The Baptism And Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

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< > Chapter Seven The reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit The relation between our born-again spirit and spiritual gifts It is essential to realise what the Scriptures say about the make-up of the human personality. The Bible states that we are a soul that possesses a body and spirit; the body puts us in contact with earth, and the spirit puts us in contact with heaven. Vincent argues, and I believe correctly, “That the soul is the principle of individuality, while the spirit is the point of contact with God.” The soul, our individual personality, uses our body to contact earth, and our spirit to contact heaven. 1Thes.5v23. Heb.4v12. Rev.1v10. 4v2. 17v3. 21v10. We have to remember that “God is a spirit,” Jn.4v24., and His good angels are spirits, Heb.1v13,14., and everybody, as well as Christians, have a spiritual organ called a spirit. The Bible condemns the seeking of evil spirits via Spiritualism, Witchcraft and the like, but it encourages us to earnestly seek God for His power and “good gifts.” Lk.11v9-13. There is a real relationship between the growth and maturity of a Christian's born-again spirit, and the reception both of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the ministry gifts spoken of in 1Cor.12v28. and Eph.4v11.. When we become Christians our spirits are renewed, and can grow in strength. When we became Christians, our spirit, which was dead to God because of our sins, was “quickened,” that is, “born again.” We received the spirit of adopted sons, which enables us to contact God and cry “Abba,” “Father.” Jn.1v12,17. 3v3-13. Eph.2v1-6. Rom.8v14-19. Christians can, and should, experience sitting in heavenly places in Christ by means of their renewed Spirit. Eph.1v3. 6v10-20. Col.3v1-3. Peter tells us, that through our new relationship with Jesus and the Father, and their “exceeding great and precious promises” to us, we can be “partakers, (the noun 'koinonoi,' 'sharers') of the Divine nature.” 2Pet.1v4. The spiritual rebirth we experience at conversion, enables us to receive the life of Jesus through our renewed spirit, and to share His life with other Christians, and to minister to those in need of spiritual and physical help. The needy world is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, who are seated in the heavenly places in spirit with the Lord Jesus, and communicate His life to mankind. Rom.8v19. As Christians, our spirits can, and should grow, and give us not only a greater appreciation of spiritual things, but also a greater ability to minister God's life to others. Luke states with the identical Greek words, “To de paidion euxane kai ekrataiouto pneumati,” in Lk.1v80 and 2v40, that John Baptist and our Lord Jesus not only grew physically strong, but they also “grew strong in spirit,” “ekrataiouto pneumati.” It is worth noting that when Luke speaks of the physical growth of John and Jesus he uses “euxane,” the imperfect active of “auxano,” “to grow;” whereas when speaking of the growth of their growth in spirit he uses “ekrataiouto,” the imperfect passive of “krataioo,” to grow strong;” they were active in the development of their bodies, but it was God the Father who developed their spirits, so the imperfect passive is used. Their spirits grew in spiritual strength as they gave themselves to the grace and power of God the Father. Through His dedicated love and prayerful zeal, our Lord experienced a remarkable and unique spiritual growth and development. As Christians we too should “wax strong in spirit,” and like our dear Lord Jesus be a channel of God's power and love to the needy. However, let us be careful not to put too great a burden on God's “babes,” great ministries are for mature Christians with strong spirits, not immature young believers. It is a positive sin to overburden a young Christian with a work or task that they have no spiritual resources to meet. IMPORTANT NOTE. The textual evidence that Jesus "waxed strong in spirit." Lk.2v40. In Lk.2v40., the Majority Text includes “pneumati,” “spirit;” and reads that Jesus “waxed strong in spirit.” Burgon proves in his “The Causes of Corruption of the New Testament Text,” in the part, “Corruption by the Orthodox,” how some orthodox fathers took it upon themselves to correct and erase text, which they feared, could be used by heretics. Burgon tells how the, “He wept” in Lk.19v41., had been eliminated by the orthodox out of jealousy for our Lord's Divinity; Epiphanius states, “the orthodox through fear erased the record.” Burgon continues: “Codexes B, Aleph, D, may be regarded as Codexes which have been once and again passed through the hands of such a corrector. S. Luke 2:40 records concerning the infant Saviour, that “the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit.” By repeating the same expression, which already had been applied to the childhood of John the Baptist (1v80), it was clearly the design of the Author of Scripture to teach that the Word “made flesh” submitted to the same laws of growth and increase as every other man. The body grew; the spiritual part waxed strong. This statement was nevertheless laid hold of by the enemies of Christianity, saying, 'How can it be pretended that He was perfect God, of whom it is related in respect of His spirit that He waxed strong?' The consequence might have been foreseen. Certain of the orthodox were ill advised enough to erase the word “pneumati” (spirit) from the copies of Luke 2:40. And, lo, at the end of 1,500 years four 'corrected' copies, two versions, one Greek Father, survive to witness to the ancient fraud. And because it is Aleph, B, D, L, Origen, and the Latin, the Egyptian, and the Lewis versions, which are without the word “pneumati,” Lachmann, Tregelles, Tischendorf, and the Revisers jump to the conclusion that it is a spurious accretion to the Text. They ought to reverse their proceedings, and to recognise in the evidence that this is one more indication of the untrustworthiness of certain witnesses. How can it be supposed that this word “pneumati” ever obtained its footing in the Gospel? We are assured by them that it was imported from S. Luke 1:80. We answer, How does the phrase “ekrataiouto pneumati” in 1:80 explain that “pneumati” now can be found in every known copy of the Gospels except four, if in these 996 places out of a thousand it is an interpolation? Is it credible that all the remaining uncials and every known cursive copy, besides all the lectionaries, should have been corrupted in this way? Is it credible to suppose that the truth should survive exclusively at this time only in the four uncials? B (and) Aleph from the fourth century, D from the sixth, and L from the eighth? When then, and where did this work of depravation take place? It must have been before the sixth century, because Leontius of Cyprus quotes it three times and discusses the expression at length; and before the fifth century, because Codex A, Cyril, Theodoret, and PS. Caesarius recognise the word; before the fourth, because Epiphanius, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and the Gothic version have it; before the third, also, yea before nearly all of the second century, because it is found in the Peshitto. What is more plain than we have before us one other instance of the injudicious zeal of the orthodox; and one more sample of the infelicity of modern Critics?” End of quote from Burgon. The evidence for including “pneumati” is so great that Burgon treats with some sarcasm the assumption that “pneumati” is an addition to the original text. We see, then, from Lk.2v40,52., that Jesus knew what it was to strive after growth of spiritual strength, as well as growth of knowledge and wisdom. He, therefore, sympathetically and fully understands how we feel in our struggles to serve God with greater power, truth, knowledge and wisdom. Heb.2v17,18. We can well understand why Satan desired to hide this truth from the Church, and he did it through Christians who erased text from God's Word, because they felt that they knew better than God, what should be included in His Word. Our spirit is our means of contact with God and our worship of God. Solomon said, “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord.” Prov..20v27. Our spirit is the means whereby God lights the human personality and the world through that personality. The spiritual blessing that comes to Christians from God, comes upon their spirits. Eph.1v3. 5v19. Col.1v9. 3v16. 1Pet.2v5. By the aid of the Holy Spirit, the spiritual Christian can discern things through their spirit, whereas, a carnal Christian may have great difficulty in doing the same. God intends “born again” believers to be spiritual beings who manifest spiritual gifts, 1Cor.12v1 14v1,37.; and taste spiritual blessing, and sing spiritual songs. Heb.6v5. Eph.1v3. 5v19. However, Christians can be carnal, “sarkikos,” instead of spiritual, “pneumatikos.” 1Cor.2v13-15. 3v1-4. Sowing to the flesh, that is, carnality, ends in corruption and spiritual death; whereas, sowing to the spirit, that is, obeying God and living in continual communion with God in spirit; results in life and peace now, and eternal blessedness with our dear Lord Jesus in His kingdom. Rom.8v6. Gal.6v1,7,8. God intends His Church to be a spiritual house, spiritually equipped to fight the evil spiritual forces that come against it. 1Pet.2v5. Eph.6v12. It is only worship in spirit and truth that is acceptable to God. Jesus said that unless a person's spirit was in touch with God, their worship was in vain. Nicely spoken prayers, beautifully sung hymns, and intellectual knowledge of the truth are not sufficient on their own; there has also got to be living contact with God in the spirit. Mt.15v7-9. Mk.7v6-9. Jn.4v21-24. The people that opposed Jesus prayed and worshipped regularly, but their worship and prayer was in vain. True worship is not lip worship; it is genuine heart worship, linked to God by vital spiritual contact. Paul warns us in 2Tim.3v1,5., that one of the great perils of these last days will be a religion without any contact with God, a form of godliness without the power. The Greek for “form,” in 2Tim.3v5., is “morphosin,” which means a shadowy pencilled outline without any reality. People can go through a Christian form and yet have no contact with God, and without any real love in the heart for God or men. God desires to deliver people from formality, and to bring them into a rich experience of Himself and His gifts. Our spirit is the means of fellowship between Christians. Because our spirits are “born again” and renewed, we can, through the Holy Spirit, have fellowship with other Christians, as well as with the Father and the Son. 1Jn.1v3-7. We need the help and companionship of other Christians, or we will be spiritually lonely and ineffective. Paul had no rest in his spirit, and could not take advantage of a door that was opened to him by the Lord, because Titus was not there with him. 2Cor.2v12,13. See 1Cor.16v9. Acts.20v31. Even a mighty apostle like Paul could not work effectively for God without the right kind of spiritual companionship. God intends us to draw strength from one another, as well as directly from Him; this is an antidote to pride and division in the Church, and brings a real sense of dependence upon one another, and a growth together in Christian love. 1Cor.12v21-26. Eph.4v11-16. The New Testament speaks of an incredibly beautiful “fellowship of the Spirit,” Phil.2v1.; “the communion of the Holy Ghost,” 2Cor.13v14.; “the fellowship of thy faith.” Philemon.v6. Christianity is more than a sharing of doctrinal truth; there is a fellowship and sharing of spiritual life and spiritual friendship in Christ, that can be heaven upon earth. If we keep ourselves pure and clean in soul and spirit, we can experience this glorious fellowship with God and with each other. 1Jn.1v3,6,7. Christ prayed that we should be united with Himself and the Father and each other in a spiritual oneness that is indescribably holy and beautiful. Jn.17v22-26. A competitive worldly spirit hinders spiritual sensitivity and spiritual growth, and inevitably erects barriers and hinders fellowship between Christians. There is a terrible spirit of competition in the world, “the rat race;” is a product of selfishness and sin. People build up barriers within themselves to protect themselves against the unloving world, and as a result become lonely and starved within. This separation and loneliness is even found within our churches, for Christians who attend formal services often never really get to know the members of the body of Christ they worship with; never mind bear their burdens. Gal.6v2. This sharing, communion, and fellowship, can only take place when Christians get to know one another in informal fellowship, Bible study and prayer. The Holy Spirit earnestly desires to break down the barriers between Christians, and to get them to know, trust, and fervently love each other. This can only take place when the grace of the Lord Jesus is upon us and controls our spirits. 2Tim.4v22. Philemon.v25. It is only in this atmosphere of spiritual fellowship and love, that spiritual ministries will develop, and Christ the Lord be so revealed in His Church that He is glorified in the world. Jn.13v34,35. 17v23. Our spirit is God's channel for giving us spiritual gifts and spiritual ministry. When the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts and spiritual ministries, He communicates them to us through our spirits. God graciously gives us part of His unlimited abilities, and uses our spirits to be the channel of His power, love and tenderness. Paul said that he served God with his spirit, and said that this positive experience of receiving life in his spirit from God was the thing that gave him victory. Rom.1v9. Indeed, it is only as we receive a continual flow of the life of Jesus through our spirits, that we can experience spiritual blessing and victory. Rom.7v6. 8v1-5,9-16,26,27. 15v19. 1Cor.2v4,10-14. Eph.2v18. Paul knew what it was to be “strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man,” and knew the reality of a strong faith and a transforming experience of Christ's love because of it, and he prayed for the Ephesians to have the same experience. Paul said the Holy Spirit's power can do more for us than we can ask or think. Eph.3v16-21. Exercise of the spirit is not exercise of the mind; notice the difference between mind and spirit in Heb.4v12,13.. Many people exercise their minds when they preach and pray, but the deadness of their preaching and praying shows they do not exercise their spirit. Jesus said His words were “spirit and life;” the Father’s power poured through Jesus, and as a result people were greatly moved by His words, and said, “Never man spake like this man.” Jn.3v34,35. 6v63. 7v46. If we do not preach with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, and this is not oratory, we should seek God until we do. 1Pet.1v12. James.3v1. Our Lord's faith and love brought Divine promises into present reality. When our Lord went to Nazareth, he told them that the anointing of the Holy Spirit pouring through Him would bring deliverance, release and victory to defeated mankind. He said that He was anointed “to preach good news to the poor,” “ptochos,” which means, totally destitute penniless beggars, who would feel and admit their need; and was anointed “to preach as a herald, deliverance to the captives;” the noun “aichmalotois,” that is, “captured prisoners at spearpoint.” (Another noun, “aichmalosia,” “captivity,” is used in Eph.4v8., with the verb “aichmaloteuo,” “to be a prisoner of war;” to speak of Jesus leading the captives of Hades into Heaven, after His resurrection.) Jesus said He was “sent,” “apestalken me;” to deliver the captives of sin, sickness and Satan. Christ was sent to bring recovery of sight to the blind; and “to set at liberty them that are bruised,” or better “to send forth the crushed in liberty.” Bruised” is “tethrausmenous,” from “thrauo,” (only here in the N.T.), it means “to break in pieces.” Praise be to God, our dear Lord Jesus still heals the broken in heart and body, and He puts all the broken pieces together and sends us forth in liberty. All texts omit “heal the broken in heart,” however, this is included in “sending forth the crushed in liberty.” Christ was sent “to preach the acceptable year of the Lord,” this is the spiritual equivalent of the year of Jubilee, of Lev.25v8-17., the year when all captives and slaves were released, all debts were cancelled, and lost inheritances were restored. Hallelujah! Through the strong and loving soul and spirit of Jesus the Scripture was fulfilled. Divine life poured through Him to needy people and delivered them. He gave us a glorious picture of what a truly apostolic, prophetic and evangelistic ministry can accomplish. In quoting Is.58v6., as well as Is.61v1., our Lord was showing that God desires prayer and fasting to be aimed at the practical and effectual release of His power to meet the needs of suffering mankind. Christ was not sent just to talk, or to be an out of touch holy man, He was sent to be involved with people's needs, and see them delivered and sent forth in liberty. The whole theme of Lk.4v16-21., is that Jesus came with total dedicated love and power, to release people from physical, emotional and spiritual problems, and from the evil forces that injure, oppress and destroy mankind. A spiritual ministry is never mere talk. 1Cor.2v4. 4v20. 1Thes.1v5. In a spiritual ministry the spirit of the person preaching, praying, or ministering, is in living contact with God, and ministers His life and power. Paul states in 2Cor.10v4,5., that the weapons of our warfare or campaign, “strateias;” are not of the flesh, “sarkika,” that is, fleshly ability such as craft, guile, worldly wisdom, worldly power, and oratory, 2Cor.1v12.; but spiritual weapons “mighty before God;” that is, spiritual gifts and spiritual ministries. God's manifested power results in “the tearing down of fortresses, reasoning and imaginations;” and even the strongest citadels of Satan, entrenched and impregnable as they may seem, can be torn down by the power of the Holy Spirit. Through His spiritual gifts and spiritual ministries, Christ holds captive at spearpoint, those satanic wiles and forces, which have held mankind captive at spearpoint. In 2Cor.10v5., “bringing into captivity,” is “aichmalotizontes,” the present active participle of “aichmalotizo,” “to take one captive with a spear,” the present tense shows both the continual warfare, and the continual victory. (In contrast to this victory over sin and Satan, Paul uses the verb “aichmalotizo” in Rom.7v23., to speak of the law in people's members that brings them into captivity to the law of sin; and in 2Tim.3v5,6., of those who have a form of godliness without the power, who take captive “silly women laden with sins.” In. Lk.21v24. Jesus uses “aichmalotizo,” to warn how the Jews would be led captive at spearpoint into all nations after the Jewish rebellion was finally put down in A.D. 70. The healing of the whole personality of people, their broken hearts, wounded minds and spirits, and sick bodies can take place through the outpouring of the love and power of God through our spirits and souls. God's delivering power and liberating knowledge are at the disposal of every Christian, both for our own welfare and the welfare of others. < >
The Disastrous Effects Of The Doctrine Of Original Sin \| By His Stripes We Are Healed \| The Book Of Revelation \| The Second Coming Of Christ \| The Baptism And Gifts Of the Holy Spirit \| The Comforter Is Come

Chapter Seven

The reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit

The relation between our born-again spirit and spiritual gifts

It is essential to realise what the Scriptures say about the make-up of the human personality. The Bible states that we are a soul that possesses a body and spirit; the body puts us in contact with earth, and the spirit puts us in contact with heaven. Vincent argues, and I believe correctly, “That the soul is the principle of individuality, while the spirit is the point of contact with God.” The soul, our individual personality, uses our body to contact earth, and our spirit to contact heaven. 1Thes.5v23. Heb.4v12. Rev.1v10. 4v2. 17v3. 21v10. We have to remember that “God is a spirit,” Jn.4v24., and His good angels are spirits, Heb.1v13,14., and everybody, as well as Christians, have a spiritual organ called a spirit. The Bible condemns the seeking of evil spirits via Spiritualism, Witchcraft and the like, but it encourages us to earnestly seek God for His power and “good gifts.” Lk.11v9-13. There is a real relationship between the growth and maturity of a Christian's born-again spirit, and the reception both of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the ministry gifts spoken of in 1Cor.12v28. and Eph.4v11..

When we become Christians our spirits are renewed, and can grow in strength.
When we became Christians, our spirit, which was dead to God because of our sins, was “quickened,” that is, “born again.” We received the spirit of adopted sons, which enables us to contact God and cry “Abba,” “Father.” Jn.1v12,17. 3v3-13. Eph.2v1-6. Rom.8v14-19. Christians can, and should, experience sitting in heavenly places in Christ by means of their renewed Spirit. Eph.1v3. 6v10-20. Col.3v1-3. Peter tells us, that through our new relationship with Jesus and the Father, and their “exceeding great and precious promises” to us, we can be “partakers, (the noun 'koinonoi,' 'sharers') of the Divine nature.” 2Pet.1v4. The spiritual rebirth we experience at conversion, enables us to receive the life of Jesus through our renewed spirit, and to share His life with other Christians, and to minister to those in need of spiritual and physical help. The needy world is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, who are seated in the heavenly places in spirit with the Lord Jesus, and communicate His life to mankind. Rom.8v19.

As Christians, our spirits can, and should grow, and give us not only a greater appreciation of spiritual things, but also a greater ability to minister God's life to others. Luke states with the identical Greek words, “To de paidion euxane kai ekrataiouto pneumati,” in Lk.1v80 and 2v40, that John Baptist and our Lord Jesus not only grew physically strong, but they also “grew strong in spirit,” “ekrataiouto pneumati.” It is worth noting that when Luke speaks of the physical growth of John and Jesus he uses “euxane,” the imperfect active of “auxano,” “to grow;” whereas when speaking of the growth of their growth in spirit he uses “ekrataiouto,” the imperfect passive of “krataioo,” to grow strong;” they were active in the development of their bodies, but it was God the Father who developed their spirits, so the imperfect passive is used. Their spirits grew in spiritual strength as they gave themselves to the grace and power of God the Father. Through His dedicated love and prayerful zeal, our Lord experienced a remarkable and unique spiritual growth and development. As Christians we too should “wax strong in spirit,” and like our dear Lord Jesus be a channel of God's power and love to the needy. However, let us be careful not to put too great a burden on God's “babes,” great ministries are for mature Christians with strong spirits, not immature young believers. It is a positive sin to overburden a young Christian with a work or task that they have no spiritual resources to meet.

IMPORTANT NOTE. The textual evidence that Jesus "waxed strong in spirit." Lk.2v40.
In Lk.2v40., the Majority Text includes “pneumati,” “spirit;” and reads that Jesus “waxed strong in spirit.” Burgon proves in his “The Causes of Corruption of the New Testament Text,” in the part, “Corruption by the Orthodox,” how some orthodox fathers took it upon themselves to correct and erase text, which they feared, could be used by heretics. Burgon tells how the, “He wept” in Lk.19v41., had been eliminated by the orthodox out of jealousy for our Lord's Divinity; Epiphanius states, “the orthodox through fear erased the record.” Burgon continues:

“Codexes B, Aleph, D, may be regarded as Codexes which have been once and again passed through the hands of such a corrector. S. Luke 2:40 records concerning the infant Saviour, that “the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit.” By repeating the same expression, which already had been applied to the childhood of John the Baptist (1v80), it was clearly the design of the Author of Scripture to teach that the Word “made flesh” submitted to the same laws of growth and increase as every other man. The body grew; the spiritual part waxed strong. This statement was nevertheless laid hold of by the enemies of Christianity, saying, 'How can it be pretended that He was perfect God, of whom it is related in respect of His spirit that He waxed strong?' The consequence might have been foreseen. Certain of the orthodox were ill advised enough to erase the word “pneumati” (spirit) from the copies of Luke 2:40. And, lo, at the end of 1,500 years four 'corrected' copies, two versions, one Greek Father, survive to witness to the ancient fraud. And because it is Aleph, B, D, L, Origen, and the Latin, the Egyptian, and the Lewis versions, which are without the word “pneumati,” Lachmann, Tregelles, Tischendorf, and the Revisers jump to the conclusion that it is a spurious accretion to the Text. They ought to reverse their proceedings, and to recognise in the evidence that this is one more indication of the untrustworthiness of certain witnesses. How can it be supposed that this word “pneumati” ever obtained its footing in the Gospel? We are assured by them that it was imported from S. Luke 1:80. We answer, How does the phrase “ekrataiouto pneumati” in 1:80 explain that “pneumati” now can be found in every known copy of the Gospels except four, if in these 996 places out of a thousand it is an interpolation? Is it credible that all the remaining uncials and every known cursive copy, besides all the lectionaries, should have been corrupted in this way? Is it credible to suppose that the truth should survive exclusively at this time only in the four uncials? B (and) Aleph from the fourth century, D from the sixth, and L from the eighth?

When then, and where did this work of depravation take place? It must have been before the sixth century, because Leontius of Cyprus quotes it three times and discusses the expression at length; and before the fifth century, because Codex A, Cyril, Theodoret, and PS. Caesarius recognise the word; before the fourth, because Epiphanius, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and the Gothic version have it; before the third, also, yea before nearly all of the second century, because it is found in the Peshitto. What is more plain than we have before us one other instance of the injudicious zeal of the orthodox; and one more sample of the infelicity of modern Critics?” End of quote from Burgon.

The evidence for including “pneumati” is so great that Burgon treats with some sarcasm the assumption that “pneumati” is an addition to the original text. We see, then, from Lk.2v40,52., that Jesus knew what it was to strive after growth of spiritual strength, as well as growth of knowledge and wisdom. He, therefore, sympathetically and fully understands how we feel in our struggles to serve God with greater power, truth, knowledge and wisdom. Heb.2v17,18. We can well understand why Satan desired to hide this truth from the Church, and he did it through Christians who erased text from God's Word, because they felt that they knew better than God, what should be included in His Word.

Our spirit is our means of contact with God and our worship of God.
Solomon said, “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord.” Prov..20v27. Our spirit is the means whereby God lights the human personality and the world through that personality. The spiritual blessing that comes to Christians from God, comes upon their spirits. Eph.1v3. 5v19. Col.1v9. 3v16. 1Pet.2v5. By the aid of the Holy Spirit, the spiritual Christian can discern things through their spirit, whereas, a carnal Christian may have great difficulty in doing the same. God intends “born again” believers to be spiritual beings who manifest spiritual gifts, 1Cor.12v1 14v1,37.; and taste spiritual blessing, and sing spiritual songs. Heb.6v5. Eph.1v3. 5v19. However, Christians can be carnal, “sarkikos,” instead of spiritual, “pneumatikos.” 1Cor.2v13-15. 3v1-4. Sowing to the flesh, that is, carnality, ends in corruption and spiritual death; whereas, sowing to the spirit, that is, obeying God and living in continual communion with God in spirit; results in life and peace now, and eternal blessedness with our dear Lord Jesus in His kingdom. Rom.8v6. Gal.6v1,7,8.

God intends His Church to be a spiritual house, spiritually equipped to fight the evil spiritual forces that come against it. 1Pet.2v5. Eph.6v12. It is only worship in spirit and truth that is acceptable to God. Jesus said that unless a person's spirit was in touch with God, their worship was in vain. Nicely spoken prayers, beautifully sung hymns, and intellectual knowledge of the truth are not sufficient on their own; there has also got to be living contact with God in the spirit. Mt.15v7-9. Mk.7v6-9. Jn.4v21-24. The people that opposed Jesus prayed and worshipped regularly, but their worship and prayer was in vain. True worship is not lip worship; it is genuine heart worship, linked to God by vital spiritual contact. Paul warns us in 2Tim.3v1,5., that one of the great perils of these last days will be a religion without any contact with God, a form of godliness without the power. The Greek for “form,” in 2Tim.3v5., is “morphosin,” which means a shadowy pencilled outline without any reality. People can go through a Christian form and yet have no contact with God, and without any real love in the heart for God or men. God desires to deliver people from formality, and to bring them into a rich experience of Himself and His gifts.

Our spirit is the means of fellowship between Christians.
Because our spirits are “born again” and renewed, we can, through the Holy Spirit, have fellowship with other Christians, as well as with the Father and the Son. 1Jn.1v3-7. We need the help and companionship of other Christians, or we will be spiritually lonely and ineffective. Paul had no rest in his spirit, and could not take advantage of a door that was opened to him by the Lord, because Titus was not there with him. 2Cor.2v12,13. See 1Cor.16v9. Acts.20v31. Even a mighty apostle like Paul could not work effectively for God without the right kind of spiritual companionship. God intends us to draw strength from one another, as well as directly from Him; this is an antidote to pride and division in the Church, and brings a real sense of dependence upon one another, and a growth together in Christian love. 1Cor.12v21-26. Eph.4v11-16. The New Testament speaks of an incredibly beautiful “fellowship of the Spirit,” Phil.2v1.; “the communion of the Holy Ghost,” 2Cor.13v14.; “the fellowship of thy faith.” Philemon.v6. Christianity is more than a sharing of doctrinal truth; there is a fellowship and sharing of spiritual life and spiritual friendship in Christ, that can be heaven upon earth. If we keep ourselves pure and clean in soul and spirit, we can experience this glorious fellowship with God and with each other. 1Jn.1v3,6,7. Christ prayed that we should be united with Himself and the Father and each other in a spiritual oneness that is indescribably holy and beautiful. Jn.17v22-26.

A competitive worldly spirit hinders spiritual sensitivity and spiritual growth, and inevitably erects barriers and hinders fellowship between Christians. There is a terrible spirit of competition in the world, “the rat race;” is a product of selfishness and sin. People build up barriers within themselves to protect themselves against the unloving world, and as a result become lonely and starved within. This separation and loneliness is even found within our churches, for Christians who attend formal services often never really get to know the members of the body of Christ they worship with; never mind bear their burdens. Gal.6v2. This sharing, communion, and fellowship, can only take place when Christians get to know one another in informal fellowship, Bible study and prayer. The Holy Spirit earnestly desires to break down the barriers between Christians, and to get them to know, trust, and fervently love each other. This can only take place when the grace of the Lord Jesus is upon us and controls our spirits. 2Tim.4v22. Philemon.v25. It is only in this atmosphere of spiritual fellowship and love, that spiritual ministries will develop, and Christ the Lord be so revealed in His Church that He is glorified in the world. Jn.13v34,35. 17v23.

Our spirit is God's channel for giving us spiritual gifts and spiritual ministry.
When the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts and spiritual ministries, He communicates them to us through our spirits. God graciously gives us part of His unlimited abilities, and uses our spirits to be the channel of His power, love and tenderness. Paul said that he served God with his spirit, and said that this positive experience of receiving life in his spirit from God was the thing that gave him victory. Rom.1v9. Indeed, it is only as we receive a continual flow of the life of Jesus through our spirits, that we can experience spiritual blessing and victory. Rom.7v6. 8v1-5,9-16,26,27. 15v19. 1Cor.2v4,10-14. Eph.2v18. Paul knew what it was to be “strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man,” and knew the reality of a strong faith and a transforming experience of Christ's love because of it, and he prayed for the Ephesians to have the same experience. Paul said the Holy Spirit's power can do more for us than we can ask or think. Eph.3v16-21.

Exercise of the spirit is not exercise of the mind; notice the difference between mind and spirit in Heb.4v12,13.. Many people exercise their minds when they preach and pray, but the deadness of their preaching and praying shows they do not exercise their spirit. Jesus said His words were “spirit and life;” the Father’s power poured through Jesus, and as a result people were greatly moved by His words, and said, “Never man spake like this man.” Jn.3v34,35. 6v63. 7v46. If we do not preach with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, and this is not oratory, we should seek God until we do. 1Pet.1v12. James.3v1.

Our Lord's faith and love brought Divine promises into present reality.
When our Lord went to Nazareth, he told them that the anointing of the Holy Spirit pouring through Him would bring deliverance, release and victory to defeated mankind. He said that He was anointed “to preach good news to the poor,” “ptochos,” which means, totally destitute penniless beggars, who would feel and admit their need; and was anointed “to preach as a herald, deliverance to the captives;” the noun “aichmalotois,” that is, “captured prisoners at spearpoint.” (Another noun, “aichmalosia,” “captivity,” is used in Eph.4v8., with the verb “aichmaloteuo,” “to be a prisoner of war;” to speak of Jesus leading the captives of Hades into Heaven, after His resurrection.) Jesus said He was “sent,” “apestalken me;” to deliver the captives of sin, sickness and Satan. Christ was sent to bring recovery of sight to the blind; and “to set at liberty them that are bruised,” or better “to send forth the crushed in liberty.” Bruised” is “tethrausmenous,” from “thrauo,” (only here in the N.T.), it means “to break in pieces.” Praise be to God, our dear Lord Jesus still heals the broken in heart and body, and He puts all the broken pieces together and sends us forth in liberty. All texts omit “heal the broken in heart,” however, this is included in “sending forth the crushed in liberty.” Christ was sent “to preach the acceptable year of the Lord,” this is the spiritual equivalent of the year of Jubilee, of Lev.25v8-17., the year when all captives and slaves were released, all debts were cancelled, and lost inheritances were restored. Hallelujah!

Through the strong and loving soul and spirit of Jesus the Scripture was fulfilled. Divine life poured through Him to needy people and delivered them. He gave us a glorious picture of what a truly apostolic, prophetic and evangelistic ministry can accomplish. In quoting Is.58v6., as well as Is.61v1., our Lord was showing that God desires prayer and fasting to be aimed at the practical and effectual release of His power to meet the needs of suffering mankind. Christ was not sent just to talk, or to be an out of touch holy man, He was sent to be involved with people's needs, and see them delivered and sent forth in liberty. The whole theme of Lk.4v16-21., is that Jesus came with total dedicated love and power, to release people from physical, emotional and spiritual problems, and from the evil forces that injure, oppress and destroy mankind.

A spiritual ministry is never mere talk. 1Cor.2v4. 4v20. 1Thes.1v5.
In a spiritual ministry the spirit of the person preaching, praying, or ministering, is in living contact with God, and ministers His life and power. Paul states in 2Cor.10v4,5., that the weapons of our warfare or campaign, “strateias;” are not of the flesh, “sarkika,” that is, fleshly ability such as craft, guile, worldly wisdom, worldly power, and oratory, 2Cor.1v12.; but spiritual weapons “mighty before God;” that is, spiritual gifts and spiritual ministries. God's manifested power results in “the tearing down of fortresses, reasoning and imaginations;” and even the strongest citadels of Satan, entrenched and impregnable as they may seem, can be torn down by the power of the Holy Spirit. Through His spiritual gifts and spiritual ministries, Christ holds captive at spearpoint, those satanic wiles and forces, which have held mankind captive at spearpoint.

In 2Cor.10v5., “bringing into captivity,” is “aichmalotizontes,” the present active participle of “aichmalotizo,” “to take one captive with a spear,” the present tense shows both the continual warfare, and the continual victory. (In contrast to this victory over sin and Satan, Paul uses the verb “aichmalotizo” in Rom.7v23., to speak of the law in people's members that brings them into captivity to the law of sin; and in 2Tim.3v5,6., of those who have a form of godliness without the power, who take captive “silly women laden with sins.” In. Lk.21v24. Jesus uses “aichmalotizo,” to warn how the Jews would be led captive at spearpoint into all nations after the Jewish rebellion was finally put down in A.D. 70.

The healing of the whole personality of people, their broken hearts, wounded minds and spirits, and sick bodies can take place through the outpouring of the love and power of God through our spirits and souls. God's delivering power and liberating knowledge are at the disposal of every Christian, both for our own welfare and the welfare of others.

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