11

WHAT HAPPENED JUST NOW?

This is a holy moment.
Maybe you'll want to put this book down
and take some time to reflect on
your inner thoughts and feelings.

Then, try to put them into words. Use the space below, if you wish.

 

 

When I prayed a similar prayer I had expected there to be "fireworks." John Wesley told of seeing a shaft of light. Others spoke of receiving the gift of tongues. Nothing like that happened.

At first I was disappointed at how calm I was. Then a quiet sense of wonder came over me.
                               It had been so simple!

A question flashed through my mind. How could I be sure something did happen? It had to be harder than just asking!

Another question posed itself. How did I know I was saved? That was easy. God had said,
   "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13).
I had done that as a boy of nine. As I reflected on my conversion, I realized there had been no "fireworks" on that occasion either. I had simply taken God at his word and that was that! In a moment of childlike faith, I ceased to be a creature of time and became a citizen of eternity.

       With similar certainty I chuckled at how simple it was to appropriate the gift
            of the Holy Spirit which had been lying dormant, waiting to be released.

Years later--I'm really s l o w on the up-take--it hit me.
             My chuckle had been joy. Part of the Spirit's fruit!
That delightful insight evoked a kind of holy hilarity and awed by the wonder of it all, this time

I laughed out loud!

How can you be sure you got what you asked for a moment ago? There's a promise you can take to the bank.

"If you, being evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him" (Lk. 11:13).

The Bible is God's written word, isn't it? He means exactly what he says, doesn't he?
          God said he will "give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
You did that didn't you? Therefore, you can know you have the gift of the Holy Spirit
                                                           because God said so.

12

THE SEAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Now that you have acknowledged and appropriated the gift of the Holy Spirit, take a look at the second facet of the Spirit's ministry to you. It's revealed in the second of these seven verses.
             "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God in whom you are sealed
              (key word) for the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30).

There are two purposes of a seal. One is to identify the object sealed. It's significant that reference to this particular work of the Holy Spirit is found in the book of Ephesians.

William Barkley, a remarkably gifted expositor points out,
             Ephesus was a sea port and a center for the lumber industry.
             Merchants from all over the world came to Ephesus to purchase
             lumber. They couldn't cart it home in a suitcase. It had to
             be transported over land and/or water to its final destination.
So, when they completed a purchase they put their seal on it.

As Barkley explains,
           It was a mark of identification which indicated to all that, from
           the point of purchase until it arrived at its final destination, this
           particular load of lumber was the possession of a particular
           person. When it arrived at its destination the owner redeemed
           it by presenting a bill of sale indicating he had bought and paid for it.

I'm told the lumber industry still follows this procedure. The analogy is clear. You have been bought for a price:

The precious blood of Jesus (Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 6:20; Rev. 1:5b).

But when you became God's child--his possession--he didn't take you immediately to be with him in heaven. Rather, he allowed you to remain here on earth to fulfill a ministry to the world.

                   God's game plan is not only to get you into heaven,
                   but to also get himself into you--on earth!

So the Holy Spirit seals you.

He puts God's stamp of identification upon you.
Throughout your life-long journey,
from the moment of your conversion
until you reach your home in heaven,
the Holy Spirit identifies you as
the possession of a particular person.

You belong to Jesus who purchased you with His blood!

13

THE MATTER OF TEMPTATION.

Temptation is not unique to you. It's common to all people.
            Jesus was tempted and gained victory over it. So can you.

Here's how. Confront satan with the seal of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit's seal is God's way of saying to the adversary:
            "Hands off, satan! This person belongs to Me.
             You have no authority here."

The other day I was talking to a young fellow and noticed he had a small medallion around his neck. It read:

"Property of Jesus Christ."

What a wonderful way to deal with temptation. Just remind the adversary--and yourself--that the Holy Spirit, your special gift from God, has sealed you. He has identified you as God's property and that
            "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond
             your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the
             way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Cor. 10:13b).

This raises a principle dealt with more fully in my book Marriage At It's Best. As a born again Christian you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit so nothing can come to you without God's knowledge and consent.

God does not ordain everything he allows, but he is committed to use everything he allows to fulfill what he ordains (Rom. 8:28-30).

God wants you to experience his highest so you may become your best.

To do this, he filters everything--everything!--the world, the flesh and the devil hurl at you through his love for you.

In this way, temptations become his permissive will for you.
Why?
Temptations expose areas where you still need to grow.

14

A MARK OF SECURITY.

A second purpose of a seal is to secure, or assure, that which is sealed.

Once you have been born again you become God's child forever.

Your spiritual growth curve may be in question from time to time,
but never your new birth.*

There is nothing you can do to alter the physical DNA which establishes a physical relationship between you and your parents as a result of your natural birth. Similarly, there is nothing you can do alter the spiritual DNA which establishes a spiritual relationship between you and your Heavenly Father as a result of your spiritual birth.

       When you came to God through Christ the door to heaven was opened.
                                 The door to hell was closed. Forever!

There wasn't anything good enough you could do to get your salvation.
There isn't anything good enough you can do to keep your salvation.
        There isn't anything bad enough you can do to lose your salvation.
Your salvation was, is and always will be, a gift of God's grace.


It was while you were at your worst that he loved you and reached out to save you.

"But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that
while we were yet sinners (italics mine), Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).

You are saved by grace through faith plus nothing.

While you are not saved by good works (Eph. 2:8, 9), you are saved for good works
                   "which God prepared beforehand, (imagine that!)
                      that (you) should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).
                               This means you have a destiny!

There are blessings in time and rewards in eternity which will flow to you
when you walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
This does not mean you can go into the world and relax,
but that you can go into the world relaxed!

The Holy Spirit--God's special gift to you--seals you.
         He identifies you
                and, at the same time,
                         he secures you
until you reach your final destination.Then, your blessed Lord will step forward to claim you by presenting a bill of sale, signed in the crimson of his cross, indicating he has paid for you and identifies you as his own.

Is that great or what!

* Jn. 3:16-18, 36; 10:27-30; Rom. 5:1-9, 20-21; 8:31-39; 11:29; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 8:12; 10:16-17

15

THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

There is a third verse to which I would direct your attention:
                    "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that
                     God's Spirit dwells in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16).
The key word is dwells and identifies the Holy Spirit as an indwelling presence.

During his last days on earth, Jesus talked a great deal about the Holy Spirit. One of the things he said to his disciples is recorded in Jn. 14:17--
                     "The Spirit dwells (present tense) with you and
                      will be (future tense) in you" (italics mine).

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WITH AND IN.

He was speaking of an important change which was about to occur in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. That change is described in two little words: "with" and "in".
           The Spirit is (in the now) with you and shall (in the future) be in you.

It was J. Sidlow Baxter who first challenge me with that thought. Sid said something like this:

Before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was with people.
After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was in people
Before Pentecost, people had the Holy Spirit.
After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit had people.

OLD VS NEW TESTAMENT PATTERN.

The difference between with and in is important. It distinguishes between the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. In the Old Testament era, the Holy Spirit came upon people--was with them--to empower them for special work.
   Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt.
            Joshua to bring them into the promised land.
                      Samuel to turn them back to God.
                      Jeremiah to prophesy and stand against a wicked King.

The Holy Spirit came upon these people, and many others, to empower them for some special service. But, he did not dwell in them.

That's important because it is this which distinguishes you from them.

The very special blessing which is yours as a Christian is that
--since the day of Pentecost--
the Holy Spirit not only comes on you during a time of special need
to provide you with special power to meet that special need,
he also dwells in you every moment of every day.

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