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The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
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“Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ And He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.’ ...
       
 
  
 

The Power of the Holy Spirit

Manmin News   No. 122
10926
July 06, 2008


"...And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them..." (Acts 2:1-4)

After God pledged to give His children "another Helper" (Acts 1:4-5; John 14:16), the Holy Spirit came to dwell in their hearts in which the Holy Spirit carries out His ministry as the "helping Spirit." The Holy Spirit teaches the truth to God's children as does a tutor, helps them when they are weak as does a mother, and enables them to be on their path of faith. Until God's children arrive at the gates of heaven, the Holy Spirit walks beside them without ever becoming absent-minded or giving up.
Only when God's children are empowered by the power of the Holy Spirit can they become men of spirit and whole spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

1. We must earnestly seek the Holy Spirit if we are to receive His help.

In Acts 2:28 Peter tells us, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." As the Holy Spirit is a sacred Spirit of God Himself, He cannot dwell in a sinner's heart. Whoever repents of his sins, accepts Jesus as his Savior, and thus receives forgiveness of his sins, the individual is able to receive the Holy Spirit as a gift from God. Jesus reminds us in Luke 11:13, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"
Even after one has received the Holy Spirit, however, the degree of His help varies depending on how much the individual seeks and desires the Holy Spirit. For instance, depending on the extent to which people desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit, the degrees to which they become filled with the Holy Spirit varies by person. "Being filled with the Holy Spirit" refers to "the state in which the Holy Spirit dwelling in an individual enables that person, through the truth in his heart, to feel and experience the spiritual realm." In other words, the Holy Spirit makes it possible for the person in whom He resides to feel and experience the spiritual realm in which there is no sin but are only peace, joy, and gratitude.
In order to be filled with the Holy Spirit, our hearts must be prepared and we must seek Him with an earnest desire. In preparing our hearts, we must first rid the wall of sin standing on our way to God. It is because the Holy Spirit groans if a wall of sin exists in our relationship with God. Therefore, when we repent of our sins and seek Him with an earnest heart, we can be filled with the Holy Spirit.
To those who earnestly seek Him, the Holy Spirit always gives grace and fills their heart. As we need to keep the fire alive in order to keep water boiling, remaining filled with the Holy Spirit requires us to seek His help without ceasing. We can remain filled with the Holy Spirit when we call out to God in prayer, praise Him from the heart, and worship Him in spirit and in truth.
However, over time, some people may lose the fullness of the Holy Spirit. This is because they do not earnestly seek the Holy Spirit's aid and, as they lose the fullness they first received and experienced, their heart is now fixed on the world again. If one desires heaven, he must not only always seek the Holy Spirit's help but must earnestly pray to remain filled with the Holy Spirit.

2. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we can receive power.

The Holy Spirit strengthens us so that we can pray. Of course, one has to make an effort. Even if he has difficulty in praying initially, if he holds fast to praying, the Holy Spirit will remind him of the topics and requests for which he ought to pray. The Holy Spirit is well aware of what we need and He hopes for our spirits to prosper. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit helps us, we can easily receive the strength to pray because the Holy Spirit intercedes for us "according to the will of God" (Romans 8:27).
When we read or listen to God's word proclaimed, the Holy Spirit also gives us the strength to grasp it. The Bible was recorded by those who received God's word in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and as the Spirit of the truth, the Holy Spirit knows the precise will of God. Thus, when we listen to sermons or attempt to understand the spiritual significance embedded in certain verses in the Bible, it is the best to receive the help of the Holy Spirit. In addition, the Holy Spirit may also enlighten us of the significance of sermon messages or Biblical verses by speaking to us and guiding our hearts.
In Acts 2, we find Peter, referring to prophecies from the Old Testament, testified how the prophecies on the coming and presence of the Holy Spirit and the resurrection of the Lord had been achieved. Peter could grasp the prophecies from the Old Testament and boldly testify to them because he had been empowered by the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, Peter and other apostles remained in the fullness of the Holy Spirit and gallantly proclaimed to the world about Jesus and the message of salvation.
The most excellent time for us to grasp the Word in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is when we worship God in spirit and in truth. "Worshipping in spirit" refers to understanding of God's Word in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In order to receive such grace from above, each of you must worship "in truth." When we worship God with all our heart, will, and devotion, God will give us spiritual grace.
Moreover, the Holy Spirit reminds us of appropriate verses from the Bible whenever deemed necessary. In Mark 13:11, Jesus tells us, "When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit." In other words, when we look to spread the gospel, visit homes of fellow churchgoers, or offer counsel to our brothers and sisters in Christ, the Holy Spirit will remind us of the verses the other person must hear from our lips and when we work amidst the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to bear good fruit.
The power of the Holy Spirit knows no bounds. The Holy Spirit strengthens us to think everything in goodness and rid ourselves of sins. Therefore, when we receive the Holy Spirit, living a life in Christ is not difficult. Even after one has received the Holy Spirit, however, he may face difficulties in living a life in Christ as he has not received the power of the Holy Spirit. This can be likened to an individual who tries to "move" a car by his own might, not "drive" it with the aid of an engine.
The life of a person who has received the power of the Holy Spirit can be compared to an individual driving a car effortlessly. The power of the Holy Spirit shortens and facilitates a journey that, when traveled alone, is very long and arduous.

3. By the Holy Spirit, we can grasp even the depths of God.

1 Corinthians 2:10 tells us, "For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." Here, grasping of "the depths of God" is made possible with the heart of spirit and the heart of whole spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). As God is spirit, we can grasp the depths of God to the extent we accomplish the heart of God.
It is possible for us to transform our hearts into the heart of spirit only because of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus tells us in John 3:6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," we can give birth to spirit only by the Holy Spirit. In John 16:13, Jesus also reminds us, "When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth."
By speaking to us and guiding our hearts, the Holy Spirit always reminds us of the truth and tells us the good will with which God is pleased. When we obey the Holy Spirit at such times, we can accomplish the heart of spirit. We will then be apart from sin and walk in the light.
Ridding ourselves of the attributes of the flesh in our heart is possible only by the power of the Holy Spirit. Attributes of the flesh to which we have become accustomed, which have become a part of us, cannot be thrown away by our will or effort alone. The power to completely destroy the attributes of flesh belongs to the Holy Spirit. When we pray in earnest, the Holy Spirit reduces to ashes the attributes of the flesh.
Fleshly thoughts and fleshly deeds will also disappear to the extent the attributes of the flesh are destroyed. An individual from whose heart an attribute of the flesh called pride has disappeared will be at peace with others even when they do not serve him. He will not think that other people are ignoring him, feel uncomfortable, or show ill-feelings in his talks. When an individual throws out such an attribute of the flesh as pride, he will be provided with much comfort and gladness in life.
As the Holy Spirit searches our heart with precision, He reminds us without ceasing of the attributes of the flesh we must throw out and the heart of spirit with which we are to fill ourselves. People who obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit can swiftly enter the level of spirit and whole spirit. For this reason, to the extent we accomplish the heart of spirit we will grasp the depths of God, who is even today waiting for that one last soul, His true child with whom He can share the depths of His heart, to come forth as His priceless fruit.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, from the time of the Lord's ascension to the Second Advent, the Holy Spirit has been and is in person nurturing all those who believe in God and leading them to heaven. May each of you be grateful to God for having sent us the Holy Spirit, desire His help, and swiftly come forth as spirit and whole spirit with the power of the Holy Spirit you receive, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I pray!


 

 

 
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