Walking in the Spirit

 

Walking in the Spirit (Part 1)

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. [Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.]" - Galatians 5:16 

How do we walk in the Spirit?

First of all, we must be filled with the Spirit. The Spirit of God has many titles – Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth, Comforter, Spirit of your Father, Spirit of Christ, Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, Spirit of holiness… The one name that is attached to all these titles is Jesus. (John 14:26).

Jesus is the Father manifest in flesh (John 14:7-10). It took a human that was without sin to pay the price of our sins to reconcile us back to God. Because there was no human that was born without sin, God overshadowed Mary causing her to conceive. That holy child is the only begotten Son of God.

"The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." - Luke 1:35 

The Son of God is the flesh and blood body of God. Jesus was born the only begotten Son of God. We BECOME sons of God when we are born AGAIN. (John 1:12-13). We are born again when we are born of water (water baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of our sins) and born of the Spirit (baptized with the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives us utterance). When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we have the Spirit of Jesus within us. (John 3:5, Acts 2:4,38)

If we want to go to heaven, being born again of water and of the Spirit is not an option; Jesus said it is a requirement. 

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." - John 3:5 (Matthew 16:18-19, Acts 2:37-42,47).

Having turned our back on sin by repentance, water baptized in the name of Jesus,  and filled with the Spirit, we are ready to walk in the Spirit.

To be continued.

Rest for our Souls

In this weary world of trials, temptation, stress, and crises, Jesus offers us the promise of rest for our souls through His Spirit. 

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

We come to Jesus when we turn from the world of sin by repentance. We take His yoke upon us when we enter into covenant with Him by water baptism by immersion in JESUS name. We find rest for our souls when we receive the gift of His Spirit, the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Jesus in us.

When the disciples received God’s Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they spoke with tongues.

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4 

The prophet Isaiah foretold of the pouring out of God’s Spirit.  He described it as the rest for the weary. We would speak in tongues as God speaks through us when we receive God's rest. God's Spirit, which is the Holy Ghost, is rest and refreshing for our souls. 

"For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear." - Isaiah 28:11-12

The rest and refreshing of the Holy Ghost is for everyone, for Jesus is calling all to come to Him.

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;" - Acts 3:19

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 

There is a promise to receive from Jesus - the rest and refreshing for our souls.

His Kingdom

What does the Bible say about God’s kingdom?

In the beginning of His ministry, Jesus began to preach of His kingdom.

"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." - Matthew 4:17 KJV

"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom..." - Matthew 4:23 KJV

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He told them to pray that His kingdom would come.

"Thy kingdom come...For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." - Matthew 6:10, 13 KJV [“and” (kai) also means “even”]

His kingdom is to be our priority.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God…" - Matthew 6:33 KJV

Jesus began preaching the gospel of the kingdom…

"And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." - Mark 1:15 KJV

 Jesus answered the Pharisees, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." - Luke 17:20-21 KJV

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." - Romans 14:17 KJV

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." - John 3:5 KJV

"For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." - 1 Corinthians 4:20 KJV

When His disciples asked Him if He at that time would restore again the kingdom to Israel, He told them, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you..." - Acts 1:8 KJV

Jesus told Peter, 

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." - Matthew 16:19 KJV

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter declared the keys of the kingdom when he preached the gospel.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 KJV

The Original

 

Here are the verses:

Jesus Died

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;" - 1 Corinthians 15:1-3

Jesus Was Buried

"And that he was buried…" - 1 Corinthians 15:4 

Jesus Rose Again

"And that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" - 1 Corinthians 15:4

We Must “Die”

"God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" - Romans 6:2

We Must Be “Buried”

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death..." - Romans 6:3-4 

We Must “Rise Again”

"That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:3-4 , "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." - Romans 8:2 

ACTS 2:38

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38

Finishing the Race

It’s not how we start the race, it is how we finish it.

Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, his son in the faith,

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:7-8

We must not let the pain and regrets of the past bog us down, but rather keep focused on our new life and the love and joy we now have in Jesus. (Acts 2:38-39).

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14 

Paul gave counsel and encouraging words, instructing it is a necessity that we have self-control. If we want to be saved, we must not give into the lusts of the flesh – our old sinful nature. God has given us the gift of His Spirit to overcome evil. We overcome by walking in His Spirit. (Galatians 5:16).

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 

Paul endured humbly many temptations and trials throughout his walk with God. (Acts 20:19). Towards the end of his life, with prophecies of bonds and afflictions awaiting him, he continued to face death so that he might be faithful to the ministry Jesus called him to. (Acts 20:20-24)

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:24 

Paul lived his faith in Jesus, as he encourages us to live.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 15:58

Cleansing

 Cleansing 

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." - 2Corinthians 7:1 

What are these promises?

"… I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." - 2Corinthians 6:17b-18.

If we turn our back on sin, separating ourselves from it, Jesus will receive us. We will become sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty! 

When we hate the sin we committed, sorry that we did it, committing ourselves to not do it again, this is repentance.

Jesus paid the price of our sins when He suffered and died on a cross, giving His life for us.

We claim what He did for us when we are baptized by immersion in His name, “Jesus.” When we are baptized in the name of Jesus, His blood washes away all of our sins. Our old sinful life is buried with Him in baptism.

Because we have repented of our sins,  and  have been baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of our sins, Jesus promises the gift of His Spirit, the Holy Ghost. 

When we allow God to completely fill us with His Spirit, He will change our words of praise and thanksgiving into another language which we have not learned. The Bible calls this speaking in tongues.

When we are full of the Holy Ghost, we have power to overcome temptation. The Spirit of God leads us in the path we should go. With temptations, He makes a way of escape from it that we can choose to take.

If we stumble and sin, we can ask Jesus for forgiveness, applying His blood to our sin from our baptism in His name Jesus and purposing to be more careful, wise, and determined next time so that we can keep from stumbling.

When we are faithful to “assemble ourselves together” (going to church), we can hear the anointed preaching of the Word of God by a preacher that is called, baptized in the name of Jesus, and filled with the Holy Ghost.

The preaching of the Word of God is to perfect (mature) us, getting us ready to meet Jesus when He calls for His Bride. 

As we hear the Word of God, we apply it to our life, cleansing ourselves by committing to make changes that will be pleasing to God, making us more like Him, day by day.

(2Corinthians 6:17-18, 2Corinthians 7:10 [NLT], Matthew 26:28, Revelation 1:5, Romans 6:4, Acts 2:38-39, Acts 2:4, 11, Acts 1:8, 1Corinthians 10:13, Hebrews 10:25 [NLT], Romans 10:15, Ephesians 4:11-13, Ephesians 5:27, Acts 22:16).

Pentecost Sunday!

On Sunday, May 19, 2024, Christians will be celebrating Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost Sunday celebrates the first outpouring of the Holy Ghost.

Jesus spoke to His disciples before He ascended up into heaven.

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 

"For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." - Acts 1:4-5 

Joel prophesied of "the promise of the Father."

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh…" - Joel 2:28 

Jesus explained to His disciples that His Spirit would dwell in them.

"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:" - John 15:26 

"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. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." - John 14:17-18 

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." - Acts 1:8-9 

"Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet... 

"And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. 

"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." - Acts 1:12-14 

There were about an hundred and twenty disciples all together. (Acts 1:15).

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting...And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:1-4