Explore the divine journey of the Holy Spirit and His pivotal role in guiding believers. Discover how free will interacts with spiritual prompting and the risks of resisting this call. Hear a compelling story of transformation from addiction to faith, emphasizing the importance of responding to the Holy Spirit. Delve into the serious implications of blasphemy and the need for renewed commitment to Jesus. Finally, find inspiration for deepening your relationship with God through prayer and personal empowerment.
The Holy Spirit uniquely works within believers by sealing them as God's possession, providing protection and marking them against spiritual harm.
Continuous resistance to the Holy Spirit's call can lead to spiritual consequences, ultimately hardening the heart against God's offer of salvation.
Deep dives
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Believers' Lives
The Holy Spirit plays a crucial and multifaceted role in the lives of believers, working to draw them closer to God. His presence provides guidance, sealing, empowerment, and continual filling for service. For instance, when a person accepts Christ and believes in the gospel, the Holy Spirit seals them, marking them as God's possession and offering protection against spiritual harm. This sealing acts as a barrier against the devil, who cannot harm those who belong to Jesus.
Resisting and Insulting the Holy Spirit
Individuals have the choice to resist the Holy Spirit, which can lead to spiritual consequences. Rejection of the Spirit’s call can develop into insulting the Spirit, as it downplays the significance of Jesus' sacrifice. This is likened to dismissing a marriage proposal, where rejecting God's offer of salvation is viewed as offensive and trivial. Continuous resistance can lead to a hardened heart, making it more challenging to respond positively to the Holy Spirit's promptings.
The Importance of Being Filled with the Holy Spirit
Believers are encouraged to seek continual filling with the Holy Spirit to gain the necessary power for effective witness and service. This filling is not a one-time event but an ongoing necessity similar to refueling a vehicle. While emotional experiences may accompany this process, the emphasis is on the important reception of the Spirit’s power to carry out God's work. Prayer and a sincere request for this filling are key, as believers are promised that God will readily give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
The Lord created us with a will of our own. In doing so, He knew some people would reject Him, but that was His plan from the beginning. And yet the Holy Spirit calls out to us, drawing us to the Lord. It’s the wise person who heeds that call. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points out that’s just one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit. He has a multi-dimensional role in the lives of believers. And few of us know just how involved He is in our lives. It’s about time for the whole story.
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A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.