The Holy Spirit (48)
By Abraham Eli
This study was first taught on October 8, 2013
Topic: Everything You Need Has Been Provided
(use the audio to study)
Background
When we met two weeks ago on the matter of “The Progression in Fruit-Bearing”, we saw that as laudable as bearing ‘much fruit’ is, ensuring that the fruit abides, is the very essence of fruit-bearing for the believer in Christ. We can summarize ‘abiding fruit’ as follows:
1. It is the nature of Christ in you which enables you to live the life of Christ in every circumstance of life: in sunshine and in the rain, in poverty and in prosperity, in sickness and in health, in fair weather and in the storms; and, as you live the life of Christ, even so you should continue unto the end of your stay on earth. In other words it is living the life of Christ through thick and thin, and never looking back!
2. It is the outcome of the testing of your faith—if you endure such testing, your faith is genuine, and shall endure unto eternity.
3. It is the godly legacy that you leave behind after you have departed this world, which generations yet unborn will continue to be edified by. These include the testimony of your lifestyle (did you live for God, for the devil, or for self?); the articles/books you wrote/published (were they inspired by God or by a personal desire for fame, gain, and glory?); the sermons/messages you preached/taught (did they, and will they continue to, edify the listener and the Body of Christ in general?); the practices and ethics we laid down (will they endure the test of time, or were they just to allow you do what you wanted to do without leaving room for anyone to question you?); and so on.
4. It is those persons that you led to Christ through your prayers, giving to the work of God, evangelizing through your words and deeds; those people whom you devoted time and energy in discipleship unto spiritual maturity; and most importantly, those of them who finally make it into heaven!
Hence, ‘abiding fruit’ is the good works that we have engaged in, in the course of our lives and ministry while on earth. It is the works which remain, after being made to pass through the fire of the Judgment Seat of Christ, which you shall be rewarded for; for all dead works are destroyed by fire. All your works, including your words, actions, thoughts, and motives, shall be tested by fire in eternity—if they remain, then you will have a reward, but if not then you will have no reward; though you will be saved, and be in heaven. However, we noted that if you had been instrumental in dissuading and hindering people from following Christ, in any shape and form, the fire of testing will expose it, and it is unlikely that if by your words, actions, lifestyle, etc., people go to hell, that you will go to heaven.
Hence, we concluded that we need to do the following:
a) Repent of all our dead works;
b) Return to God and make restitution where necessary—seek out those people we have misled, as much as is possible, and bring them back to Christ; and,
c) Henceforth, be careful what we say and do; for by these, we sow seeds, which germinate and bear fruit—either good or bad!
Scripture Text(s)
John 20:19-22
Tonight, we shall conclude our study on “The Holy Spirit”, as we see that all that we need for a life and ministry approved of God has already been provided for us. We wish to state that there is still so much to say about the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer, but as we submit to the Holy Spirit, and walk with Him, He will fill the blank spaces.
When a child is born, all the features he needs as he grows are already within him from birth—his speech, sight, teeth, facial hairs, etc., will all appear as he reaches the appropriate age! Similarly, when you were born again, all that you need to live as a child of God was put in you, and at the appropriate stages of your spiritual life, they will appear. Hence, when the Lord breathed on the disciples, and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost”, all that they needed to live for God was breathed into them!
Mark 6:7-13, 30; Luke 10:1-12, 17-20; 2 Peter 1:1-4; 1 John 3:24; Romans 8:9; John 16:7-14; Luke 1:26-35; 3:21-22; 4:1, 13-15, 16-21; Matthew 12:28; Acts 10:38; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 3:18; Acts 1:2, 8; 2:1-4, 14ff; 4:8-13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Conclusion
If you are ever to amount to anything in your walk with God, and in your work for God, you must necessarily have the Holy Spirit in your life! The Holy Spirit provided the early disciples with everything that they needed to live and do as God wanted; and He will provide you with all that you need to live for God, and do the will of God!
It is by the Holy Spirit that the life of Christ is lived in us, and it is by the Holy Spirit that the will and work of God can be satisfactorily done. Indeed, when the Lord Jesus sent His disciples out in the course of His earthly ministry, He specifically told them not to go with anything, because all that they needed was already provided. The same instruction is applicable to you, because He has given you the Holy Spirit, if indeed you are born again!
Indeed, the Scriptures tell us that the Holy Spirit was involved in the birth of the Lord Jesus, His baptism, His commissioning, and His ministry, including the miracles He wrought, the casting out of demons, preaching and teaching, and soul winning. More than these, the Scriptures also tell us that the Lord needed the Holy Spirit so that He could die on the cross at Calvary, so that He could be resurrected from death, and to give His post-resurrection instructions. Clearly, without the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, would never have succeeded in His divine assignment! The same is applicable to you!
And for this reason, the Lord told the early disciples to wait and experience the manifestation of the Holy Spirit before they set out to do anything. The same is applicable to you today! Indeed, every aspect of your life, including living for God, and doing His will, is only attainable through the Holy Spirit. You must recognize that all that you need to live successfully as a believer in Christ has been provided in the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to you from the instant you got born again, and as you submit to Him, you will experience His manifestation, and then, you also can begin to work for God.
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