WCTLC

The Holy Spirit is your body-builder for bringing the life and ministry of Jesus into your life and ministry. He is providing you with Biblical information about the names and functions of the various organs and parts of Jesus’ body.

The Bible Came Through The Holy Spirit

2 Pet 1:20-21 (NIV) Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

All the Scriptures you are reading and studying have come from Him. He caused it to be written; He is the only One Who is qualified to say what it means; and He is the One Who uses it to give us the victorious life of the Christian.

Eph 6:17 (NIV) Take the helmet of salvation and the sword OF THE SPIRIT, which is the word of God.

The Holy Spirit caused the lists to be written concerning the gifts of the Spirit, works of service of Jesus, and the applications of those gifts and services by our heavenly Father. They are in our Bible because He wants us to know what they are called, what they do, and who gets them and why? He has caused certain rules to be laid out for how they are to be used and where they are to be used. He prepares our hearts and lives for complete submission to the life and ministry of Jesus so we won’t be damaged by such power.

Sanctification Is Important To Ministers

Mat 7:21-22 (NIV) “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did WE not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

These are people who have received the power of the Holy Spirit without the permanent relationship with Jesus through spiritual growth (sanctification). They tasted all the things of God and tried out the great power of Christianity and then decided to use this power for their own glory and honor. Heb 6:4-6 (NIV) It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have TASTED the heavenly gift, who have SHARED in the Holy Spirit, who have TASTED the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace.

Mat 7:23 (NIV) Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’

It is important that we not fall into this category. We have been devoting ourselves to not only tasting and trying out God and the things of God, but establishing a PERMANENT relationship with Jesus that lives out His life and ministry through all His great provisions. Here is what we have been working on through sanctification (spiritual growth), as we have desired, studied, prayed, believed, and taken faith-action.

Sanctification Empowers Us To Yield To Jesus’ Life

Mat 7:24-25 (NIV) Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

The Holy Spirit is not only helping us with power to do supernatural things to help others, He is making sure we make it ourselves.

1 Cor 9:27 (NIV) No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

The Holy Spirit is giving us the power to present our own body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2) so it will be brought under our and the Holy Spirit’s control (Romans 8:13). Using the power of the Holy Spirit described in Romans chapter 8, we beat [our] body and make it [our] slave so that after [we] have preached to others, [we ourselves] will not be disqualified for the prize.

Sanctification Is The Process Of Teaching Us WHY And HOW To Yield To Jesus’ Life

Mat 7:26-27 (NIV) But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

There are two main reasons why we wouldn’t put Jesus’ words into practice. One would be that we didn’t want to; the other would be because we didn’t know how. We try to help those who don’t want to, to see the benefits of putting Jesus’ words into practice; and, we try to give people instructions for how to go about putting Jesus’ words into practice. The benefits and the procedures of putting Jesus’ words into practice all come from the life and ministry of Jesus.

Sanctification Has Made You Ready For Jesus’ Ministry And The Holy Spirit’s Power

As you go through this year of walking with Jesus in the Gospels, you and the Holy Spirit will be working on application. He will be teaching you about living Jesus’ life in a greater way than you are now; and, He will be teaching you who you are as a part in His body. That teaching has already started in you as you have been able to learn, appreciate, enjoy, and desire certain aspects of God’s word and His work in and through you. He has caused you to see things from the perspective of the gifts, services, and works He is going to use you in. You aren’t having to work at becoming a certain part of Jesus’ body.

He is making you into an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher; or, it might be more like this list in Romans 12:6:

Romans 12:6 (NIV) We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is PROPHESYING, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is SERVING, let him serve; if it is TEACHING, let him teach; if it is ENCOURAGING, let him encourage; if it is CONTRIBUTING to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is LEADERSHIP, let him govern diligently; if it is showing MERCY, let him do it cheerfully.

The main thing is to do all of these things under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of our Lord, Savior, and King, Jesus the Messiah (Christ). Realize it is all God doing these things and therefore deserves all the glory, honor, and praise.

Also it is important to be receptive to Jesus’ methods. If we try to pattern after what we currently see going on in Christianity around us, we will take the life, message, and ministry of Jesus and exclude His methods. All of these gifts are to be applied to Jesus’ body so they can follow Jesus’ methods.