In these days there is no peace in this nation. Fear, anger, hate, and violence fills the news. Christian need the full and powerful peace of God to fill them body, soul, and spirit.
In these days, strength of righteousness needs to rule in the church, and if you are a believer, then you are the church, it is time to rise up together in God’s power to love the unlovely, care the for the broken, and spreading peace in the land of hatred.
Do you have the peace of God pouring through your soul that give you the courage to serve the living God in the midst of wolves?
Did Jesus not say in “Matthew 10:16 (AMP), “Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves.”
Part 2: Narrow Way of Discipleship: Holy Spirit Life (Matthew 5:6-11)
In THE NARROW WAY TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD, we looked at the brand new revelation of Christ’s way of salvation and eternal life. And the exciting thing is we who have been blessed with repentance do not have to wait until we die to receive our reward!
Remember in Matthew 5:5 the Lord promised the meek “shall inherit the earth.” This is a Jewish way of saying that great blessings are for the here and now, not just in heaven after you die! For the first disciples, that was greatly different from their Jewish experience of spiritual darkness and suffering under the dominion of sin. But these next statements left the disciples struggling to understand His enormous promises of a new and supernatural way of life.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice (righteousness), for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
1/ The first supernatural change of the Kingdom of God within you is a new heart of love gushing out goodness and righteousness. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)
Once God blesses a person with repentance and forgiveness He gives them eternal life. Like a physical newborn, the new spiritual baby immediately is hungry to know God and be like Him. Even the Greek word translated “hunger” is a weak translation. Instead, this word was used to describe being famished and starving. Also, the Greek word used by Jesus for thirst is also extremely strong and was used to describe a deer panting so deeply in need of water that it was near death.
But the great news is God promises to fill the believer with righteousness. But, not the way we use the word filled.
This may help you understand. I am from south Florida and over the years many people lost or released pet pythons into the wild. There are tons of them living in the swamps of the Everglades.
I saw video footage on the news that showed a crazy python who was so hungry he caught a huge alligator, squeezed it until it suffocated, then swallowed it. After that, all you could see was the snake’s head, then the entire form of the gator, and a little snake tail.
He was so gorged he could not move, and his shape was changed from a snake to an alligator.
This is how the Greek word is used and helps us see the promise of Jesus. He promised to gorge Christians with righteousness that they would no longer have the old shape of sin. After Christ returned to heaven, the Holy Spirit bloated them and even bloats us today with His goodness that we are no longer recognizable from our old days. Righteousness stretches us way out of shape and our old sinful souls are overwhelmed by God’s goodness. You cannot miss this change!
Here are the plain words of Jesus when he later describes this spiritual experience. “Jesus took his stand. He cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.’ (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)” John 7:37-39 (MSG)
So what righteousness is flooding and gushing out of us? Long before this day when Jesus introduced the new abundant life, it was already promised by God to absolutely change people. Ezekiel the prophet proclaimed this amazing promise hundreds of years before Jesus walked the earth: “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT)
When Jesus promised to fill his followers with righteousness, he meant a real life alteration that forces Christians to follow His commands. He meant such a drastic change that the rushing force of righteousness exploding from God’s Holy Spirit within would cause his people to obey His laws. This great force of God’s Spirit would burst out of their hearts like a flood of water rushing and force them to fulfill God’s will! The flood of the Holy Spirit’s righteous is so powerful it explodes in the believer’s heart.
Yes, the true saints can and do follow the will of God!
Surfers experience this all the time. If they actually try to surf against the wind and waves they will exhaust themselves and fail. But, if they work through the waves and then turn around and let the waves push them toward the beach they get the joy of riding the waves.
True believers get the joy of riding the waves of the righteousness pouring out of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside their new hearts. Their hearts and souls are bloated by the love of God. Paul plainly exclaims, “…the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us…” 2 Corinthians 5:14 (AMP)
He always spells it out this way, “Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.” Romans 6:18 (NLT) And, “now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.” Romans 6:22 (NLT)
2/ The second supernatural change is a new heart gorged with mercy. “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7 (NLT)
Again Jesus later clarifies what he means, for example in Matthew 9:10-13 (NLT) he encounters the resistance of the rabbis, “Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with such scum?’ When Jesus heard this, he said, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.’ Then he added, ‘Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.’”
The kind of mercy that pours from the heart of God is the kind that rushes to the side of people all messed up with sin. They have ruined their lives. They are not acceptable sinners but those that are repulsive. He did not join them in their sin, but he helped them in spite of their sin. Like a doctor, he diagnosed their spiritual sickness, and did not approve of disease of sin, but instead sought to help heal them.
All outward religious practice void of this extreme form of mercy is empty religion. Everyone needs forgiveness and salvation. Jesus has a heart that gushes out mercy and compassion to those trapped in darkness.
The heart of our Lord was constantly expressed through his encounters with the Jewish rabbis. In Matthew 23:23 (NLT) he confronts them about what is the priority of God. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice (righteousness), mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.”
God blesses those who give mercy because when you are born again, the Holy Spirit floods you with mercy for the hurting, lonely, broken sinners of this world! Our new hearts driven by God himself powerfully influencing us by altering our priorities. The important things to God become the important things to us. God causes us to fulfill HIS WILL. It is a miracle!
3/ The third supernatural change is a new heart glowing with purity “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 (NLT)
Our Lord makes it clear the spirit of holiness is pumped into the new creature in Christ. Later Jesus explained to Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NLT) Putting the two together shows us the “pure in heart” are the born again who can only see heaven.
The Pharisees were full of corruption and defilement, but remember they were the best the Jewish religion could produce under the law. In contrast, the new Holy Spirit filled Christians became so gorged with righteousness that their pure lives outshined the only spiritual leaders the disciples knew before they met Jesus.
Many years later Paul agreed and tries to explain this incredible change. First, he describes the way of the Pharisees without being born again. “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 (NLT)
Despite their best efforts the old way of the life the disciples were taught to live they were stuck in impurity, and their lives proved it.
But Paul continues by contrasting the new way of life that Jesus brought through a new heart and new spirit. Let’s read it, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.” Galatians 5:19-24 (NLT)
This is not spiritual idealism, but the drastic change of life as the Holy Spirit supernaturally floods the souls of the born again believer. He is not saying Christians ought to, or are supposed to or hope to live this way some day. As clearly as he stated hell waits for those who live in sin, heaven waits for the pure-hearted saints who LIVE THE NEW WAY of Jesus! The Holy Spirit produces, submerges, and saturates the hearts of the saints with the fruit of the Spirit. And again I quoted Paul, “…the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us…”
4/ The fourth supernatural change is a new heart pouring out peace. “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9 (NLT)
In selfishness, Americans see this statement as personal rest and quietness. But the Lord Jesus reveals the fourth life altering change of a born again saint by explaining that just like he was a peacemaker, he makes his disciples peacemakers. Like Father, like Son. Christ came to make peace with God’s enemies by legally paying the full price for all men’s crimes against God.
Paul goes into great length to explain this, so we must read portions of his letters. First, he says, “For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.” Colossians 1:19-22 (NLT)
Then Paul explains what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:9 and how it relates to all of us. He says, “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’” 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (NLT)
God does not leave us to decide how we live out this life but gives further instruction through James. Contrasting the way everybody in the world thinks because of the Satanic darkness he says, “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:17-18 (NLT)
Righteousness, righteousness and an abundant harvest of more righteousness pours from the lives of the church that God fills with His Holy Spirit. As James explains the flood of righteousness that flows from God’s people, he makes his point by using the four foundational blessings God gives to the newly born again.
1/ righteousness
2/ mercy
3/ purity
4/ peace
Paul declares, “…What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.” Galatians 6:15-16 (NLT)
God blesses the fully repentant person, yes the new people of God by giving them a new heart and spirit. This fully transforms them pouring through their souls: righteousness, mercy, purity, and peace. The force of the Holy Spirit within drives and controls the church creating a new breed of people.
All four of these blessings from God reveal your new identity in Christ. What is your new identity? The non-optional character change that grips your whole being, changing your focus and direction for the rest of your life. You are like Jesus, following His every move and command!
Now, does Jesus mean this is the new transformed way of life? Yes, He immediately warns the disciples that the world will hate them and oppose them. “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Matthew 5:10 (NLT) This narrow way of life will tick off the ungodly because they will feel guilty for their sins and feel condemned just being around this supernatural lifestyle. The contrast cannot be any clearer, our God expects us to get pushback for just obeying Him.
5/ The supernatural flood of the Holy Spirit is what drives us to live MORE righteously (verse 20)
“For I tell you, unless your righteousness (your uprightness and your right standing with God) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20 (AMP)
You must understand this righteousness is not just an applied righteousness from God like a coat, but the real righteousness that transforms your behavior. You cannot live like the Pharisees and just believe you are more righteous because of Jesus. He makes this abundantly clear through the next whole section by of His talk.
He compared the lifestyle demanded by the Law that the Pharisees taught (“You have heard…”) to the FAR MORE righteous life of the new heart and new spirit that He provides to His followers (“But I say…”). The very Greek word that is translated “more” or “exceed” does not mean the same as we use those words in English. Superabound is the true meaning and that is the difference between I giving you a gift of a penny or 1 million dollars. It is not giving you two cents instead of one.
We look at this next time. For now, read this again and again and ask God to open your eyes to His Narrow Way of Life.
Luke 9:57-58 (GW) As they were walking along the road, a man said to Jesus, “I’ll follow you wherever you go.” Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep.”
How do we know what God’s will is for our lives?
1/ God’s Word tells us God’s will
The Bible is the clear and concise truth that shows God’s will for every person. Everything that we need to know to please God is given to us from God’s Word. If you need to take a trip to a distant location you do not need a complete world map of every road and location. No, all you need is a small piece of the truth that leads you to your destination.
There is no further truth that is hidden, has been hidden, or ever will be needed in this life. God Almighty made sure we got exactly what WE NEEDED TO FOLLOW JESUS! Anything else would be a distraction.
You see, Jesus is the eternal TRUTH, the eternal WORD of God. We are told, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. So the Word became human and made his home among us …and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1,14a (NLT), John 1:14b (NKJV) Before He came to earth through a supernal birth in a human baby and was resurrected proving He was God and our life, He was the full and complete TRUTH.
The Greek is “logos” that we translate into “word”. This Greek word is always used to describe the scripture which is our Bible. But, we do not have the full and complete TRUTH today. John also tells us in John 21:25 (NLT), “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.”
But it does not matter, we have enough. All the commands and information included in the Bible give us everything we need to follow Jesus. The Lord clearly commanded the first disciples what we need to do because He commanded, “Therefore, go and make disciples…Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (NLT)
At the beginning of His public ministry He gave the first command to all mankind. “From then on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.’” Matthew 4:17 (NLT)
The second was proclaimed immediately after the first command. “Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’” Matthew 4:19 (NLT)
And keep reading. These are not suggestions, but the very commands that Jesus told them to teach to every new follower of Jesus. His will is that all believers know these commands, follow them, and teach every new disciple to live by them generation after generation until He returns to earth.
But are we left alone to complete this task? Don’t we need divine guidance? How does God guide us?
2/ The Holy Spirit helps us understand God’s will
We find in our instruction book examples of God’s guidance. For example Peter was given an assignment to reach a Roman soldier with the gospel. But, Peter needed some prep work to get him ready to do something that was contradictory to everything he was raised to believe. They would never enter a gentile’s home because they thought it dishonored God.
So God gave him a vision that commanded him to eat food that the Law commanded to never eat. That confused him and he resisted doing something wrong. But God was not talking about food. We learn in Acts 10:19-20 (NKJV), “While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”
So the Holy Spirit spoke a word (rhema not logos), which is divine guidance, telling Peter to obey the command and “go and make disciples”. And yes, this man was a Roman not a Jew, but a man who needed the gospel. You need to understand this was not some new revelation that added to the Word of truth, but simply divine guidance.
Before Jesus was crucified and resurrected He began explaining how God would guide them as His followers. But, they could not understand at that point.
John 16:12-15 (NLT2)
12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.
15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
Peter had to learn the truth that God always loved the Gentiles. And the Holy Spirit had to give him a vision, then nudge him, guide him to fulfill God’s will, and share the GOOD NEWS.
We have another example when Paul and the church at Antioch received a rhema through the Holy Spirit when they were praying for God’s will. We find in Acts 13:2 (NKJV), “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” The Logos did not change, but the rhema helped them to know God’s will.
If you fear God is not speaking to you because you never heard “His voice” do not worry. Whenever a specific scripture captures you, flashes into your mind, or grips your heart you can be assured the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. This is a rhema from the Lord and He is guiding you just like He did with the first Christians.
The Holy Spirit and Jesus Are Under Authority
John 8:25-27; 12:49-50 (NLT)
25 “Who are you?” they demanded. Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed to be. 26 I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.” 27 But they still didn’t understand that he was talking about his Father…
49 I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded mewhat to say and how to say it. 50 And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”
The Holy Spirit is Under Authority to Help You Understand God’s Will (the whole truth)
Here is what Jesus explained in John 16:13 (AMP) “But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].”
The unity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is very real. The Holy Spirit resides in true believers to lead, not follow. Under the direction of the Father, He speaks to you helping you obey the commands of Christ. He will guide you into the truth, push you to change your way of thinking, lead you to God’s will, and help you do what is right. He never sleeps and is always with you.
Paul says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 (NLT)
3/ The Holy Spirit also guides us with His grace
You cannot forget grace is the divine influence upon your heart. This is why Paul explained in Philippians 2:13 (NLT) “…God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” And as you see in Mark 1:12-13 the Holy Spirit pressed, pushed, and drove Jesus in his heart to go into the wilderness to face severe temptation.
Mark 1:12-13 (NKJV)
“Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.”
It may be hard to explain, but the Holy Spirit motivates us to fulfill God’s will by pouring into our hearts strong holy desires that drive us to follow His guidance.
And this also goes deeper because like an umpire the Holy Spirit also guides us by our gut. Well what I mean is an unexplained peace prevails inside us as we walk in His will or an unsettling frustration grows when we need to stop and change course. Paul explains in Colossians 3:15 (AMP), “let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].”
As you humbly seek God’s will also let the umpire direct you with His divine influence on your heart..
-1 The Holy Spirit will guide you through rhemas and grace
-2 The Holy Spirit is under authority to reinforce what the Father and Son already revealed in the Bible
-3 The Holy Spirit transforms your character by changing the way you think
-4 As you submit to HIS authority you will LEARN God’s will for you
Our example is Jesus who meekly submitted to his parent’s authority.
Luke 2:46-52 (NLT)
“Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. His parents didn’t know what to think. ‘Son,’ his mother said to him, ‘why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.’”
“’But why did you need to search?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?’”
“But they didn’t understand what he meant. Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart. Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.”
As you can see the eternal Son of God submitted to His Father’s authority through human authority. His submission to obey Joseph and Mary helped him grow in wisdom which greatly pleased the Heavenly Father. Yes Jesus, was God, but at that time was trapped inside a boy’s body. He was an immature twelve year old physically, His hormones, his brain, and his body were still developing so that even though he had great knowledge and youthful zeal to do the will of God. He needed to have wisdom for the timing of His ministry.
God the Father used his earthly parents to prepare him for that day. God uses our human authorities to guide us also. If we truly are meek as Jesus lived and taught us, we will change the way we think and allow God to direct us through our human authorities. In fact, one of our great downfalls is failing to hear God through those responsible for us and we lose God’s grace because of it. Yes we resist God’s divine influence upon our hearts simply because we are blind to God trying to give us wisdom as He did with his twelve year old Son.
How can Christians not receive the powerful grace of God?
Hebrews 12:15 (NLT) “Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”
Romans 13:1-3 [NKJV]
1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.
The Bible explains human authorities are established by Him, and He requires us to submit to them to prove we are submissive to Him and to receive the character development necessary for spiritual maturity. You can either be a rebel or servant to God, and if you ignore God or make your own rules, you are a rebel!
The hardest thing for Americans to understand is to be like Jesus means you submit to authority to fulfill the will of God. No one seems to know that Jesus and the Holy Spirit willfully submit to the will of the Father. Christ said, “I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded mewhat to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.” We are commanded to follow Jesus but tend to resist and refuse to follow human authority.
So many resist their parents, hate the president, rebel against their boss, quite the church and turn in bitterness because they did not get what they wanted from them. Someone died and they blame God for it. They lose their job and want revenge from the company. But, every time this happens they forget “ that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 (NLT)
Joseph was dragged off to be a slave in Egypt so later he could save his family. Moses was stolen from his mother so he could be prepared to save all Israel. Solomon built the temple that his dad left him to finish. And the innocent Jesus was crucified for all the crimes we committed. The will of God is given to us through the authorities we are under.
The arms and hands of God the Father are the human authorities in your life. You are a valuable diamond in the rough that the Father wants to cut to make a great and glorious diamond to show off for all eternity. Human authorities are meant to chip away at you transforming your character to be like Jesus. You must be like Jesus and surrender to their control to grow in wisdom. The unwanted and unfair actions of your authorities teach you faith, humility, forgiveness, patience, kindness, and how to love your enemies, just like Jesus. Will you receive God’s grace or reject His grace and experience the poison of bitterness?
But He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it).
7 So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].
9 [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins].
10 Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant]. James 4:6-10 (AMP)
The path to God’s will is always through a humble admission of sin, sadness over our rebellion to His authority, and surrender to His will that we do not understand or comprehend. Do not rest until you yield all your rights to Him. Offer your life, all of it, to DO THE WILL OF GOD!
We learn from King Saul that partial obedience is viewed by God as full blown defiance and rebellion. In 1 Samuel 15:23-24 NKV we read, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he also has rejected you from being king.” Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.”
No believer would openly worship the devil or blatantly practice witchcraft and still claim they are followers of Jesus. But when we stubbornly refuse to fully yield our lives to God’s sovereignty we are no different than those who openly blaspheme the Lord. Our meek and lowly life must be real. Therefore it is up to us to be thorough and root out every bit of self-will and rebellion hidden inside our hearts.
These 12 areas will always be our road to anger and bitterness or the place of peace as we rest in the protective hand of God
01 Yield your right to self-will, and what you want to do with your life
02 Yield your right to choose who you date-relationships
03 Yield your right to pick your clothes-appearance
04 Yield your right to spend your money your way, and give your possessions to His control
05 Yield your right to choose what knowledge to have and give ownership to Him
06 Yield your right to what friends you have
07 Yield your right to what music you listen to
08 Yield your right to choose your future
09 Yield your right to have perfect health and surrender to what God allows in your life
10 Yield your right to what you think is a good reputation
11 Yield your right to make your own schedule and give God control of your time
12 Yield your right to choose your activities
Your path to peace with God includes admitting who or what makes you angry. Like a warning light in your car, that which makes you angry is your sign that you have not yielded a right to God. What about your job angers you? How dare those stupid drivers get in your way? Who do those neighbors think they are to let their dog poop in your yard? Who do they think they are trying to tell you what to do? No one tells me what to do! What is wrong with those slow people in front of me in the checkout line? Well I think you get it.
1 So identify the rights you have not given up through your anger
2 Then surrender that right to God. For example, “I turn the right to spend my money any way I want over to God’s control.” Take responsibility to support your family, your church, and pray about how to spend your money. Read the Bible and follow the instructions of God. This is a whole new way of life.
So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. Romans 12:1 (NCV)
3 Offer your whole life to Him. Transfer your whole life and everything you have to His ownership. Become a manager, not an owner. Truly surrender your all. Become a servant of God with nothing held back from Him.
4 Once you really give over everything to Him you will find you are no longer angry. And then you can actually thank God for your circumstances because you know “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God.” Whether to test your faith, build your character to be like Christ, or open doors of ministry thank God for His sovereign love that leads you to the will of God.
Paul says, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8 (NLT)
So have you given your all andare you really, Biblically, personally following Jesus? What is more important to you than obeying God’s will for your life, whatever it is and whatever it costs you?
Luke 9:57-62 (GW)
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to Jesus, “I’ll follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep.”
59 He told another man, “Follow me!” But the man said, “Sir, first let me go to bury my father.”
60 But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You must go everywhere and tell about the kingdom of God.”
61 Another said, “I’ll follow you, sir, but first let me tell my family goodbye.”
62 Jesus said to him, “Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 10:1-3 (GW)
“After this, the Lord appointed 70 other disciples to go ahead of him to every city and place that he intended to go. They were to travel in pairs. He told them, ‘The harvest is large, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord who gives this harvest to send workers to harvest his crops. Go! I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves.'”
Paul warned the Christians at Corinth to examine themselves to make sure they were really in the faith so they would not find out they were deceived and lost at Judgment Day. [2 Corinthians 13:5-9]
So how do we do examine ourselves? The apostle John wrote the letter, we call 1 John and tells us how and why. He says, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, …” [1 John 5:13]
So today we look at Evidence #5 and ask, Is God the Holy Spirit living inside you? John says you will know if He is, and everyone around will see it too!
So here is our statement: A radical change of life into a holy life is non-optional because the Holy Spirit actually lives inside the believer.
1 John 3:24 (NLT) “Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.”
John states a clear and supernatural change happens only to true believers. They receive God’s Holy Spirit at salvation. His Spirit is not just a mystical or symbolic description, but a real event that happens when the believer is born again and the Holy Spirit enters a person.
The apostle Paul also reveals this truth in Galatians 6:15-16 (NLT) when he explains the old ceremonies of the Old Testament do not matter now. “It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.”
Believers have God’s Spirit, but the world is flooded by evil spirits and satanic influence. The regular person is not able to see or connect with God. Only when a person repents and follows Jesus does God enter and change everything! Again Paul agrees and says this in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
This evidence centers around the word holiness and is a non-optional change of allegiance by leaving the influence of God’s enemy and dwelling fully under God’s powerful grace. This is a revolutionary change of the mind. It is a new way to think, a new way to see things, and a new freedom from the satanic blindness that rules the world. God makes all things new!
So first understand this, God is holy and anything close to Him becomes holy. So if anyone is born again, the Holy Spirit comes inside that person making them holy. His holy presence cannot be hidden!
According to Strong’s Concordance, The Greek word for grace means “the divine influence upon the heart” which is the opposite of the world’s pull upon your heart. As the Holy Spirit miraculously influences your soul He floods you with new divine desires replacing the lusts that once controlled you. And the Holy Spirit does not stop there but gives increasing strength to please God by fulfilling His will.
Holiness is living fully under the influence of God’s divine presence. This affects all areas of life.
God’s holy presence is pulsating new life inside you and it changes you! Paul describes this in depth in the book of Philippians.
And remember Paul also says, “But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.” [Romans 6:22 (NLT)]
So let’s look closer at John’s word by first reading 1 John 4:13-16 (NLT),
13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.
14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.
16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
1/ What Does it Mean to Have the Holy Spirit?
Christians are altered and “live in love”! They are driven and changed to act in love, not selfishness and hate. The evidence of God’s nature bleeds out of their lives because they are now possessed by the Holy Spirit.
But religious people can have a spirit of Antichrist in them, instead of the Holy Spirit. This is why John makes it clear, the actions of that person are all it takes to expose them as wicked disciples of darkness. The child of disobedience is not the same as a child obedience. A child of obedience is born again by the miraculous power of God. Change, real change happens to the believer.
I know I keep repeating this precious promise from Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT), but remember God says, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”
The Bible is also clear to explain when you are born again a new heart and spirit are put inside you. The evidence of the Spirit shows through the Christian because they have a change of heart and the new ability to obey His commands. The new Spirit overwhelms the old life with brand new impulses and strength to carefully obey all God’s decrees and applications. Real and deliberate change happens by God’s grace flowing from within their new heart.
The Word declares these changes are bubbling up from within. The spiritual revolution of the heart shows up in changing desires, attitudes, and actions. Repentance from sin and the fruit of the Spirit manifest themselves with great impact. The Lord Jesus said, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.“ [John 3:8 (NKJ)]
Our Lord proclaimed this rebirth would be explosive and life-changing. Floods of new spiritual life from God would radically redirect every aspect of a Christian’s life. The flow would not cease, nor slow down, but instead, floods and floods of God’s power would gush from within your new heart and spirit. John describes the scene…
John 7:37-39 (NLT)
37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!
38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”
39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
If you look at the end of the Gospel of John, you see this did happen to Christ’s main disciples soon after He was resurrected from the dead. Christ entered the room they were hiding in and here is what happened. It says,
John 20:19-23 (NLT)
19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said.
20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!
21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Immediately they received a new spirit and a new heart! They were immediately changed by becoming new creatures in Christ. They all looked the same, but their doubting, sinful hearts were renewed by the miraculous power of God. The new responsive heart kicked in, and the old resistant heart was neutralized. Their spirits were electrified by the presence of the living water of God through the Holy Spirit now dwelling in them.
And it was not just those special disciples but every new follower of Jesus that repented was given the same promise, including all believers then, today and in the future.
2/ So what will we see if the Holy Spirit is in you?
Paul the apostle explains, “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
First, everyone naturally is enslaved by sin. Our nature is unholy. Our sin flows from within our hearts and floods our thinking with selfishness, lust, and greed. Our actions are the normal result of our human nature! But Paul says the normal way of life leaves everyone on the road to hell and destruction.
Some people call it drama. Others hate their lives and think the consequences of it are unfair. Still, others love this type of life and embrace it. It is who they are!
But our creator sees this unloving lifestyle as an affront to Him because He never created us to live this way. He created us to love and enjoy Him forever. So Paul explains the life the Holy Spirit of God brings into a true follower of Jesus.
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.” [Galatians 5:22-26 (NLT)]
This invasion of the Holy Spirit inside a new believer and changes everything! Floods and floods of love, joy, peace, kindness, etc pour forth from within as the Holy Spirit’s character and life flood his new creations. Starting with new loving desires, new powerful joy, new desires for goodness, and new desires for self-control, they all permeate your soul influencing your mind, will and emotions.
So let’s make Evidence #5 clear with these statements…
This Means the Holy Spirit Dwelling in You Changes What You Want “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” [Philippians 2:13 (NLT)]
This Means the Holy Spirit Changes What You Love “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our heartsby the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” [Romans 5:5 (NKJ)]
This Means the Holy Spirit Changes What You Are Focused On “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” [Romans 8:5 (NKJ)]
It Means He Changes What You Hate “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” [Romans 8:9 (NKJ)]
It Also Means He Changes What You Do “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
So This means God canpoint to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.” [Ephesians 2:1-7 (NLT)]
The rest of mankind and even believers who are not born again have not changed. This includes the devil, the demons, and people just like Judas Iscariot who are believers in God. They have not changed because they are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. They do not have a new heart, or spirit. They do not really love God or obey Him. In fact, false preachers, teachers, and believers have their old sins ruling their lives just like everyone else, in spite of their profession of faith.
What Does It Mean If A Believer Does Not Have The Holy Spirit Dwelling Inside You?
1/ They are hypocrites [actors or imposters without the Spirit] because they do not have fruit “…test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets [preachers] have gone out into the world.” [1 John 4:1]
Some are false preachers and do not have the [Holy] Spirit living inside them but a [deceiving] spirit guides them.They cannot create the fruit of obedience and selfless agape love that only comes from the Holy Spirit. This was clearly taught by Jesus. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” [Matt 7:15-16 (NKJ)]
2/ Hypocrites are mixed Into the churches “And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage)..” [Galatians 2:4 AMP]
“For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” [Jude 1:4 (NKJ)]
3/ The world [hypocrites included] loves the unsaved preachers “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” [Luke 6:26 (NKJ)]
So I must ask, do you pass this test? If not, please stop right now and make a change. Repentance starts with getting real with God and yourself. Here is how to be born again.
Acts 2:38-39 (NLT) “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to show that you have received forgiveness for your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”
AN EXAMPLE PRAYER WOULD BE LIKE THIS
Dear Almighty God,
Just like I am subject to the laws of my nation, I realize you are my Almighty Creator and ruler of the universe. You are the only one who is all powerful, good and fair. Because of this, you have the right to establish the law of the world and I now bow to your authority. I have broken your law _________ [fill in the blanks], and I am sick with sadness in how I have acted.
Please forgive me! I believe and accept your offer of forgiveness through Jesus dying in the place of my judgment. I turn from all the crimes I am practicing, I have no excuses, And I now am grateful for your mercy. I choose to follow my Lord Jesus by obedience to His commands all my days. AMEN
Now remember, there are things we can disagree on, but you cannot disagree with the Bible over your salvation and eternal life. Unless you allow God through the Bible to direct your faith and beliefs you will be lost forever. God so loves you He gave His Word to be clear and concise to prevent you from being confused and miss His gift of eternal life.
If you still do not know or understand how to repent and follow Jesus contact us immediately through our website.
Read What Happens When You Are Born Again? for a detailed description of what the Holy Spirit actually does and how He changes the follower of Jesus. “A born again person is someone who has a direct connection with Almighty God by receiving the Holy Spirit inside their human spirit …”
In THE NARROW WAY TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD, we looked at the brand new revelation of Christ’s way of salvation and eternal life. And the exciting thing is we who have been blessed with repentance do not have to wait until we die to receive our reward!
1/ The first supernatural change of the Kingdom of God within you is a new heart of love gushing out goodness and righteousness. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)
2/ The second supernatural change is a new heart gorged with mercy. “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7 (NLT)
5/ The supernatural flood of the Holy Spirit is what drives us to live MORE righteously (verse 20)
John 8:25-27; 12:49-50 (NLT)
These 12 areas will always be our road to anger and bitterness or the place of peace as we rest in the protective hand of God
So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. Romans 12:1 (NCV)
So have you given your all and are you really, Biblically, personally following Jesus? What is more important to you than obeying God’s will for your life, whatever it is and whatever it costs you?
