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HUMAN NATURE – SPIRIT – THE HOLY SPIRIT

(Monday, April 13, 2020)

1.0 BACKGROUND

The Bible has more than 1500 instructions (commandments or laws). The Old Testament has a total of 613 instructions, whereas the New Testament has more than 1000 instructions. One day a teacher of the Law came to Jesus with a question: “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus replied, “The most important one is this, ‘Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment more important that these two.” (Mark 12: 28-31; Mathew 22: 34-39) The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments. (Mathew 22: 40). However, Jesus also said that “Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teachings come true. Remember that as long as heaven and earth last, not the least point nor the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with— not until the end of all things. So then, whoever disobeys even the least important of the commandments and teaches others to do the same, will be least in the Kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys the Law and teaches other to do the same, will be great in the Kingdom of heaven. I tell you, then, that, you will be able to enter the Kingdom of heaven only if you are more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires.” (Mathew 5: 17-20; Acts 24:14). We need to understand that when or at what stage these laws are not applicable. If the Spirit leads us, then we are not subject to the Law. Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these. (Galatians 5: 17, 22-23).

2.0 HUMAN NATURE

Our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants. What human nature does is quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions; in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups; they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these. Those who do these things will not possess the Kingdom of God. (Galatians 5: 17, 19-21) Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. (1 Corinthians 6:13)All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being. (James 3: 2, 8) You will reap exactly what you plant. If you plant in the field of your natural desires, from it you will gather the harvest of death; So let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest. So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our family in the faith. Galatians 6: 8-10) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) I warn you now as I have before: those who do these things will not possess the Kingdom of God. (Galatians 5: 21)

3.0 SPIRIT

Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with the words of psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing hymns and psalms to the Lord with praise in your hearts. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, always give thanks for everything to God the Father. (Ephesians 5: 18-21) What the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants. If the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the Law. Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these. (Galatians 5: 17, 22-23) For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God’s children, and by the Spirit’s power we cry out to God, “Father! my Father!” God’s Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God’s children. Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ’s suffering, we will also share his glory. (Romans 8: 15-17) And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their human nature with all its passions and desires. The Spirit has given us life; he must also control our lives. Galatians 5: 24-25) You will reap exactly what you plant. Ifyou plant in the field of the Spirit, from the Spirit you will gather the harvest of eternal life. So let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest. So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our family in the faith. Galatians 6: 8-10) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort. Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ. (Ephesians 4: 29-32) So then, we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit.

4.0 THE HOLY SPIRIT

But I am telling you the truth: it is better for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove to the people of the world that they are wrong about sin and about what is right and about God’s judgment. When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak of what he hears and will tell you of things to come. He will give me glory, because he will take what I say and tell it to you. (John 14:16-17; 16:7-8; 13-14) But it was to us that God made known his secret by means of his Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, even the hidden depths of God’s purposes. It is only our own spirit within us that knows all about us; in the same way, only God’s Spirit knows all about God. We have not received this world’s spirit; instead, we have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has given us. (1 Corinthians 2: 10-12) Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12: 4-11): knowledge, wisdom, prophecy, faith, healings, miracles, ability to tell differences between gifts that come from the Spirit, speak in strange tongues, and interpretation of tongues. The angel told me to give Zerubbabel this message from the Lord: “You will succeed, not by military might or by your own strength, but by my spirit. (Zachariah 4: 6) The Holy Spirit and we have agreed not to put any other burden on you besides these necessary rules. (Acts 15: 28) And do not make God’s Holy Spirit sad; for the Spirit is God’s mark of ownership on you, a guarantee that the Day will come when God will set you free. Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. For this reason, I tell you: people can be forgiven any sin and any evil thing they say; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who says something against the Son of Man can be forgiven; but whoever says something against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven—now or ever. (Mathew 12: 31-32) Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God’s Spirit. Such a person really does not understand them, and they seem to be nonsense, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis. (1 Corinthians 2: 13-14)

5.0 CONCLUSION

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?  You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body. If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20)

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