Holy Spirit Holiness

Here’s a simple exhortation: God alone is Holy. Then, the only chance a sinful person can have to become holy is if this Holy God (who alone is Holy) comes and LIVES IN them, and then MAKES THEM Holy, sanctifying them by the precious shed Blood of Christ.

Then, you are holy PURELY and SOLELY by virtue of the fact that you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).

The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Holiness, the Holy One, the Spirit who is Holy : HE is your holiness. Listen to Him! Obey Him! Let Him instruct you in the Word of God! Heed His warnings! Heed His gentle promptings! He is God who lives inside you.

Then, the fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of this holiness – the fruit of this indwelling and abiding HOLY ONE. Only bcos you have been MADE holy, you can have love, joy, peace… Bcos your sins have been removed you can have love, joy and peace…

All the true fruit of the Spirit springs from this Holiness of God. There is no shortcut.

“Holy” means separated, set apart for God. That’s why it can only apply to God, AND to those to whom His Holiness and Righteousness is freely imputed by the Death of Christ, and who are now IN the risen LORD, Christ Jesus.

Don’t miss the greatest miracle and the greatest work of God today, and this is happening INSIDE of you! It is HIM sanctifying you and making you a partaker of HIS HOLINESS.

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them who are trained by it. Hebrews 12:10-11

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. 2 Corinthians 7:1

Here is my point:

What is the essential thing the Holy Spirit is about? Holiness – the essential nature of God. Everything else is the fruit of that holiness.

What is the essential nature of water? It’s wet! It’s water.

What is the essential nature of the Holy Spirit? Holiness. He is the HOLY Spirit.

Did you LIVE HIS LIFE today?

Jesus is THE LIFE. He is our LIFE.

Did you live HIS LIFE today? I’m not asking if you kept a list of laws, whether God’s laws, or your own laws, which you have created in your own mind, or which you have borrowed from a particular religious group or “church”.

I’m asking, Did you LIVE HIS LIFE today?

Was the life you lived today the life of Jesus living in you?

Or, was it YOU living your own life: trying to live up to, or keep, certain laws and rules?

What was the main OBJECT of your consciousness today: What were you most conscious of?

What is it Jesus, and His power, love, grace and mercy?

Or were you more conscious of other things.

Maybe more conscious of yourself than conscious of Jesus?

Do you still live under the law, or in the Spirit?

Against such there is no law

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, self-control: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:14, 22-23

For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth… Ephesians 5:9

..Against such there is no law, has two applications: Against these fruits there is no law, and against such people there is no law.

The person who has the true fruit of the Spirit is no longer under the law. He is no longer condemned by God’s law, AND he cannot be truthfully or rightfully condemned by man, or man’s “laws”. Any accusation or condemnation against such a person, who has the fruit of the Spirit and who walks in the Spirit, is a false accusation, a false condemnation.

Paul was such a man. He had broken many of man’s “laws”, and was spoken evil about by many, yet all accusations were false. Not one was true.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Now, if Paul did not love his neighbor as himself, and did not have the fruit of the Spirit, then he COULD have been lawfully judged or accused.

If you have the fruit of the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit, then no man can judge you or accuse you. Against such there is no law.

THEY THAT FEARED THE LORD SPOKE OFTEN TO ONE ANOTHER

Then they that feared the LORD spoke often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name. Malachi 3:16

This true fear and love of the LORD results in His people speaking often to one another concerning HIM.

We call this speaking often to one another concerning Jesus, Church.

The previous verse:

AND NOW WE CALL THE PROUD HAPPY: yes, and they that work wickedness are raised up; yes, and they that test God are even delivered.

THEN

they that feared the LORD spoke often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. Malachi 3:15-16

MEANING: When you see proud Christians happy, and wicked Christians raised up into prominence…. THEN it is time for those who fear the LORD to draw closer together than ever before.

One of the outcomes of prayerfully reading the NT

is that you realize, every time, that you do not yet know Jesus in the way that you should know Him, and, thru this revelation, He forms a deeper desire inside us to know Him much more than we presently do.

WE WILL HAVE TO SEND JESUS TO A MODERN CHURCH FOR RE-EDUCATION

And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear:

Fear Him, who after He has killed has power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him. Luke 12:4-5

Choose to be delivered from your besetting sin

Choice. What will you choose?

Do you want Jesus to deliver you from a besetting sin? ( A sin that keeps recurring)

Then you will need to choose His deliverance.

There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

He makes a way to escape. We just need to choose that way when He shows it to us. He makes a way out of the temptation, but we can still say, No, and not choose to be delivered from the sin.

Forget any thought that you can deliver yourself.

Jesus has smashed the power of sin and the devil on the Cross. So, now, deliverance is a choice.

Deliverance comes from Jesus, He is the only Deliverer and Conqueror. Say to Him, I choose you as my Deliverer. I accept your Deliverance bcos I accept YOU, and want YOU. I have you, therefore I have your Deliverance.

Trust means that you know that all is well between God and you

That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise… Ephesians 1:12-13

Trust means that you know that all is well between God and you. You trust that all is well, as far as God is concerned, concerning you. He has promised, and you trust Him. Jesus has finished His work on your behalf, on the Cross, and you trust Him who loved you and gave Himself for you.

Trust says, It is well with my soul. Trust says, I trust my Father to tell me whatever I need to know, to order and regulate my life, to tell me if and when I have offended Him, and to tell me what He deems I need to learn at any time.

Jesus: Is He to you a trusted Friend? A Friend you can trust?

Remember our persecuted brethren

The eyes of your understanding

…That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you

the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him:

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;

that you may know what is the hope of His calling,

and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, Which He performed in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come: And has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is His body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all. Ephesians 1:17-23

The eyes of our understanding….. It means that SEEING Jesus cannot be separated from UNDERSTANDING Him. It may be an unfamiliar concept to many, that understanding WHO Jesus is, and understanding His teaching, and understanding the Kingdom of God, means to SEE Him with and thru the eyes of your understanding.

Many are trying to see God, but not thru the eyes of their understanding. The eyes of their understanding have been blindfolded by selfish motives, and by self-seeking, so that, while they do try to see God, they cannot see Him.

Jesus can only be truly seen thru the eyes of our understanding. If we try to bypass understanding Him, and obeying His ways, and His commands, then we cannot see Him.

That the Father …may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him…

“Revelation” has become somewhat of a taboo word. We need to clarify, that the ONLY revelation God gives anyone today is the revelation of who Jesus is, and His glory, and His unsearchable riches…

BUT…. The knowledge of Jesus is ONLY by revelation. Paul prayed this for the saints in Ephesus, that they be GIVEN a greater revelation of Jesus.

How much do we need to pray this for one another today?

The classic scenario is when Christians are just seeking a “blessing”, but are not seeking to understand Him. They will not see Him until they seek to understand Him, His Word, His Ways, His order, His Kingdom.

A test we must pass before we can go any further in God

If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous riches,(mammon), who will commit to your trust the true? (true riches, spiritual things) Luke 16:11

To be faithful with money, before God, means to not be influenced by it’s “power”.

To be faithful with money means it has no influence on our moral and spiritual decisions, friendships, associations, our character, our ministry, or anything.

If we are not found faithful in our heart-attitude toward money, then we can proceed no further in knowing Jesus Christ – the true riches.

Our heart attitude toward money: a doorway or a barrier?

This is why multitudes in Christianity hit a brick wall and proceed no further in knowing Jesus.

This is the reason why MOST of the so-called “great” Christian leaders today are spiritually bankrupt : Bcos money influences them.

Could it be that our heart-attitude toward such a simple and basic and earthy thing as money, be the doorway or barrier, to the unfathomable riches of Christ, and all that His Spiritual realm and Kingdom holds? Jesus seems to be saying just that in this scripture. It then became more evident to me than ever, that the bottom-line underlying all the errors inherent in, and by virtue of, the christian-religious power system (a.k.a. the whore, or babylon) is related to money, either directly or indirectly.

He is withholding the true spiritual riches from those who are unfaithful in the heart-issues concerning money, and who build their “life” around it’s supposed security, and the pride of life it engenders.

From an old article of mine, Jesus and Money

A true story of God’s deliverance

Anita Dittman was a young Jewish teen (who was also a believer in Christ) in Germany during WWII. In this story below, Anita shares from her experience while a prisoner to the Nazis. Today, at 85, Anita still talks to people about those years. The following story took place in early 1945.

Read the compelling story of how Anita escaped from the Nazis here

Light in the Darkness

The people who sat in darkness saw great light; and to them who sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up. Matthew 4:16

This speaks of conversion: the Light shining into the darkness, into the dark soul, into the dark dungeon of sin, to show The Way out.

And it also speaks to us disciples of Jesus, reminding us to walk in His beautiful Light, and in the light of His Words, which are a lamp unto our feet.

It reminds us that Jesus is the only true Light, and the whole world lies in darkness, and therefore we should know the difference between Light and darkness, and prefer the Light, and remain in the Light, and be a Light in the darkness.

Light speaks of revealing the true nature of things:

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever does make manifest is light. Ephesians 5:11-13

Jesus, the Light of the world, always reveals the true nature of things – within us and around us.

Jesus had nothing

Was thinking this morning that one reason (not the only reason) our LORD did not possess anything except the clothes on his back was that if He had accumulated “stuff”, then, later, people would have used that example as an excuse to justify seeking after stuff.

Jesus being physically poor (having nothing of this world, except that which He needed to do the will of the Father) was a SIGN for whoever wants to follow Him, that He, Himself, is the sole object of Christianity – the Person of Christ.

There was nothing other than HIM.

God gave HIM to us. It is not about “things”.

(Some say that Jesus was rich bcos he owned a donkey. No, He did not even own a donkey! He had to borrow one.)

You loved me before the foundation of the world

John 17:24-26

…You loved me before the foundation of the world.

One of the most poignantly beautiful verses of the Bible.

Here is a Man who knows that He lived from eternity, from before the creation, and He knows the Father, and He knows the Father loves Him from eternity to eternity.

Before the universe existed, this Person knew that He was loved by the Father.

Jesus knew that He was loved.

That the Father has loved His Son from eternity past should be everything to us, if the Son is our LIFE, and we are dead and our life is hidden in Christ.

Then, if we are now in Christ, then this eternal love for the Son is ours, by virtue of being in Him. To be IN Christ is everything.

God “invented” love, not man (not “invented”, it is His nature). Somehow, the human race thinks that love is something that man invented, and has even come to the point that they define love among themselves, and exclude the eternal Father from the picture.

If it is not the Father’s eternal love for His Son, then it is not love. True love is simply to be IN the Son, and therefore share in this amazing eternal love the Father has for His Son.

We have not seen the bodily form of the Father, seated in Heaven, but the Son has (John 5:37).

Are you aware today that there is a Person in Heaven, the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who is INFINITE, and, who just happens to SEE you? Who watches over everything you do? Who knows you better than you know yourself?

The LORD Jesus knew this. He knew this infinite glory and love of the Father from eternity.

If we have believed in the Father’s love for His Son, and believed on the Son, and are in Him, then the knowledge that the Father unceasingly SEES US is so wonderful, and removes all our fears and doubts, and fills us with joy.

However, if we are living outside of Christ, then it is a terrifying thought, that the Father sees everything.

How to briefly explain the error of the “prosperity gospel”

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, How shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek you FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:31-33

Simply, the “prosperity gospel” reverses this order, turns it right around the other way.

Jesus says, Seek the Kingdom and His Righteousness, DON”T seek after things.

But false teachers have reversed this.

They say, Seek first all these things…

They make the acquiring of things and wealth as the FIRST priority of life, and then a “jesus” is tagged on, to try and justify it.

They mistakenly think that money, success, health and wealth IS the Kingdom of God : is the sign of God’s favor.

Whereas, the LORD Jesus very clearly delineates here that the “things” are NOT the Kingdom of God. They will follow behind the Kingdom of God (as God deems we have need of them) but the Kingdom of God does NOT consist of things, wealth, health and success.

And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses. Luke 12:15

A man’s life does not consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses. Just one statement, here, from Jesus reveals the spiritual bankruptcy of the “prosperity gospel”. They reverse this and say, that a man’s life DOES consist of the things he possesses. They say that this is the “abundant life” which Jesus promised. But Jesus says that if you think that the abundance of things you possess means you have an abundant life, or even “a life”, then you are deceived, and you certainly don’t have a true abundant life.

Therefore, as the “things” you possess are NOT the Kingdom of God, then, we are NOT to seek after those things, Jesus commanded, but trust Him, that as you seek first His Kingdom and Righteousness then HE will supply your needs accordingly. You will never have to beg for money.

They think that covetousness is a virtue. They have made it into a virtue, and that is so perverse before God’s Judgment Throne.

Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power… 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9

What is worship in spirit and truth?

But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:23-24

Essentially, our LORD is saying that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth : that there can be no worship which is not the fruit of the Spirit of Truth.

This means, that when people believe lies, and therefore do not conform to the truth, they are not worshiping God, no matter how much they may try.

To understand what our LORD meant, here, we need to look at the relationship between these two : spirit and truth – an inseparable bond.

Therefore, what is transpiring when someone worships in spirit and truth? What is the transaction?

It is worship as a REACTION to being confronted with the truth of God, by the revealing of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings the truth of Jesus to our hearts, and then we can’t help but worship.

Simply, it is to rejoice, in spirit, over the truth. The truth is the catalyst AND the substance of your worship.

You see the truth of God’s glory, in the face of Jesus Christ, and you can’t help but worship Him, by bowing down and yielding your life to Him.

Help people to see the truth of God, the reality of God, and they won’t be able to cease to worship Him.

Trying to force or drum up “worship” is like flogging a dead horse.

Man shall not live by bread alone

But He [Jesus] answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

a) Just as bread imparts physical life, so does the Living Word of God, which proceeds out of the mouth of God, impart spiritual life. The man who is not living by the Word of God is not living. If his spirit is not sustained by the Word of God, just as bread sustains his body, then he is spiritually dead – just as dead as the man who had no food and died of starvation.

b) ...But by EVERY word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. We live in a day when the majority of professing Christians do not live by EVERY word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

We have specialists, who specialize in a few selected verses of the NT, and have no time for the rest. They know, that if they lived by every word of God, that they would then see those few, select verses thru very different eyes, from a different perspective. They know, that to hold to their particular bent, they need to isolate those verses from the rest of the NT.

This word came last night while driving the car and singing the song, Seek ye first the Kingdom of God. So beautiful to sing the Scriptures from a heart of rejoicing and thankfulness (Colossians 3:16).

Save me, Jesus!

We were talking with a young man yesterday, who said he believes in Jesus, but he said he does not have assurance of salvation. We explained the gospel, how he can have assurance. Then he said that he doesn’t know how to pray.

So i said to him, If you were sinking down into hell this moment, and you saw Jesus standing up above you, what would you say to Him?

He said, I would say, Save me, Jesus!

I said, You got it! That’s exactly your situation, and that is how you need to pray.

He began to weep, and he asked Jesus to save him, and we believe he was sincere and is now saved.

What is faith in God?

It is really revelation of WHO He is.

It is seeing WHO He is. Faith comes by hearing the word. The Word reveals who He is, so faith comes with that revelation. The Word is the revelation of who God is. Then, when we see, thru the eyes of our heart, how infinite is His power, love, grace and mercy toward us, by the Cross of Calvary, then we can easily trust this Person.

When we consider how great God is, His infinite, eternal majesty and power, then, how great are the challenges we face, in comparison?

Consider how BIG God is, and then, line up your needs, problems and sufferings alongside Him, and they look rather small, in comparison.

The devil looks rather small, in comparison. All the nations are as a drop in a bucket, lighter than the dust on the scales, in comparison to who God is.

Divine perspective, not man’s perspective.

And then we believe this truth in our hearts, and we have faith so easily.

Faith becomes easy when the focus is shifted away from us, to Him – away from who we are, to who He is.

When we talk “faith”, let’s talk “God” – let’s only understand faith in relation to the OBJECT of our faith – God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ, should be the object of our faith. We should not separate what God has said, and promised, and accomplished on the Cross, from WHO He is.

The focus and the emphasis has to be on the OBJECT of our faith, and not on us, or on “our faith”, or on our strengths and abilities. (That is a modern counterfeit)