THIS HOLY SPIRIT - 7

'ETERNAL LIFE'

There are many other subjects we would have discussed about the Holy Spirit, but due to time and space, we will end it in this lesson.

In this final lesson, I want us to look closely at something we might not be paying attention to. This is the 'eternal life' we receive at salvation. The bible made us understand that the crux of what happened to us at salvation is the gift of eternal life. Now, if that is the case, what exactly is this eternal life? 

Some have preached or believed eternal life to be a life we experience after death. But is this so?

Lets consider some few passages of the bible that talks about eternal life...

Matthew 25:46 "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

(righteous people are said to be those who will have it, this show that believers are the ones who should have it. Believers are the righteousness of God)

Mark 10:17 "And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

Luke 10:25 "25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? "

(it is something that one inherit. The word "inherit" as used here is the word "kleronomeo", meaning to be an heir. So it means one can be an heir of eternal life, that again refers to believers, we are heirs and joint-heirs with Christ).

John 10:28 "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand"

(this eternal life that is meant for righteous people and is to be inherited is administered by Jesus Christ only, and as a result, we who have it shall never perish.)

Lets take two more verses...

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord"

(this eternal life is a gift of God through Jesus Christ)

One more verse...

1 John 1:2 "... and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us"

(the eternal life was with the Father at first but was later manifested unto us.)

All these tells us that eternal life has begun, or has manifested already and not a future thing. Eternal is therefore a person. This person is the Holy Spirit.!

But you may say how do we know?

See it further...

1 John 5:11 "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."

The eternal life is the same as the Holy Spirit which can be received only in Christ. When you have the Holy  Spirit in you, you have eternal life. This means that the Holy Spirit is your guarantee of perpetual experience of the life God on earth. The life of God is the Holy Spirit, when it is in you, you are bound to experience God in your life.

The reason why we are saying this is to let you know that, you have the very life of God (eternal life) in you as a believer. And this life of God is the solution to your imperfections. The Holy Spirit is in you is an eternal life, you are not meant to experience death in any area of your life. The spiritual strength you receive from him is what you need to impact the world around.

And if we carefully check for the meaning of "eternal" in Greek as used in all these bible verses, it means "perpetual" ...a life that is constant. This is the Holy Spirit, enjoy him always.

Amen.

THIS HOLY SPIRIT - 6

'THE HOLY SPIRIT AND SIN'

It is commonly believed that the Holy Spirit and sin are opposites, and that when you commit a sin, you chase him out. Although this is true to some extent, however, according to the written word, it is not totally true. The Holy Spirit does not go in and out every time you sin. But before you raise an eyebrow, let us discuss further.

Now, in the last lesson, we discussed that every believer has the Holy Spirit. And that this Holy Spirit is God dwelling inside the body of the believer. Again we discussed that the Holy Spirit is not just dwelling in the believer, the main purpose of the Holy Spirit is to seal the believer, and to seal them for ever. This is because God's intention is to have a people for himself, sons and daughters who will be his ambassadors for his Kingdom here on earth. So when you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit.

See how Paul puts it...

Ephesians 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"

Again he repeatedly said it in 2 Cor 1:21-22 "Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;  WHO HATH ALSO SEALED US, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."

So God did not save you and leave you to struggle to make heaven, he sealed you.

Did you understand the word "seal" in both verses. In Greek it is "sfragidzo" and it means "to stamp for security or preservation". What does that tells you? You are God's own forever. A seal is majorly used by kings, to make a decree. When a matter is sealed, it cannot be changed. A seal is a done deal. God does not play games with you by saving you and leaving you to achieve some requirements again. He saves you to the uttermost (as the writer of Hebrews said). The Holy Ghost in you, is just the seal that God placed on your faith in Jesus Christ. That's why Paul said in the book of Romans that "If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his" and he said it again in the epistle to Timothy that "the Lord knoweth them that are his". The national identity card we all posses as Kingdom citizens is the Holy Spirit. If you don't have him, you are not of God.

It is in this light that we examine the reactions of the Holy Spirit towards us when we sin.

Now, in case you are reading this and you do not know, there is no sin whatsoever that can undo the believer's salvation. The believer is saved forever in Christ. This salvation is not based on works but on faith and faith in Christ only. That is why it cannot change. The bible teaches that a believer is dead to sin, sin does not have any effect on his salvation. The only sin that can make a believer loose their salvation is the sin against the Holy Ghost. This is the same sin that John calls "sin unto death". This is the only sin that can change a believer to a sinner.

Because a believer is not a sinner and a sinner is not a believer.

So when a believer sins (not unto death), or does something evil, they have done nothing wrong (to loose their salvation). To man, they have committed sin, but to God it is nothing. Sin is dead! Jesus Christ died as our sins on the Cross. We have been justified freely by his grace.

This however does not mean, God is happy with sin, only that we will not loose our salvation. Sin has natural consequences, we face it. This is the controversy we have, that whether we can continue to sin, and the answer is no! (see my teaching on SIN for more understanding).

Now, what about the Holy Ghost?

The Holy Spirit does not leave a believer when they sin or do any wrong. It is a lie from the pit of hell. It is one of the plot of the Kingdom of darkness to make the believer feel unloved or rejected. Satan makes you believe that the Holy Spirit has left you in other to make you feel guilty perpetually and condemned.

You see, one of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life is to help you overcome your weaknesses and imperfections. If a preacher now says he has left because you made one mistake, what then is his work?

If you want to overcome the devil and his pranks, stay with sound doctrine. The Holy Spirit stays with you, even in the middle of your mistakes and weaknesses. He never leaves. He is right there with you, to help you. He is the only one who can help you.

See how Paul puts it...in Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" That's the Holy Spirit. That's his job.

Again in Philippians 2:13 "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

So, the holy spirit will never leave you or forsake you because you sin. You are his project, to bring you into perfection. And he will see it to the end.

Someone may say but Paul said "grieve not the Holy Spirit"...Yes you are right, the word "grieve" as used in that passage is the Greek word "lupeo" which means "to distress" or "to make sorry". If you read through the context of the passage in Ephesians 4 where that verse is taken, you will see that Paul was talking about "character and godliness", so Paul mean that, you should not make the Holy Spirit sorry or sad about you. That's all. Live in accordance with his will, he works in you to make you become the fullness of Christ, so don't do things against this to make him sorry. That's all! It does not mean, the Holy Spirit will leave you.

God bless you.

THIS HOLY SPIRIT - 5

THE BAPTISM, INFILLING AND SEAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

In Acts 2, we know how it was recorded that the disciples were gathered together according to the instructions of our Lord Jesus Christ, of which at the end they received the Holy Spirit as promised.

The Holy Spirit's first entrance into the body of man was this day. He came fully on day of Pentecost. By this, we mean that the Holy Spirit had been on earth prior to that day. Remember how that Jesus Christ himself was full of the Holy Ghost, and how he said to his disciples "receive ye the Holy Ghost...", when he had not yet been crucified.

The Holy Spirit as we have discussed in previous lessons, is the third form God would take, to complete the whole plan of redemption - the eternal counsel. God became the Holy Spirit to perform certain assignments as regards the establishment of his Kingdom. So the aim of God giving us his spirit is in line with this.

Jesus Christ, being the firstborn among many brethren, was first to house the Holy Ghost. By "house" , we refer to the indwelling of the Spirit in the mortal body. The book of Acts says "he went about doing good" as a result. This refers to the contributions of Christ to the establishment of the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit is not for show, it is given for this purpose.

Concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that was what happened in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. It is the "coming" of the Holy Ghost with signs. Baptism means immersion, so it means the disciples were immersed in the Holy Ghost and they became one spirit with him. This is also a moment where one is exposed to the activation of the gifts of the spirit. One common gift during baptism is the gift of tongues. The day you are baptised in the Holy Ghost is not necessarily the day you receive the Holy Ghost. You receive the Holy Spirit at salvation, not at baptism. We will get this more clearer as we proceed.

The baptism of the Holy Ghost is important in the life of the believer. It is actually the baptism that applies strictly to believers, not water baptism. The baptism can be administered by another believer who is already baptized, or prayed for. It is not necessary that the believer is a pastor or preacher. The baptism of the Holy Spirit results into the gifts and constant fellowship of the Holy Spirit. It makes you more sensitive and yielded.

The Holy Spirit cannot be measured, as some have erroneously taught. In the OT, or we say before the death of Christ, people do receive the spirit with measure...people receive the spirit of God at different rates and volume. This "spirit of God" which is measured to them at those times is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who is same as God, never dwelled in the OT prophets. The believers were first to receive the Holy Spirit. And they didn't receive it by measure. Jesus Christ being our first born was first to receive him.

John narrated and said "For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God GIVETH NOT THE SPIRIT BY MEASURE UNTO HIM.  The Father loveth the Son, and hath given ALL THINGS into his hand"

So when you see the "spirit of God" in the OT, they are with measure. You remember that God took this spirit (in Moses) and divided it among 70 elders of Israel. This is not the same as the Holy Spirit in us today. The Holy Spirit in us is for the adoption of sons. He is our connection back to the Godhead.

When exactly did a believer receive the Holy Spirit?

AT SALVATION!

Paul said "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"

The day you believe in the finished works of the cross is the day you got saved and it is the same day you received the Holy Spirit. You didn't only receive him, you were sealed by him. God sealed you as his own, you have been owned forever. The presence of the Holy Spirit in you is the evidence that you are of God. It is God's eternal signature on you. Whether you feel it or not, if you are saved, you have received the Holy Spirit.

You want Gifts? Then be baptized. How? Let someone administer that or you pray for it.

You want fruits? Then continue to fellowship with him. The fruits of the spirit is not your doing. Fruits grow automatically from trees, you don't force them out. Just water the trees. Your intimacy with the Holy Spirit is required for your great exploits in the Kingdom. Only those who have the Spirit are His and can live forever with him.

Remember, if you are saved, you already have the Holy Spirit and you have been Sealed by him forever and forever!

God bless you!

THIS HOLY SPIRIT - 4

PRAYING WITH HOLY GHOST FIRE IS AN ERROR

Some of the unfortunate and ungodly abuse against the person of the Holy Spirit is the use of "Holy Ghost Fire" in warfare prayers. Some men of God have devised some other means by which they can reach God in prayers aside through Christ, and one of it is the use of this Holy Ghost Fire.

Whenever such people want to pray, they call on "the Holy Ghost fire" instead of the NAME OF JESUS Christ. For it is clearly written in the epistles how that we as believers are authorized to use ONLY the name of Jesus Christ in prayers. Every other name will not work.

In the book of Acts, Peter said there is no other name given under heaven to be saved. In the epistles, Paul said, at the name of Jesus, every knee must bow. In fact, Jesus Christ himself was first to declare the power and authenticity of the use of his name. That whatever we ask in his name, we will receive.

All these things point to one thing: That if you pray through any other name or means, you are praying wrongly, and you will not get the right result. In fact, it is one of the reasons why, many prayers seem unanswered to many people. The only authorized access through which our prayers must reach the Father is through the Son, Jesus Christ.

Why is this so?

This is because, the mediator between God and man, is Christ Jesus. We were accepted in him and in him only. Outside of Christ, we are miserable. There is no amount of boycotting, it will not work. The only and authorized approach is through Christ Jesus, he is the bridge between heaven and earth. So when we pray, we should only do that by his name. We don't pray by the name of the Holy Ghost. It is an error to do so. It is like fetching water into a basket.

What then is the role of the Holy Spirit in prayers?

Romans 8:26, Paul revealed to us that "the spirit also help our infirmities: For we know not what we should pray for as we ought: But the spirit itself MAKETH INTERCESSION FOR US with groanings which cannot be uttered."....because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God"

It is therefore clear, that the Holy Spirit cannot be prayed to, let-alone  the Holy Ghost fire. He is the one who do restructure our prayers according to the will of God. The Holy Spirit in us has that sole mission during prayers. We can only pray by the name of Jesus Christ, other name, no other means. We then leave the rest for the Spirit to handle.

It is an ignorance of the higher degree to pray by calling the name of Holy Spirit or pray to him. Except you want to fellowship with him or that you want to converse with him. It is an ignorance of the highest order to pray with the Holy Ghost fire. The Holy Ghost fire is not meant for burning enemies. This fire (which we believe is of the Holy Ghost) is for believers not enemies. This fire must follow your baptism of the Holy Spirit. This fire makes you burn for the things of God. It sets your heart on fire and makes you zealous for the work of the kingdom of heaven. It is not a fire, that you need to call upon or send on errand to destroy your enemies.

Matthew 3:12...and shall baptize you with Holy Ghost and Fire!!!

It is you who need the HOLY GHOST fire, not your enemies!!! You!

Amen.

THIS HOLY SPIRIT - 3

‘THE LIVING WATER – WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN?’

In the gospel of John chapter four, Jesus had a discourse with a Samaritan woman and during this discourse; he mentioned a living water which he would give. We shall look closely at the discussions between them, which will also help us to understand another function or role of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers.

When God made the first man, he made him a spirit being. Man was in cordial relationship with God. God made man to rule and dominate the earth realm as he dominates the heavenly realm. God had to be in constant connection with man in order to relate his counsel to him and in order for him to function exactly like him. Then Adam lost it all. He lost this relationship. The spirit of man died, he became controlled by his mind. His control faculty became his senses. He no longer receives constant communication from his creator. This birthed religion.

In lieu of this, Jesus proposed a solution of the living water in his discussion with the Samaritan woman:

Now, in John Chapter 4… (words in brackets are mine)

1-2: The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.

3-4: When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria.

5-8: So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" …His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" …For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew THE GIFT OF GOD and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you LIVING WATER."

(This is what we have discussed in lesson one; the confusion about the identity of Jesus has caused religion to thrive. So the knowledge of Christ and the knowledge of the Holy Spirit is very important)

11-12 "Sir," the woman said, "You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

13-15 Jesus answered, "EVERYONE WHO DRINKS THIS WATER WILL BE THIRSTY AGAIN, BUT WHOEVER DRINKS THE WATER I GIVE HIM WILL NEVER THIRST. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to ETERNAL LIFE." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

Clearly we see how that the woman is confused about the statement of Jesus Christ on the living water. Jesus Christ was simply referring to the reception of the Holy Spirit. When he said “everyone who drinks will never thirst”, he meant that, this Holy Spirit is an eternal satisfaction to the thirst of man for God.

After the fall of man, the Spirit of God left man. There was a breach in relationship as we have said in the first paragraph, and ever since then, man has wanted to return back to their position in the Godhead. Man has had a desperate longing for God.  Man has had a very deep thirst for the divine, the glory they lost.

This thirst was what Jesus Christ was referring to. That this Holy Spirit is the water that can satisfy the thirst of humanity. That this Holy Spirit is the living water that will never run dry in the life of anyone who drinks it. This Holy Spirit is the eternal answer to world’s problem. This Holy spirit is the solution to the long time quest.

How do we know? See it again John 7:38-39

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this HE MEANT THE SPIRIT, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

The Holy Spirit is the living water, water that can never run dry.

This is telling you and I that, what we actually need in this life is the Holy Spirit. He is all we need. If he is God, and he is the solution to the dryness in the life of man, then he is all we need and all  we should seek to have in us.

Amen.

THIS HOLY SPIRIT - 2

‘THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD’

In the narration of the birth of Jesus Christ, it was recorded that the angel of the Lord, visited Mary and gave her some good news which at first was strange to her. This good news was that she will be pregnant with a baby that will change the course and destiny of the fallen man. She will bear the baby Jesus in her womb, but how will it be? She asked in curiosity, and the angel gave her a reply which was not so clear to her, she found it difficult to believe that 'a Holy Spirit' will come upon her and then she will be pregnant.

We all know the end of this story, that the Holy Spirit truly came upon this virgin and she became pregnant with  a baby. This baby was Jesus (meaning the savior) and Christ (meaning the anointed one).

Now, why are we telling this story?

In our study of the Word of God, we have discovered how that Jesus was both God and man. The bible made us understand in the book of John that, he was in the beginning with God, and that all things were created by him, and in fact, that he (the Word) is God himself. John went further to tell us how this Word who is God himself became Flesh and dwelled on this earth as Jesus Christ, but many people did not know it. They took him for an ordinary man just like everyone else.

And in the book of Philippians, we have it spelt out more clearly, that God left his throne to become Jesus Christ. This again confirms the deity of Jesus Christ as God himself.

So, if Jesus Christ was born of the Holy Spirit coming upon the virgin, then it means the Holy Spirit birthed Jesus Christ. By implication, the Holy Spirit and the Father are the same!

The Holy Spirit is therefore God!

Let’s get this very clear…

God is not three persons. God is just one person! The ELOHIM…

The confusion of the understanding of the three:  Father, Son and the Holy Spirit is a very major controversy, I agree, and I do not intend to delve into that theology here. It is the first argument ever to spring up after the death of the apostles; it is exactly the argument that caused the great schism – the first division in the church in the early 1000s.

The Holy Spirit has been relegated to be the ‘third’ person in the trinity. Although this is true by dispensation, however ‘third’ does not refer to the position as in hierarchy at all. The Holy Spirit is not the third person in command. He is not the next person after Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is not less important than the Father and the Word. The Holy Spirit is the same as the Word, and the same as the Father.

The confusion of the trinity is a result of many statement and occurrences in the bible where the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit were manifested distinctly. For example, in the story of the baptism of Jesus Christ. We have the Father speaking from heaven, as the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, with Jesus inside the water. So people use cases like this to differentiate between these three, and get confused again when Jesus say that to Philip that he sees him, he has seen the Father!

What then is the mystery? Why do we say that the Holy Spirit is not inferior? Why do we say that the Holy Spirit is God?

This is because, God is one!

The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit is the name of the three offices or functions of God to humanity! 

That God is the Father when he needed to be, that he became the Son to perform another function or task, and that he became the Holy Spirit to perform another function. One God splitted himself into three major Functions.  Hope you get it?

To avoid arguments and to stick with sound doctrine, we will not go deeper than that.

These three are functions, the Father must send the Son to the earth realm to redeem, the Son must be filled with the Holy Spirit to successfully complete this task. The Holy Spirit must then seal those who were redeemed thereafter, for proper identification and connection with the Godhead.

All these are the functions, roles and offices that are necessary for the fulfillment of the eternal counsel of God.

God is one!

God is not three!

The Holy Spirit is God!

Don’t ever take him for a wind; he is not a wind, neither a breeze!

Although the Holy Spirit has taken up several forms; like wind, breeze, dove, fire etc. But these does not make him any of these things. He became those things at those times to perform certain tasks.

Remember that Peter made Ananias to understand that they lied against the Holy Spirit? If you check well, he again said they lied against God. So, the Holy Spirit is God!

You believe that God is a Spirit? Then that Spirit is same as the Spirit that is you!

Amen.

THIS HOLY SPIRIT - 1

“THE CONFUSION OF IDENTITY”

The Holy Spirit has been mistaken for many things today in the body of Christ. Some have taken the Holy Spirit to be a breeze or a wind, some say it is a dove, some say it is the spirit of God. Howbeit, one of the keys to enjoying life of the faith in Jesus Christ is the proper knowledge of whom the Holy Spirit is.

Jesus talking in Mathew chapter 19, asked his disciples…”whom do men say that I am?” they said some say he is Elijah, some say he is Jeremiah, some say he is John the Baptist, some say he is one of the prophets…the disciples gave Jesus Christ the up-to-date information of what people on the streets call him. However, he knew that the problem about his identity has its wings on the ignorance of the disciples themselves. That is, if the disciples know whom he is, then the people on the streets would also come to knowledge in due time. The ‘knowledge of who he is’ was Jesus’ main challenge during his earthy life. Because he was born in a manger, and born in a carpenter’s house, it was very difficult for people to agree that he is actually the Christ, and the Messiah.

So Jesus wanted the disciples to come this knowledge and understanding first, then they can transfer same knowledge to the people, because he would soon be crucified. Then he directed his question about his identity to his disciples….he asked them “now, who do you say that I am”? That is, if the other people are having uncertainty about my identity, then what about you, what do you think of me?

Peter then replied him “You are Christ, the Son of the Living God!” and that settles it!

Jesus was pleased that day because, Peter was not confused about his identity. Although there was no information about others, but we know that Jesus was no longer bothered about it, and so he blessed Peter, and we are sure that through Peter’s statement, the knowledge of whom Jesus is, was made known to others, and extended to the streets.

What Jesus experienced during his time is being repeated today. There is confusion in the streets about whom the Holy Spirit is. And this confusion came to be as a result of the ignorance and inadequate knowledge of those who are believers. If the believers are not confused about the identity of the Holy Spirit, then his identity will be properly communicated to the people out there.

And it is a great disaster to the advancement of the kingdom. Because the kingdom of God is governed by this Holy Spirit, and without an adequate knowledge of whom he is, you are joking as far as the Kingdom of God is concerned.

This confusion about the identity of the Holy Spirit is exactly what we want to address in this series of teaching. But before we deeply consider some of these things, let me just inform you that:

The Holy Spirit is not a Wind!

The Holy Spirit is not a Dove!

The Holy Spirit is not a Ghost! – Holy Ghost is the best way the interpreters of the Old King James Bible could put it. It doesn't really mean a ghost. We will look into this later!

The Holy Spirit is not even the “third person ” in the Trinity as in the case of hierarchy. 

The Holy Spirit is not a goose bumps activator! When you feel goose bumps on your skin, dont always think it is the Holy Spirit. This is too ridiculous!

The Holy Spirit is God! Yes! God, the creator of the heavens and the earth is the Holy Spirit!

You will understand better when you read through the next lesson.

Amen.