Our Spiritual Richness

I have been looking at our call to walk with GOD in agreement as our then being One person, no longer the independent self of what we suppose to be a strong will who then has barging rights, "I did it / things my way." As that is the mentality of a lot of people these days of darkness and chaos under that misconception. No one is or ever has been an independent-self. If one clings to that concept there vision is skewed and they have no perception nor do they have understanding of GOD and His Christ in themselves. In fact I'd dare say their lives do not reflect the Glory of GOD nor of His Christ in their person. That said is part of why I share been of late sharing some of what Norman Grubbs has to reveal about GOD being In Christ and Christ within us in His great Salvation program. This was a thing that the ancients, those who have gone on before us, did not see nor did they acknowledge. Because they did not talk much of their selves to their families, they were taught not to by their own parents and even in many cases their brand of religion. Now, for some this standard all changed for those who became born again, as the Holy Spirit within them directed them otherwise. Today we shall look at the Spirit of Truth to hopefully find out more about Him Who is the Christ One. Now for Pastor Hoekstra and his teaching on Grace and our accessing Grace by Faith. Then I will turn my attention to Truth in the person of the Spirit of Truth making use of the ESV translation. All being done under my LORD Christ.


"Reflecting on the Extensive Consequences of Walking by Faith"


"By faith Noah . . . By faith Abraham . . . By faith Sarah . . . By faith Moses . . . By faith the harlot Rahab . . . David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith . . . And others . . . Still others . . . all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith." (Hebrews 11:7-8, 11, 24, 31-33, 35-36, 39)


"God wants us to live by His Grace. "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2Peter 3:18). Therefore, we must walk by faith, since faith accesses Grace. "Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand" (Romans 5:2). In a series of meditations, we have been considering the extensive consequences of walking by faith (and thereby drawing upon the effective Grace of GOD, through His Faithfulness (Truth) just as did Abraham and Jesus and then Paul our examples). A time of reflecting upon the broad and diverse dimensions of these consequences can bring much encouragement and edification.


"By faith Noah" undertook an amazing task (building an ark) to prepare for an event never before experienced (a worldwide flood). "By faith Abraham" obediently left his familiar homeland for an uncertain destination. He also counted on GOD to do all the great things He had promised (including, GOD blessing all nations through him). "By faith Sarah," in her old age, miraculously bore the necessary son for the fulfillment of GOD's plan. Later, by faith, Abraham laid the promised son upon the altar of GOD. All along the way, he lived as a pilgrim headed for an eternal, heavenly home.


"By faith Moses" forsook the privileges and pleasures of the world to be used of GOD to lead His people out of bondage. "By faith the harlot Rahab" helped the Israelites, identified with the true and living GOD, and was rescued from judgment. "David and Samuel and the prophets [and others like them] through faith" conquered nations, grew in godliness, experienced GOD's fulfilled promises, survived the den of lions, withstood the fiery furnace, were spared death by the sword, experienced GOD's strength in weakness, found courage on the battlefield, caused enemy armies to flee, and received resurrected loved ones.


"And others" (also by faith) endured tortures. "Still others" experienced mockings, beatings, bonds, prisons, stonings, severings, painful enticements, deprivations, impoverishments, general tribulations, and cruel torments. "All these . . . obtained a good testimony through faith." 


Through these testimonies, GOD is showing us the limitless extent that His Grace can work in our lives. Through these examples the LORD is encouraging us to trust Him to work comprehensively for us, as He has faithfully done for others."


The Spirit of Truth,


John 14:15-17 (Jesus is speaking) "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and HE will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for HE dwells with you and will be in you."

John 15:26-27 (Jesus is speaking) "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, Who proceeds from the Father, HE will bear witness about Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning."

John 16:12-15 (Jesus is speaking) "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of Truth comes, HE will guide you into all the truth, for HE will not speak on His own authority, but whatever HE hears HE will speak, and HE will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for HE will take what is Mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is Mine; therefore I said that HE will take what is Mine and declare it to you."

1John 4:1-6 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from GOD, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of GOD: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from GOD, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from GOD. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from GOD and have overcome them, for HE Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from GOD. Whoever knows GOD listens to us; whoever is not from GOD does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error."