Psalm 139:7 “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?”
Our Lord Jesus explained to the Pharisee Nicodemus in John 3:5-8, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” The Bible commentator Matthew Henry points out that our Savior spoke of the necessity and nature of regeneration or the new birth, and at once directed Nicodemus to the source of holiness of the heart. Birth is the beginning of life; to be born again, is to begin to live anew. We must have a new nature, new principles, new affections, new aims. By our first birth we were corrupt, shaped in sin; therefore we must be made new creatures via metamorphosis – a change of substance by supernatural means]. This new birth is from heaven. It is a complete change [a transforming conversion] made in the heart of a sinner, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It means that something is done in us, and for us, which we cannot do for ourselves. Jesus shows the Author of this blessed change. It is not wrought by any wisdom or power of our own, but by the power of the blessed Spirit unto salvation.
But wait, that not all! In John 14:15-17, 26 Jesus declared that “If you love Me, keep My commandments. I will pray [to God] 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. These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But 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. Our physical bodies and their biological functions exist together with our soul [mind, will and emotions] throughout this life, the indwelling Holy Spirit exists, ever-presently dwelling within our born-again heart throughout this born-again life, walking together and talking together in the power of the Spirit. There is spiritual truth, spiritual fruit, spiritual growth, and spiritual life found here. God with us is not little deal.
We live a physical life in a material world on this side of eternality, but we all have a spiritual life connection also, and Pastor Frances Chan explicates that though we do not always realize it, intimacy with God is truly the deepest desire of the human heart. Not only that, but God also strongly desires a deep personal relationship with us – so much so that He sent His Spirit into our hearts so that we could have a constant fellowship with Him. Think about it, every second of every day, wherever you go and whatever you do, the Spirit of the living God is within you! The ever-present Holy Spirit actually lives inside of you! Spend some time speaking and listening to God directly. Jesus Christ reconciled our relationship to our heavenly Father through His atoning redemption on the cross for our sins, and the Holy Spirit transformed our born-again believing heart, sanctified our soul and regenerated our spirit to build a bridge to the throne of God in Heaven. Jesus gave His life so that you could pursue that intimate relationship and thrive.
Galatians 3:13-14 “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law [condemnation for sin], having become a curse for us …, that we might receive the promise of the [ever-present] Spirit through faith.”
In Christ, Brian
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