Daily Archives: May 8, 2015

Weekly Devotional 5-11-15 The Holy Spirit at Work

Weekly Devotional 5-11-15 The Holy Spirit at Work

Jesus told Nicodemus (and us by extension) that for a person to understand anything about the kingdom of God or enter into it he or she must be born again, that is, born from above, from heaven (John 3:3-5). Being born from above—from heaven, takes such a birth out of the hands of man and places it into the hands of God. This is confirmed by Jesus’ next words, “5 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The 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 3:5-8 NKJV). Jesus declared that God has sent forth His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) into the world to give spiritual life (to regenerate spiritual life) to spiritually dead persons. Which includes all persons before the rebirth occurs.

Paul in his letter to the Ephesians affirms that this work of the Spirit occurs when the recipient is still spiritually dead toward God. We read, “1And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:1-5 NKJV).

How does the Holy Spirit accomplish this? How does He create spiritual life in a person who is spiritually dead, who desires to be, and is spiritually separated from God? It cannot be accomplished by man—he is after all is dead toward God. Spiritual life originates in heaven by the will of God according to His good pleasure. A great testimony of being spiritually reborn by the will of God is found in the Gospel of John. We read, “10He (Jesus-the Son of God) was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:10-13 NKJV ). Spiritually reborn not because of heredity (by blood), nor by a person’s own desire (the will of the flesh), nor of another’s will, i.e. a father’s will (the will of man), but by the will of God.

Isn’t this what happened in the life of Abraham, Israel’s forefather? Joshua 24:2-3 informs us that Abraham, his father Terah, and his brother Nahor were as all other persons, idol worshippers, but God took Abraham away from that life. Genesis 12:1-4a tells us that, “1Now the LORD had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 4So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.”

We are not told what transpired between God and Abraham that changed Abraham, but certainly it was the work of the Holy Spirit; because one cannot come to God unless he or she is born of God (John 3:1-85; Ephesians 2:1-5).

We who have been born again should be grateful (if we truly have been born again we are grateful!) for what God the Holy Spirit has accomplished in our life.

All others who are stirred by such a message as this should recognize that it is the Holy Spirit, who is stirring your heart and mind. Turn to God and you will not be disappointed.

stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power, The work of God on Behalf of Man.

www.gbchurch.us

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