Because we are the children of God, our salvation is at the center of our faith in and walk with God. Jesus was sent by God to seek and save us while we were still lost in our sins. Although, we were sinners God still loved us enough to allow His only Son to die for us on the cross. Because of this divine sacrifice, we now possess a guarantee of salvation. The only requirement is that we put our faith and trust in what God has provided for our salvation. God has given us a way to get off the path that leads to destruction. We have been placed on the path to righteousness. Jesus tells us in the Scripture, “ I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come unto the Father except by me.” Jesus came to show us this way. The way lies in the truths He taught and lived while on this earth. The way lies in the truth, that He was willing to die on the cross for our sins. His blood cleanses us so the Holy Spirit of God can live in our hearts. God chose us a long time ago to be His children. Therefore, because Jesus died on the cross for our sins, the Holy Spirit of God can now come in to our hearts. He can now empower us to be the mighty men and women of God. The question is ‘ Can you believe it?’
The Holy Spirit of God is placed in our hearts to reveal the truths of God to us. He teaches us about the ways of God. He empowers us to do the will of God. Once we accept the message of the Gospel, we are reborn into the family of God by our trust in and belief of what God has already promised. We gain the hope of eternal life with God. We are also given the power and the tools needed to do what God chose us to do. Because of our rebirth and the indwelling Holy Spirit of God, we experience joy in the midst of our sufferings. We experience this joy not just, because we suffer. We experience this joy because we have a divine guarantee that our walk on earth will end with us living in heaven. In heaven, we shall reign with Christ. Nevertheless, this guarantee or salvation is not given to us because of anything we do. This salvation or spiritual rebirth is ours when we decide to take God at His word. John 3: 16 states, ‘ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.’ God has done the giving. Now, we must do the receiving. God has sent Jesus to rescue us from our sins. Now, can you believe it?
Therefore, we receive what God has provided by doing what Jesus and His disciples teach us through the Scriptures. When we practice the ways of Jesus, we are given the Holy Spirit of God. Likewise, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God, we experience God for ourselves. As we experience the presence of God, we will begin to understand the religion of Jesus. The religion of Jesus is about knowing God. It is not about knowing of God. It is about knowing God. We can only know God when we experience God personally through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. His Spirit leads, guides, and teaches us everything we need to do for God. His Spirit empowers us to do these things. The ideals Jesus taught was so radical to the organized religious society, that it cost Him his life. The religion of Jesus is not about rules and regulations. It is not about efforts and good deeds. The religion of Jesus is not about going to a temple or any man made building. Jesus lives in and taught total dependence on God and absolute obedience to Him. That is the religion of Jesus. Now, can you believe it?
Jesus was a real person. A real God sent Him. He was empowered with real power in order to demonstrate that it is possible to have an up close and personal relationship with God. Jesus came to break the chains of man made rules and regulations that chained us to sin. He came to stop us from worshipping fake and useless gods. Jesus came to introduce us to a real God. Now, we can receive real power to do God’s work right in our neighborhood where it is needed the most. Jesus tells us about His religion in John 15. The religion of Jesus is knowing God and knowing the one He sent. The only way to know God is to experience God. Moses did not find God in the burning bush. If he had, he would have worshipped the bush. God found Moses at the bush and allowed him to experience His presence. Moses experiences lead to his obedience. Elijah did not find God in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. God found Elijah running for his life from Jezebel. Then God allowed him to experience His presence. This is what Jesus lived and taught. He lived in and taught total dependence on God and absolute obedience to Him. Now can you believe it?
Jesus lived and did everything because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in His life. He healed people because he had the presence of the Holy Spirit. He walked on water because of this presence. The demon obeyed Him because of the presence of the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus went to the cross because of the presence of the Holy Spirit of God. He was able to do these things because he lived in and taught total dependence on God and absolute obedience to God. Now, He sits on the right hand of God interceding for us. Because of this, we, too, can do even greater things. This is why God chose us while we were still sinners. God chose us to believe in Jesus by living like Him in total dependence on God and absolute obedience to Him. God chose us to experience Him by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. God chose to empower us to do the works of God. Therefore, we have the power to make a difference. We have the power to change the lives of those we are sent to serve. We have the power to heal the sick. We have the power to cast out demons. We have the power to raise the dead of our communities to a renewed relationship with God. We are empowered to touch the lives of everyone we meet with the presence of God. Regardless, we must first believe it.
The Scripture says, “ one shall put a thousand to flight and two shall put ten thousand to flight.” When the real church of God, the body of Christ, come together we have more power than the devil can handle. When the saved children of God come together, we can do greater works. We can do greater works because God has chosen to give us the same powerful presence of the Holy Spirit of God that was inside of Jesus. God has chosen to give us the power to save the lost. He has given us the power to make the lame walk. We have the power to stand on our spiritual and physical feet and become a force right now. Furthermore, it is time for us to stand. It is time for us to come out of our denominational church buildings. It is time for us to stand up as the mighty men and women of God. It is time for us to grow up and understand our purpose is to set the others free from sin. It is time for us to realize that God has packed the body of Christ, the church of God with power to be a force right now. Nevertheless, we must first believe it.
The body of Christ is the real powerhouse in our society, because we have been chosen to do what Jesus was not sent to do. Jesus was sent only to save the world from their sins. He was sent to pay our sin debt. However, the Holy Spirit of God was sent to lead, guide, and teach us the truths of God. He was sent to empower us to convince the lost that they had a debt to be paid. We are empowered to inform them that this sin debt has been paid in full. We have been empowered to show them the way to the kingdom of God. Once they believe these truths and accept God’s offer of salvation, they, too, will be empowered with the Holy Spirit of God. God will fill them with His Spirit and stand them on their spiritual and physical feet. God can not lie. His words are the truth. His words will set us free. Whoever the Son sets free is free indeed. We are free to be saved. We are free to be righteous, We are free to be apart of the body of Christ. We are free from the chains of sins and off the path to destruction. Nevertheless, we must first believe it.
The Scripture tells us the story of Peter walking on the water. On this day, Jesus decided to take a walk on the water. He was walking towards the boat when Peter spotted Him. He first thought it was a ghost until Jesus spoke to him. Still, Peter could not imagine how someone could walk on top of the water. So, in his unbelief, Peter replied, ‘ If it is you, Lord then bid me to come to you on the water.’ Jesus just replied, ‘Come.’ Peter got up and stepped over the side of that boat. Peter steps over the sides of that boat not because he knew he would walk on the water. Peter took his step of faith because he believes in the power of the presence of the Holy Spirit inside of Jesus. He forgot about the physics that said it was impossible to do. He just believed that all things are possible to them who believe and he stood up and walked on water. Today, the same thing applies to each of us as the mighty men and women of God. Our jobs might seem impossible. Our problems might flood down upon us. Still, we can forge ahead. We know the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit of God is inside us. However, we must first chose to believe.
