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 Worldliness Versus Holiness
Full Surrender – Sanctification
The following is taken from Global Revival: Worldwide Outpourings – Forty-Three Visitations of the Holy Spirit and is used by permission. Worldliness Versus Holiness We are not to be conformed to this world, but conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Friendship with this world in enmity towards God and the Spirit within us yearns jealously (James 4:4-5). God wants us to become disciples, not church-goers with the nickname Christian; not Sunday saints and weekday aints! It’s all or nothing – no more compromising your testimony or two-timing Jesus; if you do you’re a God-mocker, because you mock God with your testimony and His name is blasphemed amongst your work colleagues and neighbours because of you (Romans 2:24). The Bible plainly declares that ‘without holiness no man can see the Lord’ (Hebrews 12:14). Holiness is not about keeping rules and regulations because we have to, but a heart attitude because we want to – we want to offer our ‘bodies as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable to God’ (Roman 12:1-2), which is only reasonable, just and fair. Living For Christ Jesus Christ gave His life for us, so we should give Him our life in return (Galatians 2:20). Because He lives, we also live (John 14:19), and we should be living life to the full in Christ, “more abundantly” (John 10:10b). At conversion, we are ‘sealed with the Spirit,’ but we are called to be ‘filled with the Spirit’ and that is the ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire’ as the Refiner comes to indwell and expunge sin from our lives as we die daily to self, crucifying the flesh with its passion and desires. We work in cooperation with God as we desire to do His will. John the Baptist said, “I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). Sanctification – Holiness Experiential sanctification is a much deeper work of God in the believer’s life than positional sanctification (made holy because of Christ’s death and resurrection on the cross – imputed righteousness). It is the ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit AND FIRE’ (Matthew 3:11) – the “greater works” (John 14:12), of what Jesus spoke about and “rivers of living waters” (John 7:38), that will bubble and flow out of a sanctified saint so that people will know that they are very different than the average born again believer because their entire nature has been changed by the FILLING of the Holy Spirit. It is not so much as ‘I’ have the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues, or other gifts of the Holy Spirit) but that the Holy Spirit HAS ME! Therefore, I live to please the Master. And because He has me (yielded to Christ, crucified life, full surrender), He comes to indwell in all His FULLNESS and I can be an overcomer and have victory over sin to the praise and glory of God. Used by permission from Global Revival: Worldwide Outpourings – Forty-Three Visitations of the Holy Spirit by Mathew Backholer Recommended Books: Holy Spirit Power Revival Answers, True and False Revivals Heaven – A Journey to Paradise and the Heavenly City Prophecy Now, Prophetic Words and Divine Revelations Revival Fires and Awakenings: Thirty-Six Visitations of the Holy Spirit Global Revival: Worldwide Outpourings - Forty-Three Visitations of the Holy Spirit Reformation to Revival, 500 Years of God’s Glory: Sixty Revivals, Awakenings and Heaven-Sent Visitations of the Holy Spirit Revival Fire - 150 Years of Revivals: Spiritual Awakenings and Moves of the Holy Spirit Understanding Revival and Addressing the Issues it Provokes Jesus Today, Daily Devotional: 100 Days with Jesus Christ Samuel Rees Howells: A Life of Intercession Samuel, Son and Successor of Rees Howells ‘If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land’ (2 Chronicles 7:14). Recommended Revival DVD: Great Christian Revivals REVIVAL LINKS Thus says the Lord: “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants and My blessing on your offspring” (Isaiah 44:3). |
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