SCRIPTURE READING
ROMANS 8:14-16
14 “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children”.
THE MESSAGE
🔵Doing something “by the Spirit” means being “led” to do it by the Spirit.
🟣The Holy Spirit is not an instrument in our hands. We are an instrument in His hands. We are not leading Him. He is leading us.
🔵He is not a mere responder to us. We are being moved and led by Him.
🟣So then, what is it to be led by the Spirit? It is to be moved by the Spirit to kill sin by trusting in the superior worth of our Father’s love.
🔵 When you fight sin by trusting in Christ as superior to what sin offers, you are being led by the Spirit.
🟣Don’t take this verse out of its context and make it mean mainly, “If I am led to the right job, I am a child of God.” Or: “If I am led to the right spouse, I am a child of God.”…
🔵Of course, there is a sense in which the children of God will lean on the Spirit for guidance in all those areas. But that is not the focus of this text.
🟣This text says, “kill sin by the Spirit because “all who are thus led by the Spirit are the sons of God.” In other words, the evidence that we are the children of God is that the Holy Spirit confirms His presence by leading us into war with our sin.
🔵The children of God hate sin. The children of God have the values and priorities and preferences and tastes of their Father.
🟣The reason they share these traits of God their Father is because they have His Spirit who leads them this way.
🔵He gives them new tastes and new preferences and new values and new pleasures and new sadness.
🟣 And so the evidence of our sonship is: Do we fight sin in our lives, or do we feel blasé about sin in our lives?
🔵The sense of sonship is awakened and kept alive by the Spirit; and of all those in whom it is found, the Messiah Himself stands at the head, ensuring for them a share in His own glory. Amen!
🟣 May we be led by the Spirit against sin. Thanks be to God for the gifts of His Spirit that work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Amen.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I need Your grace and Spirit to empower me to obey, so I rest in You and trust You are working in my regenerated heart. Please give me a hunger for Your Word so that my mind can be renewed to be able to say no to the world and the flesh and yes to You. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, Oh Lord, to work in me both to will and to do of your good pleasure. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen!
PRAYER FOR SALVATION:
….if you are reading this message and you do not have Jesus in your life… It’s a short repentant prayer away….
Say this prayer..
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. I give myself to you. I receive your forgiveness and ask you to take your rightful place in my life as my Savior and Lord. Come reign in my heart, fill me with your love and your life, and help me to become a person who is truly loving like you. Restore me, Jesus. Thank you for coming into my life. Amen.
God bless you for joining us today.Your life shall never be the same. Amen!
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THE OWNERSHIP SEAL OF THE TRIUNE GOD ON BELIEVERS- SALVATION GUARANTEED
SCRIPTURE READING
2 CORINTHIANS 1:21-22” Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come”.
THE MESSAGE
🔵This powerful verse speaks to the believer’s assurance of salvation through the presence of the Holy Spirit within them.🟣The word “sealed” in this passage refers to the act of being marked or identified as belonging to God. In ancient times, a seal was used to authenticate or mark an object as being the property of a particular person or entity.
🔵In a spiritual sense, this sealing represents the believer’s identification with God and their secure position as a child of God.
🟣The verse also mentions the “earnest of the Spirit.” The term “earnest” refers to a down payment or a deposit, indicating a guarantee of something to come in the future.
🔵 In this case, it speaks to the Holy Spirit’s presence within the believer as a guarantee of their future inheritance in the kingdom of God.
🟣The concept of being sealed with the Holy Spirit is a recurring theme throughout the New Testament, particularly in the writings of the apostle Paul.
🔵In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul writes, “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, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
🟣This passage echoes the language of 2 Corinthians 1:22, emphasizing the sealing and guarantee of the Holy Spirit as a mark of belonging to God and a guarantee of future redemption.
🔵 The presence of the Holy Spirit within the believer is an assurance of their salvation and an indication of their secure standing in Christ.
🟣Another important aspect of 2 Corinthians 1:22 is its connection to the broader biblical theme of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
🔵 In John 14:16-17, Jesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell with believers, saying, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; 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.”
🔵This promise of the indwelling Spirit is fulfilled in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit descends upon the believers on the day of Pentecost. From that moment on, the Spirit takes up residence in the hearts of believers, empowering them for life and ministry and serving as a constant reminder of their identity as children of God.
🟣The verse also carries rich symbolism related to the believer’s relationship with God. The concept of being sealed with the Holy Spirit suggests a mark of ownership and protection.
🔵In ancient times, a seal was used to protect a document or a valuable item, ensuring that it remained secure and untampered with. Similarly, the sealing of the Holy Spirit serves as a mark of God’s ownership and protection over the believer, signifying their secure position in Christ and safeguarding them from the forces of darkness.
🔵Furthermore, the earnestness of the Spirit can be seen as a foretaste or a glimpse of the future glory that awaits the believer. Just as a down payment guarantees the full payment to come, the presence of the Holy Spirit within the believer serves as a guarantee of their future inheritance in the kingdom of God.
🟣This speaks to the believer’s hope for the future and the assurance of their ultimate redemption and eternal life with God.
🔵Christians have the assurance of salvation through the sealing and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Our position in Christ is secure. Our future inheritance is guaranteed by the protective and empowering presence of the Spirit in our lives.
🟣As believers, we can take comfort and confidence in the truth that we have been sealed and marked as children of God, and that the Holy Spirit within us serves as a guarantee of our ultimate redemption and eternal life with Him. All thanks be to the Triune God for setting His seal of ownership on us. 🙌 🙌
*PRAYER*
One God, three Persons, thank you for setting your seal of ownership on us and for putting Your Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Draw us to share in your life and love and rejoice in loving you for all eternity. O Lord Jesus Christ, Who before ascending into heaven, promised to send the Holy Ghost to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, grant us the Spirit of WISDOM, that we may despise the perishable things of this world, and aspire only after the things that are eternal, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.*PRAYER FOR SALVATION:*
….if you are reading this message and you do not have Jesus in your life… It’s a short repentant prayer away…*Say this prayer..*
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. I give myself to you. I receive your forgiveness and ask you to take your rightful place in my life as my Savior and Lord. Come reign in my heart, fill me with your love and your life, and help me to become a person who is truly loving like you. Restore me, Jesus. Thank you for coming into my life. Amen.God bless you for joining us today. Your life shall never be the same. Amen!
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THE TRIUNE GOD IN ACTION
SCRIPTURE READING
LUKE 3:21-22
” Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,* *and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon Him, and a Voice came out of heaven, Thou are My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased”.
THE MESSAGE
🔵God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (The Trinity)are interconnected, interrelated, and interdependent.
🟣Hence, the Triune God’s involvement in Baptism. “Jesus having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon Him, and a Voice came out of heaven, Thou are My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased”.
🔵One of the most important things to think and meditate about is when the verse says, “a Voice came out of heaven, Thou are My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased.”
🟣This is the most important part of the event because it has confirmed the deity of the beloved Son of God. It confirms that Jesus is the beloved Son of God, and He is the only begotten Son of God.
🔵Within the Trinity of God, how can we understand the concept of the Holy Spirit proceeding? In John 15:26 the Bible says, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me(Jesus)”.
🟣The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father, but the beloved Son of God is one with the Father, so the Holy Spirit becomes the Spirit of both as well.
🔵But from the beginning, the Holy Spirit is from the Father since the Son was within the Father. When talking about the Holy Spirit proceeding, we should think of proceeding from the Father and the Son because the Father and the begotten Son are two in one.
🟣That is why the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The proceeding here has two stages.
🔶The Son of God has been since the beginning as well, but what we say here refers to the period after the Son’s resurrection.
🔷When the beloved Son of God took human form, He was almost at the point of being cut off from the Father, but the beloved Son of God also was in two states at the same time, He is still with the Father and also He is here on earth as human as well.
🔶Because the human form itself is sinful, that is why we say the Son of God was almost at the point of being cut off from the Father.
🔵The Bible says that the Father loves His beloved Son because He is willing to take the human form. Before the beloved Son of God came to earth, the Father and the Son are One as One unit together.
🟣But when the beloved Son of God is resurrected, He has given back the state that was almost apart from the Father and has reunited to be complete one again with the Father.
🔵This state we talk about is breathing as human, He has given up the need of breathing. His human body and heavenly body are united together and are seated with the Father in heaven as one.
🟣From this chapter, we can highlight four main life and faith application points.
1) We need to follow the example of our Lord Jesus and baptize ourselves in water for remission of sins in the name of the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
2) As a true Christian, we must believe in the Trinity of God, Three in One: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3) The Lord Jesus worked with His hands as taught by His earthly caretaker until His prime age when He began to teach. We should work for our living and be content with what the Lord provides through our job.
4) In our jobs we should do only according to the duty required.
May God give us the grace to do. Amen!
PRAYER
My soul magnifies you, blessed Trinity. One God, three Persons, Triune Unity, be near me in the temple of my soul. Draw me to share in your life and love. and rejoice in loving you for all eternity. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen!
PRAYER FOR SALVATION:
….if you are reading this message and you do not have Jesus in your life… It’s a short repentant prayer away….
Say this prayer..
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. I give myself to you. I receive your forgiveness and ask you to take your rightful place in my life as my Savior and Lord. Come reign in my heart, fill me with your love and your life, and help me to become a person who is truly loving like you. Restore me, Jesus. Thank you for coming into my life. Amen.
God bless you for joining us today. Your life shall never be the same. Amen!
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GRACE TEACHES US TO SAY NO TO UNGODLINESS AND WORLDY PASSIONS
SCRIPTURE READING :Titus 2:11-14 NIV“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”As recipients of God’s grace, we are empowered by the same grace to live in a new way that glorifies Him. We must embrace the grace of God to train us further to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly.We must embrace the Grace of God to teach us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions!To live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age is in one’s interest.Jesus gave Himself for us to redeem us from iniquity and make us His people “who are zealous for good deeds.Oh yes! The salvation Jesus brings is not only about forgiveness but also about transformation.Transformation may not happen overnight, but it is a long, painstaking process as we mature.Among the ungodliness and worldly passions” we are to renounce are disobedience, waywardness, being slaves to various passions and pleasures that don’t glorify God, passing our days in malice and envy, despicably hating one another.”Where do such “worldly passions” still enslave us today? In the constant lure of consumption and acquisition? In the desire for power and control over others? Is fear, that drives us to demonize those who differ from us?In contrast to being driven by worldly passions, we are to live lives that are “self-controlled, upright, and godly. It is to be obedient ready for every good work that honors God, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show courtesy to everyone.”We always need to be concerned about how our words and actions reflect on the church and either help or hinder our God-given mission.Our relationships with one another, with the communities in which we live, and with the world should reflect the love of God in Jesus Christ, “who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds.Our transformation is still a work in progress. And it comes only from the one who enters into our humanity in humility and love Lord Jesus Christ.*PRAYER*Oh Lord, transform us into your very likeness. For you created us for your pleasure. Empower us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions to your glory. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen!May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and for evermore, Amen!*God bless you for joining us today. Your life shall never be the same. Amen*
