116 - Understanding the Work of the Holy Spirit#
116 - Understanding the Work of the Holy Spirit
(JP Text Group - Happy Angels Organization)
1 Corinthians 2:12: Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you for your wonderful grace. On this day, your children gather here, drawn by your love, to receive your strength and provision. We have needs within us and are willing to come before Jesus to receive supply. We desire to understand the work of the Holy Spirit, so that each of us can learn to rely on the Holy Spirit in our lives, for the Holy Spirit is greater than anything in this world. When we rely on the Holy Spirit, we will surely be victorious. Lord, at this time, let the Holy Spirit do that marvelous guiding work, allowing everyone to correctly understand the Holy Spirit. We completely surrender this time to you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!
The Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit are the same God. We often say that Jesus loves you, but have we ever said that the Holy Spirit loves you? So, starting today, we need to understand the work of the Holy Spirit. You know that the Holy Spirit loves you and that the Holy Spirit is God, who is with you; it is not Jesus but the Holy Spirit. No matter where you go, He is with you. When we accepted Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwelled in our hearts. This is not the spirit of the world but the Spirit from God!
Are there spirits in the world? Yes, there are many spirits in the world, divided into two types: one is the Holy Spirit, and the other is evil spirits. If what you receive is not the Holy Spirit, then it must be an evil spirit. The spirits of the world usually have problems. A few days ago, someone asked me: "Teacher Ren, there is a sister in our church who has been possessed by a fox spirit. When she is sick, she has great strength and can even change her mouth to look like a fox." That is not the Holy Spirit, right?
Brothers and sisters, what is the difference between the Holy Spirit and evil spirits? The Bible has many accounts of people possessed by demons and evil spirits who cannot control their actions or thoughts. They want to do something but cannot. The Holy Spirit dwelling in you allows you to freely exercise the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit never forces you to do anything; He is a very gentle spirit, the Spirit of truth, and the Spirit of life.
When the Holy Spirit is in you, your life changes. We need to understand the work of the Holy Spirit. The scripture we just read tells us: we need to know the things that God has freely given us, which the Holy Spirit will grant you, allowing you to understand worldly matters through the Holy Spirit. There are many mysteries in this world, and these mysteries will surely be revealed through the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us: The Holy Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. Amen! When you have the Holy Spirit within you, you can see clearly in this world and understand many things; this is the Spirit that comes from God.
Brothers and sisters, the spirits of the world are just the opposite. The spirits of the world do not tell you the truth or life; they tell you that there is no free lunch and that you should go fortune-telling without knowing it.
The fortune-teller says: "Wow, you have great misfortune coming."
You ask him how to avoid it.
He will say you need to do this and that... He always makes you pay a heavy price to eliminate even a little misfortune. This is what the spirits of the world make you pay a heavy price for, even to the point of sacrificing your life. Because they will not give you anything for free.
The spirits of the world tell you that you must work hard, you must sweat, you must forge ahead. This is what the spirits of the world want to tell you, but the Holy Spirit says: "I will give you everything you need, the life you need, the power you need, the health you need, the wisdom you need; I give all of this to you freely." This comes from the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is not a result of your hard work. When you accept and believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in you; it is a reward from God after you believe in Jesus. Amen!
It is not about you shouting loudly: "Lord, may your Holy Spirit dwell in me." It is not about how loud you shout; the Holy Spirit will enter you. It is about believing in Jesus and saying, "Jesus, I believe you are my Savior." At that moment, the Holy Spirit enters you. It is not earned by your efforts; it is a grace freely given by God. Amen, thank the Lord!
When the Holy Spirit comes, what work does He do for us? I have been to many churches, and some people pray like this: "Lord Holy Spirit, please help me, please enlighten me, let me know what great sins I have committed, please shine your light on my life, let me know what things I have done wrong against you." Then they say, "Lord, your Holy Spirit must enlighten me for me to repent and confess my sins to you..." Brothers and sisters, is this kind of prayer correct? No, it is incorrect. Where is the mistake?
Let’s look at a passage of scripture, John 16:7-8:
7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.
Many have read this passage of scripture. They say, "Lord, may the Holy Spirit enlighten me about what errors I have committed," using this verse! They say, "Jesus said it is good for you that I go away; the Helper will come to you." Who does the Helper refer to? It is the Holy Spirit. Amen! They say that since the Holy Spirit has come, it is to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, and that when the Holy Spirit is in you, He will constantly convict you every day, letting you know what errors you have committed, making you aware of your wrongs against God. Is that true? If that were the case, the Holy Spirit would be terrifying!
There is a passage in the Old Testament where the psalmist writes: "Where can I go from your Spirit? If I ascend into heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there." This means that nothing can escape the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit wants to scrutinize your sins, where can you stand? Even your thoughts and intentions are laid bare. That is terrifying. If you just have the thought of committing a sin, the Holy Spirit says, "I will convict you." If that were the case, we would not be able to live. Brothers and sisters, something must be wrong; the Holy Spirit does not work like that. We need to understand the work of the Holy Spirit, which is very important for everyone.
Let’s share the first point: The Holy Spirit is for our benefit.
This tells us: "I go away for your benefit." Jesus went away and sent the Holy Spirit down, proving that the Holy Spirit is very beneficial for us. Do you think that the Holy Spirit constantly convicts you and condemns you is beneficial? Some say yes. If we are not condemned or reproached every day, we will become proud, right? But does being beaten down every day prevent pride? No, the more you beat someone down, the prouder they become, because the extreme of inferiority is arrogance, which is a very scary thing.
The Holy Spirit comes for our benefit. Look at this verse; many people mention this verse, saying that the Holy Spirit comes to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, making you unable to explain this "righteousness," and then they say, "Be careful, God will judge you," making you constantly reproach yourself.
However, he cannot explain "for righteousness." To correctly understand the Bible, let me explain this verse to my brothers and sisters. The Greek text says: He has come to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. The original Greek means: He has come to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. The Holy Spirit has three works: first, for sin; second, for righteousness; third, for judgment. This is indeed the work of the Holy Spirit, but why does the Chinese translation say "self-reproach"? It is not self-reproach; He has come to convict the world.
Let’s break down the three things the Holy Spirit does. We need to understand what this verse is really talking about; the Holy Spirit is beneficial to us.
First, let’s look at for sin.
If this passage of scripture were not personally explained by Jesus, it would be terrifying. Perhaps all the teachings you have heard are correct, that the Holy Spirit comes to make you confess your sins, to shine a light on your sins, to judge you. Perhaps the explanations are all mixed up, and many condemnations are within us, as people's hearts usually lean towards self-condemnation.
When starting a business and opening a shop, what is the first thing you think of? What if I lose money? You think of many backup plans for yourself; why not think of the good side? I know a brother who is often depressed and anxious. He says, "I don’t know why my personality is like this. When I want to do something, I immediately think of the worst-case scenario." This is self-condemnation, brothers and sisters, but the Holy Spirit absolutely will not let you do such things. If the Holy Spirit did such things, it would be too terrifying; we would not be able to face God. Jesus personally explained this passage, and when you know how Jesus explained it, you will be blessed.
John 16:9: Of sin, because they do not believe in Me.
It is not the Holy Spirit making you confess your sins; this passage of sin is spoken to those who do not believe. The Holy Spirit has no effect on them, no power, because they do not accept the Holy Spirit; they do not believe in the work of the Holy Spirit.
If you tell the world that the Jesus we believe in has the Holy Spirit, they will say you are crazy. They do not believe in the work of the Holy Spirit. Many people come to church and receive incorrect teachings, saying, "Where is the work of the Holy Spirit now?" When they see the church speaking in tongues, they say that these people are possessed. Because they do not understand the work of the Holy Spirit.
For sin, the Holy Spirit comes into the world because they do not believe in the Holy Spirit, do not believe in Jesus, so they will not recognize the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is invisible and intangible; the world does not recognize Him. Only those who accept Jesus can know who the Holy Spirit is. Amen! So this passage is not spoken to believers because they do not believe.
For sin, do you know why the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin? It is because you do not believe in Jesus Christ. In the future, all those who enter the kingdom of heaven will do so because of their faith. Those who go to hell do so because they do not believe in Jesus. The key is whether you believe or not. Amen! This is the first work of the Holy Spirit.
For sin, it is not spoken to the disciples; it is spoken to the world. Therefore, the world is condemned for not believing in Jesus, so the Holy Spirit says for sin, you are condemned. Thank and praise the Lord! The Holy Spirit will not make you reproach yourself. Before you become a believer, what you need to do is accept Jesus Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit regarding sin will be finished. Amen!
Do you remember that every time someone wants to accept Jesus Christ, we let them stand here and say: "I am willing to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior." Afterwards, we say: "May the Holy Spirit enter into him." At that moment, the Holy Spirit deals with his sin problem! Amen! Is that not the case? From then on, the Holy Spirit dwells in him! Thank and praise the Lord!
The second: For righteousness.
This is very important. What is "for righteousness"? Because I go to the Father, and you will see Me no more. If we interpret this passage according to the standard of the law, it cannot be understood. But Jesus tells us that for righteousness, it is because He is going back to the Father. This word is spoken to all who believe in Jesus. It is also spoken to you today.
Brothers and sisters, now Jesus uses this sentence to tell us: "For your righteousness, the second work of the Holy Spirit is for righteousness; you will no longer see Jesus." Have those who believe in Jesus seen Jesus with their own eyes? Do those who believe in Jesus have the mark of Jesus upon them? Why do they believe? Because the words of the Bible tell us: The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God; this is righteousness.
The Holy Spirit for righteousness is because after Jesus Christ died and rose again, He ascended to heaven. From then on, the people of Israel could not see Him, and we cannot see Him either. We cannot see the kind face of Jesus or His healing hands, but we know that when the Holy Spirit is given, the righteousness of Jesus is upon us. The second thing the Holy Spirit will remind you of is: to let you know that you are righteous, to let you know that you are constantly justified by God. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord! When you accept Jesus and are justified by faith, the Holy Spirit dwells in you.
You must constantly remind yourself that you are righteous because this righteousness is not yours; it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ upon you. The work of the Holy Spirit is to remind you that you are righteous. Some people, after getting up in the morning, say negative things, saying: "What bad luck! I have to go to work again. What will my terrible boss do to torment me?"
They think only of the negative. When they go out, they find that they encounter only red lights. Everything today is negative. It is really terrible. If this is the case, will your mood be good? It will be very bad. We are easily influenced by our environment and others. For example, at work, if your colleague scolds you, your anger will be great. What should you do? Should you scold your colleague back? If a person does not know the Holy Spirit, they will be very angry and say, "Oh, today is terrible; nothing is going smoothly." They will be very furious. But I want to tell brothers and sisters that if you understand the work of the Holy Spirit, although these things may happen to you, they will be quickly eliminated.
For example, if the same thing happens to you, you will say, "Although these things have happened to me, I am still righteous, and God is still pleased with me. This environment cannot affect me; I can overcome this environment." Knowing that you are righteous proves that God's righteousness is upon you. No matter where you go, although there are tribulations, God can help you overcome them. Jesus also encountered tribulations in the world, but Jesus was never afraid.
In front of those sick people, Jesus never said, "Wow, this is a difficult illness to heal. You wait; I will fast for a week first." He never encountered such a thing, right? When the storm came, the disciples were very afraid and woke Jesus up. Jesus did not say, "Oh my God, I am scared to death! What do you want me to do with such big waves?" These things never affected Jesus. Why? Because Jesus always knew He was righteous, and power flowed from Him. The Holy Spirit constantly reminded Him that He was righteous, and He had the power to overcome this tribulation! So, He said to the storm, "Be still! Be quiet!" He knew He was righteous. This environment no longer affected Him.
Jesus once prayed for us while on earth. It was His prayer to the Father for all who believe in Him: "Lord, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one." Do not think that believing in the Lord will lead to a smooth path; it will not. You will definitely encounter tribulations, but God will give you the strength to overcome them. How do you overcome? You must understand the work of the Holy Spirit, reminding you that you are righteous. Knowing you are righteous, you will use God's power to overcome problems. Although they scold me, this insult will not be fulfilled upon me; it will return to Jesus, just like in a drama where insults directed at me will be transferred to Jesus. Therefore, I will not be hurt. When you know you are righteous in any environment, you can overcome.
However, people often forget. Who will remind you? The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will remind you that you are righteous. You do not need to care about how others speak of you; you are still righteous, and you will have the strength to overcome. We need to understand the work of the Holy Spirit, brothers and sisters. Such messages are too few. Your mood will make you see the world as problematic. A person with a bad mood sees the world as gray, while a person with a good mood, like my child singing that song, sees the sky as blue and the flowers as red. God's creation is truly wonderful. This mood is very happy because the Holy Spirit in their heart tells them, "No matter where you are, My righteousness is freely given to you." What good does this do for us? You will overcome all bitterness, depression, and gloom in life; all will melt away in front of the Holy Spirit. Thank and praise the Lord!
But people are too scary; they change the Bible and belittle the work of the Holy Spirit. Many people say, "Lord, I have committed many sins again. Please let the Holy Spirit shine a light on the sins I cannot remember, the hidden sins." If you have ever prayed like this, I want to tell you that the Holy Spirit will not do such work. Do you know why? If the Holy Spirit does this work, you are belittling the power of the Holy Spirit to mere correction of errors. In fact, this is not the work of the Holy Spirit; it is the work of the law. If you really want to know how many sins you have committed, read the Ten Commandments carefully, and you will know how shameful you are. But the Holy Spirit will not tell you this. The Holy Spirit will only remind you: "You are righteous, you are holy, you are loved by God." This is the work of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, when we make mistakes, who will correct us? Some say, "Someone must point out our mistakes for it to be good." In fact, you have a conscience inside you. When you do something wrong, you do not need others to remind you; you already know it is wrong. Amen! Just like a two or three-year-old child who has not learned the law, when they do something wrong, they will cover up their mistakes.
Sometimes, when my daughter is very quiet and hiding, she must be doing something bad. And she knows she is doing something wrong. One Thursday evening during a meeting, my daughter was jumping around. After the meeting, when I turned off all the equipment, do you know what she said? "Dad, you can't talk randomly during the sermon." Who told her she was wrong? I did not tell her that she could not talk randomly during the sermon; she knew she was wrong. You do not need to tell others they are wrong; they already know.
What people need is the power to overcome sin. We have many sins. What you need is not to know how many sins you have committed; what you need is how to overcome this sin. What is the method to overcome sin? You know you are righteous. Amen! You know God's righteousness is upon you. You no longer need to rely on yourself; you rely on the power of Jesus Christ to overcome all problems in life. All bad habits can be overcome by the Holy Spirit.
An elderly sister in our church had a poor relationship with her husband. Her husband often scolded her and argued with her. One time, when her husband scolded her again, she opened her mouth and spoke in tongues. After praying, all her anger was gone. This is the power of the Holy Spirit. If it were up to you, you would have exploded with anger, but you spoke in tongues and overcame the problem. Hallelujah! You cannot, but the Holy Spirit can. Thank and praise the Lord! This is the power of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit does not tell you how terrible things are. This is not the work of the Holy Spirit; it is the work of the law that condemns. The Holy Spirit reminds you that in Christ, you have God's righteousness. Amen!
Daniel 9:24: There is a famous prophecy that when the Messiah comes, He will accomplish one thing: to bring in everlasting righteousness. What does everlasting righteousness mean? God gives His righteousness freely to you; no one and nothing can take away your righteousness! This means that once you accept Jesus, you are righteous; this is an identity that no one can take away. You will not lose your identity as a righteous person because of what you do. This is called everlasting righteousness. Amen! In other words, even if you sin, you are still righteous because you are saved and have received the identity of a righteous person, which is not based on behavior, so you will not lose righteousness because of bad behavior. Amen!
The Holy Spirit often reminds you that you are righteous. Many people have overcome bad habits with this phrase. Many people who have smoked for years cannot quit, who are addicted to alcohol or drugs, we tell them that as long as they declare every day: "I have the righteousness of Jesus Christ," they can overcome bad habits.
Brothers and sisters, have you ever thought about how great this power is? Can just one declaration help us overcome bad habits? The facts prove that when you declare you are righteous, the Holy Spirit will help you overcome bad habits. This is indeed the work of the Holy Spirit. Amen! You must know that the power of the Holy Spirit is greater than sin; otherwise, Jesus would not have had the opportunity to overcome sin. Jesus turned many families and many people away from sin, which proves that the power of the Holy Spirit far exceeds evil. Relying on the Holy Spirit, you can overcome all problems in your life.
The last one: For judgment.
If you do not understand the scriptures explained by Jesus, you will say that God will judge you. If you do not confess your sins, God will deal with you and judge you. John 16:11: Of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
The ruler of this world refers to the devil. The Bible tells us that in the beginning, God created the world for His children. But when Adam sinned, he handed over the management of the world to the devil. From then on, Satan became the ruler of this world. However, one day he was defeated, which was when Jesus was on the cross. The devil was completely defeated; he was judged. When the Holy Spirit comes, it is for judgment because the ruler of this world has already been judged. When Jesus was on the cross, the devil was judged, so it is not judging you, brothers and sisters; God judges the devil.
John 12:31-32:
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.
"When I am lifted up from the earth" refers to Jesus, meaning that when Jesus is crucified, He will draw all people to Himself. The reason is that when Jesus was judged on the cross, the devil was completely defeated. Amen! This is the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit always reminds you that the devil has already failed. He failed two thousand years ago on the cross. But many churches still teach that you must strive to fight against the devil. You must fast; otherwise, you cannot overcome the devil... Can fasting overcome the devil? Some say, "The devil is too powerful; it takes many people praying together to overcome him." Does praying with many people make the devil afraid of you? No, brothers and sisters, remember that even if ten thousand people pray together, the devil is not afraid of you. But if one person stands up and says, "In the name of the Lord Jesus, devil, go away," then the devil must leave. It does not matter how many people there are; the key is whose name you are using.
The Holy Spirit correctly reminds you that the devil has already failed. You are not fighting against him; you are telling him he has already failed. Do not be deceived by the devil. Many people always emphasize how powerful the devil is, always parading around seeking whom he may devour. Why emphasize the devil so much? The Holy Spirit wants to tell you correctly that he is already a loser.
When Jesus was lifted up on the cross, the head of the devil was completely crushed. At that moment, he had already failed. So, you are not negotiating with the devil; you are commanding him to leave.
I once went to pray at a sister's house. This sister often had nightmares and felt something was choking her neck at night, making it hard to breathe. She often woke up scared from nightmares. She said, "There must be something unclean in my house." I asked her what she wanted us to do.
She said, "Hurry and come pray; I have no strength to pray myself."
When we arrived, I told her, "Actually, your prayer still has power. The important thing is not to rely on yourself but on the name of Jesus Christ. You know the devil has already failed. You should say: 'This is the house of Jesus Christ; devil, you go out; you have no right to stay here.'"
What basis do you have for saying this? The scripture we just read: for judgment, because the ruler of this world has already been judged, meaning the devil has already failed. He cannot be with the children of God. But if you do not recognize him, you will be afraid. When you realize the devil has already failed, you will make him leave because he is nothing. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord!
If there is illness, correctly recognize that the devil has already failed. He has been judged on the cross and has no power. You must declare: "In the name of Jesus, I command this illness to leave me." When Jesus healed others while on earth, He often prayed like this: "I command this deaf and mute spirit to leave this person and never return."
Jesus healed all the sick with one word. Jesus never negotiated with the devil, saying, "Oh, devil, can you please go away? I am preaching here; please do not disturb him." Jesus never prayed like that because He knew His authority and that the devil had no power before Him. Amen! You should not magnify the work of the devil; you must believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is the greatest.
When you realize the power of the Holy Spirit, you will know that the Holy Spirit dwells in you. What is there to be afraid of? Wherever you go, the Holy Spirit goes with you. So do not be afraid of anything. Even if the environment is terrible, God has the power. The Holy Spirit will remind you not to be afraid. Just believe; the Holy Spirit can help you overcome tribulations. Thank the Lord, as Paul said: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Amen!
This means that what seems difficult can be done through the Holy Spirit; it can completely overcome the environment because the work of the devil has already been defeated. Thank and praise the Lord! He has already been judged. If others use curses, or feng shui to scare you, do not be afraid. Amen! Just command all evil spirits to leave with the Holy Spirit in your mouth because we have a covenant with God: No weapon formed against us shall prosper. Amen! God will help you; the Holy Spirit dwells in you. Thank and praise the Lord!
Christians do not need to worry about curses, spells, fortune-telling, or what others say behind your back. These things will not come to pass in your life because Jesus has already borne the curse for you. Instead, God's prosperity will always be upon you; God's power will always be upon you. First, you must believe this. Amen! There is nothing that cannot be accomplished with the Holy Spirit. Thank and praise the Lord!
When encountering these things, do not be afraid of them. Be brave and use the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us: He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. The one in you is the Holy Spirit, and the one in the world is the devil. The ruler of this world has already been judged, so the Holy Spirit in you is the greatest. If your current environment is terrible, use the power of the Holy Spirit and say: "Holy Spirit, please help me overcome this environment, help me overcome tribulations, overcome bad moods, overcome depression." The Holy Spirit can completely help you; He is the greater one. He will always remind you that you are righteous in Christ, holy, and loved by God. He will often remind you: the devil has already failed; do not be afraid of him. You can completely overcome him using the name of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
Let’s share the second point: The Holy Spirit reminds you of your righteousness.
Many people do not believe in healing because they do not understand what Jesus accomplished for them on the cross. I often receive letters asking me, "Teacher Ren, why have I prayed for so long with no effect? Why does God not heal me? What does He want me to do?" In fact, it is not that God does not heal them; Jesus is willing to heal everyone. From the four Gospels, we see that everyone who sincerely seeks Jesus receives healing; this is a fact. Jesus did not leave anyone out!
Why do you think Jesus has left you behind? Where does the problem lie? Because you do not understand what Jesus accomplished for you on the cross, or due to incorrect teachings that lead you not to believe in God's healing. Many people doubt healing. If you want to receive healing, you must first be sure that you are righteous in Christ. You must believe that by the stripes of Jesus Christ, you are healed. This is not an empty statement; it is truly believing in what Jesus has done for you. The Holy Spirit dwells in you, constantly reminding you that this has already become a fact. When you accept it, this power will manifest in you. Thank and praise the Lord!
This needs to come from the heart, not just something someone tells you, "Oh, I believe too." That is useless. If you are sure that God heals you, you will see God's healing. It is not because of your good behavior; it is because you believe correctly that you are righteous in God's eyes, and God has this power. Only then can you receive God's power.
It is like a child. If you have a drawer full of candy at home, and the child loves candy and knows that the parents are willing to give it to her, she just needs to reach out to get it. If she is not sure that her parents will give it to her or that there is candy there, she will hesitate to ask. Or if she asks and her parents do not respond, she will not ask again. This is our relationship with the Heavenly Father. You must believe that the Heavenly Father has the power to heal you and that you are righteous in the eyes of the Heavenly Father. If you know you are righteous, holy, and loved by God in His eyes, you can boldly and fearlessly ask Him. Thank and praise the Lord!
This is the true intention of our God. However, many people say we cannot ask for wealth or for personal matters at home; asking for these things is really disrespectful to God. You are too spiritual. God wants us to live in this world like a person, not like a spirit. Because you cannot live like a spirit, you are a person. The things you need can be asked of God. Christians are meant to succeed. Some say you cannot talk about success; if you mention success, people will say it is the prosperity gospel. Why do you care about that? Should only non-believers succeed? Are Christians destined to fail, to be sick, and to live tragically? No.
God wants you to prosper; He wants you to succeed. God wants you to be healthy. God wants you to run your business the best. You hope to make your business number one in the country. What is wrong with that? You can glorify God. Why must you be the last? I am a believer in Jesus; I am so terrible, so painful, so helpless. Does that glorify God? Do not let others discourage you... completely throw away all these condemnations. You say you want to succeed. Hallelujah!
God wants you to succeed, but He does not want you to become greedy. Can you understand? Brothers and sisters, God is willing to give you wealth, but He does not want you to fall into the greed of wealth. "God, give me ten thousand dollars." God gives it to you. "Lord, give me a hundred thousand." God gives it to you. "Lord, give me a million." "Lord, give me ten million." This is called greed! God wants you to use all the wealth He has given you correctly, but He does not want you to be bound by it. This is God's intention. Amen! I hope you all succeed in life, but do not be influenced by wealth and fame. Know that all of this is freely given to you by God; this is just a gift you receive after being justified by faith.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Did you notice? What is the kingdom of God? What does the kingdom of God and righteousness refer to? You must first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and what you need will be added to you. The kingdom of God is a reward, and righteousness is also a reward. The kingdom of God cannot be obtained by your ability or actions, nor can righteousness be achieved by your actions.
All of this is freely given to us by faith. When you believe in Jesus, the kingdom of God is in your heart. When you say, "Lord, please enter my heart and take control of my life," the kingdom of God is in your heart. When you say, "Lord, please reign in my house," the kingdom of God is in your house. Hallelujah! This is the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God does not refer to heaven; that is the heavenly kingdom. The kingdom of God refers to the place where God reigns, the place ruled by the power of Jesus Christ. Let Jesus rule your heart because He is love, goodness, gentleness, and peace. When Jesus fills your heart and rules your heart, you will change completely.
The righteousness of God refers to the righteousness of Jesus Christ. When you accept Jesus Christ, the righteousness of Jesus Christ is upon you. You do not need to say, "Lord, may your kingdom come upon me; may your righteousness come upon me." You only need to say, "Your righteousness is already upon me." We have mentioned many times that when you accept Jesus, what do we give to Jesus?
You say, "Lord Jesus, I am a sinner; I am willing to accept you as my Savior." In reality, a spiritual transaction is happening. You give all your sins to Jesus, and Jesus takes all your sins and gives you His righteousness. This is a righteous exchange that was accomplished on the cross two thousand years ago. We give Jesus all that is bad, and Jesus gives us His righteousness, His holiness, and His eternal life.
Today, this has already been accomplished, so His kingdom and righteousness have already been given to you. What you need in life, God says He will add to you. This is a reward, also called a gift. You say, "Lord, my health is not earned by my efforts or good behavior; it is because you want to give me health." What does "give" mean? Because His kingdom and righteousness are upon you, God says He will add all that you need to you. That is a gift. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord.
You must know that our faith is in Jesus Christ. God will add to you all that you need, including food, clothing, wealth, and health. These are all freely given to you by God. Do not say, "Lord, give me some money; give me some health; Lord, I have no faith; give me some faith." Just focus on what Jesus accomplished for you on the cross, and all these will be added to you.
Do not say, "Lord, I have no faith; please give me faith." You can shout a thousand times and still have no faith. You must know how much Jesus loves you and that Jesus' righteousness is upon you. Then you will have faith to pray to God. God can truly bless my business, and you can boldly and fearlessly ask because you know God is willing to bless you. Amen!
Romans 5:17: For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
This passage means: One man's offense refers to Adam. Because Adam sinned, death reigned. But you are not in Adam; you are in Jesus Christ, who is a recipient of grace, a person who has received God's great grace, and also (two concepts) a person who has received both grace and the gift of righteousness.
Brothers and sisters, God has added grace to you and has given you His righteousness freely. This is the important source of power that allows you to reign in your life. You have received God's grace freely, and God has given you His righteousness as a gift. Therefore, you can reign in life because of Jesus Christ. Focus on Jesus Christ, and you will often be victorious in life.
Some Christians encounter difficulties in life but are always filled with peace. No matter how big the problem is, they remain very calm. Why can they be so calm? What is the secret? They will tell you, "My Lord will surely turn my situation around; Jesus Christ will surely lead me out of my current situation. Why should I suffer? God will surely lead you out of these things." When you look back, which of these things did God not lead you out of?
"Lord, I am now burdened by debt." God will surely lead you out of this debt crisis. You do not need to live in pain during this process. Every day, declare to yourself with the words of the Bible: "I have His righteousness before God. God will lead me, bless me, and turn me from this suffering." Thank and praise the Lord! This is a gift; this is a reward, also called God's grace. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord.
Do not let those accusations condemn you, making you feel terrible and worthless. Do not accept these condemnations. Tell yourself, "I am righteous." This is exactly what the Holy Spirit works to remind you of every day. Hallelujah!
Let’s share the third point: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.
This is also a question that many people have been confused about. What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? There was a sister who used to be in our church but has now returned to her hometown. She told me something: "Teacher Ren, the leader of this church told me that I should not wear skirts to church. Look at how you are dressed; this will greatly grieve the Holy Spirit..." This sister was really hurt. She said, "I have never worn lipstick or painted my nails in my life. That time, I dressed up beautifully to worship God, but as soon as I sat down, an older sister rushed over and said, 'Look at how you painted your lips like a ghost, and you painted your nails...'" This is the devil, you know... That sister felt like she was worthless and wondered how it could be like this!
Brothers and sisters, they tell you that doing this will greatly worry the Holy Spirit. Will the Holy Spirit be worried if you wear a skirt in church? If wearing a skirt in church is worrying, why is it not worrying to wear a skirt on the street? It is on the street that you should really worry! We need to correctly understand what it means to grieve the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at what the original scripture says:
Ephesians 4:29-30
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Many people take the beginning and end of this passage and say, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Look at how you are dressed; do not grieve the Holy Spirit; you are really making the Holy Spirit suffer." I have been to a place where I was truly pained. When I preached and said "Hallelujah" loudly many times, someone said, "You are really grieving the Holy Spirit." I said, "If that is the case, I do not know how the Holy Spirit can be so timid! If I speak loudly, the Holy Spirit will grieve; if that is the case, is He still our God?" No, people misunderstand this verse. Let’s see what this verse is really talking about.
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth; instead, speak what is good for necessary edification.
Corrupt words coming out of your mouth are what will grieve the Holy Spirit. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord! Think about it; if you are cursing, hateful, and using abusive language, this will first fill your heart, and that is what will worry the Holy Spirit. Amen!
When your heart is filled with anger, that is what worries the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit does not want you to live in anger, does not want you to live in rage, does not want you to live in curses. When you want to curse others, you first curse your own heart. The Holy Spirit does not want you to live like this; this is what grieves the Holy Spirit. If you say dirty words that should not be said, or use corrupt language, you degrade the true identity of certain people; this is what worries the Holy Spirit.
Everyone is loved by God. Our church always teaches that you are beloved children of God. But if I say, "Wow, you are a brood of vipers," this will greatly worry the Holy Spirit. Amen! Because you are beloved children of God. When the world condemns you, you will say, "You are really making the Holy Spirit worry!" You are cursing again! The Holy Spirit will tell you, "Do not hold this against him because he is the one who truly worries the Holy Spirit." If brothers and sisters condemn you, you should say, "You are really making the Holy Spirit worry because you are condemning others." This is the true meaning of this verse. Amen!
You were sealed by Him. The seal of the Holy Spirit. Amen! The Holy Spirit is the best gift God has given us. When you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit seals you. From then on, you are a child of God, and no one can change that. Amen! Just like when you sign a contract with someone, the red clay stamp is pressed down, and from then on, the contract is officially effective. When you say, "I am willing to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior," a stamp is pressed on you. From then on, you have all of God's blessings, God's eternal life in you, God's righteousness upon you, and God's holiness upon you. You are no longer a sinner; you are a beloved child of God.
You are no longer a dirty sinner; you are the apple of God's eye. This is your true identity. Knowing your identity will make you live joyfully. Your heart will often be joyful. When you want to use corrupt words to curse others, the Holy Spirit will worry and say, "Have you forgotten who you are? Do not let these corrupt words fill your heart; let the righteousness of Jesus Christ fill your heart." Thank and praise the Lord!
Isn't it interesting? When your heart is filled with God's grace, what is grace? It is what you do not deserve, what you should not receive, but God gives it to you freely. You should use this blessing received from God to treat those around you. When someone says to you, "You are such a person; can you still call yourself a Christian? You are a terrible person; you are a filthy person; you are a fallen sinner; how could you be in such a church..." When others say this to you, you should tell yourself, "The seal of the Holy Spirit is upon me; what you say does not count."
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit means: When others condemn you, do not accept this false condemnation. What we need to do is not let corrupt words come out of our mouths but to speak words that build others up. You know what good words are; we do not need to teach that. Thank the Lord! Just like we greeted earlier, "The Holy Spirit loves you," this is a good word. Although he made mistakes, when you rebuke him, do not condemn him. What is condemnation? "You are destined to be a nobody for the rest of your life." This is condemnation. Although he will make mistakes, you point out that what he did was wrong, but do not condemn him. Amen!
That it may impart grace to the hearers. May our church brothers and sisters, starting this week, let your mouth always bring benefits to others. Thank and praise the Lord! Amen! You have become a righteous person, an incurably righteous person, an irrevocably righteous person. No one can turn you into a sinner; God's righteousness is upon you. This is an everlasting righteousness that lasts forever. We have a great hope, waiting for the day of redemption, waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ, waiting for our bodies to be transformed into glorious holy bodies.
Use our mouths to build up those around us. I hope your friends and your partner will believe in the Lord. Today's words will definitely help you. Do not let corrupt words come out of your mouth. The words you say should benefit and build up your family and your partner.
They will be amazed at your change. What power has caused you to change? They will be drawn to the love of Jesus Christ. May each person not grieve the Holy Spirit, and let your mouth always be filled with words that build others up. Thank and praise the Lord!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise your grace. Jesus Christ paid a great price on the cross, exchanging for this identity of a righteous person. I have given all my filth and all my unrighteousness to Jesus, and Jesus has given me His righteousness, holiness, and the identity of His beloved Son, making me a person accepted by the Father. No matter when, my identity as a righteous person will not change. Although I may encounter difficulties, the Holy Spirit will remind me that I am still righteous in Christ.
Lord, thank you for placing the Holy Spirit in me, for the Holy Spirit will constantly tell me: I am righteous, the devil has failed, and there is great power within me. I can overcome all problems in life through the name of Jesus Christ because Jesus has already overcome this world. You tell us that in this world there will be tribulations; do not be afraid, for I have overcome the world.
I believe Jesus has overcome the world. I believe the power of Jesus is within me. As the new week begins, I will work with the power of the Holy Spirit, bringing benefits to others everywhere, starting with my mouth. I will speak words that build others up. Thank and praise the Lord! May all the glory be to you. Bless every brother and sister who seeks you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray! Amen!