When we come to faith in Jesus, God sends the Holy Spirit to live within us. That Spirit takes up residence and claims our bodies as His sanctuary. Paul tells us that “… your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God…” (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Spirit, living within us, begins His work of regeneration. We are declared to have new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states that all things have become new; Galatians 6:15 declares the believer to be a new creature or creation; Ephesians 2:10 teaches that believers have been created in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration makes one a new creation and creature.
Our physical birth into the world brings us to a state that is irrevocable. We cannot re-enter our mother’s womb, we cannot be ‘un-conceived,’ we cannot be ‘un-born.’ We may make mistakes, make poor choices, or even face an untimely end, but the truth, the reality, of our birth and our life remains unalterable. Once we’re out of the womb, we’re out of it for good. We might push that further and say that once you are conceived, your conception is irrevocable. It’s a process that cannot be reversed. This is also true for our spiritual rebirth through our faith in Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Once we are born again, it is a permanent state. The Holy Spirit plays a significant role in our eternal security.
After Jesus informed His disciples of His impending departure, He assured them that the Father would send another helper. Jesus referred to this helper as the ‘Spirit of truth.’ In John 14:16, Jesus promises that the helper will ‘be with you forever.’ In his Messianic Bible Study Collection, Arnold Fruchtenbaum states, ‘When the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling the believer, it emphasizes that once He comes to indwell that believer, He indwells him permanently, eternally, and forever (Jn. 14:16–17; 1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 2:22; 1 Jn. 2:27). The Holy Spirit abides in the believer forever. If He is not there forever, then it was not forever; it was only temporary.’ The Spirit’s work secures our destiny, yet many believers struggle to feel secure. J. Vernon McGee affirms, ‘Every believer is eternally secure. But it is possible for a person to be saved and not have the assurance of it. May I say that a believer who is saved and does not have assurance is a subnormal or an unnatural believer. Certainly, he can be a believer, but God does want us to have the assurance of our salvation.’
One of the first things we like to find out about people is what they do for a living. When we think about people, we think about them professionally or occupationally. We like to put people in boxes that we can understand. Jesus was a carpenter. Robert Morey writes, “Those who grew up with Jesus in Nazareth assumed that He was, like his ‘father’ Joseph, a carpenter. And, of course, Jesus was a carpenter by trade for most of His life.” In Mark 6:2-3, the religious leaders were astounded by Jesus’ teachings and miracles, and they said, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” Carpenters don’t teach like that or perform miracles.
Jesus claimed to have existed before he was born in the flesh. In his great prayer to the Father in John 17:5, he says, “Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” This doctrine is often called the “Pre-existence of Christ.” Morey says, “While the concept of the pre-existence of Christ does not require the deity of Christ, the deity of Christ does require the pre-existence of Christ. If His pre-existence is eternal, then His deity is established.” The Jews rejected Jesus on the basis of His claims, but they should have noted that the Messiah of the Old Testament was supposed to have been pre-existent.
Martin Lloyd-Jones says, “Because of certain exaggerations, excesses and freak manifestations, and the crossing of the border line from the spiritual to the scientific, the political and the merely emotional, there are many people who are afraid of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, afraid of being too subjective. So, they neglect it altogether. I would also suggest that others have neglected the doctrine because they have false ideas with regard to the actual teaching concerning the person of the Holy Spirit.”
When Jesus discussed His departure with His disciples, He made a promise to them—and to us as well. First, He said in John 14:1, “Let not your heart be troubled…” Then, in John 14:16, He told them that the Father would send someone to them who would fill the void of His absence. He would petition the Father, and the Father would “give you another Helper, who will abide with you forever.”
Even the most stupid of us have 20/20 hindsight. We often see our mistakes and wish we could do things over. Many of my problems in life come because I act too rashly and don’t think through the implications of my actions. And then, most often, I know I should have done things differently or not at all. Well, as Alexander Pope said, “To Err is human.” But to “make matters worse” is another human specialty. I can do that well. We’re usually better off just not doing anything. I had a friend once who said, “God and six months will take care of every problem you have.” When we act ourselves, we usually just make matters worse. Sarah and Abram learned all about making mistakes and then making matters worse. That’s the lesson we learn from Genesis 16:1 and following.
In Genesis 14, Abraham found himself in a war with neighboring tribes. Despite the odds, he managed to form a coalition that not only defeated the enemy but also freed the captives, including Lot and his family. However, this victory came at a cost. It left Abraham at odds with many of his neighbors. The situation was tense, and Abraham realized that if they were to come for him alone, without his allies’ support, he’d be in grave danger. He was afraid of the potential consequences. Adding to his worries was the fact that he had offended the King of Sodom. The King of Sodom wanted to share the spoils of war with Abraham, but Abraham refused. He did not want to be identified with the Sodomites. This could have potentially alienated Abraham from both his enemies and his allies.
Genesis 12:1-4 recounts the moment when God called Abraham to leave his life in Ur and journey to a new land that God would bestow upon him and his descendants. The essence of this call is simple: ‘Just trust me!’ God pledged to bless Abraham, to make him prosperous, and to bless his descendants. He vowed to make Abraham renowned throughout the world in every generation. He also promised to bless those who bless Abraham and to curse his enemies. All Abraham had to do was trust in God! This same call to trust God is extended to us. He says to us, ‘Just trust me!’