As I mentioned in a recent Facebook post, Daddy God has been talking to me a lot about the difference between receiving the Holy Spirit, and getting baptised in the Holy Spirit. This is in response to me crying out,"Lord, why are people in the Church struggling so much with sin and purity? How do I help them?"
I'm so excited to share His response with all of you today!
I'm so excited to share His response with all of you today!
We'll start in John chapter 20. Here we see the remaining disciples locked away in a room, gripped by fear. This is precisely the state of the world we live in today! People have locked themselves away in so many different fashions, out of fear. Whether it be addiction from the fear of their current reality, crime from the fear of a lack of provision, promiscuity from the fear of being unwanted and unloved, etc.
Jesus appears to each and every one of us, just as He did them (although not always bodily), repeatedly telling us to have peace.
"Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.' When He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (Verse 22)
When the we decide to take Jesus at His word, and receive His forgiveness, which includes receiving His Spirit, this is called being born again. This is done through faith AND water baptism. The modern day church has turned water baptism into "an outward demonstration of our inward faith" and thus robbing it of its power. First of all, our FAITH should NEVER be "inward"! It should always be lived out loud for the entire world to see, AND be transformed by! Secondly, water baptism has NOTHING to do with showing anyone anything, and has EVERYTHING to do with partaking in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus!
Romans 6 in the Passion Translation, eloquently puts it this way...
"Sharing in HIS death by OUR baptism means that we were co-buried and entombed WITH Him, so that when the Father's glory raised Christ from the dead, we were ALSO raised with Him. We have been co-resurrected WITH Him so that we could be empowered to express an ENTIRELY NEW LIFE. For if we are permanently grafted into Him to experience a death like His, then we are permanently grafted into Him to experience a resurrection like His AND the new life that it imparts. Could it be any clearer that our former identity is NOW AND FOREVER deprived of its power? For we were co-crucified with Him to dismantle the stronghold of sin within us, so that we would NOT continue to live ONE MOMENT LONGER submitted to sin's power. Obviously, a dead person is incapable of sinning. And if we were co-crucified with the Anointed One, we know that we will also share in the FULLNESS of His life." (Verses 4-8)
People can argue this fact all that they want..."So you're saying that our works are what save us?" Jesus said it! Not me! Here's the thing, if Jesus said "repent AND be baptized", is it not by faith that we get baptized and are thus born again? Jesus is even recorded in Mark 16:16 saying,"Whoever believes AND is baptized will be saved..." So it is faith in Jesus that allows us to receive His Spirit AND partake in His death, burial, and resurrection through water baptism.
BUT IT DOESN'T STOP THERE!!!
Jesus told His disciples to stay in a particular place, a prayer room of sorts, until He finished what He intended to do in them! Why is the Church stopping at a sinner's prayer (that isn't even biblical by the way), when Jesus has clearly shown that there is so much more!?! He never intended for someone to pray a random prayer in a church building, conference hall, or street corner, and then go on with life as usual! Jesus said stay put until you're clothed with power from on high! (Luke 24:49)
Don't stop at acceptance!
Don't stop at death!
Don't even stop at resurrection!
You MUST be clothed with power!
You MUST be baptised in the Holy Spirit!
What does that look like, you ask?
Check out Acts Chapter 2.
"And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Verses 2-4)
The disciples didn't stop at being filled! They pressed in, fervently praying, believing what Jesus told them...
they would receive POWER from on high!
It may not LOOK the same for all of us. It didn't LOOK like Acts 2 for me, but there IS one thing that remains constant in EVERY experience...
IMMEDIATE 100% TOTAL TRANSFORMATION!
The Apostle Peter went from angry and afraid, to determined and bold.
The Apostle Paul went from murderous pride to loving humility.
I went from a selfish and suicidal addict to a generous and joyful world changer!
IN AN INSTANT!
Once you've given yourself FULLY to this gospel, and received what He wants to give you, there is no lengthy painful process! There is only instantaneous transformation! Sure, we move from glory to glory, as we get to know Him more and more deeply, but it BEGINS at glory!!!
Jesus appears to each and every one of us, just as He did them (although not always bodily), repeatedly telling us to have peace.
"Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.' When He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (Verse 22)
When the we decide to take Jesus at His word, and receive His forgiveness, which includes receiving His Spirit, this is called being born again. This is done through faith AND water baptism. The modern day church has turned water baptism into "an outward demonstration of our inward faith" and thus robbing it of its power. First of all, our FAITH should NEVER be "inward"! It should always be lived out loud for the entire world to see, AND be transformed by! Secondly, water baptism has NOTHING to do with showing anyone anything, and has EVERYTHING to do with partaking in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus!
Romans 6 in the Passion Translation, eloquently puts it this way...
"Sharing in HIS death by OUR baptism means that we were co-buried and entombed WITH Him, so that when the Father's glory raised Christ from the dead, we were ALSO raised with Him. We have been co-resurrected WITH Him so that we could be empowered to express an ENTIRELY NEW LIFE. For if we are permanently grafted into Him to experience a death like His, then we are permanently grafted into Him to experience a resurrection like His AND the new life that it imparts. Could it be any clearer that our former identity is NOW AND FOREVER deprived of its power? For we were co-crucified with Him to dismantle the stronghold of sin within us, so that we would NOT continue to live ONE MOMENT LONGER submitted to sin's power. Obviously, a dead person is incapable of sinning. And if we were co-crucified with the Anointed One, we know that we will also share in the FULLNESS of His life." (Verses 4-8)
People can argue this fact all that they want..."So you're saying that our works are what save us?" Jesus said it! Not me! Here's the thing, if Jesus said "repent AND be baptized", is it not by faith that we get baptized and are thus born again? Jesus is even recorded in Mark 16:16 saying,"Whoever believes AND is baptized will be saved..." So it is faith in Jesus that allows us to receive His Spirit AND partake in His death, burial, and resurrection through water baptism.
BUT IT DOESN'T STOP THERE!!!
Jesus told His disciples to stay in a particular place, a prayer room of sorts, until He finished what He intended to do in them! Why is the Church stopping at a sinner's prayer (that isn't even biblical by the way), when Jesus has clearly shown that there is so much more!?! He never intended for someone to pray a random prayer in a church building, conference hall, or street corner, and then go on with life as usual! Jesus said stay put until you're clothed with power from on high! (Luke 24:49)
Don't stop at acceptance!
Don't stop at death!
Don't even stop at resurrection!
You MUST be clothed with power!
You MUST be baptised in the Holy Spirit!
What does that look like, you ask?
Check out Acts Chapter 2.
"And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Verses 2-4)
The disciples didn't stop at being filled! They pressed in, fervently praying, believing what Jesus told them...
they would receive POWER from on high!
It may not LOOK the same for all of us. It didn't LOOK like Acts 2 for me, but there IS one thing that remains constant in EVERY experience...
IMMEDIATE 100% TOTAL TRANSFORMATION!
The Apostle Peter went from angry and afraid, to determined and bold.
The Apostle Paul went from murderous pride to loving humility.
I went from a selfish and suicidal addict to a generous and joyful world changer!
IN AN INSTANT!
Once you've given yourself FULLY to this gospel, and received what He wants to give you, there is no lengthy painful process! There is only instantaneous transformation! Sure, we move from glory to glory, as we get to know Him more and more deeply, but it BEGINS at glory!!!
Friends, many of us have been duped into believing a "gospel" that is really no gospel at all! The word gospel means good news! Where is the good news in believing that we are all sinners, destined to sin, because we live in a fallen world of which we're prisoners until we die? Where is the good news in believing that we will all struggle through this life, trying to resist temptation, but we're expected to have good cheer while doing it, so that we can bring glory to a distant God, who puts bad things in our lives, to test and strengthen us, and allows horrific things to happen, because He's in control? Where is the good news in believing that any power that the gospel held died with the original apostles?
What is the point?
Where is the hope?
Why even give yourself to a "gospel" that is dead and depressing?
The Truth is, that ISN'T the gospel!
What is the point?
Where is the hope?
Why even give yourself to a "gospel" that is dead and depressing?
The Truth is, that ISN'T the gospel!
This is...
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creation. THE OLD HAS PASSED AWAY; behold, THE NEW HAS COME ."
"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a NEW person. The old life is GONE; a new life has BEGUN!
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV & NLT
"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a NEW person. The old life is GONE; a new life has BEGUN!
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV & NLT
"And these signs WILL accompany those who believe: in My name they WILL cast out demons; they WILL speak in new tongues; they WILL pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it WILL NOT hurt them; they WILL lay their hands on the sick, and they WILL recover." Mark 16:17-18
This, my friends, is the WILL of God, in Christ Jesus!
Don't stop at "letting Jesus in your heart"!
Give Him your life!
Press in,
fervently praying,
KNOWING
you WILL receive
POWER from on high!
Don't stop at "letting Jesus in your heart"!
Give Him your life!
Press in,
fervently praying,
KNOWING
you WILL receive
POWER from on high!
Run with me Church!
Www.purusamor.com
Www.purusamor.com
