Search This Blog

Sunday, March 29, 2015

The Gift Of The Holy Spirit

The Gift Of The Spirit

Galatians 3:1-9


Even today there is much confusion about the gift of the Holy Spirit. There are many in in the Church that see the Holy Spirit "as only an influence" flowing from our Father in Heaven.

This cannot be true because the Holy Spirit is a person and not some imaginary influence!

The teaching of the Book of Galatians is the fact that each of us can only be justified by "Faith"!

The first step in salvation is to trust the Word of God!

Every man, woman, and child, is to live a moral life according to the Word of God but this is not the means of being "Justified" before an already righteous God.

There is no one that has ever lived, beside Jesus Christ, who has been good enough, or kept enough of God's Laws to become perfect and acceptable before God.

Our God is perfect and there is absolutely nothing that we can do of ourselves to make us perfect in the eyes of God!

If we are to be perfect then it must be a gift that only God can give to each of us!

The deity of the Holy Spirit is bound up in the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

To deny the existence of just one of them is deny the existence of them all!

Then how is it that we can please God?

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

What is the proof of "Justification"? The actual indwelling of the Holy Spirit!

Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, "if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you". Now "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ", he is none of his.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 But if "the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you", he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies "by his Spirit that dwelleth in you".

All the members of the Holy Trinity are mention in this passage:

1) The Spirit of God dwells in you.
2) The Spirit of Christ dwells in you.
3) The Spirit of Him, (the Father) that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwells in you.

To deny any part of the Holy Trinity is to deny "Justification" as an act of God.
To deny any part of the Holy Trinity is to deny "Salvation".
To deny any part of the Holy Trinity is to deny "Eternal Life".

Eternal Life is an attribute of the Holy Trinity and the purpose of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit!

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Now we can be foolish like these Galatians had become, or we can accept the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Until we have had an actual "Spiritual" experience with Jesus Christ our hope for salvation will be built upon the false doctrine of works!

So what is "Spiritual" ignorance?

*****Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

What are the facts? Anyone who has the the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within them, should quickly see that it is impossible to be justified by any sort of works or rituals!

Therefore false doctrine will make every believer of that false doctrine to act foolish!

The word foolish in this verse means sensual.

Sensual means pertaining to the senses. The six senses attributed to the human being are these.

Seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, and perception.

God says when we only depend on our senses in this life we are foolish.

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

It is impossible to please God when we only depend on our senses, because it takes "Faith"!

We will never make sense of the Word of God without "Spiritual discernment" and we will always be subject to false doctrine!

False doctrine is deceiving because it may sound reasonable or even logical.

It will seem reasonable to keep religious rituals to obtain salvation.
It will seem reasonable to think we must do good works to obtain salvation.
It may seem logical that we must keep the law in order to please God, but we can only please God after we have accepted His Son by Faith.

The fact is that all these things go against the "Gospel Message"!

In fact it is illogical to believe that a righteous God would accept any of us under any circumstances!

In order to trust in a false doctrine of works, then we must just toss out the truth of the Word of God!

If we spend our life trying to be acceptable to God then we are doomed to failure!

We can do only one thing to be acceptable to God, we must trust in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

False doctrine will always lead us away from Jesus Christ!

The Apostle Paul had preached the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ with such accuracy, that it was if they had been eyewitnesses of all these things.

These things were much more than a historical fact!

These things were done in the power of God and could not be disproved!

What are the facts? These false things still happen today because the world still rejects the truth of Jesus Christ!

Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

When Jesus Christ is not the Head of the Church, then the Church will act according to human senses and will fall prey to all the false things that are taught in this world today.

The Church cannot be as effective today because Christians are not committed to the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ and non-believers are searching for their answers elsewhere!

The Church no longer has the power of the Holy Spirit because the Church has forgotten how to receive the Holy Spirit!

*****Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

It's called Faith!

It is a fact that your are not a Christian until you become a Temple for the Holy Spirit!

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Even the Angels do not receive such a gift as the Holy Spirit!

1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

The question we should ask our own selves is just when did we receive the Holy Spirit.

This is the question the Apostle Paul was asking these Galatians.

Was it by keeping some law or by believing the truth of Jesus Christ?

Every true believer understands this question!

Every true believer understands that it is by "Faith" in the "Faithful Son of God", Jesus Christ, that is the only means of receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And we can say Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit are One and the Same!

The gift of the Holy Spirit comes when "Faith" gives a response to the preaching of the "Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ" which is the "Gospel of Grace"!

We must believe the "Good News" that Jesus Christ came to this Earth and died in payment for our sins!

Each believer understands that he is not righteous but our Father in Heaven counts us righteous through the righteousness of His Son.

Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Rom 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Then and only then will the Holy Spirit come to live in the heart of the believer.

This is how we are saved today and this is how these Galatians were saved!

The Holy Spirit is the gift of God!

The Holy Spirit is given, the Holy Spirit cannot be earned!

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and "he shall give you another Comforter", that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The facts are, that God need to look no further than the heart to see if we are what we say we are!

We can only receive the Holy Spirit by our Faith!

And we can only have Spiritual growth by the that same Faith!

*****Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

We cannot begin our Christian life without the Holy Spirit and we cannot become spiritually mature by focusing on our own flesh or our own works, good or bad!

No one can begin their journey with God until they truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

No one can continue their journey with the Lord unless they are renewed daily by the Holy Spirit!

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is why true Christians will not renounce their beliefs for some unrealistic, imaginary, and false religion!

The Holy Spirit knows only one direction and He will always lead us to Jesus Christ!

Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, "he shall testify of me":

It is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring us into a greater knowledge of our God.

2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2Co 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Without the Holy Spirit we cannot conform to the image of Jesus Christ.

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Without conforming to the image of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, we cannot be accepted by God.

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Our conversation should be of Heaven because we have become citizens of Heaven and just Ambassadors here on Earth.

2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Once being accepted into the family of God, then will come ridicule and abuse from this world we live in!

*****Gal 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

Anyone that believes Christians have an easy life are fools. This world we live in hates Christians!

Joh 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Joh 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

These same Galatians had also suffered persecution just because they had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ:

In Iconium.

Act 14:1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
Act 14:2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

In Lystra.

Act 14:19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

In Derbe.

Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

It is a fact that we are going to suffer just because we say we are Christians and if we just give up or just give in, we will have suffered in vain!

What are the facts?

1) We will be separated from this world.
2) We will have to deny ourself.
3) We will need to take up our own cross daily, which is dying to our own will and our old ways.
4) We must give of ourselves to the work of the Lord.

Jesus said:

Mat 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

It will be very hard to rejoice during persecution but the rewards are far better than any life we have now!

Those that preach a prosperity gospel stray from the truth!

It is only by "Faith" that God will work in our lives!

*****Gal 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

First, a Spiritual gift is not the same as a natural talent. There could be some relationship but a natural talent is an ability that a person may have had and developed from the time of their birth.

But a Spiritual gift is given supernaturally by God at the very moment the Holy Spirit indwells the believer!

Many of these Galatians had actually witnessed a miracle of healing by the Apostle Paul.

Act 14:8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:
Act 14:9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
Act 14:10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

This miracle did not come about by some law. In fact these Galatians immediately knew this miracle took place by the actions of a god.

Act 14:12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

They had not yet met Jehovah God.

Act 14:14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
Act 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

It was not any of these Galatians who has caused this miracle to take place.

It was not any law that had caused this miracle to happen.

These Galatians had just heard the ministry of the Gospel from the Apostle Paul and "by their own faith", they had believed and by their "Faith" they had been saved.

God worked miracles among them because of their "Faith".

Without "Faith" there would have been no miracles!

Even Jesus did not many miracles around unbelievers:

Mat 13:57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Mat 13:58 And "he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief".

Without the Holy Spirit there would have been no miracles at all!

1Co 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

And there could be no gifts of the Holy Spirit without the "Grace of God"!

Rom 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Rom 12:7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
Rom 12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

The Apostle Paul clearly understood that he had no power beyond what the Holy Spirit allowed him to have!

2Co 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

These Galatians had heard the "Gospel Message".

They had witnessed the Power of God by His Holy Spirit.

They had believed in the power of "Faith" in Christ Jesus.

And none of these things had taken place because of some written laws.

By "Faith", and by the gift of the Holy Spirit, God had provided their needs!

How does God lay the foundation for each group of believers?

God will always do these things:

Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

There are no laws that can cause these things to happen!

God's Power Comes By Faith!

*****Gal 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Gal 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

We can be sure that Abraham held a unique position for the Jewish people. In fact Abraham is revered not only by the Jews by most all the the Arab nations.

This may not hold true for Iran because most of Iran is of Persian descent.

Abraham was hand selected by God to be His witness to all the nations that existed in his day!

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

**What was God's promise to Abraham?

1) Abraham would become the father of a new nation, that would be Israel.

2) All nations on this Earth would be blessed by his seed, and that seed would be Jesus Christ.

Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness!

Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Abraham took God at His Word and trusted God!

**What is the truth?

1) Abraham did not keep some law to please God!

The Laws of Moses would not be written for another 430 years.

2) Abraham and "his seed" were the only ones to whom God gave these promises!

Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

3) Only a promise was given to Abraham. No other information was given to him!

God just said to Abraham "Go". God did not even give Abraham any directions.

4) Only one condition was attached to the promises given to Abraham.

Abraham had to believe God!

There were no works involved!

There were no laws involved!

5) What did Abraham do?

Gen 12:4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

If Abraham had not believed God, he would never have left his home and all his family.

"Faith" came first!

God did not count Abraham righteous for anything that he had done.

God did not count Abraham righteous because of who he was.

God did count Abraham righteous simply because he believed what God had said!

It is only by "Faith" that we can be called the children of Abraham, it has nothing to do with our own bloodline, we must be in Christ Jesus' bloodline!

It is only by "Faith" that God's promises are fulfilled!

Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: "for he hath prepared for them a city".

2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless "we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth", wherein dwelleth righteousness.

God will only justify us by our own Faith!

*****Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Gal 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

The Apostle Paul realized that the Word of God was to be taken as the actual "Voice of God" as it is!

Most of the World laughs at these things but that does not make them any less true!

When we go as far back as the Book of Genesis we can see that God has always had only one message, the "Gospel of Faith"!

God has always had only one way of "justification", and that is by Faith!

And it was by the "Faith of Abraham" that the promise was made.

And that Promise was that "In Thee Shall All Nations Be Blessed"!

What did Abraham do?

1) Abraham separated himself from the world.

What does God teach the Church?

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

2) Abraham gave his life totally to God.

What does God teach the Church?

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

3) Therefore God accepted Abraham and judged Abraham to be righteous.

What does God teach the Church?

Rom 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Abraham believed God and God took Abraham's belief and counted it as righteousness!

This was an act of God and Abraham's one item of work, his one contribution to his righteousness, was his "Faith"!

This is all our example because mankind can only be saved by "Faith"!

On what was Abraham to base his "Faith"?

God promised Abraham an earthly son and a great nation.

Isaac was born to Abraham, his only son by Sarah, and Isaac was the bloodline of the Jewish nation.

Rom 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

BUT, the fact remains that God's promise did not point to a great nation or a great crowd of people but to a single person and that person is Jesus Christ!

It was the Lord Jesus Christ that was the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham!

Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

And that great nation would be a great nation of believers by "Faith" in the promises of God!

Eph 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

So then all which are of "Faith" can be blessed with a faithful Abraham!

Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Even Abraham is still waiting on all of us to be perfected together in the New Heaven!

If we are not willing to have the "Faith" of Abraham, how can we even think we can be saved?

Questions?

Let's Pray!

No comments: