Have
you ever been looking for something and you focused your search so minutely, in
one small area, that when you finally backed, up and took a wider perspective,
you finally found what you had been searching for? Sometimes we need to back up
and take a long range look. What we see
here on earth is deceptive. For one we
can only see things as they are, which is after the fall of Adam. Everything we
know about life and everything we perceive is filtered through the effects of
sin. We don’t know nor can we see what life could
have been like on earth if there was no original sin. Secondly we have been
trained to look at a small area in our immediate surrounding when truly we are
here for such a short time. Understand,
I am a Dave Ramsey fan, pay off your debt, baby steps, live like no one else so
that you can live like no one else, plan for retirement, but we are going to
spend a lot more time when we are not here rather than when we are here. In
other words we are eternal beings.
The
Bible tells us Adam lived 930 years and then he died. Some speculate that he lived 40 years before
the fall, and that the total years could be 970 years. No matter, God said that in the day you eat
(of the tree) you will die. If one
thousand years is as a day and a day as one thousand years, Adam died in one day. But that was not God’s plan; Adam was to live
far longer than one day.
2
Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with
the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.KJV
Now
let’s think about this if one day is one thousand years, we are living,
generally speaking, less than one tenth of a day. If we break that out further, comparing 24
hours to one day we are living for about two hours out of one of our days. That is a really short time. So while we think we are on earth a long
time, 80 years or so, it really is not a long time at all in God’s timeframe. So while we are planning for our future on
earth, it seems we have forgotten about the rest of the time when we are not
here. Eternity is eternal. A great saying I’ve heard is Carpe Aeternitatem,
Seize Eternity. And as some muse, ‘why settle for just one day?’
Eccl
3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in
their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from
beginning to end. NKJV
Therefore
we have all been really quite nearsighted regarding life. Have we really known and understood what
being an eternal being is all about? We
need to take some time to explore who we really are because I think the biggest
smoke screen has always been that we are simply dust, here today, gone
tomorrow, but that is not true, we have an eternity with our Heavenly Father to
live out. This is just a very temporary
dwelling period in which we find ourselves in the cross hairs of evil that
continues to put us into bondage and deceive us into believing there is nothing
more than this life.
2
Cor 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens.KJV
1
John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal
life.KJV
Now
that we are looking toward eternal life we have to establish a few truths. We are beings comprised of spirit, soul and
body. People like to reverse that order
but if we are to remember who we truly are and what our destiny is, we have to keep
the order of importance straight. One
way to look at this is that we are spirit beings, we have a soul and we live in
a body. Every living creature has a spirit;
there is a spirit of man and a spirit of beasts.
Eccl
3:21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the
beast that goeth downward to the earth? KJV
Spirit of OT:7307 ruwach
(roo'-akh); from OT:7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even
violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension,
a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being
(including its expression and functions):(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Zech
12:1The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which
stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and
formeth the spirit of man within him.KJV
In
Proverbs we have a slightly different word for spirit but the meaning is nearly
the same, having to do with breath and breathing. Something we will eventually see
is how Jesus explains to his disciples the way to receive the Holy Spirit, by
breathing.
Prov
20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward
parts of the belly.KJV
The spirit of OT:5397 neshamah
(nesh-aw-maw'); from OT:5395; a puff, i.e. wind, angry or vital breath, divine
inspiration, intellect. or (concretely) an animal:KJV - blast, (that) breath
(-eth), inspiration, soul, spirit.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers
and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003,
2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
What
we want to establish is that all beings have spirit, soul and body. Soul is our
mind, will, and emotions, while our bodies are our physical tents or
dwellings. If we are born again, our
soul and our body are to be in subjection to our spirit. Corinthians tells us
that we are to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God, but we could not do that if we didn’t put the
soul and body under the authority of our spirit. We have to bring every thought into obedience.
2
Cor 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ;KJV
Some
things we know about God, he is not a respecter of birth right, he is a
respecter of those who are obedient. Jacob’s heart was towards God, Esau’s
heart was not; Abraham’s heart was towards God, not Nahor or Haran’s; Able’s
heart was towards God but not Cain’s.
There is no benefit being first born unless the first born is obedient
to God, think of Ishmael & Isaac. We also know there is no benefit to
lineage when we are speaking of eternal life. Many people like to trace their
family lines backwards looking for a link of importance to being close to
God. However we know from Peter visiting
the house of Cornelius that God is not a respecter of persons.
Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth, and
said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:35 But in every
nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.KJV
Acts
13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word
of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.KJV
1
Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be
Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink
into one Spirit.KJV
We
now want to understand what exactly it was Jesus told us to do before he
left. He gave us a lot of instructions
to prepare us for the future, what was being established at the time Jesus
would be raised from the dead was a new set of rules to live by because the
Holy Spirit was going to come to earth.
John
14:15-17 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father,
and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth
him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and
shall be in you. KJV
The
Father would give them another Comforter, Jesus was their present Comforter,
but another one would come after he was raised from the dead. This Comforter
would be called the Spirit of truth. Now
here is something interesting, the world could not receive the Spirit of Truth,
they won’t see him or know him. This is
something we should remember because unless someone believes in Christ and what
He told us, as in we must be born again, they will not be able to see or know
the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in contrast, we will see and know the Holy Spirit
and he would dwell with us and in us.
Wait, what? This is something new.
Prior to being born again, the Holy Spirit could dwell upon people but not
in people. That is something very
new. Jesus gives us more instructions.
John
14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in
my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. KJV
Jesus
tells us the Holy Ghost will teach us all things. But the Holy Ghost will not teach the ones
who didn’t believe on Jesus, this puts them at a disadvantage when it comes to
speaking about the things of God. The Holy Ghost would also bring all things to
their remembrance, and our remembrance of what Jesus taught and showed
them. The disciples would remember what
Jesus said as he was with them and some of them would write it down, and some
would understand what Jesus said better.
For us today, we read what the disciples wrote, and we can learn via the
Holy Ghost as to what Jesus was saying.
Also for us today the Holy Ghost will remind us of what the disciples
wrote of what Jesus said.
John
16:7-14 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go
away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I
depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the
world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they
believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see
me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I
have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit
when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he
shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:
and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall
receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. KJV
If
Jesus did not leave the Comforter would not come, not just to the disciples and
for the disciples, but to us as well. And
when he comes the Comforter will reprove the world of sin, which is why we have
continued conflict between right and wrong.
When some get convicted, they get agitated and react by sometimes
accusing the one(s) doing the convicting of being a problem. The Comforter will also convict the world of
righteousness and judgment. Jesus then explains, convicting of sin because
people do not believe in Him, righteousness because Jesus goes to the Father
and won’t be on earth and judgment because satan is already judged. Sin is the result of living unrighteous
lives, and judgment is already passed because of the prince of this world’s
sin. Yet when the Spirit of truth comes
he will guide people into all truth. Now
if we want to know something we should go to the one who is going to tell us
the truth, that would be logical. It is
not logical to go to someone who cannot see or know the Spirit of truth,
correct? This is an important point, do we go to the world for our truth or to
the Spirit of truth? Should we be
inclined to listen to those who are not listening to or have knowledge of the
Spirit of truth for important information? The Spirit of truth will speak of
what he hears, what does the Spirit hear, and from who? It would seem the Spirit is not getting his
knowledge from the nightly news, but from the Heavenly Father. The Spirit of
truth will also show us things to come, show us. First he will tell us then he
will show us, so the Spirit is using multimedia within us to glorify
Jesus. The Spirit will also receive
Jesus’ sayings and show his people.
John
15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the
Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall
testify of me: KJV
Jesus
tells us that he will send the Comforter from the Father and the Comforter or
Spirit of Truth will testify of Jesus.
The Spirit will testify or witness to us about Jesus. I would imagine that at the time Jesus was
telling the disciples these things they were grieved knowing that he had to
leave. Yet Jesus tells them he is
sending a Comforter, the Spirit of truth, those words should have made them
feel a bit better. But they did not understand how this Comforter would come.
So Jesus told them.
Acts
1:4-8 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should
not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith
he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be
baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 When they therefore were
come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore
again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know
the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye
shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall
be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and
unto the uttermost part of the earth. KJV
Jesus
commands, not suggests, that they stay in Jerusalem. They are to wait for the
promise that he told them about. He
tells them they will be baptized with the Holy Ghost. John did things
differently, as he was baptizing with water but they would be baptized with the
Holy Ghost. That is new. They were not sure of what things were going
to happen with this new kind of baptism, they wondered if the Kingdom would be
restored to Israel with this baptizing.
Jesus said it’s not for you to know, but he said, they would receive
power after the Holy Ghost comes upon them and then they would be witnesses of
Him. Jesus said they would receive power, inherent power, or miraculous
power. They were going to receive or
seize miraculous power, which is something very different. They never had power before, except when
Jesus gave them power, exercised authority, to tread on snakes and
scorpions. This was not just authority
over demons, this was an inward power, that is different. We will study these two types of power at
some point later. But for now understand that exercised power, exousia, is the
power of a police officer, he has authority to cast out demons. The inherent power, dunamis, which was being
given to those who believe on Jesus, is a hemi-engine compared to a 4-cylinder
engine, which is the power the Holy Spirit was baptizing with. The spirit of man would now be upgraded from
regular old spirit of man to super charged Holy Spirit energized Spirit. What a
great upgrade to humanity if they believe.
Rom
8:9-11 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit
of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none
of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the
Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the
dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
KJV
Therefore
everyone who is renewed in their spirit by the Holy Spirit is of Christ. This Spirit that now dwells in those who
believe on Jesus, is the very same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. That is powerful. And if this is the inherent power that dwells
in you, it will make alive your body. Instead
of death in our physical bodies, we have life, here is the context.
Rom
8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.2 For the law of the Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.KJV
Sin
is death and death infects our bodies and our souls. People who only have the spirit of man, and
do not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are under the law of sin and
death. From an eternal perspective, and
a heavenly view, those without the Holy Spirit are dead until the Spirit makes
them alive. Walking after the Spirit implies an active movement, not a passive
one. Actively following the Spirit.
Rom
8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And
if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be
that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. KJV
This
section tells us a lot. Firstly, if we
are led by the Spirit of God we are then adopted. As the Spirit bears witness with our spirit
of man that we are children and heirs of God.
This makes us joint heirs with Christ.
Now this is interesting because for us to be joint heirs it means God
put our name on the inheritance. That is
odd. Consider the fact that Christ laid
his life down for us, beaten on a wooden cross, hated by the very group he came
to save, those who should have been expecting to see him didn’t believe on
him. And yet if we suffer with Him we
are joint heirs. Somehow our suffering
is hardly comparable, most days we skate on by. Yet our suffering makes us
joint heirs and we will be glorified with Him. That is amazing.
2
Cor 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our
hearts.KJV
Hath sealed NT:4972 sphragizo
(sfrag-id'-zo); from NT:4973; to stamp (with a signet or private mark) for
security or preservation (literally or figuratively); by implication, to keep
secret, to attest: KJV - (set a, set to) seal up, stop.(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:4972
sfragizoo a. for security: ti, Matt 27:66
b. to hide keep in silence,
keep secret: ti, Rev 10:4 c.
in order to mark a person or thing; hence, to set a mark upon by the impress of
a seal, to stamp: Rev 7:3 d. in order to prove, confirm, or
attest a thing; to confirm, authenticate, place beyond doubt (from Thayer's
Greek Lexicon, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2000, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft,
Inc. All rights reserved.)
Earnest NT:728 arrhabon
(ar-hrab-ohn'); of Hebrew origin [OT:6162]; a pledge, i.e. part of the
purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest: KJV -
earnest. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:728
arraboonan earnest, i. e. money which in purchases is given as a pledge that
the full amount will subsequently be paid(from Thayer's Greek Lexicon,
Electronic Database. Copyright © 2000, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights
reserved.)
2
Cor 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also
hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. KJV
Eph
4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day
of redemption.KJV
Eph
1:13-14 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed
with that holy Spirit of promise,14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance
until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.KJV
God
gave us a seal to authenticate us as being filled by the Spirit. He also gave
us a pledge in our hearts so that we know we are filled with the Spirit. We cannot see the seal that is on us with
physical eyes but we can know that he gave us a pledge in our hearts. We can hear and see what the Spirit tells us
and we are made alive by the indwelling of the Spirit. Since we are eternal beings God did not leave
us hopeless he sent the Comforter to be with us until his return. We have more of the Holy Spirit to
investigate.
