Father and he will give you another counsellor to be with you for ever . . . he lives with you and shall be in you’.
You cannot divide the Trinity, that is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. If you receive One you receive the Others also. Do not allow anyone to take that truth from you or cast doubts on it. Read and believe these verses: 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19, John 4:13-15; Romans 8:9b. Notice the strong words of the last reference: If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to Christ.
This indwelling makes all the other work of the Holy Spirit possible and is part of the birthright of every child of God.
(by Rev E.C.Long) to be continued.
Come and find out more at Bible Study 7.00pm,(light meal included) Tuesday. Sunday Service at 10:15 a.m. at Glenorie Mission Church, 1409 Old Northern Road Glenorie.
