Bible Study - Special Independence - 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 - July 3, 2022

 

Bible Study – Special Independence Study – Interdependent Independence – July 3, 2022

Our focus scripture is 1 Corinthians 10:23-33.

Let your responsibility to others drive how you exercise your rights.

The above statement has never meant more than in our world today.

It is all about “Christian Liberty,” however our background often shapes our belief system.

We read in Acts 10:1-6:

10 There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment. ² He was a devout man and feared God along with his whole household. He did many charitable deeds for the Jewish people and always prayed to God. ³ About three in the afternoon^[a] he distinctly saw in a vision an angel of God who came in and said to him, “Cornelius.”

⁴ Staring at him in awe, he said, “What is it, Lord?”

The angel told him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God. ⁵ Now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

Cornelius was a Gentile and he loved GOD. GOD knew the heart of Cornelius. Cornelius was working as hard as he knew how to work to please GOD. GOD knew that Cornelius and his band of worshipers needed to know about JESUS and GOD’S grace.

GOD knew that Peter had the right message of CHRIST but he needed some fine tuning. Peter had not fully realized what being a Spirit-born believer entailed.

Often, we get hung up on tradition and false notions. The Holy Spirit needs to get our attention and reveal truth to us.

Cornelius had to act in faith to what was revealed to him. He did so by sending men to do what was revealed to him by GOD’S angel. The men Cornelius sent were under orders from Cornelius. They had no choice but to obey. GOD would use their going to build their faith.

In the meantime, what was GOD having to do in the life of Peter?

It is revealed in Acts 10:9-16:

⁹ The next day, as they (the soldiers Cornelius sent)  were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the roof about noon.^[b] 10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something, he fell into a trance. ¹¹ He saw heaven opened and an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the earth. ¹² In it were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky. ¹³ A voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.”

¹⁴ “No, Lord!” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything impure and ritually unclean.”

¹⁵ Again, a second time, the voice said to him, “What God has made clean, do not call impure.” ¹⁶ This happened three times, and suddenly the object was taken up into heaven.

Peter was hanging on to his Jewish tradition. GOD had to reveal that his tradition was a barrier to being fully useable by GOD in presenting the Gospel of JESUS to others.

Does our past restrict us from being fully useable by GOD to minister to others? We may not know. Ask GOD to examine your heart and reveal any barriers in your life that prevents you from being completely useable as led by the Holy Spirit.

Our lesson is about freedom to be used by GOD. If we have hang-ups, they can become barriers to ministering.

Our forefathers fought for our freedom. We enjoy that freedom today. Our freedom cost the lives of our fore barriers on American soil and foreign soil. We see what it is like in the Ukraine when Russia chose to invade the Ukraine.

America is receiving an inflow of people from various parts of the world e.g., Ukraine, Afghanistan, various Latin American countries, etc. GOD is bringing people to us who need the Good News of JESUS. But how are we, in the Christian community, viewing this inflow of people? Is it an opportunity or a burden?

If the Christian community does not share JESUS with those coming to America, Satan will capture them.

The freedom for Christians to worship in America did not come free. It cost the blood of many both in America and on foreign soil. Will we use our freedom to present JESUS to others? Does GOD need to do a work in our lives before HE can use us to reach out to others?

What does Christian liberty mean to us who are Spirit-born? How do we respond to those who have a different belief? Do we trust GOD to guide us to those who are seeking truth?

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 10:23-24:

Christian Liberty

²³ “Everything is permissible,”^[k] but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,”^[l] but not everything builds up. ²⁴ No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.

As a Spirit-born person, “everything is permissible but everything is not beneficial nor builds up.” What is a Spirit-born person to do? “²⁴ No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.”

What is best for the other person?

What did the Apostle Paul have in his mind when he was writing these words? The next verse tells us ----

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 10:25-30:

²⁵ Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, without raising questions for the sake of conscience, ²⁶ since the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it.^[m] 27 If any of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions for the sake of conscience. ²⁸ But if someone says to you, “This is food from a sacrifice,” do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience.^[n] 29 I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another person’s conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thanksgiving, why am I criticized because of something for which I give thanks?

In Paul’s time, those who worshipped idols offered animal sacrifices to their idol. Portions of the meat was offered to an idol but not all of it was destroyed. The left-over meat was edible and sold in the pagan meat market at a reduced price. Many people went to the pagan market and bought this meat.

Some Christians thought it was wrong to eat meat which had been offered to idols, some thought it perfectly fine to eat the meat. The Apostle Paul addressed this issue for the Christian community.

If a non-Christian invited a Christian to their home for a meal, the Christian should not ask any questions regarding what was being served to them. However, if a person told the Christian that the food had been offered as a sacrifice to an idol, then the Christian should abstain from eating the food. Why? You abstain not for your sake but for the sake of others.

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 10:31-33:

³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. ³² Give no offense to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, ³³ just as I also try to please everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.

In essence, Paul was telling Christians not to get caught up in controversy over the mundane. Don’t create unimportant barriers between you and those who need the Gospel of JESUS. Salvation of the person or persons to whom we are building a relationship is the focus.

Blessings!!!

 

 

 

Bible Study - Never Alone (4) - Filled with the Spirit - Ephesians 5:8-21 - June 26, 2022

 

Bible Study – Never Alone (4) – Filled with the Spirit – June 26, 2022

This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled, “Never Alone: The Holy Spirit in Our Lives.”

Our focus scripture is Ephesians 5:8-21

The Holy Spirit enables us to live as fully devoted disciples.

All who have been born-again have the Holy Spirit within them. It is the Holy Spirit WHO enables all Spirit-born believers to live as GOD’S Children and to live upon earth as HE desires for them to live.

The Hoy Spirit is light, therefore all who have the Holy Spirit are also light.

The Apostle Paul was writing to the Christians in the church in Ephesus.

Let’s read Ephesians 5:8-14:

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— ⁹ for the fruit of the light^[c] consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth— ¹⁰ testing what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹ Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. ¹³ Everything exposed by the light is made visible, ¹⁴ for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore, it is said:

Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.

There are two worlds within the world in which we live. There is the world of darkness, ruled by Satan and his angels and there is the world of light, ruled by GOD. The passion of JESUS defeated Satan and GOD judged him, as we read in John 16:7-11:

⁷ Nevertheless, I (JESUS) am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor (THE HOLY SPIRIT) will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: ⁹ About sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; ¹¹ and about judgment, because the ruler of this world (Satan) has been judged.

JESUS’ won the victory over sin and eternal death when HE gave HIS sinless life upon the cross and shed HIS blood. However, every person to ever live MUST be “born-again” by the Holy Spirit, through faith in JESUS, to escape eternal death and receive eternal life. It is the shed, sinless blood of JESUS that is the power to make this transformation eternal. When JESUS gave HIS life for sin on the cross, Satan was defeated, judged and defeated by JESUS. Proof that JESUS paid the sin debt, in full, is that GOD raised JESUS from the physically dead to be eternally alive. JESUS is the first fruit of the resurrection of all who place their faith in JESUS. JESUS is the first to be resurrected from the dead to have eternal life.

Yet, GOD left Satan in the world. Why? The physical world is ruled by Satan and it is in darkness. The same physical world is ruled by JESUS, WHO is the light in the dark. There is a stark contrast between the darkness of sin and the true light of salvation in order to get the attention of all who seek truth, which is the true light of JESUS. It is the Holy Spirit that probes the hearts of all people to woo them to see the light of JESUS and accept HIM as their Savior. All people have a choice.

Sin came into the world when Eve and Adam made the decision to eat the forbidden fruit. Since Eve is the mother of all people, eternal death was passed onto all humans, thus all people must be redeemed. JESUS is the only redemptive power for people of all races to receive eternal life through Spiritual birth e.g., Born-again. Spiritual birth (being born-again Spiritually) comes only through faith in JESUS.

All who have been born-again have the Holy Spirit and are “light in the LORD”. Notice, are light! Thus, all who have been born-again are to “walk as children of light.”

⁹ for the fruit of the light^[c] consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth— ¹⁰ testing what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹ Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Those who walk in the light produce fruit. In Galatians, Paul wrote about the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22:

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

This is the fruit or product that those who walk in the light produce as they go about their daily life. WOW! Does a fruit tree have to worry and ponder what type of fruit it will produce? NO!!! Neither do those who are Spirit-born. Those who are Spirit-born are planted in GOD’S vineyard and GOD decides the fruit they produce. The Holy Spirit is the power or GOD’S Seed that activates the Spiritual germination process.

All born-again people are lights in the world of darkness.

I pondered this and asked the LORD, “How does someone who walks with YOU put this in effect?”

Later, I accompanied my precious wife to a routine follow up visit to the Gibbs Cancer Center. As I entered and saw all the people who had appointments or came with those who had appointments, the Holy Spirit, in that precious still small voice said, “You asked ME how you could you be light? Look around and pray for all the people you see. Some are being treated, some are care givers, loved ones, nurses, technicians, doctors and various medical personnel.” WOW! That was an eyeopener.

Yes, some had cancer and were getting treatment, some were care givers, some had various duties to perform to make certain treatment was being administered correctly. They all needed prayer including the maintenance and hospital administrators, with a special prayer of thanks to the Gibbs.   

This was an example of how we can be called into action by GOD as we walk through life. Just look around, listen and respond as the Holy Spirit reveals where and when GOD desires for us to respond e.g., when we hear a siren, it means that an emergency is taking place somewhere, pray. Pray or respond as prompted by the Holy Spirit.

Yes, we who know the truth are on call 24/7 to pray and respond as prompted by the Holy Spirit.

I prayed, as led and GOD was pleased. I did not have to speak a word out loud to anyone only to pray. We are the light and light expose the things that are hiding in the darkness. GOD heals by the touch of HIS hands or through medicine, surgery and physical therapy.

But there is so much more to being the light, as we walk through life. We can encourage and practice the many gifts of the Holy Spirit, that GOD had given to us to be used as HE directs.

All of us came from darkness and into the marvelous light of GOD through faith in JESUS.

I will copy our opening scripture again:

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— ⁹ for the fruit of the light^[c] consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth— ¹⁰ testing what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹ Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. ¹³ Everything exposed by the light is made visible, ¹⁴ for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore, it is said:

Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.

Oh yes, it is time that all Spirit-born people rise up from our sleep and from the dead and let our light shine in a world that is in darkness.

Ask GOD to reveal to you how you can let the light of CHRIST shine though you – HE will because HE has called those who are Spirit-born to be the light.

The church is an institution and as such tends to cover up things that take place that are wrong. Some of these things are evil and are covered by darkness. But we who have been Spiritually born into GOD’S Family are to shine the light of GOD on the things that are hidden and expose them. This is not to destroy the institution but to expose and destroy the darkness that invades the institution, so the intuition can be trusted.

¹⁰ testing what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹ Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.

All Spirit-born people are called to test and evaluate that which is pleasing to our LORD. Satan loves nothing more than to get our institutions to spend their time, resources and efforts on “fruitless works of darkness.”

It is time for all who have been called by GOD to leadership roles to test what is pleasing to our LORD. It is time for the leadership in an institution and its members to ask the Holy Spirit to shine the light of JESUS into all the dark places and expose any issue that needs to be brought into the true light. Time is of the essence.

Let’s read Ephesians 5:15-18:

Consistency in the Christian Life

¹⁵ Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— ¹⁶ making the most of the time,^[d] because the days are evil. ¹⁷ So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: 

Being the light of CHRIST carries responsibility. Spirit-born people are to walk/live wisely. True wisdom comes from GOD. True wisdom is knowledge applied to GOD’S plan. The Holy Spirit takes wisdom and applies it in our lives as we go through each day.

How much time do we have? We all have 24 hours per day. How does Satan want us to us that time? If you said to twiddle it away, you would be correct. GOD tells us to redeem the time by making every moment we have count for HIM. GOD has work for all Spirit-born to do.

Satan will do all he can to distract us, or neutralize us by getting us to participate in the fruitless works of darkness, hooked on drugs, alcohol, pot, games, keeping busy, sex, embezzlement, gambling, etc. The list goes on because as a Spirit-born person you are Satan’s target. Darkness wants to rule but light rules over darkness. People of the light are to expose them.

Spirit-born people, do not let anything distract you from following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what you need to confess and deal with. Satan will bring to your mind many things and over whelm you and likely get you to focus on that which is not your major issue. This is the role of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit reveals the area a Spirit-born person needs to focus.

Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Gee, when will we get full?

All Spirit-born people should ask GOD to search and reveal the core of their being. Have sins of our forebearers been visited upon them? Have they opened themselves up to the occult/dark world through tarot cards, Ouija boards, horoscopes, fortune tellers, talking off warts and the list goes on?  

When we empty out all that we have either know or unknowingly allowed into our lives that must come out and make room to be completely filled with the Holy Spirit. It is a process called sanctification or being made pure to be used by GOD. We are to fully reflect JESUS in our lives as we live in a world filled with darkness. We may be the only light some may ever see.

GOD calls some to lives of seclusion and meditation as in a convent or cloister but HE also calls Spirit-born people to serve every day as they live among the masses. When Spirit-born people are living in the world, they are to keep their eyes upon JESUS and fellowship with fellow Spirit-born people.

Spirit-born people are to study GOD’S Word, pray, respond as led by the Holy Spirit and to grow and mature as GOD’S chosen people of the light in a world of darkness.

It is vital that Spirit-born people come together to worship and fellowship. We know of groups who have tried to do this and it seems that they can morph into self-serving clans or cults. Satan will do his best to make sure that a true group, walking in the light, is disrupted.

Let’s read Ephesians 5:19-21:

¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.

As Spirit-born people, we are accountable to GOD and to each other in a world of darkness. We are the light of the world. We are to support each other as we walk through life.

We are also a sweet-smelling fragrance to the world, as we read in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16:

¹⁵ For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

¹⁶ To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. Who is adequate for these things?

Spirit-born people are to stay focused. How? Stay connected with fellow Spirit-born people and with JESUS. Stay filled with the Holy Spirit. Ask GOD to clean out that which does not need to be in your heart and replace them with that which is pure.

Ask GOD to clean the eye-gates of your mind/heart and dump out that which corrupts and allow in that which is pure and glorifies GOD.

Spirit-born people are the light!

Blessings!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bible Study - Never Alone (3) - Indwelt by the Holy Spirit - Romans 8:9-17 - June 19, 2022

 Bible Study – Never Alone (3) – Indwelt by the Holy Spirit – June 19,2022

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled, “Never Alone: The Holy Spirit in our Lives.”

Our focus scripture is Romans 8:9-17.

The Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives affirms our relationship with GOD.

In our last week’s study, JESUS made it clear that the person who is born of the Holy Spirit is GOD’S Child. The Holy Spirit gives eternal life to all who are “born-again” in their spirit. New eternal life begins the instant a person asks JESUS to forgive him or her for his or her sins and believing that JESUS is the only atonement for sin.

We read In Ephesians 4:22-24:

²² to take off^[g] your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, ²³ to be renewed^[h] in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on^[i] the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

When we ask JESUS to forgive us for our sins and to come into our hearts, a miracle takes place because we are born-again. As Spirit-born people we, in essence, take off our old self or “mind set” and put on our “new mind set.”

Also, we read in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 - ²¹ Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointed us. ²² He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.

GOD’S seal upon us shows GOD’S ownership of us. We are sealed by the shed blood of JESUS eternally.

The Apostle Paul makes the process of salvation clear in what is referred to as the Roman road to salvation:

Romans 3:23: ²³ For all have sinned and fall short of the^[a] glory of God;

Romans 3:10: ¹⁰ as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.

Romans 5:12: ¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.^[a]

Romans 6:23: ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8: ⁸ But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

Romans 10:9-12: ⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

Romans 10:13: ¹³ For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.^[h]

Romans 10:17: ¹⁷ So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.^[l]

How can this be? The heart of GOD’S redemptive plan is recorded in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

²¹ He (GOD) made the one who did not know sin (JESUS) to be sin^[e] for us, so that in him (JESUS) we might become the righteousness of God.

The role of the Holy Spirit is to prefect those who have placed their faith and trust in JESUS and to confirm their salvation through the miracle of Spiritual birth.

In essence, the Spirit-born person is already in Heaven but assigned to earth to minister as led by the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul capturers this in Romans 6:6-11:

⁶ For we know that our old self^[c] was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin^[d] might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, ⁷ since a person who has died is freed^[e] from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, ⁹ because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹ So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.^[f]

When JESUS died on the cross, all who place their faith in JESUS died with HIM and were buried with HIM and resurrected by GOD when JESUS was resurrected never to die again. WOW!!! That is worth shouting about. All Spirit-born people are already in Heaven but assigned to earth to minister, as led by the Holy Spirit. How about that!!!

This opens the Spiritual door to what is taking place within every Spirit-born person while they remain upon earth. The Apostle Paul wrote about this in Romans 6:22-23

²² But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life! ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Spirit-born people are being “sanctified” or the process of being made “Saint-like.” Sanctification is GOD’S process of setting aside Spirit-born people to be used for GOD’S purpose. It is GOD WHO makes Saints. It is putting to death the deeds of the body/flesh. This is the purpose of the Holy Spirit for Spirit-born people. The process of being made more CHRIST-like begins at the instant of conversion or salvation and is a life-long process.

Let’s read Romans 8:9-11:

 ⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. ¹⁰ Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit^[f] gives life^[g] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through^[h] his Spirit who lives in you.

The Apostle Paul is writing. The word “if” can be translated “since” or as we read in this translation “if indeed.” Only the individual person knows for certain whether or not the Holy Spirit lives in him or her. If a person is not sure that he or she has asked JESUS to forgive him or her for his or her sins and for JESUS to come into his or her heart, that person needs to ask GOD to confirm it one way or the other. All who have been “born-again” in their spirit are eternally alive upon earth and when their earth suit (physical body) dies, they are immediately in the presence of GOD.

In Romans 8:1-2, we read - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,^[a] 2 because the law^[b] of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you^[c] free from the law^[d] of sin and death.

This scripture presents two mindsets: (1) Those who live according to the flesh and (2) Those who live according to Spirit.

Those who live according to the “flesh” will die and those who live according to the “Spirit” will find peace and live eternally with GOD in Heaven.

The question every person must answer, are you living according to the flesh or according to the Spirit?

Living in the Spirit means that a person has asked JESUS to forgive him or her for his or her sins and asked JESUS to come into his or her heart. That is the miracle of being “born-again” in your spirit, never to be Spiritually unborn.

Then once you have been born Spiritually, what is your mind-set? How do you live being a Child of GOD?

The Apostle Paul wrote in the scripture leading up to our focus scripture in Romans 8:5-8: (mindset)

⁵ For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Let’s read Romans 8:12-14:

The Holy Spirit’s Ministries

¹² So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, ¹³ because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons or (daughters). 

“So then,” those who have been “born-again” are not obligated to live according to the “mind set” of the flesh but according to the “mind set” of the Holy Spirit. Earth is no longer the Spirit-born person’s home. His or her home and citizenship is in Heaven, however, GOD chose for those who are Spirit-born to remain upon earth to be HIS Ambassadors, as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 20:

²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

As Spirit-born people, earth is not our home. We are sojourners or simply passing through earth on our way to Heaven. As we sojourn, GOD has work for each of us to do as we remain upon earth, after we have been Spirit-born.

The key is “No Person who has NOT been Spirit born will go to Heaven!”

How do we, as Spirit-born people, know where to work? The Holy Spirit leads us to that which GOD desires to be done. The Holy Spirit opens our Spiritual eyes to where HE is working and when we see HIM working, that is our invitation to join HIM.

Some may think, “but GOD may ask me to do something beyond my comfort zone?” GREAT!!! That reveals that HE knows what you are capable of and wants you to grow in your faith in HIM as we read on ----

Let’s read Romans 8:15-17:

¹⁵ For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba,^[i] Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, ¹⁷ and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Once we have placed our hands on the plow, we are not to look back but straight ahead. When a person is to plow a long row, he or she picks out a stationary object at the end of the field and keeps his or her eye on that object, as he or she moves forward. GOD desires for each of us to fix our eyes upon JESUS as we journey through life. When we do and follow the direction/leadership of the Holy Spirit, we will see that the path we have plowed is straight. We may have to remove a rock or bolder or tree or various obstacles as we plow the straight row, according to GOD’S plan.

Will it be easy? NO!!! There will be obstacles along the way which will increase our faith. We, as Spirit-born, must keep in mind what JESUS has already done for us. Satan has been judged and JESUS has equipped all Spirit-born with the Holy Spirit and with Spiritual gifts. HE has placed HIS eternal seal upon us, the Holy Spirit.

Just think, being Spirit-born, we can call GOD, FATHER and we can come to HIM 24/7and call HIM “Daddy”.

We read in Hebrews 4:14-16:

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,^[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Yes, Spirit-born people will sin and in 1 John 1:8-9: ⁸ If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

GOD’S mercy and grace always keeps those who are Spirit-born in right standing and relationship with GOD. GOD never leaves those who are Spirit-born and will never forsake them.

JESUS understands what it means to be human and living in a sinful world. That is why HE came to earth to give HIS sinless life by the shedding of HIS blood, that all who place their faith in HIM will have eternal life. What a loving Savior we have!!!

If you have never asked JESUS to save you from eternal death, follow the Roman road to salvation and experience the miracle of being Spirit-born into GOD’S Family and becoming eternally GOD’S Child.

Blessings!!!