"On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified." John 7:37-39
"But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:4-8
The Triune God of the universe, the Father, who draws us to Christ, the Son, who died for our sins and lives as our Mediator and Intercessor, and the Holy Spirit, who abides with us and in us, surely will keep all His promises. He is faithful, even when we are not, for "He cannot deny Himself" (2 Tim 2:13).
Jesus promises those who are thirsty, and come to Him for His water, He will give this precious water, (which is a metaphor for the Spirit). He will baptize us with His Spirit, and seal us with his Spirit, and also fill us with His Spirit. The Holy Spirit will never leave us, and will convict us, empower us, and most of all fill us with love and wisdom, so that we can serve the Lord Jesus, and bring glory to Him. Without the Holy Spirit, we are nothing, and can do nothing spiritually righteous. But with this precious gift of the Spirit, we can honor our Lord, and live a life of faith, love, godliness, and boldness in the truth.
2 comments:
"Without the Holy Spirit we are nothing and can do nothing spiritually righteous."
So, so true. I fear we don't really understand this, and perhaps many don't really believe it. The countless "How To" books on the shelves of our Christian bookshelves are evidence of the fact that many of us think we can do God's work if we have the right handbook, the right strategies, and the right methodologies. The fact that so many mega-church pastors annually fill their buildings with pastors longing to hear the secrets of success so they can take them home and become successes themselves adds to our "do it yourself" churchianity.
Without the Spirit we can do NOTHING! At my pastors' seminars I would suggest that they go back home and fast and pray until they hear the voice of the Spirit directing them in their ministries. Then I would suggest that they do what they're told.
Whew! I sound angry, don't I? Sorry! I don't mean to be critical. It's just what I think I'm seeing out there!
I think you nailed it Dave, and the Church at large has become a people who walk in a shallow stream of morality. Basically the same morality as the conseravtive humanism in many cases.
The Church needs to get back to God's Word; His every Word. And we need to pray a lot more; and fast.
Then we will see the power of God move, and the Church will be a city on a hill, shining with a different light then humanistic morality. It will be a rflection of our Lord Jesus Christ shining through us by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth and love.
I think it does start in the pulpits as well. Pastors who love Christ, and His truth, and like you say listen for the Holy Spirit, and wait on Him.
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