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How Should We Now Live? The Holy Spirit Empowers Christians
After Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, the disciples met daily for about
ten days. They were meeting in the room where He celebrated His last
Passover with them. On the tenth day, the Jewish feast of Pentecost, the
Holy Spirit (God the Spirit) came to live in them and empower them for
service. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with
one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of
a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were
sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and
it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation
under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came
together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in
his own language" (Acts 2:1-6). They spoke in actual human languages.
Today, some movements claim to have the gift of tongues. Notice that the
Apostles were understood by others as speaking actual human languages
telling what Christ did for them. This is a key difference between these
modern "tongues" and the genuine gift of tongues in Acts 2. The Holy
Spirit indwells each person when he or she calls on God for salvation
through Jesus Christ. As we saw last lesson: "And if Christ be in you, the
body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of
righteousness" (Romans 8:10). "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I
live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). We who are born-again have His power to
live victoriously. So, what does He expect us to do? First of all, we are
to give public testimony that He saved our soul and join a local church.
The First Step of Obedience: Baptism God wants us to declare our
conversion from sin by being baptized in a local church. What is baptism?
Baptism is being immersed (dunked) in water. Remember when John baptized
Jesus? "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the
water…" (Matthew 3:16). Bible baptism is the public testimony of a person
who has repented of their sins, turning to Jesus for salvation. Baptism is
a conscious act of obedience, not a ritual to be performed on infants or
on behalf of others. Baptism does not save from sin. Jesus taught that
believing God's Word comes before baptism. "Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost:" (Matthew 28:19). Consider the example God has given us in
Acts chapter 8. Here a man named Philip, one of the first deacons,
explains the gospel to an Ethiopian who then believes: "And as they went
on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See,
here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If
thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and
said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the
chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both
Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out
of the water..." (Acts 8:36-39). Notice again that believing must come
before baptism. Also, that Bible baptism is immersion in water. Why
immersion? Because standing in the water, being laid back under the water,
then standing back up pictures Jesus death, burial, and resurrection.
"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). What if you have
already been baptized before you actually called on Christ as your
Saviour? Or, what if you were sprinkled as an infant? Neither of these
have any meaning if you were not born-again when they happened (obviously
infants cannot choose Christ). Simply be baptized properly in a church
that believes the Bible truths you learned here. The Second Step: Church
Faithfulness When a person claims Christ Jesus' payment for their sin,
they need to be baptized. By being baptized you are joining that church,
in addition to declaring your salvation. "Then they that gladly received
his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about
three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41). "Praising God, and having favour with
all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be
saved" (Acts 2:47). Acts 2:47 refers to the church in Jerusalem, and we
see from Acts 2:41 that they were added by baptism, after they believed.
So, how do you decide what church to be baptized in and join? The church
you join should faithfully preach, teach, and believe all of God's Word.
They will believe and teach just as you have learned in this study series.
Also, they will be faithfully telling others about sin, Hell, and
salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. Many Independent Baptist churches fit
this description. When you visit a church, consider their attitude toward
God's Word. If they are trying to explain away, or refuse to believe,
parts of God's Word (such as God creating the world, Christ rising bodily
from the dead) avoid them. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which
cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have
learned; and avoid them" (Romans 16:17). Also, if they believe and teach
the truth, but do not discourage their members from sin (even encourage
it), or if they do not reach out with the gospel to lost souls, avoid them
too. "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such
turn away" (II Timothy 3:5). Make it a priority to find a good church! Why
attend church? Should you attend every service? Consider this truth: "Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is;
but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching" (Hebrews 10:25). Christians need church because they need to
hear the messages from God's Word in order to grow, they need the
encouraging fellowship of other Christians, and most importantly-God
commanded it! You will find your church attendance to be some of the most
blessed times in your life! Your Daily Life You will begin to want to
please God, cease from sin, and obey Him. You will find that the rest of
the world, even your own sinful flesh will fight against you. How do they
fight against you? By encouraging you to sin and discouraging your efforts
to do right. The Apostle Paul wrote about this struggle: "This I say then,
Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the
flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and
these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things
that ye would" (Galatians 5:16-17). Aren't you glad that God's Word shows
us human struggles and gives us solutions? So, how do fight sin and do
right? We must walk in the Spirit. In other words, we must not yield to
sin, but we must yield to God. Here is a list of some sins we've been
saved from, and with which we must have nothing to do: "Now the works of
the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,
emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders,
drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as
I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall
not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21). Instead, we must
allow God's Spirit to work this fruit in us: "But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness,
temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have
crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the
Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-25). So, how do we
walk in the Spirit? What does that mean? It means to keep our Spirit in
tune with the things of God. We do that through two necessary
behaviours-Bible Study and Prayer. Bible Study and Prayer When a believer
studies the Bible and prays he gains the strength to do right, learns what
is right, and refreshes his desire to do right. After all, that's why God
preserved His Word for us! "All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness:" (II Timothy 3:16). God tells us to study
His Word and learn to please Him. "Study to shew thyself approved unto
God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word
of truth" (II Timothy 2:15). So, when should a Christian seek refreshment
in God's Word? Our Saviour gives us an example by His behaviour: "And in
the morning, rising up a great while before day, he [Jesus] went out, and
departed into a solitary place, and there prayed" (Mark 1:35). You will
find as you study His word that many of His saints (a term that simply
means saved people) sought His guidance and blessing early in the day. In
addition to studying His Word, we ask Him for what we need. This asking,
sharing, praising, and communing with God is called prayer. We can pray
aloud or in our thoughts, God knows all. We can pray on our knees or
behind the steering wheel. We must learn to walk with God throughout the
day. "Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually" (1
Chronicles 16:11). "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). "Pray
without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Telling Others We must tell
others about Jesus. Christ commanded those who follow Him to do so: "Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:19-20). Now, go tell
others what Christ has done! Don't keep this wonderful news of salvation
from sin to yourself! How do you tell others? Look for opportunities to
speak about Spiritual subjects such as sin, salvation, and God. When the
right opportunities present themselves, take them. Give gospel literature
to people. The gospel message as was summarized in lesson 14 is available
in many forms and styles, such as pamphlets, to share with people. Many
people have questions. They are confused by evolution, whether the Bible
can be trusted, or whether truth can be known. They may need a lesson
series like this one. You may be able to cause them to think by answering
their questions. God can use you the more you live like Him and less in
sin: "And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they
could say nothing against it" (Acts 4:14). God has healed the Christian
from sin's curse. Certainly as you begin to live differently others will
notice. Ask God to help you, the Apostle Paul asked fellow Christians to
pray for him: "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord
may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:" (2
Thessalonians 3:1). May God bless you and use you to win others to Christ!
Thank You! So then, why are we here? To fellowship with God and bring
glory to Him by doing His will. In Genesis, Adam lost fellowship with God.
Through Christ, God's fellowship with His chief creation can be restored.
This happens when we get saved and live according to His Word. If you have
not trusted Christ's work for salvation, will you re-read lesson 14 right
now and do so? If you have, please dedicate yourself to obey God and live
for Him! Thank you for taking your valuable time to complete this course.
Please write or call us if you would like further materials to help you
grow in the Christian life. May God win your heart, train you , use you,
and bless you! |
Lesson #15 Review
1.How do we get the power to live the Christian life?
2.Why should a believer be baptized?
3.What should you look for in a church?
4.What daily struggle does a Christian face?
5.What is the only way a Christian can daily win this struggle?
6.How does a Christian learn what God expects?
7.Tell someone today what Jesus has done for them! |