Gifts from God, Spirit

 Holy Spirit

We have been talking about the gifts that we receive from God when we first become a child of His. He gives us "Eyes to see" and "Ears to hear," so that we may be able to hear and see His words and His will for our lives. How does He do this? By giving us the greatest gift we could ever receive. "The Spirit to receive." The "Spirit of Life." The Holy Spirit. To fully understand how this works, you must first understand, who the Holy Spirit is. The Holy Spirit, in some translations, the Holy Ghost, is not a spook. He is not a concept. Nor an idea. The Holy Spirit is a very real Person.

You accept Jesus's sacrifice for you. His blood for your blood. His suffering for your suffering. His death, that you may live. Then the Holy Spirit comes and adopts you into the Family of God. Jesus said.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." John 14: 15-17

He said we should not mourn Him not being with us, or long for Him to be with us, because He will ALWAYS be with us. In the very next verse, Jesus said this.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” John 14:18-21

Now even some standing there, listening to Jesus tell us this, did not fully understand. Read on. Verse 22.

"Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me." John 14: 22-24

You really need to understand what Jesus is actually saying here. Read on some more starting at verse 25

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."

Who will teach us the things of God, and bring to our remembrance the Words Jesus has taught us? The Holy Spirit. However, to fully understand the reality, you must fully understand who the Holy Spirit actually is.

Genesis 1:1

'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

In the beginning God. God was in the beginning. Next verse.

"The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."

When there was yet nothing, The Holy Spirit was there. Do you see that? Then a little bit later in Genesis.

"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:26-27

In the original language, the word "our" means three or more. We are created in the image of God. We have our brain. or mind. Our knowledge and wisdom, will and emotions. Fashioned after God the Father. Our body. Fashioned after the flesh of God, Jesus, Our spirit. Who we really are, the thing that lives on. Fashioned after the Holy Spirit. We are three, yet one.

But wait, Where does it say Jesus was there?

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1: 1

A little bit later.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

God, The Word, {Which became Flesh, Jesus} and the Spirit was there in the beginning and have always been. Then to fully understand who the Holy Spirit is, we need to go back to John 14.

"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."

He said "I" shall come to you. He is already there? Of course. So what He is telling them, is that the Holy Spirit is Him, He is God. Three yet one. That when the flesh dies, and He goes to be with the Father, the Spirit, who never dies, will come and dwell in us.

"Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. "

Again, "I" in you. Not some spook. "I." Jesus. The Holy Spirit is equal to Jesus. He IS Jesus. Jesus IS God. Are you following?

"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

Read that again. "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and WE will come to him and make OUR home with him." What is He saying? Remember, OUR means three or more. Jesus said WE will make OUR abode with him. The very real person Jesus, the very real person the Holy Spirit, and even God Himself will live IN us.

Now perhaps you can fully appreciate this passage.

"Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."1 John 4: 4

Once you say the Prayer of Salvation, once you ask God to set you free from the laws of sin and death, the old you, the flesh dies. You are dead. You are then transformed into a new creature where the real you, the Spirit you, is now in total control. Second, The Holy Spirit comes down from heaven and dwells in you, with you. You now have the power of faith. You are now going to live on long after the body dies. Who is the Holy Spirit?? Think about that. The Creator of all that is was or ever will be is now living in you. This is why you can hear and see. This is why you can receive the things of God when the rest of the world cannot. They do not have the greatest gift. They do not have the Holy Spirit.

We all have that little voice in our heads. Most of us anyway. We know right from wrong. We know when we should or should not do, this or that. Some call it a conscience. As a child of God, you can call it the Holy Spirit. You could, and you would be accurate, call it God Himself.

If we have God Himself, the alpha and omega, The beginning and the end, the Creator of all that is, was and ever will be, living inside of us, He knows better than we. Does He not?

"And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. " Isaiah 30: 20-21

God will never leave you nor forsake you. He is with you always. Unless YOU chose to walk away. Unless YOU chose not to listen. Unless YOU chose to put the cares of this world over His Will. His plan and purpose for your life. He is with you always. Be with Him always. Trust in Him to know better than you. Learn to listen to that voice. Understand what that voice is. Who that voice is. He is there for you.

Hope you all have a VERY MERRY Christmas. If you have not said the "Prayer of salvation" yet, you can today. This very day. At this very time. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!