Last week we discussed Having begun in the Spirit. This week we are going to look at Receiving the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul was a great proponent of justification by faith, but he didn't stop there. His writings tell us again and again that as justified people we cannot live a life of victory in Jesus unless we are filled and sealed by the Holy Spirit. He tells us:
"How did you receive the Holy Spirit? Was it by the preaching of the law, or by the preaching of faith?"
He could point back to when there was a great revival through his teaching. It had such a impact on the Galatians that they had to confess:
"Yes, we have got the Holy Ghost: accepting Christ by faith, by faith we received the Holy Spirit."
Friends, it is my concern that many of us as Christians don't really grasp that when we accepted Jesus as our Savior, we received the Holy Spirit. We readily admit that we received forgiveness and that gives us peace, but I wonder how many of us, if we were asked; if we have received he Holy Spirit, we could readily say, "yes I have." And even if we do confess to
have the Holy Spirit, do we really even know what it means to walk in the power of the of the Holy Spirit? I hope each of us can take hold of this all important truth: The beginning of our walk with Jesus starts when we receive the Holy Spirit. And my responsibility as your pastor is the same as Paul's — to remind you that when you gave your life to Jesus you
received the Holy Spirit and it is our duty and privilege to allow Him to guide and demonstrate His power through our lives!
If the Galatians who received the Holy Spirit in all the power of the early church were tempted to try and perfect themselves by their efforts when they begun in the Spirit, how much greater danger are we, who hardly even recognize that we have received the Holy Spirit? Or even if we do recognize it as a matter of belief, we hardly think to praise our Lord for this great and awesome gift! Next week we are going to explore the dangers of Neglecting the Holy Spirit.
"How did you receive the Holy Spirit? Was it by the preaching of the law, or by the preaching of faith?"
He could point back to when there was a great revival through his teaching. It had such a impact on the Galatians that they had to confess:
"Yes, we have got the Holy Ghost: accepting Christ by faith, by faith we received the Holy Spirit."
Friends, it is my concern that many of us as Christians don't really grasp that when we accepted Jesus as our Savior, we received the Holy Spirit. We readily admit that we received forgiveness and that gives us peace, but I wonder how many of us, if we were asked; if we have received he Holy Spirit, we could readily say, "yes I have." And even if we do confess to
have the Holy Spirit, do we really even know what it means to walk in the power of the of the Holy Spirit? I hope each of us can take hold of this all important truth: The beginning of our walk with Jesus starts when we receive the Holy Spirit. And my responsibility as your pastor is the same as Paul's — to remind you that when you gave your life to Jesus you
received the Holy Spirit and it is our duty and privilege to allow Him to guide and demonstrate His power through our lives!
If the Galatians who received the Holy Spirit in all the power of the early church were tempted to try and perfect themselves by their efforts when they begun in the Spirit, how much greater danger are we, who hardly even recognize that we have received the Holy Spirit? Or even if we do recognize it as a matter of belief, we hardly think to praise our Lord for this great and awesome gift! Next week we are going to explore the dangers of Neglecting the Holy Spirit.
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