Spirit of God
When God opened the heavens and looked down on man, He saw the pitiable state of man. He decided then, He would give man His Spirit on a permanent basis. However, it was to be a process by which man was to attain to this lofty position of becoming a container of the Spirit of God. Added to this, man was due for a fullness of his inheritance in heaven which would come after his natural death. In order for man to attain either two, the deposit of his inheritance and the fullness of his inheritance, he had to die in the flesh. No flesh can exist in the Spirit because never the twain shall mix. This is a mystery because Spirit dwells in flesh but flesh cannot dwell in Spirit.
To understand why God would want us to have His Spirit, we need to understand the creation of man. Man was created for God’s good pleasure. His fellowship with man was to be in the Spirit because God is Spirit. This means, both a Spirit that cannot be seen and a Spirit that can be seen when desired by God. His manifestation of Himself in Jesus is a clear example of this. Now, we can see God in the Spirit when we see Jesus. One day, we will all know Jesus as He is and so will we be also. Yet, for the moment, we see dimly and know partially and so we can understand only a little. The amount that is available for us to understand now is vast even with the little that has been revealed. However, a man must know these things by the Spirit of God or else he will fail to understand and lose his way. The Spirit world is a vast world involving many kinds of spirits. To truly know who the Spirit of God is, we must look at Jesus. This too is a mystery. When we want to see the Spirit we must see Jesus and when we want to see Jesus we must see the Spirit. The Spirit manifests in the word and so it is possible to see the Spirit. The word is the container of the Spirit of God.
God wants us to have His Spirit now and forever. This means, both the physcial aspect of His Spirit and His nature. His nature is the charcter of God. To be truly God like, we must be born of water (the word) and the Spirit. Many accept Jesus but many do not accept the Spirit. They see the word and Spirit as one and so do not see the need to asscoaite with the Spirit in matters of the Spirit separately to the word. Technically the Spirit and word are one but the manifestations are separate.
This confuses the legalists and so they choose what they want to believe because the things of the Spirit knows no man except the Spirit. When He chooses to reveal Himself in manifestations, they who reject the manifestations also reject the Spirit of God. Mat 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. Mat 12:23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: Mat 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? Mat 12:27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. Mat 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Mat 12:29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. Mat 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Mat 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. Mat 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
The Spirit of God with men is an entirely different concept to having the Spirit of God in men. The “with men” is the existence of the Spirit of God amongst men, both saved and unsaved. One set of men knows Him and the other set of men do not know Him. Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
The Spirit of God is the power of God to give life to all who would receive this life. He is called the Spirit of life and resides in Jesus. Jesus then becomes the giver of life to all who believe in Him. This life that is given is the life that comes from the Father God. He has designated life in Christ to all men through His Spirit. The life that is given is eternal life which if received, takes the individual on a journey in the Spirit. Where the Spirit may lead is a mystery but all who are born of the Spirit know how to flow with Him. Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Many have an intellectual understanding of faith in Christ and reduce themselves to legality. Others have a minimal understanding of Christ the Saviour and relegate themselves to the word and live on crumbs. The true abundance of food in the Spirit is in actually encountering and receiving the Spirit. When Jesus taught His disciples, He taught them about the Kingdom, the Father and the Spirit. They did not understand at first but a day came when Jesus left them on their own and then sent them the Spirit of God to encounter them and teach them all that He had Himself taught them so that, they might have understanding. Many have tried to teach Christianity based on the word only and have killed people. 2Co_3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
However, Jesus anticipated this error in men and sent His Holy Spirit that He will encounter men and teach them. On the day of Pentecost, the disciples came into clear understanding of God’s will and purposes for all mankind who would believe. For those who would not believe, He gave them Spirit manifestations to draw them into the faith. Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
When this encounter and manifestation happened, many unbelieving people at the time who witnessed this, believed. Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
What is important to know and understand is, these things are happening even today, 2000 years after the event of Pentecost because of the Spirit. God has ordained it so. It is possible to be filled and continually filled with the Spirit of God. One must seek this with all their heart if they are going to rise up and keep going forward. If you stay too long in the word only, you will die. You will shrivel up with discouragement and despair with the trials of your faith and instead of it producing something more glorious, it will become your coffin.
The Spirit of God is still amongst men seeking those who would trust God and then He will come and rest on them. They will be empowered for great things that He has in mind for them. Only must totally surrender and then conviction in one’s spirit will determine their journey in the Spirit. One must seek to encounter the Spirit of God for oneself and not live of another’s experiences. Testimonies of others are good but they are there to lift our faith up to get our own. I believe there will be one final outpouring of God’s Spirit on men. Be prepared.
Lots of love
Pastor Noble
07/01/18