The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 73

The Advent Part 65

David prophesied concerning the resurrection of Christ Jesus even though he did not know the full measure or finite details of that which he was prophesying. The Holy Spirit was speaking through David things that he might not have grasped or understood at the time, but He was doing so in order to bring to fulfillment the plan of God. David’s psalms were no mere songs of worship, they were not birthed of his own volition, of his own mind, or his own intellect; they were in fact prophetic, prophesying of the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one.

As a man born of a woman, Jesus could die; as one raised of God, death no longer had a hold over Him, nor could death ever claim Him again. Through His resurrection, Jesus can also raise us from the death of sin, wherein we are forgiven, and cleansed, and made new, born again in Him.

1 Peter 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

We have been begotten again to a living hope through the resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead, and to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away. These things are reserved in heaven for us, there are not obscure sayings of obscure men but the promises of God the Father, and they are kept by the power of God through faith.

His death bought us, and begat us again, but His resurrection births us anew, makes us new creatures in Christ for whom the inheritance awaits.

It is through the resurrection of Christ that God counts us as justified. Yes, Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses, because of our sins, and because of our rebellion, and He was raised up because of our justification. We must preach a risen Christ, a resurrected Christ, one who suffered and bled and died for our sins, but one who also rose from the dead and shook of the shackles of death for our justification.

Romans 4:23-25, “Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”

If we were made alive together with Christ by the rich mercy of God and because of His great love with which He loved us, we are no longer subject to corruption, we are no longer subject to death for we are alive in Him.

Ephesians 2:4-7, “But God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Yes God loved us even when we were dead in trespasses, but made us sit together in the heavenly places with Christ only after we were made alive together with Him. We know that the Word tells us that nothing corrupt or defiled will be allowed into the heavenly places, we know that the Word tells us that Christ is returning for a spotless bride, without wrinkle and without stain, yet some still continue to assert that we can live however we please in this present life, we can do all that the flesh desires, and still be welcomed into the heavenly places with Christ.

We deceive ourselves if we believe God no longer has a standard, we deceive ourselves if we believe God no longer requires repentance and obedience and self-renunciation, and though we might strive to convince ourselves of these things, God is not swayed nor does He change to suit our predilections. God is holy, He is righteous, and He commands that those who would be made alive together with Christ, those who would claim the name of Jesus be likewise holy and righteous.

Yes I have been maligned for this particular stance, yes I have even lost friends because of it, but it is a biblical stance and one I will uphold until the day I go into the earth. My desire is to serve Christ, my desire is to be obedient to God, and not pick and choose doctrines that suit me, not pick and choose scriptures that seem to justify complacency, indifference, rebellion and outright sin.

Sometimes the hardest thing, even for believers, is the notion of submitting in totality to the will and Word of God because when we submit in totality it goes without saying that certain preconceived notions and ideas will be stripped away, and often violently so. We are not our own any longer, we have been bought with a price, we have been redeemed, and as such we can no longer walk in our own understanding, in our own will, or upon our own path, but rather in the understanding and will of God, and on the path that He has set out before us, so much so that they are preeminent in our lives, our actions, and our conduct.

Failing to submit to the will and Word of God means that we are in open rebellion, and the Bible teaches us that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, something God abhors and despises. May we be wise and humble, may we walk in obedience, and may we let the Word and Spirit of God guide us in all truth.

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.