HOW TO PLEASE GOD
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
“Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But
without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that God is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him.” (Heb.11:1, 6)
According to this Scripture, faith is defined as substance and evidence.
Substance is
the reality of which something consists and has a tangible presence. Evidence
is the proof that something is correct and is demonstrable when put to the
test.
Faith is believing that God exists and that He rewards those who
diligently seek Him and that He answers the prayers of those who seek Him with
all their heart! According to the
Holy Bible, without faith we cannot please God!
Faith is a gift to the searching heart, to the sincere seeker after God,
truth and righteousness. Faith is given to us by the Holy Spirit through the
Word of God! It is not natural but a supernatural miracle,
because the Bible is God-breathed. “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the
Word of God.” (Rom. 10: 17).
Faith is believing that God’s Word is true regardless of what others
say. There are many reasons for believing the Holy Bible is true, the greatest
being that Jesus Christ Himself believed the Holy Scriptures and preached from
them.
Faith is believing that Jesus Christ is whom He claimed to be, the Word
made flesh: God incarnate – True God from eternity and True man by His
virgin birth! That He Alone purchased our eternal salvation through His
holy BLOOD on the cross at Golgotha! Faith is believing that there is power and
life in His precious blood to grant us forgiveness for all our sins and an
entrance into His eternal Kingdom.
Martin Luther stated: “O’ when it
comes to faith: what a living, creative, active thing it is. It cannot do other
than good at all times. It never waits to ask whether there is any good work to
do.”
The
Bible states: “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this
grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And hope maketh
not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Ghost which is given unto us.
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood,
we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Rom.1:1, 2, 5, 6, 8-10)
St. Paul warns: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an
evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one
another daily, while it is called Today: lest any of you be hardened through
the deceitfulness of SIN. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the
beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.
“While it is said, Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your
hearts, as in the provocation. And to whom sware He that they should not enter
into His rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not
enter in because of unbelief.” (Heb. 3:12-1415, 18, 19)
We know that unbelief is Sin. We know that rejecting Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord is Sin. And we know that breaking God’s law is Sin.
We know that breaking the Ten Commandments is Sin. It is an affront to the
Almighty! (Ex. 20: 2-17)
What else do we know about sin? It is doing what is wrong and not
doing what is right according to God’s rules. The Bible states: “Whosoever
committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the
law. And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no
sin.” (1 John 3:4);
“For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness,
and unrighteousness of men in righteousness, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness.” (Rom. 1: 18)
US Psychiatrist Karl Menninger said, "The realities of
personal guilt and sin have been glossed over as symptoms of emotional illness
or environmental conditioning for which the individual is not considered
responsible, but there is sin –which cannot be subsumed under verbal artifacts
such as disease, delinquency, deviancy. There is immorality. There is unethical
behavior. There is wrongdoing!”
Sin
may be likened to Mathematics: Sin adds to your troubles; sin subtracts from
your energy; sin multiplies your torments and pains; sin divides your mind; sin
takes interest from your work; sin discounts your chances of success; sin squares
your conscience!
SIN blinds you to the truth. Sin binds you with chains of lust, greed
and hatred. Sin deafens your spiritual ears. Sin deadens your conscience. Sin
kills! The Bible says, “The wages of Sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal
Life through Jesus Christ the Lord.” (Rom. 6:23)
FROM
THE MANGER TO THE CROSS!
The Love of God brought His only begotten Son from Heaven to earth, and
from the Manger to the Cross! Jesus shed His precious Blood to save us from the
penalty of a lost eternity when He suffered, bled and died on the cruel Cross
on Golgotha’s hill outside the city walls of Jerusalem! Christ’s vicarious
death and glorious resurrection brings us to repentance and faith, as we see His
hand of mercy extended to a lost, fearful and sick world!
The Cross of Christ has been referred to as the Axis of Salvation,
the Climax of the Cosmic Conflict between God and Satan and between good and
Evil!
The Sovereignty of God demanded punishment for Sin and the cross of
Christ provided the Final Solution. For a time, God winked at our sin in His
great mercy, by allowing the sacrifice of innocent lambs, goats and bullocks
and occasionally a red heifer to suffice.
When the fulness of time had come,
Almighty God gave His Son to be the propitiation for our sins and the sins of
the whole world, past, present and future! God the Son came down to this sinful
world to redeem us from the power of the Devil, through His vicarious death and
glorious resurrection from the dead!
The Cross is the expression of God’s love toward us! It is the
very pinnacle of His mercy and grace to an enslaved people, bound by lust,
greed, pride and hate! Jesus said: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15: 13). Jesus was referring to
Himself laying down His life for us all! (verse 14)
The Blood of Christ avails: It is available to all who
desire to be washed in that soul cleansing fountain of blood. The blood of
Jesus also prevails over every obstacle, temptation, sin, fear, torment and
evil power! It prevails over sickness, pain and even over death! The blood of
the bleeding Lamb prevails. Hallelujah, the blood prevails!
Jesus said: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even
so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. (John 3: 16)
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.
This He said, signifying what death He should die.” (John 12: 32, 33). St. John
stated: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that
believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on Him.”
(John 3: 36)
JESUS IS THE PROPITIATION!
The Bible says: “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the Light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son
cleanseth us from all sin. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us or sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,”
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And
if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
Righteous: And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but
also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2: 1, 2)
The word propitiation
means satisfaction, mercy seat, expiation and covering. The
vicarious death of Jesus Christ for us all, met the righteous demands of Divine
Justice in the Courts of Heaven. It means that God was satisfied with the
Redemptive work of Jesus Christ, to atone for the sins of the entire world,
past, present and future!
The
Bible declares: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might
destroy the works of the Devil.” (1 John 3: 8); “How God anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power: who went about doing good and healing
all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.” (Acts 10: 38)
“Forasmuch
as then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He (Jesus)
also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death
He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil;
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb. 2: 14, 15)
“And the great dragon (Satan) was cast out, that old
serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was
cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
“And I heard a voice saying in Heaven, Now is come salvation, and
strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ, and the
Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our
brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
“And they overcame him (Satan) by the BLOOD
of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives
unto the death.” (Rev.12: 9-12)
THE
WORLD’S GREATEST POWER!
The world’s greatest power does not reside in Washington, Moscow or Beijing.
It resides within the Body of Christ. The Holy Bible says: “And the seventy
returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us
through Thy name. And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from
Heaven.
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions,
and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
(Luke 10: 17-19)
Jesus promised His disciples: “But ye shall receive power after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost power of
the earth.” (Acts 1: 8);
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the
world giveth give I unto you: not as the world giveth, give I you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14: 27, 28); “These things
have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall
have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
(John 16: 33)
The BIBLE says: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them:
because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:
4); “God… hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, Whom He hath
appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds;
“Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His
Person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by
Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High…
“But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a
scepter of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy Kingdom… And, Thou, Lord, in the
beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works
of Thine hands.
“They shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as
doth a garment; and as a vesture shall Thou fold them up, and they shall be
changed; But Thou art the same and Thy years shall not fail.” (Heb.
1:1-12)
As we observe the great men at the levers of power in this wicked,
sinful and desperately evil world and Satan often in the driver’s seat, we
may be disheartened, but when we read the Word of Almighty God and His
Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Scriptures, we get a far different picture!
The Real Power at work is the Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of
God’s people and in His Church. He has the final word. Jesus is the
Creator of the worlds and the Author of Eternal Salvation and we are so
privileged to be members in His Body and ambassadors of His Kingdom of mercy,
love and grace. Righteousness and Judgement will rule according to His Eternal
Word and Will!
FOUNDATION
STONE OF CHRISTIANITY!
Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, there would be
no gospel, no hope, no peace, no joy and no salvation! Without the
resurrection, there would be no Saviour, no forgiveness for sins, no healing
for the sick, no power over the devil and no entrance into Heaven! And there wouldn’t
be a Church!
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the Foundation Stone of the Gospel!
It is the divine power, impetus and authority that makes the Church stand alone
as the House of God and His servants as stewards, representatives and
ambassadors of His Kingdom!
When St. Paul preached on Mars Hill in Athens, the message he declared
was so profound that many philosophers went away believing that he had
presented two gods, Jesus and the Resurrection. Others heard his message and
opened their hearts to the Lord!
No one in Athens had heard about the resurrection of the dead. They could
not believe that a man who had been crucified and buried, could came back to
life three days later[Max Solbr1] , even though more than 500 men testified
that they had been with Him. And they had spoken to Him, eaten with Him and
touched the nail prints in His hands. And many declared that they were with Him
when He ascended into the clouds and returned to Heaven, forty days after His
resurrection!
PAUL
PREACHED THE RESURRECTION!
St. Paul spoke of his faith before King Agrippa and Governor Festus. He
testified that he had persecuted followers of Jesus Christ. He told of his
dramatic conversion on the Damascus Road when he met the Risen Christ on his
way to arrest Christians.
He declared Christ’s resurrection: “Why
should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the
dead? At midday O king, I saw in the way a light from Heaven, above the
brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which
journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice
speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou Me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
“And I said, Who art Thou? And
He said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand on thy feet: for
have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a
witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which
I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the
Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee.
“To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and this
thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the
prophets? I know that thou believest.
“Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a
Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also
all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I, except
these bonds.” (Acts 26:13-29)
PAUL CALLED THE GOSPEL THIS THING?
This Thing had become Saul’s life. It was radical and powerful. It was
shaking the Jewish Sanhedrin and was starting to make inroads into the Roman
Empire! It was not done within closed doors to only a few people of a certain
people or region. He was talking about the death, resurrection and the
Living Jesus!
He knew that his preaching, healing the sick and raising the dead had
made such an impact that even the king knew about it! It was not hidden away in
a corner but publicly displayed! St. Paul was engaging a pagan king with the
True Gospel and it shook him to the core!
St. Paul systematically laid out the Gospel in what is called, ‘The
Roman Road to Salvation’: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God.” (Rom. 3: 23); “Therefore being justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:1);
“But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified through
His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Rom.5: 8,9);
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom.6:23);
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are
in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:1,2)
THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST!
The Salvation of God is freely given to those
who appropriate His love and mercy for themselves and receive by faith His gift
of eternal life. The Bible says: “Therefore it is of faith, that it might
be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed: not
to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of
Abraham, who is the father of us all.
“He
staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in
faith, giving glory to God: and being fully persuaded that, what He had
promised, He was also able to perform. And therefore, it was imputed to him for
righteousness.
“Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but
for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that
raised up Jesus from the dead; Who was
delivered (to the cross) for our offences (sins) and was raised again
for our justification,” (Rom.4: 20-25)
As I see it, faith is love in action! God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, knowing that He would be faithful to
the end. And God's Son left Heaven's glory to become a man, knowing that death
couldn't hold Him captive because there was no sin in Him. His love for us
drove Him to the cross and His sinless blood and the promise of His
Father, brought Him out of the grave!
Jesus of Nazareth had complete faith in the Holy Scriptures. He prayed
to His Heavenly Father for His disciples, prior to His crucifixion: “Sanctify
them through Thy truth: Thy Word is Truth.” (John 17:17)
BELIEVING GOD'S RECORD OF HIS SON!
St. John warns against the seriousness of rejecting the testimony that
God the Father has given of His Son. He says it is tantamount to calling God a
Liar: “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for
this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He that believeth
on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:
“He that believeth not God hath made Him a LIAR: because he believeth
not the record that God gave of His SON: And this is the record, that God
hath given unto us eternal life, and this LIFE is in His Son. He that
hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1
John 5: 9-12)
The Word of God is direct and straight-forward! It doesn't mince words.
That is why King David prayed: “Thy testimonies are wonderful; therefore doth
my soul keep them. The entrance of Thy words giveth light: it giveth
understanding to the simple.” (Ps. 119:130)
“There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death. For they that are after the flesh do mind the
things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the
Spirit.
“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
“But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead dwell
in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make life
in) your mortal bodies by His Spirit that liveth in you. For
if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do
mortify (kill) the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”
The Holy Spirit makes life (heals,
makes well) our mortal bodies that are susceptible to aging
and wearing out. If we live in the Spirit, we will live healthy lives, which
also keeps us well! And since we are children of God through Jesus Christ our
Lord, we are also free from the bondage of fear!
Some teach, that Scripture speaks about God
raising us from the dead on that great resurrection morning. The Holy Spirit,
however, does not live in a corpse!
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. For ye
have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the
Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself beareth
witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”
We, who have given ourselves totally to God, have been adopted into the
marvelous family of God. Our hearts cry out, ‘Abba Father, meaning Daddy
God’. We are His very own sons and daughters of God, heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ. We have an inheritance that is incorruptible and
undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for us.” (1 Peter 1: 4)
HEIRS
OF GOD THROUGH JESUS’ DEATH!
“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.
Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (takes a hold of
against our infirmities) for we know not what we should pray for as we
ought: but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings cannot
be uttered.”
Sometimes, we do not know how to pray so the Holy Spirit (holds at
arms-length the infirmity) and prays through us (in the Spirit) to
the Father, for our healing! “And He that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is
the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according
to the will of God.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love
God, to them who are called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow,
He also did predestinate to be confirmed to the image of His Son, that
He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
“Moreover, whom He did predestinate them He also called
and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He
justified, them He also glorified. What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8: 1,2,5-17, 26-31)
What does all this mean? How can we understand all this? We cannot in
our limited ability even attempt to understand a plan of such magnitude! By
God’s grace, our Lord has granted us the faith to believe it because of Whom He
is, the Creator and giver of life!
All this was preplanned in the Councils of Heaven before the worlds were
formed. The amazing purposes of God are so great that no human mind could even
begin to imagine, that we poor unworthy sinners could be transformed into the
image of His pure, perfect and holy Son who through His vicarious death for us
all on Calvary’s Cross outside the walls of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, are now
His children!
UNBELIEF
DOES NOT PLEASE GOD!
The Bible states: “For to be carnally minded is death: but to be
spiritually minded is Life and Peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against
God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So,
then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Rom. 8:6-8)
Walking in the Spirit pleases God but
living in unbelief does not! Believing God’s Word and trusting in His promises
brings LIFE and PEACE. The opposite is true when you trust in yourself alone!
The Word of God says: “Trust in the Lord with
all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways
acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path. Be not wise in thine own eyes:
fear the Lord and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow
to thy bones.” (Prov. 3: 5-8)
Walking with God is a win-win
situation, but going our own way is a tragic mistake because the natural man
does not understand the things of the Spirit! When the Holy Spirit calls upon
an individual, the important thing is to answer Him and allow Him to minister
His love, mercy and grace unto you.
It has been said that God always call a person at least three times,
even though many may not be aware of it. I believe that He always calls the
young and tender because He does not want that person to go astray. Then He
calls in the beginning of adulthood when He wants to shape that person’s life.
And finally, He calls nearing the end of life when people are thinking about
dying and eternity!
God called Samuel when he was a lad.
He thought it was Eli the priest, who said, “If He calls again,
say, Here I am Lord. Thy servant heareth.” Samuel became one God’s
greatest prophets!
Jesus personally called Saul of Tarsus in early manhood, “Saul,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? He answered, “Who art Thou Lord?”
He changed his name to Paul, the little one, and became the greatest of all the
apostles and founded the Church in the Gentile world!
God called Abraham in his old age and promised him a son.
The Bible says: “And when Abraham was ninety years old and nine, the Lord
appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am Almighty God, walk before Me, and be
thou perfect; And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now
dead, when he was nearly an hundred years old, neither the deadness of Sarah’s
womb;
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong
in faith giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what He had
promised, He was able to perform. And therefore, it was imputed to him for
righteousness.” (Gen. 17: 1; Rom.4: 20-22)
WE MUST LOVE
& EXALT HIS SON!
“Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on
Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me. And he that seeth Me, seeth
Him that sent Me. I am come as a LIGHT into the world, that whosoever believeth
on Me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear My words, and believe
not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world but to save the world.
“He that rejecteth Me and receiveth not My
words, hath One that judgeth him: the Word that I have spoken, the same shall
judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father that
sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
And I know that His commandment is life everlasting; whatsoever I speak
therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak.” (John 12: 44- 50)
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the
Truth and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me. If ye had
known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him
and have seen Him. Philip saith unto Him, Lord, shew us the Father and it
sufficeth us.
“Jesus saith unto Him, Have I been so long
time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me
hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest
thou not, that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak
unto you, I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth
the works.” (John 4: 6-10)
All we must do to get God
the Father to love us is to LOVE His Son Jesus Christ and receive Him into our
lives; to believe the record that God gave His Son as His paschal Lamb to bring
us back to Him again. It has been a long journey for the human family to become
one with God again, since the fall of Adam and Eve. Through Jesus Christ we
have been adopted back into His Kingdom.
Jesus said: “Yet a little while, and the
world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also. At
that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and in you. He
that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he
that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father and I will love him
and will manifest Myself to him.
“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. He that loveth Me not
keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the
Father’s which sent Me.” (John 14: 19-21, 23, 24)
HOLY SPIRIT:
PROMISE OF THE FATHER!
Jesus declared: “And, behold, I send the
promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye
be endued with power from on High.” (Luke 24: 49). “If ye then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your
Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? (Luke 11:13)
“If ye love Me, keep My commandments. 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; for He dwelleth with
you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
“These things have I spoken unto you, being
yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom
the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and
bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I
leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto
you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:
15-18, 25-27)
The Bible says: “To whom He showed
Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them
forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God:
“And, being assembled together with them,
commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for
the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of me. For
John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy host not
many days hence.
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, an in all Judaea, and in
Sameria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when He had spoken these
things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of
their sight. (Acts 1: 4-9)
During one of his last sermons, D.L. MOODY addressed the subject of the
Holy Spirit: “See how He came on the Day of Pentecost! It is not carnal to
pray that He might come again and that the place may be shaken. I believe
PENTECOST WAS ONLY A SPECIMEN DAY! I think the church has made this woeful
mistake that Pentecost was a miracle never to be repeated. I have thought too
that Pentecost as a miracle never to be repeated. I BELIEVE NOW, if we looked
on Pentecost as a specimen Day and began to pray, we should have the old Pentecostal
FIRE here in Boston.”
An old Gospel hymn admonished: Trust and Obey;
For there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey! The
Bible says: “Then Peter and the other disciples answered and said, We ought to
OBEY God rather than man. And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is
also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that OBEY Him.” (Acts 5: 29,
42)
“For by grace are saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should
boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto god works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2: 8-10)
We are in His Kingdom. He is in us and we
are in Him. Without Jesus Christ we are nothing and can do nothing, but with
Him all things are possible! He is the same yesterday, today and forever! In
all human history, there has never been anyone else who could make that claim!
(Heb. 13:8; Mark 9: 23; Eph. 1: 3-14)
We have been adopted into His glorious
Kingdom through His great love, mercy and grace and are accepted in the
Beloved! Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once
was lost, but now am found. I was blind but now I see!
To sum up this paper, let me say that
to please God we must have faith in His Word, love for Jesus Christ and believe
the record He gave of His Son. We must obey His laws and be filled with His
Holy Spirit. Finally, we must exhibit lives of love, purity, caring and
reaching out with the precious message of eternal salvation to as many as
possible for as long as possible before Christ returns for His Church, the
called-out-ones! Amen.
