The Holy Spirit is the most important Person in the life of a new born Christian. When we are born again and receive new life through Jesus' Sacrifice, we become like "newborn babies." 1Peter 2:2 (Amplified) says, "Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto (completed) salvation."
The KJV says we "Should crave, desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow there by." The Holy Spirit is the One Who has been given charge of God's family to train them up. We have a daycare and Preschool ministry in our church to train, teach, care for and watch over babies and young children. Similarly, not everyone in God's family is the same age.
We have all received equally when being born again and we are all children of God, but we aren't all the same age spiritually. People who just received Jesus today do not have the maturity of those who have been saved for years. Some Christians know nothing of God's will or His character at all, because not every pastor teaches these things. And, some preachers weren't taught by the Holy Spirit so we have multiple degrees of spiritual maturity in the Church. Some Christians have been taught incorrectly from the time of their salvation and remain under denominational teachings and law.
It's not that all who are called as pastors and teachers are not sincere, but some are sincerely wrong. Man's idea of what the Word says is not the same as what the Holy Spirit says about the Word and leaves us in varying stages of spiritual maturity. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Grace and Truth, Who came to reveal the truth of Jesus to God's children and the world.
He was sent to us for many things that are never manifested in our lives, because we don't understand grace and faith. Ephesians 2:8 (Amplified) says, "For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through (your) faith. And this (salvation) is not of itself (of your own doing, it came not through your own striving) but it is the gift of God."
Grace has been poured out upon this planet by the arrival of the Holy Spirit in Acts. Grace for the salvation of all mankind is now present, yet many remain unsaved. It's not that grace isn't available, but that faith hasn't been applied to this grace of God. Every one of us in the Body of Christ has been made partakers of this salvation (we are all saved), but we haven't applied our faith into the depths of God's grace.
As the Holy Spirit reveals more and more of the depths of His grace, we must by faith, plumb the depths of it. Grace didn't end when we were born again, like some have been taught, but actually it opened a door into our new life. Only the Holy Spirit, the Teacher of the Church, can reveal God's great grace to us.
Satan has fought diligently against the speaking of tongues or praying in the Spirit. Many haven't grown up like 1Peter 2:2 instructs, because we never did receive the "sincere milk of the Word" in truth. I do not believe that any Christian (if they are truly Christians) would deliberately receive or teach in error. Many have spent much time, effort and treasure to attend Bible schools and seminaries, preparing to teach about the Father. Those men and women were sincere in their hearts, but can rethink some of the things they were taught and teach themselves. Jesus said that, "The Spirit is the Life Giver); the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it). The Words (Truths) that I have been speaking to you are Spirit and Life" in John 6:63.
Jesus spent three and a half years teaching "educated" men about the Truth and Spirit of the Word. Their flesh rebelled against the Spirit and denied the Words of Jesus. Romans`8:7 (Amplified) says, "(That is) because the mind of the flesh (with its carnal thoughts and purposes) is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's law; indeed it cannot." Romans 8:2 (Amplified) says, "For the law of the Spirit of Life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has freed me from the law of sin and of death."
The "degree of the knowledge" of Jesus is the "degree of the knowledge" of God's grace. We cannot place faith in something that we have no knowledge of. 2Peter 1:2 (Amplified) says, "May grace (God's favor) and peace (which is perfect well being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in (the full, personal, precise, and correct) knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."
Without the Holy Spirit's leading us into this "(full, personal, precise, and correct) knowledge," we have no concept of what our Father's prepared for us. Man continues walking in the guilt of the Law of sin and death, without the Holy Spirit's guidance. Even a born again man will necessarily be carnally led, if he doesn't listen and be taught by the Teacher, the Holy Spirit. Under the carnal man's thinking, we live under the bondage of a guilt conscientiousness (sin and death).
And, even though the sin has passed away, guilt remains. Even though abundant life has come, fear of death continues to prevail in our minds. We can read what the Word says, but they convey nothing in the carnal thinking, because they are Spirit. Thus, we continue as newborn babies like 1Peter 2:2 describes. We never grow into mature Christians.
God is a Spirit and His Word is Spirit. We are born again of the Spirit and we are to be taught of the Spirit. Jesus was exactly right in saying that, "The flesh conveys no benefit whatever." God doesn't reveal Himself based on what we feel, what we see, what we think, or how we decide to do things. He reveals Himself to our spirit, according to 2Corinthians 5:16 (Amplified) which says, "Consequently, from now one we estimate and regard no one from a (purely) human point of view (in terms of natural standards of value) (No) even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a Man, Yet now (we have such knowledge of Him that we know Him no longer (in terms of the flesh)."
Only the Holy Spirit can reveal this "knowledge" to our spirit. Without this revelation from the Holy Spirit, we still see "after the flesh."
No comments:
Post a Comment