All of us have a purpose from God. We were born at this time in history to fulfil our God given purpose. God has made us and gifted us all to do His work.
The great news is we do not have to fulfil His purpose alone. He gives us His Holy Spirit to empower us and the Holy Spirit gifts us to complete our tasks.
In the Bible we see there are four main places that talk about gifts from God to individuals to serve and gifts to the church for equipping.
The first group of gifts is found in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. These are often called the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit decides who gets what gift.
[4] There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. [5] There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. [6] God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. [7] A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. [8] To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. [9] The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. [10] He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. [11] It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
The second group of gifts is found in Romans 12:6-8. Bible scholars sometimes call these the gifts of the Father. In this list it tells us the gift and the importance of using them well.
[6] In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. [7] If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. [8] If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
In the third list of gifts it talks about different roles within the church. These are sometimes called Christ’s gifts to the church. These gifts are found in Ephesians 4:11-12. The purpose is to equip the church for service.
[11] Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
In the final list of gifts it only lists two gifts, but it gives us information on how to use them – for the good of others and to use the strength and energy God provides. It also reminds that the reason for our service is to bring glory to God. This list is found in 1 Peter 4:10-11.
[10] God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. [11] Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
I really find these lists of gifts helpful in our service of God. God has a purpose and destiny for each of us. Just like God said to Jeremiah, He knit us together in our mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5). He made us and gifted us to serve Him in this time.
As Christians we have the Holy Spirit within us as and this is the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11). He gifts us to serve God, by serving others, and He empowers us to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8).
Today I would like to remind us all that not only were we made by God for this times in history, but He made us to serve Him by giving us gifts and power from heaven. Let us purpose in our hearts to use our gift well.
Am I saved and going to heaven? This is a very important question and probably one that most people ask at some time in their life. Christmas and Easter are one of those times of the year that this question is probably reflected on a little bit more than usual.
To be saved means to be rescued from the penalty of sin – which is eternal separation from God in hell – and to be assured that you are going to heaven when you die. In the present tense it also means that you are in relationship with God, He is with you wherever you go and He is able to guide you and help you in all situations.
Essentially God’s plan of salvation can be explained in four simple points. At PASSION Australia we pray you will take a few minutes to read the following information and God will reveal His personal plan for salvation today.
1. God loves you and He wants to be a part of your life.
We get a glimpse of God’s love for mankind and His desire to be a part of our lives by looking at the Garden of Eden. When God created the heavens and the earth (see Genesis 1:1), He created mankind (Adam and Eve) and placed them in a garden. He provided for all their needs and walked and talked with them daily.
We see in God’s original plan, His heartbeat is to be in relationship with each of us and walk and talk with us daily. His greatest desire way back then was, and still is, to get to know each of us personally.
Question – If God loves us all so much and wants to be a part of our lives, why do many people not have God in their life?
2. Man sinned and was separated from God
God gave mankind rule over all creation, but because God is a holy God He gave them some rules to follow. One of them was not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (see Genesis 2:15-17).
Unfortunately, Adam and Eve chose not to obey this command and because of this sin entered the world. Because of their disobedience they were caste out of the garden paradise God had created for them. Since this time all mankind has been separated from God (see Isaiah 59:2). The Bible tells us that not only did Adam and Eve sin, but all mankind have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards (see Romans 3:23).
We may feel that we live a good life and mostly we do. However, if we take a moment to look at God’s Ten Commandments (see below), we soon realise that at some time we have broken at least one of them. God says in James 2:10 that if we break one we are guilty of breaking them all.
Question – If all mankind have sinned and are separated from God, is there anything that can be done to remedy this?
3. Jesus Christ died on the cross
Many people know the Easter story – that Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday and He rose to life on Easter Sunday. This is celebrated every year in most parts of the world. But why did Jesus have to die? Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sin that separates us from God (see Romans 5:8).
Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, the reason for our separation (see Hebrews 10:10) has now been removed and we can now approach God and be in relationship with Him.
Question – If Jesus has died to remove our sin, is there anything we have to do?
4. Faith in Jesus Christ restores the relationship between God and man
Each of us must respond personally to God’s plan for our salvation. God played His part by giving His Son to pay the price for our sin. Our part to receive what Jesus has done for us (see Revelations 3:20). God requires us to do three things to find salvation. They can be described as the A, B, C of salvation –
A – Admit. We need to admit to God that we have sinned and fallen short of His standards and to ask for His forgiveness.
B – Believe. We need to believe in Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sin.
C – Commit. We need to commit our lives to Jesus Christ and ask Him to come into our lives and guide and lead us in all we do.
How can I do this?
Responding to God is as simple as praying a short prayer that expresses our thanks for what He has done, confessing your sin and asking Jesus into your life. You can pray this prayer right now.
Dear God, I thank You that Jesus came and died on the cross for my sin. Right now I ask for Your forgiveness. Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God and I ask You to be a part of my life. Please come and be my Lord and Saviour. Please guide me and lead me in all I do and help me to live for You. Amen.
If you just prayed this prayer, please visit our Discipleship page to find some helpful tips on starting your new life with Christ.
Footnotes
Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth,…” Genesis 2:15-17 – The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Isaiah 59:2 – “Rather, your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear”. Romans 3:23 – “since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Romans 5:8 – “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us”. Hebrews 10:10 – “And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”. Revelations 3:20 – “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me”. 1 John 5:13 – “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
The Ten Commandments (extracted from Exodus 20:1-17 – New Living Translation)
Do not worship any other gods besides me.
Do not make idols of any kind.
Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God.
Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
If you are a new Christian you have made a great decision to follow Jesus! To get you started I have provided some suggestions for you to help you grow on your new journey. Below you will find some things that really helped me nearly 35 years ago when I decided to follow Jesus.
Read the Bible
The Bible will help you to learn more about God and gives you practical advice about how we should live. A good place to start is the Gospel of Luke that is found in the New Testament. This book will give you information on the life of Jesus Christ and you will be able to read about His miracles and teachings to His followers. After this you can move on to the Book of Acts. This talks about the early church and how they got started. We also have a number of two week reading plans on our Bible Readings page. If you don’t have access to a Bible, you can find an online one here at www.biblegateway.com
Start to pray
Prayer is simply communicating with God. It is a part of building our relationship with Him. Just remember to keep it simple. The Bible tells us to give thanks to God for what He has done when pray and also to ask for the things we need for ourselves and others. Before long you will see the difference prayer makes in your life and in the lives of those around you. You can check out our prayer category on our blog for some tips.
Meet with other Christians
God wants us to meet with other Christians and be a part of a caring faith community. We see in the Bible that He wants us to have a support network and a place where we can learn more about Him. We don’t recommend any church in particular, but encourage you to try a local one near you in your community. If you are in Western Australia you might like to look for a local Church of Christ, Baptist Church or an Australian Christian Church.
Do a discipleship course
Doing a discipleship course will help you to set a solid foundation for your new life in Christ. We have a free booklet you can download on our discipleship page. The booklet has 10 short studies on the Bible, prayer, church, serving God, sharing your faith and being assured of your salvation. It includes a number of Scriptures on each topic, some reflection questions, a simple prayer and some Bible memory verses.
Tell others about your new faith
Sharing your faith can be fun and rewarding. You might like to start by telling people close to you that you have accepted Jesus into your life. Telling others about your faith and decision to follow Jesus can will allow them to follow Him too. If you need some tips to help you share your faith you can visit a sermon I preached on this topic.
Recently I have been reading and re-reading the New Testament book of Matthew. As I have been working my way through it I have come across a few interesting things. One that I want to share today comes from Matthew chapters 8 & 9.
As we read through the following passages we will see that Jesus performed a number of amazing miracles. One thing that really stood out to me was that when someone had a problem they took it to Jesus. It didn’t matter what it was, if they took it to Him, He dealt with it. Here are a few examples.
The man with leprosy
Matthew 8:1-4 NLT – Large crowds followed Jesus as He came down the mountainside. 2 Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached Him and knelt before Him. “Lord,” the man said, “if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean.” 3 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” He said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”
He knelt before Jesus and said if you are willing I will be healed. Jesus was willing and healed him. Now the reason why Jesus said to not tell anyone and go and show the Priest is because Lepers were outcastes from society. A Priest declared them unclean with Leprosy and only a Priest could declare them clean and re-admit them to society.
The Centurion’s slave
Matthew 8:5-10 NLT – When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with Him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralysed and in terrible pain.” 7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come into my home. Just say the word from where You are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Turning to those who were following Him, He said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!
He asked Jesus to “say the word” and his servant would be healed from a distance. Jesus said the word and he was healed. The Centurion understood authority because he was a committed soldier. He understood orders and authority. He knew Jesus had the authority and power of heaven and Jesus just needed to give the order and it would be done.
The calming of the storm
Matthew 8:23-27 NLT – Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with His disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke Him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then He got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. 27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey Him!”
The disciples were terrified as the storm on the lake threatened their lives. They called to Jesus and He stilled the storm. In the preceding miracles Jesus healed peoples bodies. This one is a powerful nature miracle. It was so powerful that even the Disciples looked at Jesus differently.
The Paralytic man
Matthew 9:1-8 NLT Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to His own town. 2 Some people brought to Him a paralysed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralysed man, “Be encouraged, My child! Your sins are forgiven.” 3 But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does He think He’s God?” 4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so He asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralysed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” 7 And the man jumped up and went home! 8 Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority.
Some friends brought the paralytic man to Jesus in faith that He could heal him. Jesus told him to pick up his mat and go home. He got up and walked. I like that the man could not come to Jesus on his own, he needed his friends to bring him. I wonder who I can bring to Jesus? How about you too?
The Dead Girl
Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26 NLT – As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before Him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but You can bring her back to life again if You just come and lay Your hand on her.” 19 So Jesus and His disciples got up and went with Him. 23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, He saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 “Get out!” He told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at Him. 25 After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.
A man came to Jesus and told of his dead daughter. He said if you touch her, she will live. To me this is amazing faith. Like the Roman Centurion, the father knew Jesus had the power and authority. Jesus touched her and she lived. Jesus had the power over death.
The Sick Woman
Matthew 9:20-22 NLT Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind Him. She touched the fringe of His robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.” 22 Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
The woman who had been bleeding non stop for 12 years came to Jesus. She knew if she could touch His cloak she would be healed. She did and she was healed. Like the Centurion and the father we have previously read about, she knew where the power for healing came from. It was from Jesus…even in the midst of a pressing crowd.
The Two Blind Men
Matthew 9:27-31 NLT – After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind Him, shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” 28 They went right into the house where He was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see?” “Yes, Lord,” they told Him, “we do.” 29 Then He touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.” 30 Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, “Don’t tell anyone about this.” 31 But instead, they went out and spread His fame all over the region.
Two blind men came asked Jesus to have mercy on them. He asked if they believed He could heal them. They said yes and they were healed. By addressing Jesus as the Son of David the men recognised His royal lineage back to David. It was prophesised that the Messiah would come from the line of David. So they not only came in faith, but knew Jesus was the Messiah.
The Mute Man
Matthew 9:32-33 NLT When they left, a demon-possessed man who couldn\’t speak was brought to Jesus. 33 So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. “Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!” they exclaimed.
A man was brought to Jesus who was demon possessed and could not speak as a result. The demon was driven out and he was healed. This is another example of someone bringing a friend or relative to Jesus. Sometimes we are the life line or conduit that brings people to God. In this case we see Jesus had authority over the unseen demonic world.
Closing
In all of these cases the people brought their problem to Jesus. They came in faith or their friends brought them in faith, and Jesus dealt with their problem and restored the situation. Nothing was too big or too small. Jesus handled it all.
The miracles we read about were healing, nature miracles, bring people back to life and casting out a demon. He had the power and authority to do amazing things. Some of which had never been seen in Israel before!
If you are struggling today with an illness, or there is another type of storm in your life, I would encourage you to bring it to Jesus today. He is more than willing and capable of handling it today. Simply come in faith.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, today I bring my problem to You. You know my situation and my need. I lift it up to You today and I ask You to intervene. Please bring a miraculous breakthrough that only You can do. I ask this in Your name, Amen.
The Holy Spirit is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the Bible. Many people have this thought that the Holy Spirit is a force or a ghost type of mystical presence. However, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity and often refers to Him as He. So like the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit is a person and has personality, a will and emotions.
The Holy Spirit can be especially confusing for the new believer. When speaking to a new Christian it is not uncommon for them to ask, “Why do I need the Holy Spirit when I already believe in Jesus?” We can answer this question by looking at the Bible and seeing a number of important roles that Holy Spirit plays in the life of the Christian. In this article I want to look at five of the major ones that are helpful for the new Christian to learn.
1. We need the Holy Spirit because Jesus promised to send another one like Him
In John chapters 15 and 16 we see that Jesus told the disciples that after He returned to the Father He would send another Counsellor (John 15:26, John 16:5-7). When Jesus said that He would send ‘another counsellor’, the word ‘another’ here means ‘another of the same kind’. Jesus was saying that all that He had been to them the Spirit would continue to be once he had returned to the Father. I believe it is important for us as Christians to understand this role of the Holy Spirit. While we trust Jesus for our salvation, it is the Holy Spirit who is our ever present help, comfort and counsellor today in the same way Jesus was to the disciples two thousand years ago.
2. We need the Holy Spirit because He teaches us and illuminates Scripture
The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit teaches us and reveals the truth of Scripture (John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 2:10-14). This teaching and revealing work of the Holy Spirit is often described as Illumination. Illumination does not concern the impartation of new knowledge, but a clarification of the text as it stands revealed and inspired by God. I believe that it is especially important for the new Christian to understand this teaching and illumination role of the Holy Spirit because the Bible makes it clear to understand the “deep things of God” we need the wisdom, teaching and illumination of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:6-16).
3. We need the Holy Spirit because He assures us we belong to God
The Bible tells us that as soon as we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ we are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). A seal is a symbol of a finished transaction, of ownership and of security. Because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, we can be assured of our salvation. In Romans 8:16 we see that the Holy Spirit also testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children and Ephesians 4:30 assures us that we are sealed until the day of redemption. Understanding that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and assured of our salvation is very important for the new Christian, as they are often prone to doubts and uncertainty about the decision they have made.
4. We need the Holy Spirit because He makes us more Christ-like
The Bible tells us that as Christians we are being transformed into likeness of Christ by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). When a person becomes born again, he is sanctified or set apart for God. This happens only once, but sanctification is also a daily process for the rest of one’s life. To achieve this work the Holy Spirit indwells the believer (Romans 8:11) and works in their life to produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). I believe as Christians it important to realise that as we submit every area of our lives to the indwelling Holy Spirit, we allow Him to work in us to progressively reflect the character of Christ. This is what God intended for humankind when He originally created us.
5. We need the Holy Spirit because He equips us for service
The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit equips us for service with gifts and empowers us to be Christ’s witnesses (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit equips us to serve God by imparting His gifts, directing our ministry and anointing us with His power. For the new Christian it is vital to understand that while we have been called to serve God and be Christ’s witnesses, we have not been called to do this alone. We have been equipped by the Holy Spirit with gifts to undertake God’s work and we are empowered with the Holy Spirit’s power to be Christ’s witnesses.
Conclusion
In this article I have listed five things that answer the question, “Why do I need the Holy Spirit when I already believe in Jesus?” These include we need the Holy Spirit because Jesus promised He would come, that we need Him to illuminate and help us to understand Scripture, to make us more Christ-like through the sanctification process and that the Holy Spirit equips us for service. I also looked at how that Holy Spirit assures us we belong to God because He is God’s seal of ownership on us.
PASSIONAustralia.blog 