Living as a Son of God

Living as a Son of God
by Dustin Miller

“That world outside there is not waiting for a new definition of Christianity, it's waiting for a new demonstration of Christianity.” (Leonard Ravenhill)

After reading the above quote from Leonard Ravenhill, the Holy Spirit brought Romans 8:14-17 to my mind: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ"

It should be that when you see a man's son, you should see in that son the same character and nature of his father. Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed Heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" Jesus Christ, the Son of God, radiates His Father's glory and is the living expression of His Father's character.

Romans 8:14 teaches that as Christians we are to consistently or constantly follow the Holy Spirit's leading. The Holy Spirit will always lead you into Truth. If we are following Him into Truth, then we will abide in Truth. According to context of the eighth chapter of Romans, if we have been born again, it is a fact that we are sons or children of God. If we have been born again, then we have received the Spirit of adoption (vs 15) and now able to call God, our Father. This passage, furthermore, states that the Holy Spirit confirms our adoption by bearing witness with our spirit that we are in fact children of God - heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. If this is true (and it is), when people see us they ought to see our Father's character and nature. When the world looks at us they ought to see in us what they saw in Jesus. Question is: Do they? Do they see us doing the works that Jesus did? Do they see us truly living as the children of God? Do they see God's character and nature being reflected in our lives?

The Bible is clear on this - we are to live as sons of God, reflecting the character and nature of God; doing the works of God. This world needs to see us living up to this stature; it needs to see a demonstration of the Holy Spirit and of power operating through us. So let us not be intimidated by this world or by the devil. We are new creatures, created in Christ Jesus - created to do the works of God. Living as a son of God is not something that is impossible for us to do. God has given us everything we will ever need in order to live such a life the moment we were born of His Spirit.  

How do we live as a sons of God? Consider this: We were not saved because of what we did or didn't do; we were saved because we believed and evidenced faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Likewise we don't make ourselves more righteous or more holy by doing something or by not doing something. Our holiness; our sanctification; our righteousness is imputed unto us by virtue of our faith being in what God has accomplished for us through Jesus and His death on the Cross. We simply continue to trust in the very thing that brought us salvation - Christ and Him Crucified. By maintaining faith (trust, dependance - being fully persuaded or confident) in the Gospel of Christ, we give the Holy Spirit liberty to reign in our heart and life. And what does He do there? He leads us into all Truth. He works in us to will and do His good pleasure. He will dethrone the sin nature from the throne of our life and will enthrone Himself and reign in us - resulting in His fruit being evidenced in our life. This is walking and living in the Spirit. This is living as a son of God.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

“And, [Jesus] being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” (Acts 1:4, 5)

The Promise of the Father

It is the Lord’s will and command that everyone who is born of the Spirit (born again) should receive the “Promise of the Father” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4), which is to be “baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). As a child of God you are entitled to and should ask the Lord to baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

A Separate Work from Salvation

Everyone who is born of the Spirit received, at the moment of their conversion, the Holy Spirit, who immediately began a regenerative and sanctifying work in their heart and life. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, however, is a distinct and separate experience subsequent to salvation for the express purpose of equipping the believer with power for service and the bestowment of the gifts of the Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 5, 8; Acts 8:14-17; Acts 9:1-17; Acts 10:44-46; Acts 11;15-17; Acts 15:7-9; Acts 19:1-6; I Corinthians 12:1-31).

“…ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you : and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not to be considered a means by which we become more “sanctified,” “holy” or “righteous.” Again, the purpose of the Holy Spirit baptism is to equip the believer with power for service, however, it must also be noted that with it comes experiences such as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Hebrews 12:28), an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42) and a more active love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost (Mark 16:15-20).¹

A Gift of God

In Peter’s message on the Day of Pentecost he declared to the people that what they were witnessing was that which was prophesied by the prophet Joel, “…this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:” (Acts 2:16,17). Peter referred to this outpouring of God’s Spirit as the gift of the Holy Spirit which was promised to all who will be saved (Acts 2:38, 39).

The Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:4)

The initial physical sign that one has been baptized in the Holy Spirit is that he or she will speak with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4; Acts 10:44–46; Acts 19:1–7). As stated, there are many experiences that accompany the Holy Spirit baptism, but, according to biblical accounts and that of millions of people around the world since the Day of Pentecost, the only evidential experience received by believers at the moment they were baptized in the Spirit is that they all spoke with other tongues as the Spirit of God gave them utterance.

Receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

It must first be understood that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift of God and can be received only by those who are truly born again. This gift is freely given to all believers who will receive it, meaning that it is not an award that can be earned for good works, obedience or anything else. Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13).

The following will help you to receive:

1. Before you can experience the Baptism in the Holy Spirit you must have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

2. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift, and it is freely given to every believer who will ask for it and receive it by faith, regardless of how faithful he or she is or is not. The Lord desires every believer to receive this gift.

3. You must receive this gift by faith, just as you received salvation.

4. The purpose of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is for you to receive power for service – not speak in tongues.

5. Ask the Lord to fill you. Simply, but earnestly, ask the Lord to baptize you in His Spirit, expecting, by faith, that He will do it.

6. The initial physical evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives the utterance. Everyone who is baptized in the Spirit will speak with other tongues.

7. The “other tongues” mentioned here is not some mystical or mysterious chanting of some kind, but is rather a language that is unknown to you. The Holy Spirit will give you the utterance of that language – meaning that He will impress within your inner being words and syllables of another language and then will prompt you to speak those words.

8. By faith, believing that this utterance is from the Holy Spirit, open your mouth and speak out those words, however strange they may sound to you – remember it is a language that is unknown to you. The Holy Spirit will not do the speaking for you. As stated earlier He will give you the words and will prompt you to speak them, but you must open your mouth and speak the words He gives you.

9. When you respond to the Holy Spirit by faith, He will fill you to overflowing!

1 The General Council of the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths.Revised. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1983

Lord’s Harvest Ministries, PO Box 414, Crowley LA 70526

Website: www.lordsharvest.org   Facebook: www.facebook.com/lordsharvest

COPYRIGHT © 2013 by Lord’s Harvest Ministries

All Rights Reserved

A Little Leaven Leavens the Whole Lump

"A Little Leaven Leaveneth the Whole Lump."

 by Dustin Miller

Jeremiah 17:5-13 (NKJV): "5 Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited. 7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. 9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. 11 “As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, so is he who gets riches, but not by right; It will leave him in the midst of his days, and at his end he will be a fool.” 12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. 13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.”

The leaven is the moral and spiritual corruption produced by false and heretical teaching - the perversion of the Truth, i.e. another gospel, another Jesus and another (unholy) spirit. When an assembly of Believers allows or tolerates this corruption to enter into their midst, they are, in actuality, accepting it and embracing it as Truth, and in so doing have made a departure from the Faith, i.e. they have left the Truth and are now following a lie.

An assembly of Believers that tolerates just a little leaven (corruption) will cause the whole congregation to be affected. “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Cor. 15:33). Those Believers that leave the assembly remove themselves from the corruption, those that stay, however, will be swept away into more corruption. By reason of their acceptance of the “leaven” they estrange themselves from Christ; their hearts have departed from the Lord. They are no longer trusting in the Lord but are now trusting in man. They have made flesh, not God, their strength. Their hope is no longer God, but their worldly programs, their religious traditions and their humanistic philosophies. They have chosen the path of destruction, they are destitute and don’t even know it - like a shrub in the desert that cannot see when good comes. They are spiritually dead and blind, living in a salt land which where there is no life. They need restitution, but their pride prevents them from acknowledging their folly and their sin. They have been enticed by seducing spirits and have embraced the doctrines of devils and in so doing have removed themselves from their only true Hope. Am I saying that these Christians will “loose” their souls? No, I am not saying that. I am not in a position to judge anyone in that regard; I am not God. But I am saying that those who make such a departure from the Faith place themselves in the way of destruction which could, eventually, lead them to forsake the Lord completely. Spiritually speaking they’re in treacherous territory, because Christ has become of no effect unto them; they have removed themselves from the Grace of God. But they do not have to remain as such – they can acquiesce to the Holy Spirit’s leading, repent and come back to the Truth of the Gospel; they can once again be filled with the Life of God!

Any Christian whose trust is in the Lord and whose Hope is God will not cease to bear fruit because his thirst is always quenched as he drinks from the Fountain of Living Waters which will continually flow unto him. A Christian whose faith is grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, i.e. Christ Crucified, is walking (living) in the path of righteousness. By virtue of his faith being solely in Christ Jesus and His finished work on the Cross, the righteousness of God is imputed unto him and he is given limitless access into His abounding Grace wherewith he can stand and rejoice in the Glory of God. “For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.(Jer. 17:8)