“Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord of hosts.”
First, God saves by the Spirit, and it isn’t the force of men. We can yell, preach, serve, and do, but if the Spirit doesn’t give life, then no life comes - (Ezek 37:8) “And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.” And, He gives life by faith in Jesus Christ - “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints… and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God”, so that God’s love in Christ, that love that saves the sinner, is the power of the Spirit to produce Christian love one towards another (Eph 3:16-19).
Secondly, the Spirit’s job is to unfold our sin, unfold the righteousness of Christ, and unfold the victory that He EARNED for us – “And when [the Spirit] is come, he will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment… of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:8, 11). We have God on our side for Christ’s sake, and that’s ENOUGH to fight sin. The Spirit reveals that Jesus conquered Satan when He redeemed us, and now, the strong man has been cast out (Luke 11:21-22). Satan doesn’t have the power to oppress, because our Savior defeated his wiles, cleaned us at the cross, and is the reason for God to intervene now. Life beats death and death is swallowed up by victory. Now, through the Spirit and looking to Him, we can do what we could not before. God says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”, and we resist as afflicted, weak, holy, evil, and inheritors of every promise (James 4:7-10).
Thirdly, don’t RELY on anyone or thing but the Spirit, and know the Spirit is important to you – “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it above upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” (John 1:32-34). You can’t serve God without Him, and He’s ALL that you need to serve Him. A man cannot stop the power of the Spirit, whereas your power is nothing.
Lastly, trust the Spirit’s power as you minister, and use the Spirit’s means to change others – “Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, thus says the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he COMMANDED me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army” (Ezek 37:9-10). Obey God, and you walk in the Spirit, for the Spirit makes us SEE the gospel and BRING the fruit of it – “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (John 14:23).”
Secondly, the Spirit’s job is to unfold our sin, unfold the righteousness of Christ, and unfold the victory that He EARNED for us – “And when [the Spirit] is come, he will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment… of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:8, 11). We have God on our side for Christ’s sake, and that’s ENOUGH to fight sin. The Spirit reveals that Jesus conquered Satan when He redeemed us, and now, the strong man has been cast out (Luke 11:21-22). Satan doesn’t have the power to oppress, because our Savior defeated his wiles, cleaned us at the cross, and is the reason for God to intervene now. Life beats death and death is swallowed up by victory. Now, through the Spirit and looking to Him, we can do what we could not before. God says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”, and we resist as afflicted, weak, holy, evil, and inheritors of every promise (James 4:7-10).
Thirdly, don’t RELY on anyone or thing but the Spirit, and know the Spirit is important to you – “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it above upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” (John 1:32-34). You can’t serve God without Him, and He’s ALL that you need to serve Him. A man cannot stop the power of the Spirit, whereas your power is nothing.
Lastly, trust the Spirit’s power as you minister, and use the Spirit’s means to change others – “Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, thus says the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he COMMANDED me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army” (Ezek 37:9-10). Obey God, and you walk in the Spirit, for the Spirit makes us SEE the gospel and BRING the fruit of it – “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (John 14:23).”
No comments:
Post a Comment