Shalom, Boker tov,

In the Old Testament, we read of the Spirit of God coming upon men of God and empowering them to perform exceptional feats. However, the same Spirit seemed to leave the persons once the need had been fulfilled. It does not stay on the person for a long time but for specific reasons only.

However, after His death on the cross and His ascension back to Heaven, Jesus sent His Spirit upon all His disciples and upon those who believe in Him and the interesting part is that the Spirit of Christ, as He is called in the New Testament, does not leave us. He resides in each person who is a Child of God - one who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 1: 13 - 14 wrote
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

The Holy Spirit is given to us as a seal of promise by the Father that we belong to Him and Paul also mentioned that the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance and that one day we will be able to redeem that possession when we enter Heaven. Then our bodies will be transformed into our resurrection body like our Lord Jesus when He rose from the dead. We will be able to do those things that He performed in His resurrected body. What a wonderful promise and I am certainly looking forward to that day.

Why must the Holy Spirit come, one might ask? The Person who sent Him provided the best answer. In John 16: 5 - 15, Jesus told His disciples that He will send the Helper ( "paraklete" in Greek ) to all those who believe in Him.
5 But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'
6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you: but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

The Holy Spirit has been given three important assignments.
1 He is to declare and convict those who choose not to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. If they reject Jesus and what He did on the cross for them, then how else could these hope to attain salvation? The only way to eternal life is through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and if anyone were to reject that, then there would be no other way but eternal separation from God and the Bible calls that Death.
2 The Holy Spirit convicts the Believers that they are made righteous before the Father. Because of what Jesus achieved on the cross, now we, who have put our faith in Him, have a right standing before God the Father. We are now able to not only approach the Father but sit on the thrones reserved for all believers in Heaven together with our Lord Jesus. The work accomplished by the Lord Jesus is for eternity. Therefore, by that one perfect death on the cross, He had made complete our redemption. Now we become children of God the Father and our Father is no longer angry with us. Indeed, how can a loving Father be angry with His children?
3 The devil had been defeated and he knows that. The only thing is that he tries to deceive some people with his scare tactics. He terrorizes people, even believers, so that we lose our peace and therefore lose some of the blessings. He knows His days are numbered but he does not want everyone to know that so that some who are deceived will not put their faith in the Lord Jesus. My friends, you who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, know for a certainty that the devil is finished, defeated and doomed for judgment. Let us not be fooled by him but let us stand firm and resist him by declaring that Jesus had overcome him on the cross.

Of course, one important task that is wrapped up in the three assignments given to the Holy Spirit, is that of a Teacher. Jesus in the passage above, said that the Holy Spirit will take what belongs to Jesus and declare it to us. And what exactly does that encompass? The key is in verse 15. All that Jesus has will be given to us - His right standing before God the Father, His blessings, His riches and health. Imagine, Jesus said all things that the Father has belong to Him; and that is a big storehouse. No wonder the Father is so please with us that He longs to shower each one of His children with His blessings and in God's treasure house, the walls stretch to eternity.

My friend, have you made the decision yet to receive Jesus into your heart? Remember, the Holy Spirit is the One who convicts us of our sins. I ask that you take a couple of minutes to ponder over these things and choose life, even eternal life with Jesus. Why not pray this prayer and invite Jesus into your heart and He will come and take up residence there.

Our Heavenly Father, thank you for Your great love for me that cost You Your own Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank you that Jesus came into this world to die for our sins and to rise again from the dead.
Thank You that because Jesus died for my sins, I can now enjoy Your Presence in my life. Thank you that I am now made righteous by the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and that you do not see me as myself but as Jesus. Lord Jesus, come into my life. Live inside of my heart and change me.
Thank You Father that I am now Your child and I am greatly blessed, highly favored, deeply loved, forever forgiven and completely protected.
Thank You in the precious Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiyah.
Amen.

The Lord blesses you and keeps you,
The Lord makes His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and all your loved ones,
The Lord lifts up His countenance upon you and gives you His shalom peace. Numbers 6: 24 - 26

Shavrou-tof Shalom,
Andrew L W Lee

dated : 10th Mar 2002