BIBLE STUDY AUDIO
TEACHIINGS FOR YOUR EDIFICATION AND BRINGING YOU TO THE FULLNESS OF THE STATURE OF CHRIST
Our Bible Study audio messages can be accessed from here. These are teachings recorded in the course of our weekly serialised Bible Study meetings for your spiritual edification and development.
Besides the audio, the conclusion/summary of the message is also displayed. This notwithstanding, the full Bible Study outline can also be accessed from the link indicated at the end of the conclusion/summary.
We pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to you as you listen.
Have Ye Received the Holy Ghost? (3): What It Really Means (1)
When Paul, the apostle, asked the disciples of John’s writings, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?”, he was in effect asking whether the Holy Spirit had been given to them when they believed in Jesus as the Messiah. The import of the question is that, when a person believes in Jesus, or entrusts his life to Jesus for his well-being here on earth and for his eternity, he in turn is given the Holy Spirit, which he must then receive. For, it is one thing to be given the Holy Spirit, and, it is another thing to receive or accept Him. Please note that the Holy Spirit is freely given by the Lord, and cannot be acquired by offering monetary gifts to the ‘man of God’ or giving an offering to the church.
Receiving the Holy Spirit has been variously implied in Scripture, to mean that:
(a) A person is baptized with, immersed in, dipped into, totally covered with, the Holy Spirit;
(b) A person is endued, clothed, invested, armed with, overshadowed by, power from God (above);
(c) The Holy Spirit has come upon a person;
(d) The Holy Spirit has fallen upon a person;
(e) The Holy Spirit has been poured on a person; and,
(f) A person has been filled with the Holy Spirit. It is instructive to note that the expression “filled with the Holy Spirit” can also be used to describe what happens when a person is re-energized with the Holy Spirit, after the initial filling.
If you have not received the Holy Spirit in any of the forms described above, then, you can ask God to freely give you the Holy Spirit (for everyone that asketh receiveth). The manner in which the Holy Spirit will be given to you may be by the laying on of the hands of someone who has been authorised by God to do so, or the Holy Spirit can come upon you without the laying on of hands. The manner of His being given is not for us to determine. One thing is for sure though, when a person has entrusted his life into the Hands of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is given to Him. Thus, the critical factor in receiving the Holy Spirit is not necessarily the asking for Him, but rather, it is the entrusting of one’s life in its entirety unto Jesus, the Saviour of the world, the Son of God on the one hand, and his willingness to accept the Holy Spirit upon him, on the other hand!
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Have Ye Received the Holy Ghost? (4): What It Really Means (2)
People who are not born again, as well as those who are carnally minded, though they may be in church, cannot receive the Holy Spirit, because, they do not have the capability to receive Him; as they neither see Him (are looking for Him), nor do they know Him (they are uninterested in Him), having been blinded by the devil and the things of this world. The Holy Spirit can only be received by those who have turned completely to Christ; away from this world and its allure!
Two possible outcomes are referred to, when the question of receiving the Holy Spirit is raised. These are, the Holy Spirit upon, and the Holy Spirit within, a believer. In the former, the Holy Spirit cohabits with the believer, while in the latter He inhabits or indwells the believer. The scriptures separate these two outcomes by using the expressions “… He dwells with or among you” (cohabits) and “… [He] dwells in you” (inhabits). When the Holy Spirit cohabits with a believer, He exerts an external influence which empowers the believer to do as Christ did in terms of working of miracles, healing, preaching, teaching, speaking with tongues, etc.; but when He inhabits a believer, He takes control of the believer’s life from within, and empowers the believer to easily overcome the flesh, and do God’s word; develop and manifest the nature of God even in trials and tribulations; develop a holy and godly nature, as well as be sanctified daily through the word of God; and, manifest the fruit of the Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit inhabits a person, Jesus will begin to live in Him; he becomes a temple of the living God, and a Christian indeed; his old sinful nature is crucified, he is able to live for God here on earth, and his life in eternity is secure; his mortal body receives every necessary repair work that will keep it glorifying God in this world, as well as immortality in the world to come; he becomes a son of God, is free from fear, cries, “Abba Father” to God, and, comes to the convincing knowledge that he is indeed a son of God; and, he is kept secure until the time of his full salvation. These things do not happen when the Holy Spirit comes upon a person! Be that as it may, the inhabiting or indwelling of the Spirit of God in a believer still requires that the believer allow the Holy Spirit to lead and direct him on a daily basis, for all the above to be true of him.
But as wonderful as the inhabiting of the Holy Spirit is in a believer’s life, it was not the issue Paul, the Apostle, raised when he asked the question, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” Indeed, it was the Holy Spirit cohabiting with these disciples of John the Baptist’s writings that was on Paul’s mind. Nevertheless, the ultimate for the believer in Christ before God is that, the Holy Spirit inhabits him, as well as, cohabits with him! Indeed, the powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit through spiritual gifts is most effective, when the believer also has the fruit of the Spirit.
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The Initial Evidence of Receiving the Holy Ghost
Whenever the Holy Spirit comes upon a believer, one common thread is that he initially speaks in a language he has never before learnt, also referred to as, “tongues” or “other tongues”. It is a 'tongue' as distributed to all believers by the will of the Holy Spirit, or, a language as the Holy Spirit gives utterance to the believer. We have seen that in addition to 'tongues' when the Holy Spirit comes upon a person that individual prophesies, magnifies God, or, speaks of the wonderful works of God. These additional experiences are really the same thing expressed in different ways; for, prophesying, which is speaking forth the word of God or speaking forth from the throne of God, can include magnifying God or telling of the wonderful works of God; and the wonderful works of God could be to magnify God, and it can be to prophesy. 'Tongues' becomes prophecy where there is interpretation! Thus, the additional observations made could be said to be the product of the 'tongues' as interpreted by the observers.
In some instances, the bible is silent about the initial evidence, when it documents the Holy Spirit coming upon some people. This is not to mean that the initial evidence did not take place, but rather, that there was no need to make such a declaration, since we all know what happens after the Holy Spirit comes upon a person. Thus, the bible selects the first time the Holy Spirit came upon the early disciples, the first time He came upon the Gentiles, and when He came upon the disciples of John's writings, to relate the initial evidence.
Furthermore, the 'tongues' that is spoken during the coming of the Holy Spirit may in fact be the tongues of men (human language never before learned), or, an unknown tongue (language which has yet to be identified as belonging to men), also known as “tongues of angels” or “speaking mysteries to God”. As those upon whom the Holy Spirit falls speak forth in 'tongues', they may in fact be communicating with God in prayer and worship ('tongues' without interpretation), or, be telling unbelievers about God in a way that will bring them to repentance and salvation, or, may be speaking a message to the church (both of which are 'tongues' with interpretation).
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Our Need For The Holy Spirit (1)
Many Christians regularly attend church meetings (Sunday service, bible study, prayer meeting, night vigils, etc.), as well as several retreats and camp meetings; but at the end of all these meetings and events, they are more down-and-out, or even lost, than before the meetings. Some other Christians have gone further to become active in their local assembly, as a means of overcoming spiritual staleness, or as a way of proving their commitment to God; yet after all the activities and ‘ministry’, they are ‘burnt out’. Worse, is the fact that many Christians who regularly attend church services, camp meetings and retreats, are workers or ministers who are actively involved in church, yet many of them are still living in sin (some openly, some secretly), still living the self life, and still struggling and arguing with the word of God! The matter is even made worse still when we consider that some of the people we are talking about are pastors, bishops, General Overseers, and so on. Unfortunately, these people are unable to attain to the place that they should, because they have not given the Holy Spirit His rightful place in their lives and ministry.
This displacement, misplacement, and replacement of the Holy Spirit in our lives and ministry, and the resultant consequence of disaffection and frustration, explains the Lord’s significant posture when He called out then, as He is calling out now; “If any man thirst, let him come unto me …” First, the Lord’s proclamation is an invitation to any man (male or female; clergy or congregant; high in society or lowly; old or young; president, governor, clerk or labourer; etc.). Secondly, it is an invitation with a condition attached: the respondents must be thirsty. Thirdly, the ‘thirst’ being referred to, is not a thirst for natural water, but a state of dissatisfaction with a moribund spiritual experience that borders on the natural, rather than the truly spiritual; and as such, a longing, yearning, deep heart desire, or an unquenchable and essential need, for a deeper spiritual walk, than is presently being experienced. This ‘thirst’ is a longing for something more than (and better than) merely attending a religious meeting. It is not a desire for more of church as usual, but a deeper walk and interaction with the Person of the Holy Spirit. Finally, the Lord’s call is an invitation to come to Him, the Giver of life; not to a church, or a denomination, or a pastor; neither is it a call away from the Church. It is a call to a person who is ‘thirsty’ for a genuine spiritual experience; and the person who will respond to this invitation must come to Jesus, even though he is in a church, and under a pastor! This is the first step to resolving our need for the Holy Spirit!
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Our Need For The Holy Spirit (2)
On seeing the benefits of the living water Jesus promises (a matter we shall be studying in greater detail later on in our study), many people are eager to immediately want to begin to drink. However, we find in all instances that the Lord first confronts certain issues in the lives of those He has gotten interested into wanting living water, before He can allow them to partake therein.
With the woman at the well, it was her sinful living, which, though, may not have been frowned at in her day and culture, was a major hindrance to her drinking therefrom. With Simon the sorcerer, it was his desire for the power to control the lives of the people he had probably lost to the gospel, for there was lurking in him, deep-seated bitterness possibly of the loss of clientele to the gospel. With many, who, like Peter and his friends, were toiling (and this includes those involved in ministry), it is their reliance on their own abilities, rather than on His word alone! With Martha, and all who are like her, it is the concerns which have become distractions in their lives, and which is preventing them from sitting still and learning at the Master’s feet. With the Ethiopian Eunuch, as with countless thousands who throng our churches, it is a religious experience without an experiential knowledge of God and His Christ! There are many other issues which plague today’s believers, and which need to be confronted and dealt with; and by the grace of God, this will happen, even tonight.
But one may ask, “Why confront these issues at this point in my Christian walk, when I believe I am doing alright?” “Why is the Lord’s confrontation so intense?” “What is He seeking to confront in your own life?” (Exodus 4:24-26). The answer is not farfetched: the Lord wants to ensure that the container into which living water is put, and out of which shall spring forth His life, and influence and affect the lives of other people, is clean and sanctified!
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Come … and Drink (1)
The Lord’s invitation to us is not just that we come to Him, but that we also come to drink. We have seen that we are not invited to come and inhale air or breath, neither are we being invited to come and eat food, nor are we invited to come and shake; but we are invited to come and drink. And in drinking, not to drink of intoxicating wine that makes a person drunk and unable to figure out what is happening to him; rather, we are invited to come and imbibe the Holy Spirit or living water.
This ‘water’ is freely given, not purchased with money; and it fully satisfies every yearning and longing a man may have for God and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not natural water, but spiritual water which is representative of the Holy Spirit within the believer in Christ. It is not water that is fetched from a natural well, as representative of a religious gathering which has all the trappings of the flesh; neither is it a spiritual experience that requires that you undertake a ‘pilgrimage’ in order to receive a short-lived refreshing, and hence the need to return many times to the same well; nor is it water from a man-made well, which can be blocked by men, or even destroyed by the elements.
The ‘water’ the Lord is inviting us to come and drink of, is the Holy Spirit, Who truly brings satisfaction, fulfilment, and contentment to the life of the believer in Christ. The Holy Spirit, when imbibed begins to work within us, reinforcing us with spiritual or miraculous power, enabling Christ to dwell richly in us by faith, bringing revelation knowledge of God unto us, and enabling all that God wants to do in us to become possible.
As we drink tonight, may all that the Lord has for us begin to form within us in all His fullness.
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Come … and Drink (2)
Natural water quenches natural thirst, but only temporarily; hence, a person who is thirsty after a natural sort, will need to return to fetch water each time he is thirsty, in order to quench his thirst and be refreshed. This is what mere outward religion does to a person who engages therein. He is always looking for a ‘pastor’, a ‘prophet’, an ‘apostle’, etc., who will pray for him, tell him what he should do, and govern his life, freeing him, ostensibly of all responsibility whatsoever. Such a person’s desire for God is at best short-lived. A spiritual song may bring only temporary relief, as will an utterance of the enticing words of men’s wisdom, or declarations which may have nothing to do with God, but which tickles the carnal nature of man; fasting and other religious duties may give the impression of spirituality, yet all these never bring any real fulfilment, and no matter how many times a person attends church meetings and night vigils, or fasts he remains dissatisfied with life, and continues to search for a meaning in his life!
The Holy Spirit, a figure of ‘living water’, quenches our longing for God permanently! Like natural water, the Holy Spirit goes to the root of the thirst and quenches it; but unlike natural water, the Holy Spirit becomes within the believer in Christ, a permanent part of His life! He is typified as a ‘well of water springing up to everlasting life’; that is, a water spring sprouting up within the believer from the time he imbibes Him and becomes to him a source of everlasting life, or, a never ending source of life in him; thus eliminating fatigue, burn out, religious staleness and stagnation, and so on.
This matter of the Holy Spirit becoming a water spring in the believer, bubbling forth within him, raises a fundamental issue: which ‘container’ can hold this ‘new wine’ of the Holy Spirit which keeps bubbling forth? Only a ‘container’, that is, a believer, who has totally surrendered himself to the Holy Spirit, and thus allowed Him to make him a new creature in Christ can receive and retain the ‘new wine’ of the Holy Spirit. And because this ‘water’ bubbles forth, it is obvious that any ‘container’ or person who is not sanctified cannot be given this ‘water, lest he send forth unsanctified ‘water’ into people’s lives; neither can an unrenewed mind, nor an unrenewable person (someone who has refused the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in his life) be able to receive and retain the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, all those who believe (a) dogmatically in the old ways of rigid religious duties; (b) in combining the traditions of men with the word of God; and, (c) in syncretism, which is combining different religions or beliefs, or a compromise in religion; cannot partake of the ‘new bubbling wine’ of the Holy Spirit! It will ruin their well-organized and programmed lives, religion, order of service, etc.!
Let us go to God tonight and ask Him to prove us, just in case there is any evil way in us (Psalm 139:23-24).
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Come … and Drink (3)
The Lord describes the action of the Holy Spirit within a believer as that of ‘rivers of living water’ which never cease to flow from its source. By this action of the Holy Spirit, the believer’s longing for God is permanently satisfied, and he is refreshed as often as is required, and therefore, does not suffer spiritual burn outs, among other negative effects which are common to those practicing mere outward religion. Ezekiel, the prophet, describes this action of the Holy Spirit, as water seeping from under the threshold of the temple of God, only reaching the ankle of the believer initially; but then gushes out in an ever increasing dimension, until He becomes a river which cannot be stood in, but which can only be swam in (a type of a believer who is completely filled with the Holy Spirit)! This river of Living Water also gives life where there once was death; fruitfulness where there once was barrenness; and enables soul winning (fishing), healing (not only to the believer, but to the nations), and restoration. John, the apostle, describes this ‘rivers of living water’ as “pure river of the water of life” in the Book of Revelation, which enables all-year round fruitfulness of different kinds of fruit (the harvest of souls, the raising of disciples, the fruit of the Spirit, etc.), the healing of the nations, the elimination of curses, and the enabling of the true worship of God!
What a drink! But how do we get to drink this Living Water? The action of the Samaritan woman, in talking with, and believing on, the Lord, represented her ‘drinking’ of the ‘living water’; for she afterwards left her water pot and went her way, becoming an evangelist immediately. The Lord Himself, showed no interest in the food the disciples brought, neither did He drink of the natural water from the well, for the water of life within Him had sprung forth as a result of His doing the will of His Father, giving Him fulfilment and satisfaction, which water or food cannot give! The disciples in the Upper Room were all in one accord in bible study and prayer; and on the day of Pentecost, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Saul of Tarsus, fasted before the Lord, after his encounter with Him on the road to Damascus, and when Ananias prayed for him, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and immediately preached Christ! Fresh in-filling came to the disciples when they took their matter to God in prayer. We can likewise ‘drink’ of the Living Water tonight, and experience this in-filling and satisfaction wrought by the Holy Spirit, as we commence first, with believing on the Lord Jesus as the Messiah; and then, as we progressively spend time in the word of God (with or without fasting), in prayer, and, continually do the will of God; we increase the intensity of the Holy Spirit’s presence in us, commonly referred to as ‘the anointing’. Please note that as the Holy Spirit becomes ‘streams of rivers’ within us, we also, must release ourselves to Him to take us where He wants to without us inhibiting Him with our idiosyncrasies of what religion should be, and then we can benefit from all the blessings He brings into our lives!
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Now That the Holy Spirit is in You (1)
The term “Comforter” is used only by John, the apostle, in the gospel and the first epistle he wrote. Its meaning is multifaceted, and can be gleaned from the scriptures in which it is used. Thus, “Comforter” means, Ally/Close Confidant, Advocate, Teacher/Reminder, Testifier/Witness, Encourager, Counsellor, Helper, a Standby, etc. The Lord referred to the Holy Spirit as “another Comforter” meaning that there had been One before, that is, Himself (Jesus Christ). By this statement, therefore, the Lord was saying that the Holy Spirit will do and continue to do with, in, and for, the disciples (both old and new), what He (Jesus Christ) had been doing with and for the disciples while He was physically on earth with them.
The Holy Spirit in His role as “Comforter” will thus, give the believer in Christ direction as to where he should locate or relocate to for optimal witnessing about Christ and harvest of souls, enable him to effectively witness about Christ to others (convincing and convicting), and, even orchestrate circumstances (good and seemingly bad) that will produce such effective witness and bountiful harvest of souls. He will also be a protection in the storms of life; warn of impending danger; and, raise people through whom He will intercede on behalf of believers in danger. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit will encourage and stand by believers in times of trouble, and persecution. In all, He will live up to the true meaning of “Comforter”!
One striking aspect of the Lord's statement is that the Holy Spirit's abiding with the believer will be a permanent one; unlike His own, which was, in the physical, temporary! This is not only comforting, but also a confidence booster in the Lord when tough times, and, trials and tribulations, arise in our lives; for we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper” and, “I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
So, if the Holy Spirit is in you, you should be receiving clear directions about what to do and where to go, which will ultimately lead to effective witnessing with conviction of sinners, and the harvesting and discipling of souls; you should rest assured of His protection in the storms of life and in danger; be certain that He is well aware of what you are passing through; and, that He is right there with you, helping and encouraging you to press on, and manifesting His presence with signs following. And this will continue, not for a few years, but forever; that is, until you go to be with the Lord Jesus!
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Now That the Holy Spirit is in You (2.1): You Have a Trustworthy Companion (1)
The Lord Jesus Christ gives to His disciples an assurance of the veracity of the guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit, by letting them know that He, the Holy Spirit, is the “Spirit of truth”. This means that the Holy Spirit is the embodiment of truth itself! Indeed, truth is His nature, and this means that He cannot ever, ever, tell a lie; neither can He ever, ever, deceive; nor can He ever, ever, mislead!
Many of us tend to compare the Holy Spirit, Who is God, with man, and that is where we make major gaffs in our dealings with Him. The Holy Spirit cannot lie. He does not change His mind and refuse to do what He has promised, neither does He say something or make a promise, and is unable or unwilling to keep it. The example we have seen tonight of Abraham’s travail or journey in faith, reveals that although Abraham started with God by viewing Him as a man, yet he got to a point in his life where what God said was all that mattered; not how he felt, neither what he thought. All that mattered was what God asked him to do, and in the end Abraham inherited the promise for generations yet unborn. Abraham’s walk with God was a first-hand personal experience, not a second-hand testimony from someone else! This is what made it possible for him to yield to God when it mattered the most; having matured in his walk with God over the years.
What an assurance we have received in having the Holy Spirit as our Guide! Whatsoever He tells us is trustworthy, and every word He utters can be depended upon absolutely. To say that we have faith in God through Jesus Christ, and yet be unsure about the leading of the Holy Spirit is a misnomer. If indeed, we believe in God and in His Christ, then we must yield absolutely to the Holy Spirit and His every instruction, for in them, we have an anchor, and that anchor keeps us safe in the troubled waters of the world system. That anchor is our confidence or faith in the direction in which the Holy Spirit is leading us, which ultimately will bring us to the place of effective witnessing for Christ, and reaping a bountiful harvest of souls for discipleship.
Our trust in the Holy Spirit must, like our father Abraham’s, be a first-hand personal experience, as we walk with Him on a daily basis; making our mistakes, but getting up again and going at it, until we arrive at the place where our faith in God, the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, is absolutely spot on!
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Now That the Holy Spirit is in You (2.1): You Have a Trustworthy Companion (2)
In contrast to Abraham’s relationship with God, which grew better over the years, Israel’s relationship with God was marked by the manifestation of progressive stubbornness. They just could not be turned away from their determined course of wrong or evil action. So, no matter how many miracles they witnessed, no matter how many powerful sermons they heard, no matter the physical evidence of the presence of God, and even their own personal experience of these things, they just could not be swayed away from their chosen path, which unfortunately always led them to destruction. They were called a “stiff-necked” people (a term usually ascribed to an ox which is unyielding, and so, hard, tough, or difficult to be brought under the yoke and moved in a particular direction), and “uncircumcised in heart and ear” (an expression which refers to the intact foreskin of an uncircumcised man, which traps filth and bacteria, causing diseases in the man, and discomfort in intercourse), and as a result, they “do always resist the Holy Ghost”!
This is unfortunately the case of many people in our churches today. Some are unyielding to the Holy Spirit; some others are bound up in iniquity and are never able to break free of it; some others still are unable to worship God in spirit and in truth; and, there are those who just blatantly resist the Holy Spirit, refusing to do what they know He is asking them to do—including those who claim to have known the Lord for a number of years. It is not about whether or not they believe what the Holy Spirit is saying; it is about their stubborn and rebellious nature which always resists the Holy Spirit. Such is the nature of the old man, the carnal man, and the worldly man. For such people the nature of sin and evil desires (desires that are contrary to God) is still very much at work in them, and unless they come to terms with the reality of their sad situation, they will continue on the path that leads to eternal damnation! Resisting the Holy Spirit is to mortgage your eternal future!
The solution lies in a heart that is totally surrendered to the Lord, with nothing held back: a genuine repentance, along with a full understanding that you died with Christ, and have thus died to sin and to the world; and, a voluntary submission to the Holy Spirit, to circumcise every sinful nature, fleshly desire, and worldly passion still in your heart. You must allow the old nature of sin, and, wrong affections and desires to be ‘cut off’ and ‘stripped off’. Only then can you heed the truth, which the Holy Spirit is saying to you.
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Now That the Holy Spirit is in You (2.1): You Have a Trustworthy Companion (3)
The faith that believes and trusts the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, Who is in us, is a gift from God made available to us at repentance. Unfortunately, we see that very many people in churches today, are unable to live by this gift of faith, because of the hardness or the uncircumcision of their hearts. Such hardness of heart manifests as unbelief, doubt, and fear, which are, essentially, faith killers.
It was unbelief that made the Israelites refuse to heed God’s word when He told them to go into the Promised Land, and as a result, they died off in the wilderness. It was unbelief that made Thomas refuse the testimony of those who had seen the risen Lord. It was the unbelief of the countrymen of Jesus that made it impossible for the mighty works of God to be made manifest. The Lord, however, made it clear that if we can just simply have faith in God, we would certainly see His glory; and, nothing shall be impossible to us. When a person prevaricates between two opinions (God’s v. others), he is said to doubt. Doubt made Peter sink because he prevaricated between heeding the Lord’s command to step out in faith, and the waves of the sea which he saw coming at him. Many people feel that when God asks them to do something, there will be no adversity or contrariness. What we need to know is that when God asks us to do something, regardless of the situation that may arise afterwards, we can be confident that the word of God is more powerful than any adversity that may have arisen. In the absence of doubt, the fig tree which the Lord cursed died. When doubt is present, mountains remain where they are; but when doubt is eliminated by simply trusting in God and His word, mountains move to where you ask them to move to. Then, there is fear, which manifests as the concern for what people would say, or what could happen to you, if you heed the word of God: concern about whether or not what the Lord is asking you to do is seen as successful or a failure by men, anxiety as to whether or not people would laugh at you if you do what God asks you to, if what you are asked to do would make you unpopular with your family, friends, and the world at large, etc. The fearful are thus, never able to do the work of God! The love of God in us, when it is plainly and simply received casts out fear.
Today, very, very, many people in the church are unable to walk with the Holy Spirit because of unbelief, doubt, and fear. But if you would gladly and simply receive the word of God without unbelief, doubt, or, fear, your walk with the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, will produce astounding results and testimonies of divine acts, as it ultimately did in Abraham’s life, and as it would also have been produced in the lives of the Israelites, had they yielded to God!
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Now That the Holy Spirit is in You (2.2): He Exposes Error (1)
The Spirit of truth exposes error, which can manifest among others, as false teachings, which is meant to lead believers in Christ away from the truth, and unto falsehood. For the Spirit of truth to do this effectively, He makes the believer, especially those who are newly born again, to become aware that there are indeed false teachings, false teachers, false prophecies, false prophets, false churches, etc. Thus, He lets us know that not all churches are the true churches of God.
Making this awareness plain to believers, keeps us on alert, and enables us not to gobble up everything that we are told or hear, which may be called the word of God. The Spirit of truth also wants us not to take for granted, that every place that bears the name of ‘church’ is a church of God. This is a very important aspect of the work of the Spirit of truth in the believer, because, not being aware that there are false ministers and false churches, false teachers and false teachings, and, false prophets and false prophecies, etc., is the reason why many believers have strayed from following Christ, imbibed all sorts of false and devilish doctrines, and, are now engaged in all manner of strange practices, which unfortunately, they have become so attached to, and are holding dearly and tightly to them so much so that it is becoming increasingly difficult to disengage them from such error!
Tonight, what the Holy Spirit wants us to know is that not everything called the ‘word of God’ is truly the word of God; not every message that the messenger prefaces with, “Thus says the Lord” is from God; not every song or chorus that has in its lyrics, “Jesus”, “God”, or “Holy Spirit”, is a song in praise of God; not every place of ‘worship’ is involved in the worship of the One true God. Indeed, the Holy Spirit has since warned about it before this age, as did the Lord Jesus Himself, before He went to heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God! May the Lord help us to discern and discriminate when it comes to where we worship, what we hear and follow, and, who we are listening to, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Now That the Holy Spirit is in You (2.2): He Exposes Error (2)
All error originates from one source––the devil! It may come as a teaching, a prophecy, a miracle, a sign, or a wonder, but it has only one origin––Satan! He is the 'old serpent' who deceived Eve, and brought all of mankind into bondage and captivity to sin. But thank God for the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord!
As he did with Eve, so he attempted to do also with the Lord Jesus Himself. He continues to do the same today, seeking to deceive men and women, by bringing confusion about truth, and in so doing, make them turn away from truth unto falsehood. He makes light of serious matters, and makes God's children chase after fables. He sets forth hypothetical cases that have no bearing on the truth, but which makes sense to the flesh. He plays down on the power of God, and of Scripture. Although the devil is the source of all error, he has agents whom he uses to propagate error. These are men and women who transform themselves into ‘ministers’ of light, and of the gospel. If one is unable to identify their characteristics, he can be easily deceived, because they are very good at making a lie look like the truth.
The agents of the devil––false teachers, false prophets, false apostles, false pastors, false evangelists, false brethren, and even false churches and their ministers––have certain characteristics by which you can identify them. Such identification may not easily appear, so sometimes, you may not immediately know who a propagator of error is, until you have spent some time with them, and understudied their behaviour in the light of the word of God. However, by depending on the Holy Spirit, you can easily know them, as He will tell you who they are! Be that as it may, you will find that propagators of error are hypocrites––they say one thing, and do another; and, they are sin loving and sin laden, and refuse to be delivered from it. They are sensual in every sense of the word; they speak contrary to the word of God; and, seek always to please their pleasure loving nature–– the flesh! These men and women are not grave in anything, and excel in plotting evil against the children of God. They promise what they are unable to live. There is no sobriety in their lives, and they are full of pride and arrogance concerning things that they know nothing about. They are not subject to God’s authority in any way whatsoever. From such men and women, no matter how popular and reasonable they may appear to be; depart, turn away, flee––don't just spend a moment more listening to their heresies!
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Now That the Holy Spirit is in You (2.2): He Exposes Error (3)
We have seen tonight that another way by which the Holy Spirit exposes error is to expose the error itself, by using the word of God to throw light on the subject matter of the error. For example, in our second scripture text, two issues were raised: the issues of celibacy, and, of what to eat or not to eat. In exposing error, the Holy Spirit would tell us what the error is, and then, go on to give the correct position of God through the scriptures on the subject matter. Where, however, a person is still unable to receive what he is being told by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit counsels that such a person should walk in the light of the revelation that he already has from God; not the postulations of men (Philippians 3:15-16)! As such an individual becomes more spiritually mature, the light of God on the matter will become clearer to him.
The scriptures tell us that marriage is God ordained, and intended for procreation and as a means of eliminating fornication, among others. The Lord Jesus, however, noted that certain people cannot marry because they are eunuchs. Outside of these people, all others are free to marry. A person should not seek celibacy because of a bad experience, or for any other emotional reason. Only on account of the gospel should a person seek celibacy. And where a person had thought to be celibate, but discovers that he does not have the grace to remain so, he is free to marry; for it is better to marry than to burn. Also, the scriptures tell us that once married, a person should remain married, and not seek divorce or separation. Where, however, divorce or separation is unavoidable, remarriage can only be possible in the event of the death of either Party. Teachings on the issue of marriage should be taken seriously, as following erroneous practices could mean a severance from God, and the forfeiture of eternal life.
On the issue of food, the bible warns that we should not impose religious or dietary regulations on anyone. Rather, each person should be fully persuaded as to what to eat! Where, however, people are offended by what we eat, we should not eat such things, so as not to offend them. Where foods have first been offered to idols, it is obligatory on those who have knowledge as to the vanity of idols, to act in a manner that will not offend those who do not know, or cause those believers who are weak in faith to go astray. Discretion and avoidance of offence should guide us on the issue of food!
In general, when an issue arises that seem to confuse you, you should seek God’s counsel, and the Holy Spirit will give the correct position of God on the matter in the light of the Scriptures. Hence, the word of God is indispensible to a believer in Christ, as is the Holy Spirit, Who reveals what God has freely given to us. Indeed, every issue in life that may arise is set forth in the bible; hence, when we study the word of God with the Holy Spirit as our Teacher, we are enlightened, and will not be deceived (Psalm 119:130)!
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