THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (12) – SURPRISED BY KING GRACE

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled ‘Surprised by King Grace’. Her main texts were taken from the Books of Romans, John and 2 Samuel. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Rom 1:16, 17). “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:14-17). “Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Sam 9:1)

GRACE DEFINED

The Doctrine of Grace is one of the basic teachings in the Bible. It says that Grace is the blessed help given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it. Grace is the free and full, unmerited favor of God. It is the spontaneous gift from God to people, generous, free, totally unexpected and totally undeserved. It takes the form of overwhelming, ‘Niagara falls’ type of divine favor, love, forgiveness of sins and a share in the divine life of God. It manifests especially in the salvation of sinners because Christ died as a substitute for them. Simply said, God saves sinners by His grace and for His glory. Glory is called ‘Mature Grace’. These two realities—God’s grace and glory—are eternally bound together.

The word ‘grace’ appears more than 200 times in the Bible. Grace can also be defined as Love to the unlovely, Peace to the restless and riches to the destitute. Grace has a royal status. As sin and death reign over the kingdom of darkness, so Grace reigns victoriously over the Kingdom of Eternal Life. Grace always flows down like oil! Grace is the gift from the King to his servant, never the other way round. Once you receive the gift of Grace in salvation, you agree and testify that God is forever greater than you. Grace demands gratitude and worship. Somebody called Grace “God’s best idea” on how to love and save sinners. Praise the Lord!

Grace is a Gift but more than a Gift. Grace is a Person. Grace is resident in the Lord Jesus Christ and in nobody else. Christmas is the season of manifested Grace. Grace came as a baby, to become a Man among men. Grace came to die to save sinners. As Truth is a Person so Grace is a Person. As Truth is King so Grace is King! Christ is Truth and Christ is Grace! Grace is ‘Peace on earth and Goodwill towards men’ (Lk 2:14). The gospel is all about God’s grace through Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul testifies “to the gospel of the Grace of God… So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Ac 20:24, 32). The understanding of God’s Grace builds you spiritually. Grace discriminates. That is why the proud unbelievers hate it. Grace locates the humble and bestows more Grace. The proud are left behind. “God gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” (Jam 4:6). Grace saves you and leads you to heaven. Our God is called ‘the God of all Grace’! “May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1Pet 5:5, 10,11). Jesus Christ came ‘full of Grace and Truth”. Out of His fulness we have received Grace and more Grace. The word ‘fulness’ means a container filled to the brim. There is no empty space. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is a manifestation of His fulness, as the Lord of all. It affects every area of our lives. Both is quality and quantity Grace is eternally creative. “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet 4:10). This fullness of Grace is described as ‘manifold’. The word describes Grace as the colors of the rainbow, having many gifts and many blessings. There is no problem that the Grace of God cannot solve. Because we are born sinners, it is hard for us to imagine such a wonderful Grace. We are too stingy and too selfish to understand this revelation. We need the Holy Spirit to understand and appreciate the Grace of God. Grace is a King helping his humble servant just because he takes pleasure in helping. Because of this fullness of Grace in Christ, we can never lose our salvation! Halleluiah!   

COMMON AND SAVING GRACE

Grace manifests in two forms towards men: The Common Grace and the Saving Grace. Both these forms of Grace manifests among men thru the work of God the Holy Spirit. The common Grace is God’s goodness towards His Creation in general without affecting man’s spiritual status. The saving Grace leads men to repentance from sins and salvation.

Common grace manifests as general natural blessings to men without the spiritual work of salvation. These blessings of nature come from the common Grace. “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mt 5:45). Men blessed by the common Grace are not saved. They cannot do any spiritual good. They may thank God with their mouths, but their hearts are still ungrateful. God reveals Himself thru His common Grace to all men. This is how men become religious. All men know that God exists. The common Grace oversees all governments, to restrain sin and to keep a general order in the world. It is common Grace that rules the public opinion, for good to win over evil. It is thru His common Grace that God punishes and rewards all men, including the sinners who do not know Him. It is common Grace that gives all men a sense of morality, love for truth and justice. Common Grace oversees all courts of justice. Lawyers and judges all over the world, no matter their religions, are all servants to King Grace! Anytime a wicked man does a good deed, the common Grace manifested thru that deed.

The Saving Grace is the unmerited favor of God that saves men. It calls men from darkness and sin; it justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies the elect. Some call it ‘The Effective, Irresistible Grace’. God calls all people by His common Grace, but He saves only those called by His saving Grace. Many people hate the doctrine of the elect and that of the sovereign Grace. But it is the truth as revealed in the Bible. “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Mt 22:14). Grace rules as a King in the Church. The ‘means of Grace’ in the Church are the preaching of the Word of God, and the sacraments. The preaching of the God’ Word is the most important way Grace is revealed and imparted to the congregation. The sacraments are the Holy Communion and the Water Baptism. These do not save souls, but they strengthen the faith of the believers thru grace.         

GRACE IS KING

“Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ). Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 5:14-19)

Everything God does among men is based on Grace alone. God does not owe any one anything. Grace is called ‘a free gift’ to men. Grace is not available to the devil and his demons. Grace is not cheap. It is free! Grace is free because Christ ‘paid’ for it. He died and shed His blood for the salvation of sinners. The Blood of God was shed so that God can freely give His Grace to men. Think about it! Consider the price God paid to bestow His Grace on us! Selah! Grace is always stronger than sin and death. In the Kingdom of sin, death is king! In the Kingdom of Life, Grace is King! Once a sinner believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, with a saving faith, God changes his ‘citizenship’. He is ‘translated’ from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light. The sinner bows to sin and worships death. The sinner fears death because death is his king. Death kills all his worshippers. But in the Kingdom of Eternal life, Grace is King. He gives to each citizen a heavenly robe, the imputed righteousness of Christ. The sinner is now called a saint. He worships the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for Him. Christ came ‘full of Grace and Truth’. Out of this fullness, Christ gives more Grace and more Truth to His child. God uses Grace alone to choose, call, justify, sanctify, and glorify His children. Salvation is only By Grace and Thru faith in Christ. Grace comes from above like the outstretched hand of God. Faith is the correct response to Grace.  Any other way of becoming saved is false. Salvation is only by Grace and thru faith in Christ!

God made a covenant of works with Adam. It failed! Thru Christ, the Last Adam, God makes an eternal covenant of Grace with Man. “The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit” (1 Cor 15:45). By his obedience, Adam could only save himself. Thru his sin, he plunged the whole humanity into sin. But Christ, did not ‘save Himself’. He died in the place of sinners. His eternal life and righteousness are now given to all who believe in Him.  “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. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:4-10)

Grace is a manifestation of God’s mercy and love. Its royal power is best sin in the salvation of sinners! Grace comes with the power of resurrection, changing the dead sinner into a living soul. Man cannot save himself. Men in sin are proud and they reject the outstretched hand of King Grace. They want to work their way to heaven. But none can be saved ‘by works.’ God does not accept man’s religious works as a payment for heaven. Grace and Grace alone decide who shall be saved. Grace humbles men. Grace leads men to repentance and unto salvation. Grace kills all boasting and pride of life! Grace is the beginning and the end of salvation! Grace is ‘exceedingly’ rich. His gifts to men never end. It is out of the fullness of Christ we receive Grace and more Grace. Grace saves men so that they serve and worship God. God prepares our ministries, how to work for Him. Grace leads us into our ‘good works’. We are saved to work for God. We never work for salvation. Refusing to work for God is taking Grace for granted! May you offer your body as a living sacrifice to do God’s work! Worship the Lord!

MEPHIBOSHETH – SURPRISED BY KING GRACE

“Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he answered, “Here is your servant!” So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” (2 Sam 9:6-8)

This is a wonderful story not well known in the Bible. It shows the surprising unmerited kindness of King Grace towards a sinner. During the time of King Saul, David was anointed by the Prophet Samuel to be the next king in Israel. King Saul became afraid of David and tried to kill him. For the next fifteen years David was a fugitive in the wilderness. The Philistines attacked Israel and defeated them. King Saul, his son Jonathan and his other sons were all killed in that battle on mount Gilboa. Initially, King David became king over Judah. The surviving son of King Saul called Ishbosheth took the throne over Israel, but he was killed by his servants. According to the prophesy, David became king over all Israel. David did three things that established his reputation as a godly king. He invested in spiritual things, he did warfare and improved his relationship with people. He brought the Ark of God to Jerusalem so that all people can worship God. He defeated all his enemies around him. He showed Mercy and Grace to others. This is a great lesson for all believers: worship God, do spiritual warfare and improve your relationships with people.

During his days as a fugitive David made a covenant of peace and kindness with his best friend Jonathan, the son of Saul. They promised to each other that if one dies, the other will spare his descendants. Jonathan believed the prophesy that the crown will go from his father to David. He openly said so. This is what Jonathan said: “you (David) shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die; but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the Lord has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth” (1 Sam 20:14,15). David promised that when he becomes king he will not ‘cut off’ Jonathan’s descendants, but he will be kind to them. This was a great promise because at that time, if one becomes king, he needs to kill all opposition.

Now, David has become king. He remembers the covenant he made with Jonathan. David said: “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Sam 9:1). A servant to King Saul called Ziba informed him that a son of Jonathan was still alive. He was called Mephibosheth, meaning ‘the Mouth of Shame’. When King Saul and Jonathan died, he was five years old. His nurse was afraid that they kill the child. She ran with him, possibly on a horse. The child fell, broke his legs and became crippled for life (2 Sam 4:4). All these years he lived far from Jerusalem at a place called Lo Dabor (meaning ‘no pasture’). There he married and had a son. He was a prince, but he lived like a pauper. His infirmity defined him.

Try to imagine the life of Mephibosheth. He is a picture of a sinner that is redeemed by grace. He was born in the royal family. Until he was five, he grew up in the palace. Suddenly, his world crashes. He loses his father, his grandfather, his inheritance, and the use of his feet in one day. His nanny, the closest person to him, could not help him. He fell from her arms. Now, his grandfather’s ‘enemy’ called David is on the throne. His uncle tried to continue Saul’s dynasty, but he was killed. Mephibosheth lives in constant fear. He has no hopes concerning King David. He is a picture of a sinner, an Adam’s descendant. Adam was once in the Garden of Eden. He fell into sin brining down all his descendants. In the same way, Mephibosheth, not by a fault of his own, fell from the horse and was crippled for life. Suddenly, he hears a knock at the door. Afraid, he opens the door expecting bad news. Ziba, his grandfather’s servant, tells him that King David wants to see him. This invitation to the palace to see the king is terrifying to Mephibosheth.

This is a great lesson: Grace makes the first move to bless. Jesus said: “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk 19:10). Salvation is God’s idea and initiative. The sinner is afraid. But Grace is stronger than any sin. Mephibosheth could not imagine that he will hear the best news of his life. Before the throne, Mephibosheth humbles himself and bows down to King David. He calls himself ‘your servant’. He fears that he will be killed. But Grace shines like light in the darkness. The first words Mephibosheth hears from the mouth of the king are these: “Do not fear!” Or, how Grace can surprise a sinner! David tells Mephiboseth that he wants to show him kindness for the sake of his father Jonathan. “David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually” (2 Sam 9:7). David restores Mephibosheth’s inheritance. He gives him back the lands owned by grandfather, King Saul. David orders Ziba to take care of the land for his Master. In this way, Mephibosheth’s son and descendants will be well provide for in the future. Suddenly, Grace is added to Grace! David goes the extra mile. He does more than what he has promised to his friend Jonathan. He adopts Mephibosheth as a son. From this time on he will eat with him at his table in the palace in Jerusalem. He will be under the king’s protection all the days of his life.

This is such a wonderful story for it applies to us, sinners saved by grace. Like Mephiboseth, we too had a difficult life. We lost all things dear to us. We have been crippled by sin and cannot make progress in life. We were living as orphans in this world. We were hiding like Adam behind the trees. We lived a life of fear and failed hopes. And, then you heard his call to you- “Come stand before Me! Come before My throne of Mercy and Grace” You expect the worst, judgment, wrath, death, and hell itself. But no!  In the palace of the King, for the first time you heard this wonderful word: “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom 5:20). Amazing Grace how sweet thy sound who saved a wretch like me! You are totally surprised by God’s Grace!!! He shows you a cross… a man hanging there – His own Son, suffering for you… dying in your place… And all the wrath of God for your sin falls upon Him. This is the Gospel: Jesus died and rose again for me!  God’s Beloved Son dies in your place, that you may live, that you may be adopted by God as his son! King Grace says: “Come! Eat at my table! Become as one of My sons”. You fall at His feet and say: “Why me, Lord? I merit death but You give me Life! I merit hell but you give me Heaven! I will worship You forever!”

The name Mephibosheth means ‘a mouth of shame’. But now, shame was removed by King Grace. His mouth starts to praise God, for His mercy and Grace. Like Mephibosheth, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). David blessed Mephibosheth, not because there was something good in him but for Jonathan’s sake! In the same way, we are blessed by God for Christ’ sake! That is Grace! David did what he could for Mephibosheth, but he could not heal his legs. But Jesus came to heal the broken hearted and to make the lame walk!  Our Lord said to John who was in prison: “The blind see, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Mt 11:5, 6). King Grace rules and reigns as He pleases! Grace does not offend us! We worship King Grace! As sin was your king in the kingdom of death, so now Grace is your King in the Kingdom of Christ!  “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom 6:14). There is no story more wonderful than this. We are justified by Grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone, by the Word of God alone, to the Glory of God alone! Glory to God in the highest! Peace on earth! Goodwill to men! Worship the Lord!    

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (11) – THE FIRST CHRISTMAS

During the Sunday service, Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled ‘The First Christmas’. The main scriptures were taken from the Book of Isaiah and Luke. “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel… “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Is 7:14; 9:6, 7). “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. “There were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them” (Lk 2:7-14).

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS – PROPHECY FULFILLED

This is the season we celebrate the Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There are more than 500 prophesies in the Old Testament that refer to the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Messiah. The Doctrine of Incarnation says that The Eternal Son of God became Man to save man. In Latin, the word ‘incarnation’ means to become flesh. Simply said: “The Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14). The Second Person of the Holy Trinity took to Himself full humanity. Without ceasing to be God, He became Man. He is the only One with Two full complete and perfect Natures, Divine and Human. He did that so that He can die as a Substitute for sinful men, to save them. Jesus clearly may be seen as the eternal Son of God who, in the Incarnation, set aside His privileged position at the Father’s right hand (but not His deity) in order to become a sinless human who rescued us from sin by becoming sin for us on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21). The Doctrine of the Incarnation is unique to Christianity. No other religion describes their ‘god’ as becoming man to die to save men. In other words, only God could have invented Christmas. Therefore, Christmas is a miracle! These days there is much business associated with the Christmas season. People spend money to buy food, drinks. and gifts. But let us not forget: Christmas is about the Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ! Let us thank God for sending the Savior to men!

This is the story of Christmas! Two thousand years ago, the God of this universe came as a man to live among men. The Creator came to live among His creation. It was a night like any other night. But the Baby was not like any other baby. The Lord Jesus Christ was born as a baby to a virgin girl called Mary. He was Man and God at the same time. When the Baby was born, there was no celebration in the world. Few knew about this Baby. Wise men from the East came to worship Him and bring Him gifts. Some Shepherds received the revelation and came to see the baby. But no royal visitors came. The world was ignorant that God came down from heaven. Even so, the world must accept the fact that Baby Jesus is special. He split time into two: BC and AD. Just this fact is enough to make us bow to this Baby! Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of God. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). Baby Jesus was born “full of Grace and Truth”. But men did not know the revelation. And even when they knew that there was something special about this Baby, they ignored Him, or they rejected Him. It was like that then. It is the same now. Christmas is a sharp Sword. It divides men into believers and unbelievers. What are you?

All the Jews knew that one day the Messiah will come and free them from all oppression. Isaiah prophesied that He will be born thru a virgin. Every young unmarried girl in Israel dreamt that one day, she will be the mother of the Messiah. They knew that the Messiah will be born in the lineage of King David. But no one knew when He will come. They did not know the time, but they knew the place. The Savior was to be born in a “Bethlehem’, a little town in Judah. The Prophet Micah lived in the eight century BC. He was a contemporary of The Prophet Isaiah. He said this long ago: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Therefore, He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; And this One shall be peace” (Micah 5:2-5). This prophesy was given about 700 years before Christ was born. Luke describes how Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Except for a miracle, Jesus could have been born in Nazareth where Joseph and Mary lived. But God arranged all events in such a way that Mary delivered her son in Bethlehem, to fulfill prophecy. Mary and Joseph had to leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem. Joseph was from the lineage of King David and Bethlehem was his ‘native’ city. The Romans insisted that everybody should go to the city of their ancestry to be registered in a census. Refusal to obey this edict was to be punished. That is why Mary, heavily pregnant, had to go with Joseph to Bethlehem. The distance between Nazareth to Bethlehem is about 80 miles. (To have a better idea, for the people who live in Nigeria, this is about the same distance as between Warri to Okada city, on the road to Lagos). Without any breaks, it will take them 28 hours to walk that distance. They both walked that long journey. Maybe they used a donkey, for part of the road. Finally, they arrived at Bethlehem. But there was ‘no room at the inn’ for them. They went to a stable where animals were kept. In that humble place, assisted by Joseph, Baby Jesus was born.  “And she brought forth her firstborn Son…” (Lk 2:7).  They were in Bethlehem just for few days. But God was in charge. Jesus had to be born at that place! You can see that God is sovereign among all people, believers, and unbelievers. In Nazareth, Mary had family and friends. It could have been much easier for her to have the baby there. Why then was it necessary for Joseph and Mary to suffer so much? To fulfill prophesy! God has promised that His Son will be born thru a virgin in Bethlehem. God is faithful to all His promises! He can never fail! May we worship this Faithful God, the Covenant Keeping God!

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS – THE ANGELS PRAISE GOD

“Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Lk 2:14). This is a wonderful glimpse of the glory of the First Christmas. It is the story of Grace, God’s unmerited favor towards men. The story is full of joy and wonder, music, and heavenly display. Four hundred years have passed between Malachi and Matthew. The last time God spoke to His people was thru the Prophet Malachi. His last word was the word ‘curse’. The Old Testament ends with a sad note. For four hundred years God kept silent. Suddenly, the veil hiding the heavens was removed and men saw angels praising God. This is a New Beginning. A new Grace is revealed! The Glory of God descended upon some humble shepherds. Suddenly, the heavens opened, and men saw angels. They brought down the greatest Good News to men. The Savior is born! Messiah has come! God has provided Salvation to sinners. There is nothing greater than that! This is the Proclamation of the Gospel. The preachers were the angels. The congregation was made of shepherds, living in the fields. The Good news was not preached first to Herod or to the religious rulers in Jerusalem. No! Grace located the humble shepherds and called them to see, listen, believe, and rejoice with heaven!

The angels praised God! What was their song? “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” They sang about Jesus! They praised God Most High! They preached the Gospel with singing! How the Son of God became the Son of Man. Salvation is of God alone. The Almighty God became a baby. Power became weak. There is no greater power than when power is hidden in weakness. Even now, Christmas is revealed as power in our weakness, as joy in our trials. Listen to Apostle Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:9, 10). In that First Christmas God’s weakness was confusing the strong men. God’s foolishness was destroying men’s wisdom. For no wise man, philosopher or poet could have imagined that God becomes a baby. Only God could have invented Christmas. The man of the world hates humility. He hates it become he fears it. The wise man of the world takes pride in his wisdom. But Christmas destroyed his wisdom. The wise philosopher rejected the Baby in the Manger. He says to himself: “How can a Baby save me, a famous philosopher? What does a baby have to say? What does a baby have to teach me, the great religious leader?” In Nigeria we sing a chorus about this: “Jesus, na Bigi Man-oh! Who no know-am call-am small boy” Funny but true song!  At that first Christmas the wise became a fool and the strong became weak.  All babies are foolish, so they say. All babies are weak. God laughs at the wise! Let us laugh with Him!

Jesus was born as a baby. A virgin young woman was His mother. She breastfed Him like any other baby. This Baby called Jesus is the Savior! Why can’t they see His glory wrapped in swaddling clothes? Because The Grace was revealed only to other humble ‘babes’, now called ‘the children of God’. Our Lord said later: “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (Mt 11:25, 26). Grace revealed but Glory hidden from the wise and the prudent. What a mystery this story of Christmas is! God sent His only Begotten Son to live among men and to die for men. Salvation is totally of God. Salvation is a Family Business. Heaven’s business. “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” (1 Cor 1:27-31). God used this Baby to shame and destroy all the wisdom of men on earth. Can you feel the power of God, lying in a manger?  No flesh should boast in the presence of God! We glory only in the Lord! All men should bow down in adoration! Jesus Christ is the Lord of all! “Oh, come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”

What was the angels’ song? “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” There are only three things that concerned the angels that night. Later, the wise men came from the East and brought three gifts to Baby Jesus: Myrrh, gold, and frankincense. But that night, when Christ was born, Grace revealed and released three heavenly gifts: Glory to God, and Peace and Goodwill to men in earth!

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

The birth of the Savior gives all the glory to God! The angels are heavenly beings. They have seen God at work. They have seen Him create the planets. In their presence God created the earth, planted the Garden of Eden, and made Adam and Eve. All was good. There was peace in the Garden. The angels were happy with God’s work. But they were not amazed as it was during that first Christmas. When Baby Jesus was born, they exploded into praises! They could not keep quiet anymore! Why this joy? It was in their presence that Man fell. God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden. Two of their colleagues, the Cherubs, now blocked the way. Man cannot go back to the Garden. That shut gate to paradise remind everyone, men and angels, that dreams died, and hope was lost. The Angels did not know how God will end the love story with man. But now, something wonderful has happened! Behold! God has not finished with man! The Love story did not fail! God became man!!! The holy romance is revived. The praise continues. The praise is even getting stronger. The glory of God is revealed in every flower and in every sunrise. But in this story, God becoming a man, the glory of God is revealed like never before. The Angels knew that highest praise is expected of them! “When He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” (Heb 1:6). The birth of Baby Jesus shook heaven with praises. It could have been a sad song. For the second Person of the Trinity will miss heaven for thirty-three years. But this sacrifice was necessary for man to be saved. It was the will of God to save man! What a Love! The angels did not lecture men. They sang! With loud voices! They preached the Gospel with singing. Glory to God in the highest! Have you heard of the angels? They are messengers and servants to the elect. They protect the children of God. We are not to worship angels, but we should recognize their ministry and love them for that. Please observe that the angels were not jealous. They saw that God came down to save only men. Jesus did not die to save the fallen angels, their rebellious colleagues of old. Jesus did not come to earth using the glorious body of an angel. He became a man. He wrapped Himself in human flesh. Even then, the angels were not angry. They saw the glory of God in the Baby and praised God for this wonderful Grace given to men!

ON EARTH PEACE

The second revelation was that God sent peace to earth! Since the fall of man, there was no peace, only pain, betrayal, and hatred. Death reigned on earth. Wars killed millions. Just the way Cain killed his brother Abel, many good men died. The earth is soaked with the blood of the innocent. Sinful man on earth knows no peace. Man is troubled and worried. The devil takes pleasure to torment men. But now, this Baby comes with Peace. He is the Prince of Peace. He came as a Man so that one day, He will die on the Cross for sinful men. Thru His death, Christ reconciles man to God. Heaven’s peace has come to earth. The Lord said: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jn 14:27). The price for Peace is the Blood of this Baby. Herod tried to kill Him, but he could not. For no man could take His life. He was born to die but His hour did not come. Thru the Cross, man has now peace with God, and peace with other men. Man has peace with himself. His conscience does not terrorize him again. “Peace like a river attended my way… It is well with my soul, it is well…” Man can now sing “On earth, Peace!”  Shalom!

GOODWILL TOWARDS MEN

The third gift from heaven was God’s ‘goodwill towards men’. Sin has separated men from God. Men were afraid of God. They ran away from Him. But the angels say: “God is Gracious towards you! Come back! Come Home!” Goodwill means God’s pleasure, satisfaction, and kindness. Goodwill means God’s desire for friendship, for fellowship with men. God wants to help man! That is Goodwill! God’s favor and help has come as a newborn baby, in the little town of Bethlehem. Strong men looked down on the Savior. But humble men, like these shepherds, look up to Him! They believe what the Spirit says. They see the glory hidden. May we join the shepherds in their search for the Savior. They saw the Baby Lying in the Manger. They saw His humble earthly parents, grateful to be a part of God’s story. They saw Grace! They saw and they marveled. They praised God. They preached the story! The Gospel.  Let us join the angels and praise God! Let us give all the glory to God for our salvation! Let us honor the Prince of Peace by forgiving others. Let us show goodwill to all men. Let us be kind and helpful to others! This is Christmas!

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS – UNTO US, UNTO US

Isaiah prophesied the coming of the Messiah eight hundred years before it happened. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem was the fulfillment of many prophesies. This is God’s Word: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given!” (Is 9:6).  Our Lord is a Child and a Son! Baby Jesus was a child born of a woman. We are told that this Child was born ‘unto us.’ Not every child born into this world is born ‘unto us.’ But Jesus was a child born ‘unto us.’  What does it mean? Jesus is the Son of God. He was born as a Child. He was born for a particular purpose. To become a substitute and to die for our sins. If you believe this, you are saved. Then, baby Jesus was born ‘unto you’. If you do not believe, He was not born ‘unto you’. If baby Jesus was born ‘unto you’ then you too become a child like Him. God shall become your Father. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn 1:12, 13). Even after our Lord died, He was still called ‘The Holy Child’ (Ac 4:27).  This is the good pleasure and purpose of God. It is the manifestation of the Grace of God. In the natural, children grow and become adults. They die as adults. In the realm of Grace, time is reversed. The adults become born again and they become children. Our Lord said that salvation is not by effort, money, or education. It is by faith and by grace. “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3). Because of sin, adults are complicated. They are self-conscious. Adults doubt the Word of God. But children believe without doubting. They rejoice even when they have little in this world. They are not ashamed to sing, dance, or talk about Jesus. Are you a child of God? Are you born again? Then Jesus is ‘a Child born unto you.’ You are a Child of God! Praise the Lord! Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Baby Jesus is ‘a Son given unto us.’ Jesus was born as a Child. But He was also the Son of God. As a Son, He was not ‘born’. He was ‘given’ unto us by God. He came to earth sent by His Father. The Father sent His Son with a special work to do. He was sent to be the Savior of men. He came to live and die for sinners. God the Father sent God the Son. He came for a peculiar work only Him could have done. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). The Father gave His Son. The Son was given. He was given ‘unto us.’ If you have received Him in your heart, then He was given ‘unto you’. If not, He came but was not given ‘unto you’. If you have received the Son, then you have become a son of God. We the believers in Christ are the brethren of Jesus!  We are now family! God Almighty is our God and our Father. Heaven is populated with this new creation. All the citizens of heaven, the redeemed, they all resemble Jesus. We are in that number! Hallelujah!

LESSONS FOR US AT CHRISTMAS

*Humble yourself! Remember the price the Son of God paid to come to the earth and live among sinful men! He did not insist on His ‘status’ as God. He did not say: “Must I go to the earth? Must I suffer in their hands? I am God! My glory is Mine!” He did not say so. He humbled Himself more than any man. God the Father rewarded His Son’s Humility by exalting Him above all others.  “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:5-7). Child of God, be like Jesus! Humble yourself! Stop being so sensitive to the insults of others. Trust God for your promotion in life! God is faithful!

*Repent and change! If the Son was given ‘unto us’, then we must change. We must repent of all know sin! In Christ, we become saved. Grace will work inwardly. We start to hate the worldly things we once loved. We start to love the godly things we once hated. The difference will become clearer with time. Child of God, you will know that your heart has changed. Others will notice the change too.

*Be bold and courageous in Christ! Preach the Gospel and Praise God! Have faith in God! Fear Not! Doubt not! If you do not show the fruit of the Holy Spirit, then your religion is useless. It means that the Son was not given ‘unto you.’ But, if The Holy Child Jesus was born unto you, and the Son of God was sent unto you, then why do you fear? Why do you doubt? In Christ, you have overcome the world. “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 Jn 4:4). Stand and preach the Gospel without fear and without shame! Acknowledge the Grace of God in locating you. Sing to God! Praise Him with songs!

*Be kind to others! This is an attitude of goodwill to men! Be like God! Kindness is a sacrifice God approves and blesses!

*You are a fruitful Branch in the Vine! If I believe God’s Word, then my life can never be barren. I declare that in Christ I shall eat the fruit of my labor! I am a fruitful vine! My children shall surround my table! I will see my grandchildren! I will live and die in peace! (Ps 128).

*Love one another. Be generous and be hospitable! You may invite the Christmas angels one day! (Heb 13:1,2)

*Give God all the glory, for your salvation, your life, your family, for all your gifts, and all the blessings! Many ignore Jesus. But the Grace has opened your eyes to see the truth that set you free. Say it until you believe it! “Jesus Christ was born for me! Jesus Christ was sent unto me!”

Finally, let us remind ourselves that the Christ of Christmas is coming back again! We do not know the say or the hour. But we have His sure promise! And we trust Him! Our Lord came as a baby. He will come as the King of kings! He came in humility, born to a poor family. He will come as the Lord of lords! When He came the first time, men ignored Him! When He comes again, men will admire and worship Him! He was despised and rejected of men. When He comes again, He will come as the Judge of the universe! He will judge angels and men! When He came the first time, men crowned Him with a crown of thorns. When He comes again, He will be crowned with many crowns! If all we have is Christmas, and The Lord Jesus does not come back again, that will be a tragedy. It will be like falling in love and not getting married. It will be like hoping for the best and receiving the worst. But the truth is that Jesus will come again! We should be encouraged! We should look forward to His second coming, when He will make all things right! Christmas is the seed of life and hope! His second coming is the fulfilment of Christmas! The seed has now become the tree of life! God keeps the best for the last! He said: “”Behold, I am coming soon!” Our hearts respond: “Even so, come Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:7, 20). To God be all the glory!  Worship the Lord!

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (10) – THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (5)

During the Sunday service, Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled “The Christian marriage (5)”. Her main scriptures are taken from the Books of Romans and the Psalms. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (Rom 1:16, 17)… “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing— Life forevermore” (Ps 133:1-3).

God has commanded His blessing on the home that has welcomed Him and has protected the unity of the Spirit! That marriage, that home is ‘good and pleasant’. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is free to flow down, from God the Father to God the Son, to God the Holy Spirit, to the husband, to the wife and to all the children. This is a precious anointing, the seal of God upon that home. That family is blessed with salvation and eternal life. The blessing of God is sure! God has commanded His blessing and it can never fail! This is the ideal marriage and perfect family! This is our desire! God will grant us the desire of our hearts! Amen!

MARRIAGE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Christian marriage is different than any other. It is a marriage ‘made in heaven’. It is a marriage between a man and a woman, who both are believers in Christ. The physical part of the marriage lasts ‘until death do us part’. But the spiritual effects abide forever, to bless the next generation. The marriage has God in the center. They recognize and honor the presence of God the Holy Spirit in their home. Both husband and wife are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. Today, there is much abuse of power and ignorance of true love in the marriages. The devil takes advantage of the ignorance and attacks the marriages. But God desires to bless the Christian marriages. Marriage is designed by God to be a ministry. The Bible has clear marriage guidelines. These commands apply only to the believers. Unbelievers may try to apply the Biblical precepts to make their marriages better, but they are not able to obey God’s Word. For the children of God, the Bible is their Life Manual. God’s Word is written to us, sinners saved by grace.

In the marriage set up, there are two basic rules: Submission and Love! The wives submit to their own husbands (as Christ submitted to God the Father). The husbands love their wives, not in their own way, but ‘as Christ loves the church’. In Christ, the husband and wife are equal before God. Their salvation experience is the same. But in marriage, these simple rules must be obeyed for God to bless them as a couple. Both these actions are basic spiritual attitudes that abide until the end of their lives as a married couple. They both must glorify Christ, our Lord! Submission and love are inspired by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gives both the husband and wife the power to obey. Submission to the human authority is always done for Christ’ sake. In the area of marriage, the wife submits to her own husband ‘as unto the Lord and in everything’. Marriage is a great testing ground. The truth may be hidden outside but is revealed at home. No one can pretend when he (or she) is naked. The husband and the wife cannot totally deceive one another. The wife’s submission proves that she honors and loves the Lord Jesus Christ, and that she is saved. By her actions and words, a rebellious proud wife proves that she is not a child of God. The husband who is always selfish and harsh proves that he is not born again. Selah!

BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God” (Eph 5:18-21). “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecc 4:12)

God commands all His children to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When you get saved, the Holy Spirit comes into you as a ‘sample’, a deposit guaranteeing the fullness later. But once you are filled with the Holy Spirit your life will radically change. Your marriage will change. It will become ‘a threefold cord not quickly broken’. That is the perfect marriage ‘ministry’: husband, wife, and the Holy Spirit. It is a picture of the Holy Trinity! The devil cannot break that marriage. Do you want to be free from the fear of divorce? Then both of you be filled with the Holy Spirit and let your union be in the presence of the Holy Spirit! You will talk and sing about Jesus. You have the confidence to witness about the testimony of the Lord in your life. Despite difficulties, you become full of joy. You become spiritually focused! You become a grateful person, giving thanks to God always. A proud man in the past, you now become humble, joyfully submitting to others. People will notice that. They will be attracted to you. You start to minister grace to them. You become a source of inspiration to many! The born-again believer who is Spirit filled makes an excellent husband and a wonderful wife! This is an ideal marriage! But many believers are too complacent. Once they have received the deposit of the Holy Spirit they do not press unto fullness. They are saved but they lack this authority and power to witness for Christ. Without the fulness of the Spirit, their lives, their ministries, and they marriages remain a struggle. They lack this peculiar glorious confident powerful joy, the source of all godly success. Therefore, child of God, be filled with the Holy Spirit!

MAMA PUT HAS NOW BECOME DOMINO PIZZA

This is another picture to understand the filling with the Holy Spirit. A man starts a little roadside ‘restaurant’ called ‘Mama put’. Let’s say that he makes good pizza. But he struggles with his business. He lacks strength, wisdom, and resources. It is hard to find new customers and to satisfy them all. Then one day, Domino Pizza company tells him to become part of its organization. They will train him and sponsor him. He agrees with them. The little ‘Mama put’ changes signboard and now it becomes a branch of the international chain called Domino Pizza. Immediately his business is better and makes great profit. The customers of this organization come to his restaurant because they trust the name. His little effort to make pizza has been swallowed by a great organization. The man is not passive. He is not lazy. He still bakes pizza but now, the impact, the profit is so much greater! In the same way once the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit, he becomes part of the eternally blessed Work of God. His little vision of success in life and marriage has been absorbed by the greater vision that never fails! Filled with the Spirit he now learns to listen to the voice inside him. He listens and obeys. The world will continue to lie and deceive. But the believer learns how to reject the outside voice and obeys the internal voice. In the same way, you need to become blind to the visible, temporary things of the world. And you need to see the reality of the Spiritual things, invisible to the natural eyes, but so clear and wonderful to the eyes of the Spirit! Our Lord said: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Your life will change! Your ministry will change! Your marriage will change! From Faith to Faith! From Grace to Grace! From Glory to Glory! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!

GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT

“Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:25-32)

In trying to explain what it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we need to consider now one of the greatest hindrances to this holy command. The same God who commands: Be filled with the Spirit is the same who commands: ‘Grieve not the Spirit of God’. We remind ourselves that the Holy Spirit is a Person! He is not a force or an influence. He is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. It is only a Person that can be ‘grieved’. An object or an influence cannot love, therefore it cannot grieve. The word ‘grieve’ is a deep feeling. It is a lover’s word. Only love can grieve. Love grieves when she is betrayed. To grieve it means to experience extreme sadness, sorrow, and mourning, because of the loss of something precious or the death of a loved one. It is an intense mental and emotional suffering described as a ‘spiritual internal bleeding’. Grieving manifests as depression or anger. These are reactions to the loss experienced, a manifestation of the regret of broken dreams. Men grieve…

There are three forms of sinning against the Holy Spirit: ‘resisting, quenching, and grieving’. It is only the unbelievers who can resist the Holy Spirit, by refusing to listen and obey the preaching of God’s Word. Stephen said to the religious unbelievers who were ready to kill him: “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you” (Ac 7:51). To resist it means to fight, to oppose an enemy, to refuse to be changed by another. The believer cannot resist the Holy Spirit who is already inside his heart. But the unbeliever resists the Holy Spirit who is trying to convict him of sin so that he can repent and be saved. If an unbeliever resists the Holy Spirit to the end of his life, that becomes a sin unto death. It is a tragic sin that God cannot forgive (Lk 12:10). Another form of offending the Holy Spirit is to ‘quench’ Him. This is God’s command: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies” (1Thess 5:19, 20). To quench is to extinguish a fire. Without the passion fire of the Holy Spirit, the heart becomes cold and weak. The testimony of the Christian is fading away.  Only a believer can quench the Holy Spirit. It applies to ministry. It relates to the sin of jealousy when a believer hinders the zeal of another believer in serving God. It also happens when a believer refuses to believe prophetic words. Often, revival has been quenched because of this sin. Dear child of God, be careful and protect your heart! Serve God for His glory alone! Do not try to impress people. That is when they have an opportunity to hurt you and to quench the Spirit in you. Once the Holy Spirit is ‘quenched’ you become spiritually weak. You lose the zeal to serve God and the passion to please God thru your ministry. Do spiritual warfare! Be wise! Watch and pray! Stay humble and faithful!

What does it mean to ‘grieve the Holy Spirit’? One of the symbols for the Holy Spirit is a Dove. This bird is gentle by nature. It does not fight. It does not defend itself. It is easily scared. If you are rough with it, the dove will leave you and fly away. If you can imagine a scared dove, you will better understand the command: ‘Do not grieve the Holy Spirit!’. In the text above (Eph 4:25-32) you see that the Holy Spirit is grieved by a believer who refuses to repent and be sanctified. Apostle Paul warned us ‘not to receive the Grace of God in vain’ (2 Cor 6:1). The Kindness and the Favor of God comes to us so that we repent of all sin (Rom 2:4). When you refuse to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, to humble yourself and repent, the Grace of God is powerless to help you. It becomes a wasted gift. That grieves the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit leads into all truth. He hates sin. He leads in the process of sanctification. He helps the believer to ‘mortify the flesh’; to die to sin, to Satan, and to the world. As believers we are commanded to speak only words given by the Holy Spirit. In this way, we ‘impart or minister grace’ to one another. “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Eph 4:29). God uses the believers’ kind words to spread the effect of the Grace of God. When the believer refuses to cooperate with the process of sanctification, he grieves the Holy Spirit. Specifically, lying, unforgiveness, bitterness, wickedness, and uncontrolled anger grieve the Holy Spirit. These unrepented sins permit the devil to take ‘a place’ in your heart. That is considered spiritual adultery. The Holy Spirit is a Lover, jealous and grieved. He will discipline the stubborn ‘bride’.  

In the area of marriage, communication is extremely important. The husband and the wife should desire to know each other intimately and in all areas of life. They should know each other’s minds, emotions, and plans. No person knows another without communication. Only God knows your heart without talking. Dear wife, please help your husband to understand your pains and your joys. The same applies to the husband. Make specific times for intimate heart to heart fellowship. Talk to one another! This is a common mistake in marriage: to keep silent when you are offended by your spouse. That pain will eventually go deeper and will become bitterness. Watch the borderline! The Holy Spirit can comfort you in your pain but will be grieved by your bitterness. The Holy Spirit’s main purpose is the glorify the Son of God. He wants that Jesus is glorified in your life, thru your actions and words. This holy process is called ‘sanctification’. Once you refuse to cooperate with His plan and purpose, He will be grieved. That will affect your life, your testimony, your marriage, your family, and your ministry. I know that it is not easy to trust another human being. We are afraid of becoming vulnerable. We are selfish and we often break the trust. But marriage is a good school to learn how to open your heart and trust another. Pray for one another. Apply the Word of God daily. This is the only path to a successful godly marriage. It has worked for me. It will work for you!

What are the main ways as a believer, you grieve the Holy Spirit?

*You ignore or you forget the Person of God Holy Spirit! To ignore it means to intentionally not listen or give attention to somebody. The greatest insult to a teacher is to ignore his words. God punishes a believer when he insults or mocks The Holy Spirit of Grace (Heb 10:20). Dear child of God, you should know that your body ‘is the temple of the Holy Spirit’ (1 Cor 6:19). This is how you became born again. The Holy Spirit has sealed you for salvation. If you forget this revelation, if you refuse to listen to the voice of God in your spirit, and you choose to live your life ‘in the flesh’, you will grieve the Holy Spirit! It is good to remind yourself and your spouse daily, that the Holy Spirit dwells in you. He is a Person. When a pregnant woman forgets that she is pregnant, and does things that may harm the baby, that is a sin! How much more the believer who is filled, or ‘pregnant’ with the Holy Spirit! This is our testimony in Father’s House Bible Church: Because of the danger of ignoring the Holy Spirit, we always publicly and openly acknowledge the Person of God the Holy Spirit in our midst, in every service. You too, do so at every family altar in your home!

*You ignore God’s Word and prayer. It is the Holy Spirit who inspired the people to write the Bible. “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit… All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Pet 1:21; 2 Tim 3:16). The Word and the Spirit are one! Once you neglect the Bible, the Holy Spirit will be grieved. The Holy Spirit is also called as ‘The Spirit of Grace and Supplication’ (Zech 12:10). Supplication means prayer for more Grace. Once you neglect prayer, the Holy Spirit is grieved and Grace is restrained.

*You grieve the Holy Spirit when you love His power, gifts, and blessings more than His Person. In that case, the Holy Spirit will be grieved and angry. He will withdraw some of the blessings. He will ‘block’ your way to progress in life and limit your prosperity so that you can some back to God (for a greater understanding read Ezekiel chapter 16 and Hosea chapter 1).

*You refuse to repent of every known sin. Repentance means a changing of mind and behavior concerning sin. You cannot repent of all sins at the same time. Repentance is not a legalistic religious exercise. The Holy Spirit will lead you step by step, pointing a particular sin. You respond by repenting of that sin. Immediately you do so, the peace of God will be restored your heart. The process of sanctification goes on. If you refuse to repent of that particular sin, even if you ‘repent’ of another, the Holy Spirit, your Heavenly Teacher will be grieved! Your fleshly repentance will not bring peace to your mind. There is a difference between godly sorrow that leads to repentance and to salvation and the worldly sorrow that leads to death (2 Cor 7:10). Sin in general, and doubt in particular, grieve the Holy Spirit. Sin is an offence against God. There are only two options: sin or holiness. Because God’s Spirit is holy, of necessity, He hates and punishes sin. That is why Jesus died! Because of our sins! As a believer, learn to hate sin! Run to Jesus! Go to the Cross! See the price the Son for God paid for your sins! Repent! Be free!

The main reason why the Holy Spirit is grieved is because He loves you. “He said, “Surely they are My people, children who will not lie.” So, He became their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity, He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so, He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them” (Is 63:8-10). As you read these words, do you feel His pain? He has been with you all the way. He has helped you to come to Jesus. He has witnessed your salvation. When you fell into sin, He helped you back on your feet. Both of you have a testimony of walking together. To grieve your best Friend is the most terrible sin. He has the right to fight back, to win your heart again. That is why no backslider is happy in the world. God cannot lose His lambs. He will chastise you. He has no other option. Love fights and love wins!

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

Always remember that the Holy Spirit is a Person. He has feelings and plans for you! To grieve Him is not a joke! It is a terrible sin! Sin requires repentance! The Holy Spirit is God! He never repents! You are the one who needs to repent! The earlier you do it the better! Once the Holy Spirit is grieved, you sense a deep sadness in your heart. It comes with a feeling of disturbance, loneliness, anxiety, and restlessness. The fear of God will manifest. You know that ‘something is wrong’ between you and God. You lose the appetite to study God’s Word. You lose interest in prayer. You get ‘tired’ to go to church. These are all warning signs! No believer should feel like this. A child of God loves the Bible, prayer, and Church services. This is his normal spiritual healthy environment. Once you feel disturbed like this, stop everything! Run to God! Run to Jesus! Call His name! Fast and pray! Repent of the sin of grieving the Holy Spirit! Do not argue with God! Repent and invite Him back to you! Give yourself no rest until you restore your peace with God! After that, learn your lessons! Remain sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit! Depend on Him for everything! Keep close! Acknowledge Him! Testify about His work in you! Selah!

You must decide to be ruled and led by the Holy Spirit. It is like a man enrolling in the army. From the moment he becomes a soldier, he has no will of his own. He must obey his commanding officer. Rebellion in the army is punished severely. Just accept the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells in you and He leads you to spiritual maturity. You must trust and obey Him! Depend on His Word and power! Abide in the Word of God! Persevere in prayer! To become a mature believer there is a price to pay. Maturity is never by accident! To have a testimony of spiritual success in life and in your marriage, you must sacrifice a lot! Flesh must die! The Spirit will rise! This is the royal way of the Cross! There is no other! To the glory of God! Amen!

IN MARRIAGE AND LIFE, LOVE NEVER FAILS

God is Love! God showed us what love is. It is not just words. It is not a poem or a song. Love is the most practical thing in the universe. If love does not change your life, that is not love. God manifested His Love at the Cross. There you see Family Love! God the Father sent God the Son to die for sinners. That they may live, and they may love! To God, Love is Life! Love is the seed of Life! Love is fruitful! Love is infectious! Love is a Command to be obeyed! Love never fails! Love never dies! (1 Cor 13:8). Love lives and works and changes everything! “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. The love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 Jon 4:7-11). Love does advertise itself, but it is not shy. Love reveals itself and shines in the darkness. Jesus died on the Cross, during the day, in the presence of many people in Jerusalem. Go to Calvary and see love displayed! God reveals Himself thru His Love! Have you felt the power of the Cross? Love is the Engine of Life, and the Heart of Faith! “CHRIST’S LOVE compels (controls, guides) us because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died (to sin)” (2Cor5:14). In Christ, the law of spiritual progress is “Faith working thru Love” (Gal 5:6). For a successful marriage, you need to be baptized with the Compelling Love of Christ! You will arrive to the place of perfect Love when you are fear free. Love is bold like a lion! “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us” (1 Jn 4:18, 19). “Above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Pet 4:8). In Greek, the word ‘fervent’ means to love intentionally, intensely, constantly, and deeply. This is an ‘expensive’ love. The price was paid with heartache and tears, but the reward is glorious victorious joy!

THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph 4:1-6)

The unity of the Spirit is essential to the Body of Christ. This unity is spiritual and not natural. Jesus died for our sins to make us one, to be part of His Body. He sent the promised Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). That is when the Church, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, was ‘born’. Before then, they were individual believers living together but they were not members of one Body. The Holy Spirit baptized the many believers into one Body. We are many and have different gifts. But if you are truly saved, you have become part of a bigger vision. You are an organic member of one Body! “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor 12:12, 13). This Baptism of many believers into one Body of Christ is called ‘the unity of the Spirit’. No man can create this unity. No religion or denomination can create it. It is purely the work of the Holy Spirit because Jesus died and rose again. The unity of the Spirit proves the power of the Gospel.

It was our Lord’s specific prayer that the believers should be one in Him. In His High Priestly prayer our Lord said to the Father: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me” (Jn 17:20-23). His prayer was not only for His immediate disciples but for all the believers, to the end of time. That includes you and me. The unity of the Body of Christ is the reversal of the curse that God placed on the world when proud men started building the tower of Babel. God recognized the fact that unity produces strength. But that unity was of the flesh, and it was a provocation to God. This is the story: “The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So, the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city” (Gen 11:5-8). Please observe that it was the Trinity that cursed that unity of men. God said: “Let Us go down…” God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are three separate Persons eternally united into one. The unity of the Spirit is always stronger than the unity of the flesh. At that time, God confused the languages of the people to scattered them. Since then, the people of the world are separated by languages, tribes, traditions, and national identities. The word ‘Babel’ means ‘confusion’. Up till today, the people in the world are all confused and divided. The word ‘confusion’ describes a lot of activity and noise when nobody understands what is happening.

Let us apply this revelation to the family set up. A marriage between worldly people is based on confusion. There is lot of talking and activity, but the husband and the wife talk but do not understand each another. They are one body in the flesh, but they are not one Spirit. They do not have one vision of success for the home. That is why they quarrel. Therefore, they cannot cooperate or help one another. The God who decreed the confusion at Babel, to stop men’s rebellious unity of the flesh, is the same God who reversed that curse and blessed men with peace. “God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor 14:33). God is the Author of Peace and true unity of the Spirit in Christ alone. This loving unity of peace is unique. It manifests in the living Churches and in the Christian homes. We are commanded to jealously guard and protect this peculiar unity of the Spirit bought with the Blood of the Son of God. In the area of marriage, the couple does not create the unity of the Spirit. But they are to be careful to maintain it. They should be sensitive to the keep ‘the bond of peace’ between them. During arguments, it is better to lose the battle and keep the peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace! Honor Him more than your opinions.  Every husband should be able to confidently tell his wife: “My dear wife, ‘Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ (1Cor 11:1)’. To imitate it means to follow closely, to take that person as an example in character, speech, faith, and behavior. This is a spiritual ‘imitation’ and not just an outward behavior. The purpose of this command is to keep the unity of the Spirit. The unity is of the Spirit and not of the flesh. In Nigeria, when going out together, to a celebration, the husband, and his wife dress with the same material so it is easy to identify them as a married couple. This is nice. I like it! But the unity the Bible talks about is of the Spirit, it is internal and not outward. This unity is what the devil attacks most of the time. The devil wants the couple to ignore the unity of the Spirit, and each should become a separate person. They remain married but they are lonely in their marriage. That is a sad home. That is the reason why the married couple should do spiritual warfare. We can never retire from being soldiers for Christ! The couple who has won the victory to maintain the unity of the Spirit is rewarded with supernatural peace and prosperity. Their marriage is not mature, a ministry and an inspiration to many. Have you seen a philharmonic orchestra? They all play their instruments but under the direction of the conductor, there is unity and beauty and power! This is how the Christian marriage should be!  

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful…” (Eph 6:10-18)

Spiritual warfare is necessary for a successful Christian testimony and Christian marriage. Concerning spiritual warfare, most Christians go to extremes. Some ignore it and others are overconcerned about it. Wisdom tells us to stay in the middle. This is the test of maturity in a believer: he comes out victorious from each spiritual battle. Selah!

The Bible reveals that there is an enemy of God called Satan, or the Devil. He hates God with a passion. He hates God’s work and wants to destroy it. He attacks the children of God. The devil cannot destroy their salvation, but he can damage their testimonies. He is involved in all backslidings. He attacks the Christian marriages. Directly or indirectly, the devil is involved in all the cases of divorce.

As the Holy Spirit is a Person, the devil is a Person. The devil has a personality. He thinks and he speaks. He is a thief and a liar. He makes plans how to ‘kill, steal and destroy’ (Jn 10:10). The devil attacks all the believers and the married couples. He wants you to forget God, the Bible, prayer, and fellowship of the brethren in the church. He wants you to lie to one another, to keep secrets. He wants you to be angry and unforgiving. He divides the husband and wife in the area of money, sex, and the pattern of raising their children. The devil is the author of all sins of adultery, pornography, divorce, and violence in the homes. All bullying, insults and verbal abuse have the devil behind. To have the victory you need to expose, confront, and fight these sins. You need to draw closer to God and in His name, fight the devil. This fight is to the finish! Child of God, you should fight for your life, for your marriage, for your family! In Christ, the victory is sure! Halleluiah!           

Dear believer, on your own you do not have the wisdom or the strength to defeat the devil. He is a master of deception, division, and manipulation. It is only in Christ that we have the strength to defeat the devil. Because our Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross, for our sins, the strength to defeat the Devil is found in our union with Christ. The Devil is called ‘the accuser of the brethren’ (Rev 12:10). He was bold enough to accuse the godly man Job before God. He is the one behind all negative words, complains, quarrels, and accusations in the marriage. He is an enemy of your sanctification. The devil knows that sanctification is God’s will for you. He will try to quench your desire to mature spiritually. He will distract you so that you do not study the Bible and you do not pray. Marriage becomes a battlefield. Many people have become skillful in the ‘art’ of quarreling and fighting, thru their marriages. The devil is not an imagination. He is not a joke. He succeeded to deceive and conquer Adam and Eve, the perfect couple created by God. How much more he can hurt us, who are born sinners. Our only Hope is found in Christ alone! That is why we preach the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected!   

What is the solution? Watch, fight, pray, and rejoice! Repent of your ignorance about spiritual warfare and the existence of the devil. Ignorance is a tool of the enemy. For the success of your marriage, you need to watch and pray “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor 2:11). Be careful with the unity of the Spirit in the marriage and in the Church! Unity is strength and maturity! “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace… until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:3, 13; NIV).  

Put on ‘the whole armor of God’. Truth is a belt that holds everything together. You need to ‘speak the truth in love’ (Eph 4:15) always. ‘Love rejoices with the truth’ (1 Cor 13:6) and it is grieved by lies! Every lie is a defeat and gives the devil a point of contact into your life and marriage. You need to protect your heart, your emotions with ‘the breastplate of righteousness’. You need to be sure of your salvation, of your imputed righteousness in Christ. If the devil deceives you that you are still a condemned sinner, you will always feel guilty and spiritually weak. You will give up the battle. You need to walk with the shoes called ‘the preparation of the Gospel of peace’. Each time you preach the true Gospel, you walk, and you make progress. With your left hand lift the shield of faith! It is to protect your heart. It quenches the fiery poisonous arrows of the devil: doubt, fear, anxiety, and wicked sinful thoughts. But Faith is stronger than all. All these are defensive weapons designed to protect you during external attacks. The only weapon used to actively attack the devil is called ‘the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God’. With the right hand you lift it and throw it at the enemy. Our Lord defeated the devil in the wilderness with the spoken Word of God. We need to do the same! The Word of God spoken, prayed, prophesied, or preached in the power of the Holy Spirit is the most powerful weapon, able to destroy all strongholds and attacks. Because of the reality of spiritual warfare, all the saints of old prayed without ceasing. This is how they conquered the enemy and set the captives free. This is how they became established as servants of Christ! There is no other way. Pray with faith for yourself, your spouse, your children, your pastors, and for your ministry. Effective prayer is one of the greatest tools of encouragement designed by God. Our God is the Only Living God, and the only prayer answering God! Prayer a gift from King Grace! The more your pray, the greater your courage and boldness shall be! “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!” (Ps 118:15; NIV). This is a prophetic verse we shall apply to our marriages and homes. The Lord’s right hand, the hand He uses in battle, has defeated the enemies of our marriages and homes. As married couples, as parents and children, we shall rejoice. We shall praise God with singing and dancing. Other people will hear and come to Jesus! This is our faith! This is our testimony! Glory to God! Worship the Lord!  

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (9) – THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (4)

During the Sunday service, Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled “The Christian marriage (4)”. Her main scriptures are taken from the Books of Romans and Ephesians. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Rom 1:16, 17). “Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God” (Eph 5:18-21).

MARRIAGE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Christian marriage is different than any other. It is a marriage ‘made in heaven’. It is a marriage between a man and a woman, who both are believers in Christ. The physical part of the marriage lasts ‘until death do us part’. But the spiritual effects abide forever, to bless the next generation. The marriage has God in the center. They recognize and honor the presence of God the Holy Spirit in their home. Both husband and wife are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. Today, there is much abuse of power and ignorance of true love in the marriages. The devil takes advantage of the ignorance and attacks the marriages. But God desires to bless the Christian marriages. Marriage is designed by God to be a ministry. The Bible has clear marriage guidelines. These commands apply only to the believers. Unbelievers may try to apply the Biblical precepts to make their marriages better, but they are not able to obey God’s Word. For the children of God, the Bible is their Life Manual. God’s Word is written to us, sinners saved by grace.

In the marriage set up, there are two basic rules: Submission and Love! The wives submit to their own husbands (as Christ submitted to God the Father). The husbands love their wives, not in their own way, but ‘as Christ loves the church’. In Christ, the husband and wife are equal before God. Their salvation experience is the same. But in marriage, these simple rules must be obeyed for God to bless them as a couple. Both these actions are basic spiritual attitudes that abide until the end of their lives as a married couple. They both must glorify Christ, our Lord! Submission and love are inspired by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gives both the husband and wife the power to obey. Submission to the human authority is always done for Christ’ sake. In the area of marriage, the wife submits to her own husband ‘as unto the Lord and in everything’. Marriage is a great testing ground. The truth may be hidden outside but is revealed at home. No one can pretend when he (or she) is naked. The husband and the wife cannot totally deceive one another. The wife’s submission proves that she honors and loves the Lord Jesus Christ, and that she is saved. By her actions and words, a rebellious proud wife proves that she is not a child of God. The husband who is always selfish and harsh proves that he is not born again. Selah! Let us study the Word of God concerning marriages! Let us repent and be saved!

A Christian marriage implies that the husband and the wife are both born again, and Spirit filled. An unbeliever cannot obey God’s commands. Religion is useless in a marriage. The Bible commands all believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a vital requirement in a Christian marriage. It is the will of God. It is wisdom from above. God commands the wives ‘to submit to their husbands as unto the Lord’. But the world tells the wives to be rebellious. God commands the husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church, sacrificially. But the world tells the husbands to commit adultery for fun. The world and the Bible have two different contrary voices. The world’s voice may sound as entertainment, but the price is sin and death. The Bible directs us to walk on the narrow road of holiness. It is the royal way of the Cross. It is a difficult, often lonely road. But its destination is sure! It is heaven! That road is eternal life, peace, and joy. A worldly marriage and a Christian marriage may look the same from the outside. But they are opposite in motives and methods. Each has a price to pay and a purpose to achieve.

The Bible commands the believer in Christ to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The effects of being filled with the Holy Spirit manifest in the believer’s life, in his marriage, in his relationships with his children and in his ministry. There is no substitute for being filled with the Holy Spirit. No amount of intelligence, level of education or wealth can replace the filling of the Holy Spirit. We need to study and understand the Person of God the Holy Spirit. All we need is found in the Word of God! Let us go to the basics: What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God! He is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. The Holy Spirit is a Person! He is not an influence or an idea. Read the Book of John, chapters 14 to 17. There you find the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Before going to the Cross, our Lord told His disciples that He will die soon. But that they should not grieve for their loss. He said it is to their ‘advantage’ that He dies and goes back to heaven. From there, He will send to them the Holy Spirit who is called ‘The Comforter, the Helper or the Advocate’. The Holy Spirit was with them but later, He will be ‘in them’. In Greek, the Word ‘Comforter’ is ‘Paraklete’. It means an intimate friend who walks along the road of life with you, always ready and able to help you. A believer filled with the Holy Spirit is never alone and he never fills like ‘an orphan’. Our Lord did not pray for the world (Jn 17:9). The Holy Spirit never fills an unbeliever, no matter how religious he is. The unbeliever is not able to identify, desire or receive the Holy Spirit. Because we are talking about Christian marriages, this truth is extremely important. We are commanded not to marry unbelievers. This is because they can never be filled with the Holy Spirit! “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Cor 6:14). A marriage between a believer and an unbeliever has no true fellowship. They are both lonely together. Because there is no unity of the Spirit, that marriage is extremely painful to both. What is the solution? The believer should pray for God to have mercy and the spouse to be saved. Only God can change that marriage! Salvation is of God alone! All believers have the Holy Spirit. Once you become born again, the Holy Spirit becomes part of you. Without the Holy Spirit you cannot be saved. “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Rom 8:9). But the Holy Spirit in a new believer is like ‘a sample’, a deposit for more to come. God desires you to be filled with the Holy Spirit! Selah!

THE WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is God. Nobody knows all the work the Holy Spirit does. But because we are talking about the filling of the Holy Spirit and His work in the marriage, we shall limit ourselves to His two main functions. The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ! The Holy Spirit teaches truth!

*THE HOLY SPIRIT GLORIFIES THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

“He (The Holy Spirit) will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:14, 15).

The Holy Spirit is God. He is the Witness of who Christ really is, both God and Man. Our Lord Jesus Christ was Baptized and Filled with the Holy Spirit as a Man of earth. All the words Christ spoke and all the works He did were by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why the Holy Spirit is the best Witness and Testifier of Christ’s sufferings on earth and eternal glory in heaven!  The Lord Jesus is God but when He came to earth as a Man, He did not bring His words, His power, or His glory from heaven. He totally depended on God the Father and God the Holy Spirit for everything. He left His glory as God in heaven. The words He spoke, and all His works were done thru the power and the supply of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. As a Man, Jesus did not speak His own words and did not use His own power to do miracles. He showed us the way to live as children of God. He humbled Himself so much, that men took Him for granted and the devil was bold enough to kill Him on the Cross. But this was the plan of God for the salvation of men. Jesus died as a Substitute for sinners who will believe in Him. Here you see the love and cooperation of the Trinity. God the Father made the plan of salvation. He has the vision. God the Son agreed with it. He willingly agreed to come as a Man on earth and to pay the price for the salvation of men. God the Holy Spirit sustained God the Son. He now reveals the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ, helps us to believe the truth, so that we can be saved. The Holy Spirit has no other desire for men than they should know and worship Christ, the Lord.

By revealing the past sufferings and the present glory of Christ, the Holy Spirit helps people to understand authority and submission. Thru this revelation, the Holy Spirit keeps order and peace. It is especially important in the area of marriage! As Christ died for the Church, so the husband suffers presently in helping his wife become more spiritual. The husband leads even thru pain. Nobody likes pain but God recognizes it and redeems it. The husband’s suffering is like a seed that will become a harvest of joy in the latter days of marriage. In the natural, the ‘honeymoon’ is the most exciting time in a marriage. But in the spiritual realm, God’s law is this: suffering first and rejoicing later. It is the law of ‘delayed satisfaction’. Love is always patient, like a farmer waiting for his harvest. God keeps the best for the last (Jn 2:10). Husband, encourage yourself thru the Word of God! The same Holy Spirit helps the wife to submit to her husband, ‘as unto the Lord’. Without a clear vision of the humility and submission of Christ to the Father, the wife cannot submit herself to her husband. She will struggle and compete with her husband for leadership in the home. She will be afraid to submit to his vision for the marriage. She will cook his meals, wash his clothes, sleep with him, and have his children, but in her heart, she is still proud. That hidden pride creates friction. “God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor 14:33). The Holy Spirit reveals Himself in the church as Peace. There is an order, a harmony, and a fellowship that creates beauty. In this environment of the unity of the Spirit, the anointing flows from the head to the feet. Every member of the Body of Christ benefits from this anointing. God has ordered it and God has commanded a blessing upon it (Psalm 133). Without the Holy Spirit, both the church and the marriage will lack peace, order, and beauty.

Because of Christ’ humility necessary in this plan of salvation, we are ignorant of His glory as God. We do not fear God enough! We do not reverence and honor Christ enough! The Holy Spirit comes in His name to reveal to us who Christ is in heaven now! The Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ by revealing to us that He has always been God, the Creator of all things, visible and invisible. We need to see both the shame of the Cross and His glory in heaven! The Holy Spirit helps us to see these marvelous truths. He helps us to go to the Cross, to truly repent of sin and believe in Christ. He helps us to see Christ now, as the King of kings in heaven, so that we can worship Him in Spirit and in Truth!

In the marriage, the Holy Spirit helps the husband to become like Jesus, humble in loving his wife and hopeful for the glory ahead. A Christian husband is patient in mentoring his wife. The hope of glory gives him the courage and strength to see his wife in the future ‘without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing’ (Eph 5:27). For a Christian husband, his wife never gets old and ugly. She becomes more and more beautiful, pure and youthful in his eyes. That keeps the love burning. To the wife, the glory of Jesus revealed by the Holy Spirit is an inspiration for her to easily submit to her husband. Helping he husband to fulfill his destiny is her joy. Thru this joy, she too will find fulfillment. She gets lost in him to find herself, her true self. This is a mystery. Hard to explain but true, nevertheless. 

The Lord said that faith in Him, in His Gospel, Christ crucified and resurrected, will produce overflow of life in the believer. “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (Jn 7:37-39). This overpowering eternal life proceeds from the Spirit filled believer and from the Spirit filled marriage. The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ, and the same Holy Spirit produces life giving testimony. Glory! Just the way the wedding day cannot be separated from the marriage, so justification cannot be separated from the process of sanctification. Justification is God’s forensic declaration that this sinner is saved because His Son Jesus Christ died on his behalf. The sinner believes this declaration. The moment he believes, God places on him ‘a wedding gift robe’ called ‘the imputed Righteousness of Christ’. The sinner is not changed internally but God sees him as His child because of Christ. This is what you may call ‘the wedding gift’. Christ has married you. From this moment on, you are no more a sinner, but a sinner saved by Grace. You are the Bride, the Wife of Christ. From now on, the marriage proper starts. This process of changing to become more and more like your husband is called sanctification. Therefore, marriage is basically a process of sanctification. In the marriage, the husband who loves and the wife who submits to his love start to resemble each other more and more. With time, they both will look more and more like Christ. A beautiful mystery marriage is… Always exciting! Glory to God!

*THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE ONLY TEACHER WHO TEACHES TRUTH

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you … The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (Jn 14:15-17, 26).

From these scriptures we see that the Holy Spirit comes into His fulness to the obedient disciples of Christ. He is called the Helper. He is eternal. He comes from heaven. He abides with the believers forever. He is not a visitor but the Creator of the believer. The world (the unbelievers) cannot see or receive the Holy Spirit. For the baby Christian, the Holy Spirit is with him, or around him. After the baptism of the Holy Spirit, He goes inside the heart and fills the believers. The Holy Spirit is sent by God the Father. He comes in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He does not come in His own name, for His own glory. He comes to testify about the Lord Jesus Christ. This is His main work. Without the Holy Spirit we cannot know the Lord Jesus Christ. He makes Christ real to us. The Holy Spirit is the most excellent Teacher of the Word of God. He helps us with our spiritual understanding and memory concerning the Word of God. He is the unfailing library and holy storage of all scriptures and revelations. He teaches us the Bible.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. There is no truth outside the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the Word of Truth. There is no truth outside the Bible. The Holy Spirit alone knows the truth and leads you to the truth. All unbelievers are deceived by appearances. They are slaves of the devil, also called the Liar. Truth is a Person. Truth is living. Our Lord is The Truth! In Christ alone there is Truth. The Holy Spirit leads you to Christ, to the Truth. The Word of God is Truth. The Holy Spirit is the Author of the Bible, and He will give you the desire to study the Word. Thru faith in the Word, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you change. This process of changing from inside out, by faith in the Word of God, which is truth, is called sanctification. God desires you to be sanctified, to be made holy as He is holy.

To survive and mature, the seed of marriage needs to grow in the soil of truth! The wedding day is the seed. The marriage partners should desire to change and become holy. There is a price to pay. Under the power of the Holy Spirit, under the influence of truth, the flesh will die. Selfish ambition, lies, lust, manipulation, selfishness, quarrels, and greed, like weeds under the heat of the sun, all these should dry and die. It is a painful process. It is called sanctification. Christ washes the Church by His Word. In the same way, the husband mentors his wife to become more spiritual. He needs to study the Bible so that he has enough water of the Word to wash his wife. This washing will make the wife clean from anxiety, inferiority complexes, guilt, and foolishness. God holds the husband responsible for the spiritual washing of his wife. The vision for the marriage is given to the husband who is the leader. The wife needs to agree with his vision and help him fulfill it. The husband functions in the capacity of a prophet, and the wife is the pastor who helps in fulfilling his vision. This cooperation, this unity of the Spirit, this agreement is vital in marriage. They cannot live happily as a couple, they cannot ‘walk’ and make progress in life, ‘except they have agreed’ (Am 3:3).

The husband should encourage the wife to cooperate with the process of sanctification. He should help her to run this holy race. The wife should help the husband too. Both should appreciate the deep work of the Holy Spirit in their lives and rejoice in the wonderful future together. Each one should make a vow to God and to one another that they will never lie or deceive each other. This vow must be kept no matter the price. Each lie gives the devil a foothold in the marriage. To lie is always a sin. Lies can be vocal or silent. When you speak an untruth, that is a lie. When you keep quiet and you cover deception, that is also a lie. In both instances the Holy Spirit is grieved. Lying is a common sin in many marriages. Lies are not little sins. Lies are poisonous arrows that try to kill their victims. Flattery is a lying compliment, insincere praise. The flatterer is a romantic criminal. (In Nigeria he is called ‘A Yahoo boy’). Flattering silly lonely women to make money is sin, a crime against true love. “A lying tongue hates those it wounds and crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin” (PV 26:28; AMP). There are many women too who are skillful in the unholy art of seduction, flattery and lies. The Word of God will “keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress” (PV 6:24). This woman speaks sweet words to inflame your flesh. Do not marry her! Her tongue will burn you to death! Be careful! For as long as you continue to lie, your marriage cannot be blessed by God. Truth is always painful in its first appearance. But Truth is Life, Health, and Freedom, to you, and to your marriage! Amen!

The Holy Spirit gives a desire to know the truth. He directs you to the Bible. He reveals to you the truth about the character of God, and the sinfulness of sin. The flesh hates truth and loves lies. There is a battle within between the Holy Spirit and the flesh. This battle exists only in the child of God. The unbeliever does not experience this tension because the Holy Spirit is not inside his heart. A believer needs to be sensitive to the two forces in his heart: the flesh and the Spirit. He is to deny the flesh so that the Spirit can lead. “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Gal 5:16, 17). This battle manifests in a marriage when only one of the partners is born again or one is backsliding. There is constant tension and division. There is no peace. It takes great love, wisdom, and patience to continue in an unequally yoked marriage. The Holy Spirit is jealous and will punish every act of sin and rebellion. “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? (Jam 4:4, 5). As a husband is jealous over his wife when she makes friends with wicked people, so the Holy Spirit reacts and disciplines any child of God who refuses to submit to Him. When the husband is jealous, he will not make peace until the wife has truly repented. “Jealousy is a husband’s fury; therefore, he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts” (PV 6:34, 35). This jealousy in marriage is part of its romance. “Close your heart to every love but mine; hold no one in your arms but me. Love is as powerful as death; passion, jealousy, is as strong as death itself. It bursts into flame and burns like a raging fire, the very flame of God” (SS 8:6). This is part of the price, passion, and purity of Christian marriage. Love changes people. Love welds two into one. This is the mystery of marriage, a reflection of Christ and His Bride.

The Holy Spirit is God. He is the best teachers in all things pertaining to life and marriage. He humbles Himself to teach you. Appreciate His ministry. Because He is God, He alone knows everything in every situation. The husband and the wife need to see themselves as students in the classroom where the Holy Spirit is the Teacher. Christian Marriage is a difficult subject. Many have failed that class. They took the ‘easy’ way of getting a divorce. Which is never easy! The Holy Spirit alone knows the secret to a successful and happy marriage. He disciplines and directs. He will not permit foolishness and rebellion. If you listen and obey Him, you will pass the class called ‘Marriage and Life’. You will be rewarded with a wonderful life on earth and in glory in heaven! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!

BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God” (Eph 5:18-21). “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecc 4:12)

God commands all His children to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When you get saved, the Holy Spirit comes into you as a ‘sample’, a deposit guaranteeing the fullness later. But once you are filled with the Holy Spirit your life will radically change. Your marriage will change. It will become ‘a threefold cord not quickly broken’. That is the perfect marriage ‘ministry’: husband, wife, and the Holy Spirit. It is a picture of the Holy Trinity! The devil cannot break that marriage. Do you want to be free from the fear of divorce? Then both of you be filled with the Holy Spirit and let your union be in the presence of the Holy Spirit! You will talk and sing about Jesus. You have the confidence to witness about the testimony of the Lord in your life. Despite difficulties, you become full of joy. You become spiritually focused! You become a grateful person, giving thanks to God always. A proud man in the past, you now become humble, joyfully submitting to others. People will notice that. They will be attracted to you. You start to minister grace to them. You become a source of inspiration to many! The born-again believer who is Spirit filled makes an excellent husband and a wonderful wife! This is an ideal marriage! But many believers are too complacent. Once they have received the deposit of the Holy Spirit they do not press unto fullness. They are saved but they lack this authority and power to witness for Christ. Without the fulness of the Spirit, their lives, their ministries, and they marriages remain a struggle. They lack this peculiar glorious confident powerful joy, the source of all godly success. Therefore, child of God, be filled with the Holy Spirit!

BE DRUNK WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Apostle Paul compares being drunk with wine and being filled with the Holy Spirit. There are some similarities. This comparison is to help us understand what being filled with the Holy Spirit is. Alcohol stimulates a man. It makes him relax, losing his anxieties and doubts. Losing his inhibitions, the man feels happy and free. Suddenly, a shy man becomes talkative and friendly. That is why men drink alcohol. That is why they get addicted to it. The negative side of alcohol is that it leads to ‘dissipation’. The happiness and freedom are only temporary. Once the effect of alcohol is gone, the anxiety comes back full force. Depression sets in. Things are getting worse. Alcohol produces ‘dissipation’. This word means loose wild living. It means wasted efforts and failing dreams. The price to pay for the freedom alcohol brings is foolishness, shame, and regret. It also leads to depression and sickness of the body. It is not worth it! At the beginning of time, the earth was without form. There was darkness over it. “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen 1:2). Like a dove with mighty wings, the Holy Spirit moved into the darkens and chaos. Suddenly, The Holy Spirit changed the earth. He made it to be round, as a planet! In the same way, once you are filled with the Holy Spirit, the ignorance and confusion in your heart will be transformed into spiritual beauty and peace! Glory!

Most people understand this filling with the Holy Spirit as pouring water into a cup. But this picture is not totally accurate. This is because the cup is passive in receiving the water poured in. A better picture of being filled and led by the Holy Spirit is looking at a sailboat on the sea. The wind blows the sails. It is said that the sails ‘are filled’ with the wind. The Holy Spirit is the Holy Wind (Jn 3:8). Because of the pressure of the wind, the boat moves on. Power is released by the wind blowing on the sails. A believer filled with the Holy Spirit glides fast on the sea of troubles in this world. Another way to describe being filled with the Holy Spirit is to be drunk with wine. We say that a drunkard is a man is under ‘an influence’. Alcohol controls and dominates a drunkard, so that he is not himself again. In the same way, the Holy Spirit fills a believer, controlling his mind, emotions and will. When they someone extremely happy people say that he is ‘full of life’. In the same way, a believer is full of the Holy Spirit. God is influencing him. He thinks like God, speaks like God, and loves like God. He loses all his anxieties and his inferiority complexes. His mind is strong. He remembers the Word of God and he is able to apply it daily. His memory is sharp. His decisions are all based on the Word of God. Therefore, he makes no mistakes. He makes progress daily. People see that progress! It is not hidden! That progress is true success in life! He has no fear of rejection. Therefore, he makes friends easily. He is a blessing to many people. Because of his freedom and boldness, he looks like an acrobat who takes extreme risks, who can fail and fall any time. But he does not fall! That is the wonder! He glides like a champion on the ice, jumping and dancing. His enemies are sure that he will kill himself in the game of life. They are sure he will be disqualified by the judges. But miracle or miracles… he continues to take risks, bold and strong, without falling! A man filled with the Holy Spirit is a wonder to behold! He is balanced mentally and emotionally. His actions reveal great self-control. He is also fearless. He is not an ordinary person. He is supernatural in speech and more than a conqueror in actions! The secret of such a man is that God sustains and empowers him. This is how God wants us to be, as believers, ministers, even as husbands and wives. Selah!

The command to be filled with the Holy Spirit refers to continuous present action. It is not something that happened once, in the past. It is something that happens continuously, in the present. The Holy Spirit pours now on and on. A better translation is this: Go on being filled with the Holy Spirit! It is a continuous command! For example: an empty glass bottle, closed by a cork, floats on top of the ocean. Once you remove the stopper, the bottle sinks in the ocean. The water goes inside and outside. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is like this bottle that has no stopper. The glass bottle has become one with the ocean. Because the bottle is transparent, you cannot see it. In other words, the bottle is lost in the ocean. The bottle’s identity is now found in the mighty ocean of Grace!

The most important lesson about being filled with the Spirit is to remember that the Holy Spirit is a Person. He is not just an influence. Once inside, the Holy Spirit controls that believer. There is a spiritual chemistry going on. The Holy Spirit does not destroy. It strengthens and beautifies! The believer’s personality is not annihilated. It is enhanced. For example, Peter was a fisherman. Paul was a lawyer. After they became saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, they still retained their personalities. You can see the difference reading their letters. An intelligent man filled with the Holy Spirit will still be intelligent. Even more so. The true, often hidden personality with manifest, to the glory of God who created him! The difference is that now, the personality is spiritual, controlled by the Holy Spirit!

THE LORD WAS BAPTIZED AND FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT  

The Lord Jesus Christ is our best example on the search to be filled with the Holy Spirit. At the River Jordan, He was baptized, filled, led, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the work of the Father. “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” … Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted forty days by the devil… Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all” (Lk 3:21, 22; 4:1,2,14, 15). You can see that the Lord did warfare against the devil thru the Holy Spirit. He won the battle thru the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. He did not depend on His own power as God. He was filled with the Holy Spirit to do ministry. This should be our pattern too! As a Man, the Lord Jesus Christ received the Holy Spirit and the words of the Father without measure, without limitation. “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand” (Jn 4:34, 35). The Lord promised that once He goes back to heaven, He will pour out on the believers the same limitless Holy Spirit and the eternal revelation of the Word of God. The promised was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came from heaven on the believers, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They received the power to understand, believe and preach the Word of God. Thru the same power they did many miracles! Every revival in the history of the church is a type of Pentecost. We should pray and desire the filling of the Holy Spirit.

MAMA PUT HAS NOW BECOME DOMINO PIZZA

This is another picture to understand the filling with the Holy Spirit. A man starts a little roadside ‘restaurant’ called ‘Mama put’. Let’s say that he makes good pizza. But he struggles with his business. He lacks strength, wisdom, and resources. It is hard to find new customers and to satisfy them all. Then one day, Domino Pizza company tells him to become part of its organization. They will train him and sponsor him. He agrees with them. The little ‘Mama put’ changes signboard and now it becomes a branch of the international chain called Domino Pizza. Immediately his business is better and makes great profit. The customers of this organization come to his restaurant because they trust the name. His little effort to make pizza has been swallowed by a great organization. The man is not passive. He is not lazy. He still bakes pizza but now, the impact, the profit is so much greater! In the same way once the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit, he becomes part of the eternally blessed Work of God. His little vision of success in life and marriage has been absorbed by the greater vision that never fails! Filled with the Spirit he now learns to listen to the voice inside him. He listens and obeys. The world will continue to lie and deceive. But the believer learns how to reject the outside voice and obeys the internal voice. In the same way, you need to become blind to the visible, temporary things of the world. And you need to see the reality of the Spiritual things, invisible to the natural eyes, but so clear and wonderful to the eyes of the Spirit! Our Lord said: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Your life will change! Your ministry will change! Your marriage will change! From Faith to Faith! From Grace to Grace! From Glory to Glory! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!

THE MIRACLE AT THE WEDDING

“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine was all gone, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no more wine.” Jesus said to her, “[Dear] woman, what is that to you and to Me? My time [to act and to be revealed] has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification (ceremonial washing), containing twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. Then He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter [of the banquet].” So they took it to him. And when the headwaiter tasted the water which had turned into wine, not knowing where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew) he called the bridegroom, and said to him, “Everyone else serves his best wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then he serves that which is not so good; but you have kept back the good wine until now.” This, the first of His signs (attesting miracles), Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory [displaying His deity and His great power openly], and His disciples believed [confidently] in Him [as the Messiah—they adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him]. After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days” (Jn 2:1-12; AMP).

Our Lord performed His first miracle during a wedding at Cana, a small village, six miles from Nazareth, where He grew up. Even today, weddings are the greatest celebrations in the lives of people. Because of the high expectations of success, weddings come with a lot of anxiety. This wedding was not different. The only special thing was the fact that the Son of God was invented as a Guest. His mother and His siblings were all there. The Lord came along with His new disciples. At that time, Jesus was not yet famous. The parents of the newly wedded couple were probably family friends. It was a happy occasion. In those days the wedding celebration lasted up to a week. There was food and wine free for all. At this wedding, it happened that the wine got finished. This was a social emergency. Wine is a symbol of joy. “Wine makes glad the heart of man” (Ps 104:15). For the wine to finish during the weeding feast, it meant that the marriage will not be a happy one. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was told about the situation. She went to Jesus and told Him about the need. He rebuked her mildly. She did not take offense. She ordered the servants to obey Jesus. The Lord commanded the servants to fill the six empty waterpots with water. They did so. Then Jesus told them to take the water to the table and to serve it as if it was wine. Despite their anxieties, they did so. As they poured the liquid into the glasses, it was wine!!! The Headwaiter was surprised and told the bridegroom: “Everyone else serves his best wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then he serves that which is not so good; but you have kept back the good wine until now.” This was the first miracle that Jesus performed and thru it, He revealed His glory.

What are some of the lessons?

*The first lesson is this: Jesus Christ of Nazareth is 100% God and 100% Man. His presence in a family, in a marriage, in a church is the greatest blessing of all. There is no substitute for the presence of God. Invite the Lord into your heart, into your marriage and into your home!

*This miracle happened ‘on the third day’ (Jn 2:1). It is a sign pointing to Christ’ resurrection! This is the Gospel! Wine (Joy) died and rose again!

*Jesus performed this miracle in response to a need. Remember prayer! “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” (Ps 50:15)

*He did the miracle just by the power of His presence. Jesus said: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Mt 19:26)

*The old wine got finished. Despite wealth or fame, a life without Christ is sad. Religion without Christ is joyless. Only Christ brings peace and joy into man’s heart. “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (Jn 6:63).

*When Jesus performed the miracle, the new wine was much better, both its quality and quantity. Jesus supplied 180 gallons of wine to that wedding. That is enough for the whole village! This is a reminder that God’s works are greater than our imagination. “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19).

*Jesus made wine! That should not surprise us. All things, in heaven and on earth, natural and spiritual, were made by Christ and for Christ.

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (Jn 1:3). “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Col 1:15, 16). In other words, Jesus made the wine at the wedding for Himself. Then He shared it to men.

*The people who benefited most from the miracle are not the guests who drank the wine. It was the servants and the disciples who witnessed the power of Christ! May we humble ourselves! May we desire the revelation of Christ thru God’s Word and prayer! Give Him all the glory!

*It is only Christ that can revive a marriage! That is why we are commanded to be filled, not with wine, but with the Holy Spirit! (Eph 5:18)

*The miracle at Cana is a sign that our Lord honors the institution of marriage! Any wedding celebration on earth is a symbol of the Marriage Feast of the Lord in heaven (Rev 19:17-19). All cultures that dishonor the wedding ceremony in the presence of God do not prosper. Living together without making vows and praying in the presence of God is sin!

*The miracle was a sign to display His glory. Secondly, it was for the happiness of men. This is always the order. When praying for a miracle, remember that the answer is always for the glory of Christ and secondly, for your own good!

*Be drunk with the Holy Spirit! Let the Holy Spirit influence your mind, emotions and will! Be led by Him!

Oh, the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives and marriages! You may have seen a sinner’s den. The husband is a drunkard or an adulterer. The wife is foolish and rebellious. The children suffer in that home. They learn the ways of the devil to practice them when they grow up. Then one day, they hear the Word of God. The Holy Spirit convicts them of sin. One by one they become born again and Spirit filled. What a change in that home! The violent husband becomes like a lamb. The foolish wife becomes a princess with God. The stubborn children become jewels that decorate the table. The quarrels have ceased and now you hear prayers and songs of praise. They now go to church and serve God together. For the first time they know the meaning of ‘family’. The neighbors testify of the change! Only the Holy Spirit can do this miracle! Never be ashamed to preach the Gospel! The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead! He can change any heart and any home! Like rivers flowing in the wilderness, changing it into a garden, this is the revival we are praying for! Glory to God! Worship the Lord!