Yielding ourselves on the altar to receive the Holy Ghost.
Introduction:
Beloved of God, let us take our minds off the traditional ways we have been taught and just open our hearts to the Holy Ghost as He speaks now. Our adherence to the traditions will not help us to heaven if the traditions are against the voice of God to-day and now. Jesus says: “ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). He went to the Father in heaven, taking on the Spirit body. Then in verse 18 of the same chapter, He says: “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” He repeats this in verse 28. As He was speaking about the Holy Ghost in most of that chapter (John 14), we are given to understand that when the Holy Ghost descended into the earth, Jesus presence on earth is represented. That way, He is able to receive us unto Him self, into His Spirit body, as He said in verse 3, if we receive Him in His Spirit form. Hence we are in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus when we walk in the Spirit. In this status, we are able to behold His glory as He prays in John 17:24. In the Spirit, we are able to see the glory of Jesus and in fact want to stay close to Him. Praise the Lord !!
Now, let us get into the study itself:
For a while, let us look at the crossing of the Israelites from that dreary stroll in the wilderness through the beautiful River Jordan, over into the lovely Canaan land. This would be a beautiful illustration of the consecration we need to undergo so that we are in a position to be baptized with the Holy Ghost. We read in Joshua 3:17, “And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, until all the Israelites had passed clean over Jordan.” First, we want to notice that there was no crossing of the Israelites until they had broken camp. We see that a man must break camp and leave the old crowd (the life of sin) before he can cross Jordan (crucify the flesh—Gal. 5:24), and get into the land of Canaan—(Get sanctified entirely to the position where the deeds of the body are mortified –Rom 8:13). This would involve the denial and the leaving of all the worldly pleasures and company one loves so much. In Romans 12:1-2, we read: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” In these verses, we are admonished to let God have our bodies as a gift to Him for His own use. This is the placing ourselves on God’s altar, which is Jesus Christ (Heb. 13:10,15). As Jesus was crucified on the cross, so our flesh is crucified with Him on the cross (Gal. 5:24). The “me” or “I” that always wants to lift (glorify) itself dies and Jesus is welcome to live His life in the body instead. When this happens, God accepts us and comes down through the Holy Ghost to live in us. 1.We are the _________________ of _____________ and the _________________ of God_____________________ in us(1 Cor. 3:16). For this to happen, we must have left all our past sinful ways and given ourselves over to God’s Grace as the Israelites left their former place and went down into the Jordan. Second, we notice that the water did not divide until the feet of the priests had struck the brim of the water. It is just so with us; we must start by faith, and faith alone. 2. Without faith,____ ____ ______________ to please God (Heb. 11:6). If Elijah was not a man full of faith, the fire would not have fallen from heaven to consume his offering (1 Kings 18:37-39). Even so with us, we must have full faith that God would baptize us with the Holy Ghost as He promised in Acts 1:8. 3. “But ye shall _________ __________ after that ____ _________ is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me……….” (Acts 1:8) Third, when their feet struck the brim of the water the waters were dried up and the upper waters backed up. Can you picture this in your mind? It took a lot of faith and humility for them to walk to the water, lift their feet and begin to drop the feet into the water just as God had commanded them. The river was still flowing and threatening them, but they did just as God told them. Then the water parted immediately the feet of the priests touched the waters ! Oh, what a faithful God !! He will do the same for you and for me when we go to Him with full confidence, in love and faith. 4. “Therefore I say unto you, What _______ _______ ___ _________, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). When we exercise faith and do what God has said without any question, we are blessed with our desire. Many people fail to get blessings from God for lack of faith and also due to their questioning attitudes. Consecration to God requires that we do it unconditionally. If we give God conditions, we will not get His blessings. If you take God’s word without any doubt and hesitation, He will give you whatever you ask for (Math. 7:11). Let this be a matter of life and death. When you trust God entirely, leave it to Him. If He lets you have your desire, glory to him. If He wants you dead and get to heaven while still trusting and believing Him, glory to His name. That is the entire consecration to His will. 5. “If ye then, being evil,________ _____ __ ______ ______ ________ unto your children: how much more shall_______ __________ __________ give the ________ ________to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13). Fourth, when the Israelites crossed the River Jordan, God seemed to draw a line through the river, and the waters above the line backed up, we read, “very far off to the city of Adam,” and the little city on the banks of Jordan that was called Adam was overflowed and drowned out, and the city has never been rebuilt. And so it is with us. when we make the consecration, the “city of Adam” in us is destroyed with the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, and it is God’s will and plan and purpose with us that that old city shall never be rebuilt. Well, amen, thank the Lord! When the city of Adam is destroyed in us; We feel the fire burning, and we see the smoke curling, and the Devil running. We leap in the air, if God so moves us, praising God that the “Old Man” is dead, and we went to our own funeral, and there wasn’t but one mourner there, and that was the Devil. And while the Devil howled and growled, and said it wouldn’t last, and it was all a delusion, and there was nothing to it, and nobody had ever had it, and that we couldn’t live it, we stood upright, jumped about and laughed and cried, and praised God that we had traded off nothing and gotten every thing. From that day to this, we have been as happy as a bee in a hundred acres of beautiful nectar-filed flowers. 6. The believer is kept by the ______________________ through ______________ unto S_________________________ (1 Peter 1:5). This power of God can only come from the Holy Ghost who dwells in us and keeps us always on the right track to heaven if we are humble and docile to Him. He directs us as we read the Word of God, speaking to our hearts and interpreting the Word for us to obey. He then gives us the power to obey the word of God, making it work (live) in us. 7. Is the sheep responsible to keep and protect itself or is the Shepherd responsible to keep and protect the sheep? ____________________________ _________Who is the Shepherd (Psalm 23:1; John 10:11)? _____________________________________ What does Christ give to His sheep (Luke 24:49, Luke 10:19)?________________Will they ever be defeated if they lovingly and obediently follow Him? (Mat. 16:18b)? ________________ Are the sheep safe and secure in the hands of God if they are fully submissive to Him? (John 10:28-30)? ____________ Are you one of God’s sheep (read John 10:27)? ______________. God will not of course drive us like the car is driven. He leaves us to exercise our freedom of choice and choose between doing His will and doing evil. If we choose to do His will, He gives us the power to do it. If we choose to do evil, He leaves us to follow the devil and be lost for it. 8. Will Christ ever cast out a believer who comes to Him and truly lives in love and obedience in true consecration to Him (John 6:35-37)? ______ 9. How many truly consecrated believers will be lost (John 6:38-40)? __________ 10. If God be for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?_______________ 11. What shall separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35-39)? _________ _ 12. The true believer who is fully abandoned to Christ will never: 1) _____ perish. A. John 3:18; 5:24 2) _____ die. B. John 6:37 3) _____ be condemned. C. John 10:28 4) _____ be cast out. D. John 8:51; 11:26 13. Is it possible for a person to KNOW that he or she is saved from all sin and clear before God (1 John 5:11-13; 1 John 2: 5-6 )? _______________________. This assurance comes from a clean conscience that makes a person want to go to God confidently to praise, worship and thank Him for all His goodness. In 1 John 3: 19-22 , we are told: “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him”. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight”. Please MATCH: 14. IF A PERSON IS REALLY SAVED THEN: 1) _____ He should desire God’s Word. A. 1 John 3:14; 1 John 4:7,20 2) _____ He should obey God’s commandments. B. 1 John 2:29; 3 John 11 3) _____ He should love his brothers and sisters in Christ. C. 1 John 2:3-4 4) _____ He should live a righteous life and do that which is good. D.Romans.10:9-10; Rom.13:14 . 5) _____ He should confess Christ with his mouth and lips and all other things he does. E. 1 Peter 2:2 10. T or F _________. The grace of God teaches us that since we are saved and going to heaven we can live any way we please (Titus 2:11-15). Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound (Romans 6:1-2)? _______ 15. Those who name the name of Christ are to do what (2 Timothy 2:19)? ______. 16. T or F__________. The Apostle Paul was very uncertain about whether he would go to heaven to be with the Lord, and thus he greatly feared the day of his death (Philippians 1:21,23; 2 Corinthians 5:8; 2 Timothy 4:6-8). 17. We are commanded to yield our ________________________a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). 18. When we yield our bodies this way to God we should then ask God to fill our selves with the ________ __________ (Luke 11:13; John 15:7,16). A life without sin is only possible to a believer who is fully yielded in consecration to God who in turn fills the believer with the Holy Ghost in order to be able to live the holy life if the believer would be led of the Spirit. Consecration is the full abandoning of self to the Lord to be led and ruled by Him at all times. This holy life ensures that the saint is a citizen of heaven and this assurance keeps the saint ever alert and careful not to commit sin or offence to God and man as long as he lives on this earth. The will of the individual saint is involved and employed at all times. At no time will God want to drive any person like a driver will drive a vehicle. We must willingly and lovingly obey God and depend on Him to lead and help us all the times. =================================================
