These days, I feel drawn to impress upon all of you the importance of your new birth. The more we understand what that really is, the more we understand who we really are. Our ONLY identity is in who we are as new creations in Christ. Within that identity is truth, and therefore, all the power of God’s grace through His Spirit, for living. I am referring to the Holy Spirit’s abundant production of His fruit in you, flowing through you during everyday life experiences: Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I am also referring to the Holy Spirit’s gifts. These flow through you to benefit God’s church: Wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits, healing, faith, working of miracles, prophecy, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. These are available to all of us. But the life we live must be founded upon the truth of the cross, and who we are as a result. Apart from that truth, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, along with His gifts, are unavailable because He is unable to bless a life controlled by the flesh rather than faith.
These gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit are miraculous, powerful, and perfect. They are an outpouring of the love of God for you personally, as well as for His church. Furthermore, they reflect the life of Jesus from the time of His baptism, until the day of His death. Remember, the Apostle John wrote,
In this way, we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world, we are like Him. 1Jn 4:17
When Jesus walked the earth, He delivered people from demonic possession. That is the Holy Spirit’s gift of miracles. He continually caught the Pharisees in their duplicity. When they asked questions to trap Him, He exposed their schemes. That is the Holy Spirit’s gift of discerning spirits. When Peter was asked by the tax-collectors if Jesus paid taxes, Jesus operated in two gifts from the Spirit at the same time—the gift of faith, and the gift of knowledge. He said to Peter, “But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.” Matt 17:27.
The gift of faith is the act of believing something, knowing God will do it. The gift of knowledge is to be made aware of a fact or truth that you could not have known any other way, except by the Spirit. Jesus did not do a miracle that caused that fish to have a coin in its mouth. He heard it from the Holy Spirit, believed it would happen, and it did.
Jesus never did miracles of His own; He was not a great preacher, nor did He possess the power or authority to cast out demons. He had not one single ability beyond what you have. He prayed, praised, and worshipped His Father and the Holy Spirit continually, and the Spirit’s gifts, fruit, and life flowed through Him. Having given up all the glory He had when He was with His Father before the beginning of time, Jesus was a helpless human being, who relied upon His Father’s will and the Holy Spirit’s power for everything. It is intended to be the same with us. In this world, we are like Him. We have the Spirit, and therefore we have the gifts and the fruit available to us.
Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The Godhead is 3 Persons in one—the Trinity.
Jesus rose on the third day, to complete His Father’s plan of salvation.
Jesus had 3 main disciples: Peter, James, and John, and His ministry lasted roughly 3 years. In the Bible, God uses the number 3 to signify His perfect plan of salvation. Having been born again, we dwell in this perfection He has wrought for His church. There are 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit and 9 fruits as well: 3 groups of 3 in each. This is His perfection and power, and it is for US as born-again Christians. There were 3 things that took place that you could be born-again: Called (chosen), Justified, Glorified. That last one—glorified—is when the Holy Spirit came into you.
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