Luke 3:21-23 (Amplified) says, "Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized, and (while He was still) praying, the (visible) heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven saying, You are My Son, My Beloved! In You I am well pleased and find delight." Verse 23 goes on, "Jesus Himself, when He began (His ministry) was about thirty years of age, being as He was supposed the Son of Joseph, the son of Heli."
Jesus Himself didn't begin His ministry and work until the Holy Spirit came upon Him (He was baptized in the Holy Spirit) empowering Him. Acts 10:38 (Amplified) says, "How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the (Holy) Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by (the power of) the devil, for God was with Him."
Acts 1:5,8 (Amplified) tells us, "For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with (placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit." Verse 8 goes on, "But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, And you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth."
We find the evidence of the working and ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of all the believers continue into Acts 2 through the end of that book. Read John 14:17 (Amplified) which says,
"The Spirit of truth (the Holy Spirit) Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart) because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you (constantly) and will be in you."
We see that the Holy Spirit is that part of the God Head (Trinity of God) Who brings God's power come to pass on this earth. 1Corinthians 12:4 (Amplified) says, "Now there are distinctive varieties and distributions of endowments (gifts, extraordinary powers distinguishing certain Christians, due to the power of divine grace operating in their souls by the Holy Spirit) and they vary, but the (Holy) Spirit remains the same."
The very same Holy Spirit Who was in Jesus, came on the Day of Pentecost and empowered the disciples and He is the same Spirit Who empowers the Body of Christ in this same dispensation. Did you notice that 1Corinthians 12:4 says that the Holy Spirit works gifts in certain Christians due to the "power or divine grace operating in their souls by the Holy Spirit?"
To what degree are you allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal His divine grace in your soul? We know that a man's soul is made up of his mind, his will and his emotions, but to what degree has the Church renewed our minds to the leading of the Holy Spirit? Romans 12:2 (Amplified) says, "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), (fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs) but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude)."
To function in the power of the Holy Spirit, we must not be like those Jesus spoke of in John 14:17 (Amplified) which says that, "The world cannot receive the Holy Spirit because they cannot see Him or recognize Him." The Church (we) "Do not live only by what we see or feel, but by faith in God." We must allow the Holy Spirit to reveal His power of divine grace in our souls (our minds, will and emotions).
I told you about the "unclaimed riches" God spoke to me about and how Christians are not claiming them. 1Corinthians 12:4 says that "the Gifts of the Spirit operate in those who understand the divine measure of grace." To what degree do we understand or know the divine measure of His grace? Are we still limiting the power of His grace or do we allow grace to reach its full limit and expression of God's love for us?
We must understand the power of His salvation and grace and we must never limit God's grace by believing it only works when we're in heaven. It is His grace received NOW that gets us to heaven. We often only think of 2Corinthians 9:8 in relationship with money or our offerings. It's true that Paul is speaking about this, but we also know that we give more than money and offerings. Galatians 6:7 (Amplified) says, "Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions or by His precepts being set aside) (He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God) For whatever a man sows, that and only that will he reap."
When we sow to grace, we reap from grace. When we allow the power of divine grace to operate in our souls, we will also reap from the Lord accordingly, by the same Holy Spirit. As we come to recognize this grace in our spirit and soul, the Holy Spirit will release this understanding of grace into the lives of others through us. This grace results in "setting the captives free."
The Holy Spirit will release the gifts from His Own presence required to set at liberty all who are bound. Those who operate in the Gifts of the Spirit aren't chosen randomly, but are selected by the Holy Spirit from among those who operate in the understanding of the power of divine grace operating in their souls.
The grace fueling the Gifts of the Spirit is based upon how much we understand what grace has provided not only in our lives, but in the lives of those needing it. Those who need to understand the grace for healing in their body and have the understanding of divine grace operating in their souls through the Holy Spirit, become candidates for these Gifts to function in and through their lives.
We are different persons with different personalities and we might not function in exactly the same way or manner, but we still will operate by the same Holy Spirit.
Look back to 2Corinthians 9:8 (Amplified) and let this scripture not only be working in our giving of offerings, but also in our gifts of love. Thus, it says, "And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient (possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation."
Would you consider the healing the sick, giving sight to the blind or raising the cripple as being charitable things to give? If they are, then God will make all grace abound to the things which we sow into the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit is seeking those who will come to recognize the fullness of His grace. We must first understand what His grace has given before we will understand the power of His divine grace operating in our souls. How much do you think His grace has done in your life? When we come to know the answer to that, then we can begin knowing the power of His divine grace.
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