THE HOLY SPIRIT INDWELLS A BELIEVER
A very good morning to you dearly beloved listening friend. This is LTBS on Ray Power 100.5. LTBS is a sponsored program of the Church of Christ, Kado. The Church of Christ Kado assembles and worships along EFAB estate road 4 houses away from the Polaris Bank at Life Camp junction, and adjacent TOFANA hotel. @ LTBS, we believe that the Bible is God’s infallible word, given to us to guide us to heaven. It is our road map that has be followed meticulously in order to get to heaven. We strongly believe that anyone who must come to God must believe in Him through what God Himself have written and given us in the Bible. God did not give us the Scripture to keep under our pillows like a talisman or a charmed object but gave us these Living Words to help us come to know Him, love Him and obey Him.
For those of us in serious fear of the Covid-19 that is threatening our peace of mind and our health, it may not be a consolation for me to say that God truly protects His people because if you have been living a sinful disobedient life and you have not been listening to God through His words, you may pray to God to save you from the dreaded disease but don’t be surprised if God does not hear you because you delight in being deceived by the words of men who prophesy peace when there is no peace. Listen to what God said about thousands of years ago when Solomon was King of Israel:
“Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.” (Pro 1:20-28 ESV)
Beloved listener, God is a good and merciful God but we should not take Him for granted. If He wants to destroy the world by a virus, He would have revealed it in His words. He however says when people refuse to heed His word, and their calamity comes upon them, they will get up early to pray but He would not listen to their prayers. God demonstrated this when He used the Babylonians and the Assyrians to punish, kill and carry His people Israelites into captivity despite their prayers and fervently seeking God to save them. Today we will be looking at the much-abused subject of the gift of the Holy Spirit of God as promised by God Himself and revealed by Peter in Acts 2:38. LTBS:
“And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Act 2:38 ESV)
Before we delve into the lesson proper, we invite you to kindly join us in a word of prayer.
PRAYER:
This is LTBS on Raypower 100.5 and we are glad to have you join us in this very important lesson concerning the gift of the Holy Spirit that God promised to all who will believe.
You can obtain a free copy of today’s broadcasts and other broadcasts of LTBS by contacting us with the following numbers: 090 771 62 877, 080 604 11 389 and 0803 382 4662. You may also contact us by email with cockaddo@yahoo.com and as well check our website with www.churchofchristkado.org. LTBS is equally on TV. Please watch LTBS on ITV UHF Channel 142, and Star Times Channel 130 every Saturday from 6:00pm -6:30pm.
I am Abiodun Adegoroye and with me in the studio this morning are two ministers of the gospel of Christ. David Akpata who also serves as an evangelist with our sponsoring congregation, church of Christ, Kado and Felix Ekpenyong who serves as a servant of God in Masaka church of Christ along Jakanwa Road opposite Angwa Fulani fuel station. We urge you to please get your Bible and your writing materials as we at set to search the Scripture once again this morning.
What is the gift of the Holy Spirit that God promised all believers in Acts 2:38? Some consider this gift to be salvation that Jesus blood produced on Calvary. Was the Apostle Peter saying that people who had believed in Jesus should repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins and then they will be saved? What is the forgiveness of sins if not salvation? A person whose sins are forgiven is already saved and it would amount to a tautology, a meaningless repetition for Peter to say do this for salvation and then you will receive the gift of salvation. Salvation that God promised all mankind is salvation from our sins. Apostle Paul was told to “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'” (Act 22:16) The gift of the Holy Spirit comes after one is baptized and his sins washed away in the blood of Jesus. Moreover, other passages in the New Testament also suggest that the reception of the Holy Spirit is a blessing given as a consequence of our salvation. This means that because we are saved, then the gift is given. The gift is not given to those who are still in their sins. LTBS from Galatians 4:6:
“And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Gal 4:6).
The conclusion from these passages is clear. “God gives the gift of His Spirit to only those converted, those who have become His children” Can we ask why? Paul says it is because we have become God’s property that He seals us with His Spirit. It’s like writing one’s name on your property to identify and protect it from wrongful identification. This is similar to the blood that was used to identify and seal the houses of the Israelites in Egypt so that the angel of death did not enter their homes but passed over to the Egyptians’ homes bringing swift death to their first born in Exodus 12:27-29. LTBS from Ephesians 1:13:
“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,” (Eph 1:13 ESV)
God seals every child of His with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is thus a gift from God to identify those who are His!
Let us consider a few other passages of Scripture that lends more evidence to this gift of God’s Spirit given to believers after being born-again. LTBS from Acts 5:32 and 1 Corinthians 6:19:
“And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Act 5:32 ESV)
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,” (1Co 6:19 ESV)
Dearly beloved, what then is the work of the Holy Spirit that indwells us apart from identifying us, and sealing us as God’s own property? This is probably where most people are confused because their religious leaders have mixed up this gift of the Holy Spirit with the baptism of the Holy Spirit which we have already studied on this broadcast. For many, they believe that when they become Christians by their faith and “accepting Jesus into their hearts as Saviour” whatever that means, they will now pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit so that they can perform exploits and do miraculous deeds. Many of these innocent souls are so mixed up. Since they do not read and study the Scripture on their own, they come to God and the Bible with the lenses of their denominational teachings and can no longer see clearly that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a promise to the Apostles of Jesus who had been mentored by Him for about three years and who needed to be supernaturally guided into all truth that they were mandated to give to all the world. Thank God for the work of the Holy Spirit on these men because the whole world would have gone into darkness of “Baba told me” if not for the baptism and work of the Holy Spirit on these Apostles. Now we know who Christ is and why God sacrificed Him for the sins of the world. They told us that “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Joh 3:16).
So what does the Bible say the Holy Spirit’s indwelling Christians does for them? Before we answer this question with the Bible, dear listening friend, we wish to announce that you can obtain a copy of last week’s broadcast on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and other lessons by contacting us with these numbers: 090 771 62 877, 080 604 11 389 and 0803 382 4662. You may also contact us by email with cockaddo@yahoo.com; or churchofchristkado@gmail.com; and as well check our website with www.churchofchristkado.org.
These numbers given to you are on WhatsApp and you can reach out to us with that platform as well.
Dearly beloved, this is LTBS on Raypower 100.5 and we are studying the gift of the Holy Spirit which many believe will give them supernatural powers to speak in tongues and do many miracles. Please permit me recall some of the Bible evidence that shows that the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit’s baptism that empowered the Apostles of Jesus to do mighty works are two different things:
As some contend that the gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38 was the reception of supernatural abilities, and signs, if such a view is correct, it would be reasonable to conclude that all who were baptized that day about three thousand souls (cf. 2:41) received not only forgiveness of sins but also supernatural gifts. If this is the correct view, literally hundreds of disciples would have been performing miracles subsequently in the city of Jerusalem.
However, this interpretation suffers from the lack of any supporting biblical evidence in the book of Acts. There is absolutely no indication, from Acts 2 through chapter 5, that anyone other than the apostles possessed miraculous gifts. Note the following biblical evidence: LTBS from Acts 2:43; 4:16; and 5:12-13:
“and fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles” (Act 2:43).
Beloved listening friend, the Bible clearly revealed that the Apostles were doing miracles but there was no mention of any other person doing miracles. If it is only like this in one passage, we could possibly overlook. But in the very next chapter of the book of Acts, chapter three, the miracle performed by Peter and John in seems to have been an unusual event; the Jewish leaders commented about the fact that only the Apostles are doing miracles. LTBS from Acts 4:16:
“for that indeed a notable miracle hath been wrought through them, is manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it” (Act 4:16).
Again, the enemies of Christ, the Jewish leaders did not observe any other disciple doing miraculous deeds. Maybe they were doing so quietly? It is clear that there is no hint that multitudes of Christians were duplicating such signs in the city. LTBS again from Acts 5:12-13:
“And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people, and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. But of the rest durst no man join himself to them; howbeit the people magnified them” (Act 5:12-13).
The religious awe with which the multitudes held the apostles suggests they were doing signs not characteristic of the saints generally. It is only when one comes to Acts 6:6ff that mention is made of the imposition of the Apostles’ hands and the subsequent exercise of miraculous gifts by other Christians. LTBS from Acts 6:6-8:
“These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.” (Act 6:6-8 ESV)
Beloved listening friend, what would you believe, the Bible account as written for us or the twisted version that you have been made to believe? One of the saddest things that epitomizes the confusion on the Christian landscape today is the example of the phenomenon called ‘speaking in tongues’ which is supposed to be an evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in every ‘born-again’ child of God. I say ‘sad’ because contrary to the biblical account and evidence in people’s experience, that the tongues spoken of in the book of Acts are languages being spoken by people of different language groups and not the nonsensical utterings of modern tongue speakers, many still cling on to their beloved doctrine that they can ‘learn’ how to speak in tongues (the gibberish) from their G.O. and other leaders and they then go into self-deceit. It is very sad. Those whose untainted spirit will not allow them to be hypocritical will not be able to deceive themselves by uttering ‘just anything that comes to their minds’ as their leaders tell them. They know this is not the Holy Spirit producing speech in them but their own imaginations. Just as Jeremiah observed concerning false teachers and their followers, “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!' How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart,” (Jer 23:25-26). Jeremiah calls it the deceit of their own heart. The heart of man is very deceitful and many have been deceived by their own hearts that God is speaking the nonsense they are speaking through them. They do not understand that this is in fact blaspheming the Holy Spirit and saying God said when God did not!
Listen to how Jeremiah puts it in Chapter 23 of his book: LTBS from Jeremiah 23:16-22:
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, 'It shall be well with you'; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, 'No disaster shall come upon you.'" For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened? Behold, the storm of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intents of his heart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly. "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.” (Jer 23:16-22 ESV)
Dear listening friend, it is amazing how history repeats itself. Many are at ease because we, today, are under a dispensation of grace and it appears as if God has not noticed all the evil being done in His name! None of our so called prophets saw the great world-wide Coronavirus pandemic we are all dealing with in their New Year prophecies. They are truly false preachers because God hid His mind from them and did not send them yet they ran! They are still running and hiding because they are powerless against the tiny virus that has shown their inability to prevent or even heal anyone in their churches. Remember what Jeremiah said concerning the anger of the Lord. He said, “Behold, the storm of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intents of his heart”
Will God punish people for saying the Holy Spirit did what He didn’t? You can be sure God will punish with great wrath! The Bible says that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2Pet 3:9) LTBS from Hebrews 2:2-3:
“For if the word which was spoken through angels was confirmed, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which in the beginning was spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,” (Heb 2:2-3 EMTV)
Beloved listener, “how shall we escape…?” May God protect you from God’s wrath and false teachers in Jesus name! Amen!
What then does the indwelling of the Holy Spirit mean to all children of God? What does the gift of the Spirit of God mean to us as Christians?
First of all, we must realize the priviledge it is to receive God’s Spirit in our lives. Such carries with it heavy responsibilities. LTBS from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and 3:17:
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.” (1Co 6:19-20 EMTV)
“If anyone destroys the temple of God, God shall destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” (1Co 3:17 EMTV)
From these two passages of Scripture, it is clear that any habit or practice that would defile our bodies and souls both physically and spiritually must be pushed aside, or put to death, be it fornication, drug abuse, indulgence in intoxicating beverages or alcohol, tobacco or any other thing that defiles and harms the body -even gluttony. Being indwelled by God’s Spirit implies that we should “walk by the Spirit, and “…not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). This time of Coronavirus reveals a lot about people. Some are hiking the price of their taxi fare even after government has reduced the price of fuel. Some are disobeying the government instruction that there should be social distancing or creating some gap between you and the next person to decrease the risk of infection but some taxi drivers are still carrying 4 persons at the back seat and forcing passengers to violate what is good for their health. Some of these go to churches that sends Holy Ghost fire upon their enemies not realizing that they are their own worst enemy! No wonder Jesus declared in Luke 16:13 that it is impossible to serve God when there is another god we are obeying! LTBS:
“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." (Luk 16:13 EMTV)
If you are just tuning in to this broadcast, this is LTBS on Raypower 100.5 and we are discussing the gift of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian.
What more can we see in Scripture that the Holy Spirit does for us as a gift from God? A Christian is led by the Spirit of God as he respects the words of the Spirit and obeys God. That is the reason the Holy Spirit gave us the Bible. Christians, put away anything in your lives that grieves the Holy Spirit. The Bible instructed in Ephesians 4:25-30 that “Therefore, having put off falsehood, "Let each one speak truth with his neighbour," for we are members of one another. "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun set on your anger, nor give opportunity to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labour, working that which is good with his hands, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed from your mouth, but only what is good for edification, that it may give grace to them that hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Eph 4:25-30 EMTV)
No child of God who has the gift of the Holy Spirit will continue to lie, cheat and be greedy like many ‘so-called men of God’ do today! Why, because the seed of God’s word remains in him. When you therefore see people who know what we have been studying from the Bible and are still clinging to the instructions of their spiritual fathers rather than the word of God who is our true Father, then know that they do not belong to God. LTBS from 1 John 3:6-10:
“Everyone who abides in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him nor has he known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who practices sin is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God appeared, that He might destroy the works of the devil. No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” (1Jn 3:6-10 EMTV)
Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God! Does this not frighten you dearly beloved listener? It is meant to comfort Christians and make them sharp so that they will not believe just anybody who says he is ordained by God to open his church and collect tithes on behalf of God! Did any of the godly men we read of in the Bible open their own churches? Did they claim they were the head of any congregation of the Lord’s church in Jerusalem, Antioch, Philippi, Ephesus, Rome, or any other place? Were their shadows not able to heal all sick that they passed by? Can you imagine the joy of a sick man, who did not even believe in Jesus and was looking for money to survive, when he was healed of being lame from birth? One whose feet and legs had not grown to support his walking. The Apostles only asked him to look at them and he did, expecting money but they grabbed him by the hand and his feet and legs straightened out like magic and he was able to begin to walk! What a wonderful testimony! Covid-19 wouldn’t have frightened these men like it has the so called men of God today! Today the more you look the less you see!
When you are sealed with the Holy Spirit after your baptism dearly beloved, the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life is thus an earnest or assurance of your ultimate reward in Heaven! LTBS from Ephesians 1:13-14:
“You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in the Messiah, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until God redeems his own possession for his praise and glory.” (Eph 1:13-14 ISV)
Dearly beloved, we shall be continuing this great study next week as the Lord tarries for each of us. Please stay clean, wash your hands frequently and observe social distancing. Remember when people were infected with any infectious disease in the Old Testament, like even common cold, the person was quarantined outside the city until he/she is healed. Social distancing is biblical so let us practice it until we defeat Coronavirus. May the Lord protect you as you listen to His words in Jesus Name! Amen! Remember to contact us with 090 771 62 877, 080 604 11 389 and 0803 382 4662. From all of us in the studio, we say, “Do have a wonderful and coronavirus free week.”
