202 - The Importance of the Holy Spirit Dwelling in Us#
202 - The Importance of the Holy Spirit Dwelling in Us
(JP Text Group - Organized by Flowing Milk and Honey)
The title of the sharing is: The Importance of the Holy Spirit Dwelling in Us
Acts 2:37-40,
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Let us begin with a prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for preparing this opportunity for us to listen to Your words together. May this time renew us once again. As we start a new week, let Your words become our strength and help in our lives, correcting our lives, renewing our thoughts, and living out the testimony of Jesus Christ. A victorious life, so that we may all gain, because You are the God who provides. You will personally lead us and help us, and the Holy Spirit will do the work of renewal. Thank You and praise You. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
The title of the sharing: The Importance of the Holy Spirit Dwelling in Us
Why does the Holy Spirit dwell in our hearts after we are saved? Jesus told His disciples that after He leaves the world, He will send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to be with His children forever! On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came and has never left. What does it mean to dwell? It means to reside permanently! So what is the difference between temporarily being in a person and permanently dwelling? To dwell there means that it is his home; a temporary stay is just for a short while.
After accepting Jesus, that is, after being saved and accepting Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells permanently in your heart. He makes your body His temple, His home! Amen! So He will not leave you. Through today’s words, He wants you to understand that by faith you have entered into Christ, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you and will never leave. Moreover, you can let the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of wisdom, and the Spirit of omniscience help you so that you may prosper in all things. It is impossible by our own strength; even the smartest person can make mistakes. But if the Holy Spirit guides you, even if you fail now, the Holy Spirit will help you stand up again quickly! Because He is the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of truth, and the Spirit of omnipotence! Amen!
John 14:16-17
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter to be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.
Our hope is here! Jesus said: I am going back. The disciples were reluctant and worried, saying: What will we do if You leave? Jesus said: I will ask the Father, and He will give you a Comforter who will be with you forever! What is the difference between this Holy Spirit and Jesus? When Jesus was working in Israel, He could not work in China because He is the Son. But the Holy Spirit is different; He can work at any time, in any place, in the hearts of every person. Amen! This is the Holy Spirit.
After Jesus left, He sent the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who will be with us forever! The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth; He Himself is the truth, just like Jesus. He is the truth, which the world cannot accept. Why can’t the world accept Him? Because they cannot see Him or know Him. Do you know the Holy Spirit? You have accepted Jesus, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you. If you do not even know the Holy Spirit, that would be a problem. Who is the owner of your body? Does the Holy Spirit dwell inside? So brothers and sisters, we need to understand one thing: you cannot see Him, but can you recognize Him? Where do you recognize Him?
God’s words tell you. How can God’s words become alive? For example, the Bible says that those who believe will have signs and wonders following them, such as being able to handle snakes, and laying hands on the sick, and they will recover. How can you believe that this word can become real? It is actually through the Holy Spirit that this word becomes a miracle. Do you understand? Otherwise, we are just reading a dead article, just a story, just a piece of history.
The Holy Spirit comes to confirm that this word is true. He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, and He is also your God! The miracles that happened to them can happen to you today. Who is working? It is the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is taken away, this book has no life! Because it is the Holy Spirit that proves that God’s words are correct. Although you cannot see Him, you can know that He exists through the things the Holy Spirit does.
How did Jesus describe the Holy Spirit? The wind blows, and no one sees it. How do you know the wind? By feeling it? You see the traces left by the wind, such as the wind vane turning, and the leaves moving. Is that the wind? No, that is just the trace left after the wind has passed. You cannot see the Holy Spirit, but you can see the work the Holy Spirit does.
When you pray for someone, and that person is filled with the Holy Spirit and healed, is it not the Holy Spirit at work? It is not us at work; through these things, we recognize the Holy Spirit. At the same time, we need to understand that the Holy Spirit dwells in you, permanently resides in you, and will speak to you. Amen! He will speak to you. If you have never heard the Holy Spirit speak to you, you can pray to God: Let me hear Your voice.
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit did not dwell in the hearts of believers. Why could the Holy Spirit not dwell there in the Old Testament? Because the problem of sin was not completely resolved. Through the blood of bulls and goats, sin was not removed; it was only temporarily covered. The Holy Spirit cannot coexist with sin. Throughout the year, the blood of bulls and goats was offered to temporarily cover people's sins, but if the time limit passed and no blood was offered, sin would be revealed, and the Holy Spirit would leave you. This is the difference between the Old Testament and us. Therefore, in the Old Testament, there is often a phrase that says the Spirit of the Lord came upon someone. Have you heard this phrase? This means a temporary residence; after completing the work, He would leave.
In the Old Testament, the prophets, when they encountered God, were very afraid, including Isaiah, who fell to the ground, saying, “Woe is me! I am undone, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips.” The Holy Spirit is holy. An angel placed a coal on his lips and said, “You are cleansed.” Before a person can be used by the Holy Spirit, they must first cleanse themselves. This is a characteristic of all those used by God in the Old Testament. After the work was done, the Holy Spirit would leave him, and his power would disappear. The Spirit of the Lord came upon, for example, Jephthah, Gideon, Samson, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. Was it not all like this?
The first king of Israel in the Old Testament was King Saul. When the Holy Spirit came upon him, there was a very obvious characteristic: the prophet would pour oil on his head, which is called anointing. Many people, not understanding the work of the Holy Spirit, would say, “Let the Holy Spirit anoint you now.” Is this correct? He has already been anointed. How many times was King Saul anointed? Was it once a year? Once is enough. Then when the time came, he became king.
Was David the same? He was not anointed once a year, right? He was not anointed once a week, right? Many people do not understand this principle and confuse the Old Testament with the New Testament. Every time there is a gathering, they say, “The Holy Spirit comes to anoint you, anoint you.” It should be said, “The anointing of the Holy Spirit fills you, the power of the Holy Spirit fills you now.” We are different from them. At that time, the prophet would pour oil on someone’s head, and then they could be filled with the Holy Spirit. For example, when the prophet Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head, he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
1 Samuel 10:6-9
6 The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. 7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. 8 Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. You must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.” 9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.
In the past, Saul was a very weak and timid person, and he had not experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit. But when the prophet Samuel poured the oil on his head, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. We should not pray every day: “Lord, do not let Your Holy Spirit leave me today,” because the Holy Spirit has already dwelled in you. You only need to say, “Holy Spirit, fill me,” and you will be filled, just like Saul. As long as the oil is poured on his head, he can be filled with the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul powerfully, and he began to prophesy with those prophets, which is what we call speaking in tongues. He became a different person.
Because he was anointed by the Holy Spirit, he was no longer the past him; he had become a new person. Because the Holy Spirit was with him, and when the Holy Spirit was with them, God gave him a new heart. Brothers and sisters, do you see the difference? Was it Saul who renewed himself? It was the Holy Spirit that came upon him, and he received a new heart and could prophesy and became a new person.
How do you become a new person? When you accept Jesus, you are in Christ, so God says, the old has passed away; behold, the new has come, Amen! You have become a new person. When the prophet Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head, he became a new person. You need to understand one thing: the work of the Holy Spirit is upon you. In the Old Testament, whenever a person sinned, the Holy Spirit would leave because He did not dwell in people; He only worked temporarily through people.
Later, Saul became proud. After Saul won a victory, he thought it was his own ability. After each victory, he would set up a monument saying, “Saul won a victory against such and such an army on such and such a date,” boasting about himself. The prophet Samuel said to him, “Wait for me there; I will go and offer sacrifices.” As a result, King Saul waited and waited, but when the appointed time came, Samuel had not yet arrived.
It was obvious that Samuel was late, and Saul took matters into his own hands and offered sacrifices. Did Saul not take the role of prophet and priest upon himself? He was just a king and had no authority to act as a prophet and priest. He no longer regarded the prophet and priest with respect. In the end, he treated the words of the prophet as mere wind. This was the true reason why God decided to abandon him. At that time, Samuel asked, “Is sacrifice more important or obedience? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” Amen!
In the Old Testament, whenever a person sinned, the Holy Spirit would leave. Later, because of this, the Spirit of the Lord left Saul. The Bible mentions that an evil spirit from the Lord tormented Saul. Many people do not understand and ask, “Why can an evil spirit come from God to torment Saul?” Does God have evil spirits? In the Old Testament, when the sons of God gathered, Satan was among them. When can Satan no longer go up? When Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross for us, Satan lost his qualification. Before that, he could roam freely.
Do you remember the Book of Job? In the Book of Job, God asked, “Where have you come from?” Satan replied, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” They were still under the Old Testament. Once the Holy Spirit leaves a person, evil spirits can easily disturb them, especially when that person is proud and arrogant. Do you understand? Let’s continue. Did David also make mistakes? After David sinned, the Holy Spirit also left him. The prophet poured oil on David’s head and anointed him, and David could also have the same power as Saul at that time. Later, when David sinned, the Holy Spirit left him. Where did this happen?
Psalm 51:9-11, so at that time, David prayed:
9 Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Brothers and sisters, is this from the Old Testament or the New Testament? Is it under the law? I just emphasized that under the law, the Holy Spirit cannot coexist with sin. Under the law, once the Holy Spirit has completed His work, He will return. Once a person sins, the Holy Spirit will leave. David indeed sinned, and he prayed to God, saying, “Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.” He also asked God, “Create in me a clean heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not let Your Holy Spirit leave me; do not cast me away.”
Should we pray like this? Many people do not understand the work of the Holy Spirit and do not know that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. They say, “In gatherings, you should keep your voice down; in church, you must maintain solemnity and reverence; you cannot speak loudly.” Many churches have such regulations. Is this regulation good? It is good in itself, but when some people say it, it becomes bad. Why can’t you speak loudly? If you speak loudly, the Holy Spirit will be scared away. You cannot sing loudly, especially rock music; that cannot be sung because it is too noisy, and the Holy Spirit cannot be with us.
Is the Holy Spirit so fragile? The departure of the Holy Spirit is not because your voice is loud. Is there any basis for this in the Bible? No! In the Old Testament, when a person sinned, the Holy Spirit would leave. But we are not like that anymore; the problem of sin has already been solved by Jesus. Hallelujah! Do not casually declare the Bible over yourself. Many people pray, “Lord, do not let Your face look upon my sins; blot out all my iniquity.” God has already solved your sin problem; He has already blotted out all your iniquity!
The precious blood of Jesus Christ has already blotted out all your iniquity. In the past, I participated in early morning prayers for many years, saying, “Lord, please do not let Your Holy Spirit leave me today.” At that time, I was very worried and felt I had to pray well; if I did not pray, the Holy Spirit would not be there. I was very fearful, thinking I had to get up at five every day to pray: “Lord, give me a steadfast spirit; do not let Your Holy Spirit leave me.”
I prayed cautiously like this to keep the Holy Spirit from leaving me. Is this prayer correct? If we pray, the Holy Spirit will not leave. Do you know how terrifying that is? What if one day you forget, and the Holy Spirit is gone? So many people say, “I feel the Holy Spirit is not present today because I did not pray.” This is completely wrong because we are not under the Old Testament. After Pentecost, that is, 50 days after Jesus was crucified, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples like flames, and about 120 people were filled with the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Let’s look at this passage, Acts 2:14-18
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
At that time, 120 disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. They came down from the upper room and began to preach the gospel to all the people in Jerusalem. Many people laughed at them, saying they were filled with new wine because they were walking unsteadily and seemed a bit abnormal. At that time, Peter, an uneducated fisherman, suddenly stood up and began to preach. That day, 3,000 people were saved and believed in Jesus. When these people saw these things and did not understand, Peter stood up and said loudly: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. You think we are drunk, but we are not drunk; it is only the third hour of the day. The words of the Old Testament are being fulfilled in the apostles.”
What words? In the Old Testament, the Book of Joel says, “In the last days, I will pour out My Spirit on all people.” What day is this? “In those days, I will pour out My Spirit on My servants and maidservants, and they will prophesy.” What day? On the day of Pentecost.
In the Old Testament, many days are mentioned. That day does not necessarily refer to the day Jesus was crucified. “In those days, I will pour out My Spirit on My servants and maidservants.” When did the Holy Spirit pour out? This pouring out is different from the blowing of breath in the Old Testament. After Jesus Christ resurrected, He was with the disciples for 40 days.
At that time, Jesus said to the disciples: “Receive the Holy Spirit,” and He breathed on them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit was only temporarily working in them, so they would still be weak because after the work was done, the Holy Spirit would still leave. They would still be afraid and weak until when? Until the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out. How many people saw Jesus ascend to heaven? 500! 500 people saw Jesus ascend to heaven, and then the angel said to these 500 people: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven. Go back home and wait in Jerusalem for the power that comes from above,” referring to the descent of the Holy Spirit.
So these 500 people all saw this and heard this, but only 120 people prayed. These 120 believers personally experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. What does this outpouring mean? In the original language, it means to pour out, to pour in, just like we are vessels; you are a cup of water, and now the Holy Spirit is poured directly into you until you are full. This is the filling of the Holy Spirit, and after being filled, He will never leave again.
“In those days, I will pour out My Spirit on My servants and maidservants, and they will prophesy.”
Peter and the other disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit, Hallelujah! He dwells in us and will never leave again. This is also the difference between us under the New Testament and those under the Old Testament. Is it important for the Holy Spirit to dwell in you? It is extremely important. Before the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, what was their state? Besides being afraid, they had no power, no direction, and did not know how to live. Peter said, “I will go fishing.” He did not know what he could do. If the Holy Spirit does not dwell in you, even if you have the entire Bible, you know that Jesus died and resurrected, yet you still have no power and do not know what God’s words mean. These scriptures must be unlocked by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible seems simple, but it is actually the most complex book. Without the Holy Spirit’s revelation, no one can understand it. Many highly educated people cannot understand what it says. But when the Holy Spirit reveals it, you will completely understand what it means. Sometimes the Holy Spirit’s methods are actually very simple, so simple that we think they are foolish. But the Holy Spirit accomplishes His words through this way, using the simplest methods to make the wise become foolish and to leave the wise speechless.
You need to use the Holy Spirit within you. If you do not know how to use it, it is a pity. Your life is not much different from that of an unbeliever. It does not mean you are not saved; it means you do not understand how to live by the words of the Holy Spirit, and your life is not much different from that of an unbeliever, except that you go to church. But the real power of God’s words comes from the work of the Holy Spirit. This power has long existed within you; you need to use it and let it flow out from you. Just like we often say, when you pray for yourself, you must be confident that it is the Holy Spirit working through you; when you pray for others, you must also believe that it is the Holy Spirit working through you. Hallelujah! Therefore, in the Holy Spirit, the kind of power and miracles we cannot even imagine are still happening today.
Last week we went to a church where the pastor attended a revival meeting of the Holy Spirit. They had never experienced such power of the Holy Spirit before, where the pastor just stretched out his hand, and a row of people fell to the ground. At first, the pastor did not believe it, but before he even touched that pastor, he suddenly fell to the ground. Then when that pastor stretched out his hand, it was like bouncing a ball; his body would rise and fall with it. This is a miracle.
What we know about the Holy Spirit is just a little bit. There are incredible things in the spiritual realm. “I will pour out My Spirit on My servants and maidservants; they will prophesy, they will see visions, they will dream dreams.” These things are still happening today. I hope our brothers and sisters pursue this aspect and use the power of the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah! It is indeed something to pursue. You understand grace; pursuing such gifts is good for you. If you are under the law, do not pursue it; the more you pursue under the law, the more terrifying it becomes. In the past, I did not pursue it for a reason; I found it too frightening.
In the past, I knew an aunt who was very devout; I can only use this word to describe her. For half a month each month, she would fast and pray. There were no pictures in her house because she said the devil would attack her through those pictures. At that time, I thought, why does the devil attack you? I have many pictures in my house, and I do not feel anything. She said, “You are a new believer; you do not understand.” I said, “Okay.” Later, I did not take it seriously. I said, “You fast for half a month; that is a lot of food saved.” I even mocked her. But one time I went to her house, and she said something that made me no longer dare to say anything to her. She said, “Actually, before you came to my house, I already knew you were coming. When you arrived at my building, I already saw you.” I thought, “Where did you see me?” She said, “I knew what you were coming to my house for.” I was surprised to hear that. She said again, “I know what you are thinking.”
If you meet such a person, would you dare to stay with her? You would feel like a transparent person; she could tell you what sins you committed, and it would be better to keep your distance. As mentioned earlier, if under the law, such gifts are taken to the extreme, it is very dangerous. It can make a person unable to lift their head forever. This is called the ministry of the prophet. Under the law, it brings death because it reveals your endless sins, and these are true.
Why do I want you to pursue it? Because you already know the grace of forgiveness. The same thing depends on how you treat it. Under grace and under the law, how do you treat this issue? For example, if a person commits a sin, under the law, if that person has the gift of prophecy, visions, and dreams, they would say, “I already know you committed this sin; God will strike you; hurry and repent!”
Under grace? “Yesterday God told me you have a problem, but it’s okay; rely on God, and you can easily overcome it.” Which kind of ministry would you prefer? The ministry under the law brings death. “In those days, I will pour out My Spirit on My servants and maidservants.” The Holy Spirit dwelling in you is so important! He is here to comfort you. Hallelujah!
Let’s look at a passage, Acts 2:38,
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Under the New Testament, a person must first repent before accepting Jesus. What does repentance mean? Turning to God, changing your thoughts, and then being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (which is to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit). Before receiving the Holy Spirit, you must understand one thing: the sin inside you has already been resolved. The Holy Spirit can never coexist with evil. You cannot say that the sin has not been completely resolved, and the Holy Spirit also dwells in me; that is impossible. Before the Holy Spirit can dwell in you, the blood of Jesus Christ has completely resolved your sin problem, and then the Holy Spirit will dwell in you because He cannot coexist with evil. Hallelujah!
The first point of sharing: When the Holy Spirit dwells in us, it proves that all sins have been forgiven.
The Holy Spirit dwelling in you means that you know all your sins have been forgiven. Hebrews 10:15-18,
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First, He says: 16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” 17 Then He adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
The Holy Spirit testifies to us. This passage is the Holy Spirit testifying, “The Lord says, after those days, I will make a covenant with them.” What days are those? When did the New Testament begin? It began on the day Jesus was crucified. After that day, God made a covenant with us called the New Covenant. Before that, it was called the Old Covenant. What is the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant? The Old Covenant under Moses is the covenant of the law, which can also be called the covenant of the Ten Commandments. But “after those days, I will make a covenant with them.” This law refers to the Holy Spirit; I will write My Holy Spirit in their hearts. This is not the Ten Commandments.
If God writes the Ten Commandments in your heart, you are doomed. Do you understand? If the Ten Commandments are written here, I hold two tablets of stone, and anyone who sees them will die. When Moses came down from the mountain with the two tablets of stone, anyone who saw them would die. So later, God did not let people see these two tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments; He placed them in the Ark of the Covenant.
But after the New Testament, God cannot write the Ten Commandments, laws, and ordinances in their hearts; otherwise, no one could live. This refers to the Holy Spirit. When you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart, and always remember: you now have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. “And I will write them in their minds.” This is a gift God gives you. When you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit instantly dwells in your heart and will never leave again.
So verse 17 says, “I will remember their sins and lawless acts no more.”
Why will He not remember anymore? Because before the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart, all your sins have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus. If they were not washed clean, the Holy Spirit could not dwell in you. So you are clean. Amen! Do not learn from the world and say your heart is dark; that is wrong. The blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed you of all your sins, so God says, “I will remember them no more, and I will let the Holy Spirit dwell in your hearts.” Hallelujah! The problem has been resolved.
Verse 18: “Where these have been forgiven,”
How many sins have been forgiven? All of them. Where is the evidence? Because the Holy Spirit dwells in my heart, God also does not remember our sins anymore; He does not remember my transgressions anymore because the transgressions have been forgiven. Hallelujah! This is what Jesus did for us on the cross. His precious blood made all my sins forgiven so that the Holy Spirit could dwell in me, and God would not remember my transgressions anymore because the transgressions have been forgiven. You must remember this passage; it is very important: “Where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.” Are you still offering sacrifices for sin? Because the problem of sin has been resolved. Hallelujah!
We said that the things God does we cannot understand, but there is His good intention in it. If the temple had not been destroyed back then, the Jews would still be offering sacrifices and killing bulls and goats. But because all these temples have been destroyed and the Ark of the Covenant cannot be found, they have no way to restore the past sacrificial system. Today, the Jews are trying every means to restore the temple, to restore the Holy of Holies, to restore the past priesthood. Why does God not allow them to do this? Because it is simple: these transgressions have already been forgiven! There is no need to offer sacrifices for sin anymore. Amen! What you are doing now is merely what Jesus has already completed. If you do that, it is equivalent to saying Jesus did not do it.
We are blessed! You do not have to run to the Wailing Wall to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. Is there any here? Yes! Why do you have to run to the place where the 120 people were filled with the Holy Spirit in the upper room? Many people want to travel to Israel. This idea is good, but the latter part of that sentence can lead people to stumble because that place has more spiritual energy. Does that place have spiritual energy? It is good to visit that place and see the things recorded in the Bible. When the Jews explain it to you in detail, it will increase your confidence in God’s words and make you fully believe that this is a fact, and that is all.
Do not expect to be filled with the Holy Spirit in that place, and that rabbi prays for me; that power is great. The power comes from the Holy Spirit. When you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in you. You must understand that the Holy Spirit dwelling in you is so important! These transgressions have been forgiven, so there is no need to offer sacrifices for sin anymore! Hallelujah!
The second point: The Holy Spirit dwelling in you is to remind you of the words of Jesus.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, 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.
How does the Holy Spirit work through you? Some people say, “Holy Spirit, say something to me!” Do you know how the Holy Spirit will respond? “Can you look at the Bible? I am moving you; I have already reminded you of the words of Jesus. What do you want me to say? Even if I want to move you, can you hear me?” “Have you eaten?” Can you be sure that this is the Holy Spirit telling you? No, even if this is the Holy Spirit telling you, you cannot discern it. How can you discern that this is the Holy Spirit telling you?
For example, in a very quiet environment or a noisy environment, a sentence comes from your heart. You are worried about something, and this sentence tells you: “Do not be afraid; just believe! I am with you.” Can you be sure this is the Holy Spirit telling you? Because this kind of word is very clear, it comes from the Bible, it comforts you, and it reminds you that Jesus has comforted many people like this. You have certainty in your heart; this is the word of the Holy Spirit. So brothers and sisters, what the Holy Spirit moves you to remember will never go beyond the Bible.
Many people do not understand this; it is actually because they have not read the Bible. Someone told me, “Teacher Ren, the Holy Spirit has moved me not to go to church anymore.” Is this correct? I do not believe the Holy Spirit can move you not to go to church! In fact, not understanding the Bible makes it easy to be led by one’s own desires. The Holy Spirit reminds us of the words of Jesus Christ. Please remember: the words of Jesus Christ always lead us to Christ, to our God. Hallelujah!
You may have heard the most about speaking in tongues, where someone claiming to be a prophet tells you: “The Holy Spirit just told me that what you are saying is not speaking in tongues; it is cursing God.” We feel scared, and some people fall into this trap. I want to ask everyone: “You are asking for tongues; will God give you an evil spirit to work in you? Is the Holy Spirit greater or is the evil spirit greater? Of course, it is the Holy Spirit! You already have the Holy Spirit within you. You say, ‘Holy Spirit, fill me; let me speak in tongues.’ The evil spirit says, ‘I come.’ Is the Holy Spirit greater or the evil spirit? It seems like the evil spirit is more powerful. You praise God, and the evil spirit makes you curse God. How is that possible? Do not be deceived by these so-called prophets.
You need to understand one thing: what comes from the Holy Spirit will remind you of the words that Jesus Christ has spoken! Hallelujah! I suggest everyone read the Bible often. If you say you cannot remember, and your memory is declining with age, that’s okay; just read it. Even if you forget now, it does not matter. When you want to use it, the Holy Spirit will move you to remember a verse from the Bible. Amen!
This is what we call the Holy Spirit’s prompting in your heart. In fact, you have already mastered the highest martial arts in the world, called “no form, no style.” You have no concept of martial arts moves in your heart, but when facing an enemy, you can immediately strike. This is the highest realm. The Holy Spirit seems to have no effect, but once a problem arises, suddenly you have words coming out from within you, and they just happen to solve your problem. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit dwelling in you is extremely important for you. Amen!
The third point: The Holy Spirit dwelling in you is to let you know that the devil has nothing in front of Jesus, and neither do you.
John 14:30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me;
Do you know what “has no hold” means? It means there is no need to focus your attention and energy on this. Isn’t it just the devil? Why should I focus on it? It is nothing! “He has no hold over me” means that I do not have it in my heart at all. Why are so many people afraid of demons? They have demons in their hearts, fearing being knocked on the door at midnight. What should you have in your heart? Be filled with the Holy Spirit! If you have only the Holy Spirit in your heart, you do not need to fear it. Someone says, “The devil is disturbing me.” Because you have demons in your heart, the devil disturbs you. If you know “the devil has nothing in my heart,” what can he do?
The Holy Spirit in you is greater than the one in the world! Hallelujah! I suggest everyone not to often talk about how powerful the devil is; it is nothing. You should talk about the Holy Spirit; He is the most powerful! Amen!
The fourth point: The Holy Spirit dwelling in us is so important! It allows you to experience God’s great power! To be victorious in life!
If you do not know the power of the Holy Spirit and do not know that the Holy Spirit has already dwelled in you, that the problem of sin has been resolved, and that the Holy Spirit is willing to be with you wherever you go. If you do not understand these things, you will try to please God through your own efforts, trying to overcome your life through your own efforts. Let the Holy Spirit do it! Amen! When praying for yourself, believe that it is not you praying; it is the Holy Spirit helping you. If you do not know how to pray about this matter, you can pray in tongues; it is the simplest and most effective way.
Romans 8 says that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans that cannot be expressed. This means that the Holy Spirit prays with you in a language that cannot be expressed, which we call praying in tongues. You say you do not understand; it does not matter. The Holy Spirit can solve your problems and allow you to experience such victory in your life and experience God’s great power. We see many miracles happening; in fact, it is the Holy Spirit at work. You already have the Holy Spirit within you; let Him play a role, Amen! You should get to know God’s words more and say, “Lord, I believe Your words can be fulfilled in my life.” The Holy Spirit can work and let you see the miracles happening. Amen!
Last week, a sister had back pain. At that time, we were preaching, and after praying for her, she sat down and said her back pain was gone. She said her right arm was a bit numb. I said, “Put your left hand on your right arm.” She did, and at that moment, we did not need to pray for her anymore. She had heard the sermon and was told how to experience God’s great power. She said with me, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command this numbness in your arm to go away.” She said it twice, and I said, “Okay, it’s done.” That night she said it was fine. I hope everyone can experience God’s great power like this. This is a clear evidence of the Holy Spirit at work! Hallelujah!
Finally, let’s read a passage, Jude 1:20-21
20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
What Jude wants to tell us is: You should build yourselves up in your most holy faith, read the Bible more, and pray in the Holy Spirit (pray in tongues). Keep yourselves in God’s love, and always remind yourselves that you are people who dwell in God’s love. Amen! Look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is willing to have mercy on you and grant you grace until you become abundant. Hallelujah! This is our Father’s heart. He gives you the Holy Spirit not hoping that you live by yourself but hoping that you experience God’s great power through the Holy Spirit and be victorious in life.
I hope brothers and sisters keep God’s words in their hearts, pray in tongues, and always remember: you are people who dwell in God’s love. In Christ, no one can pull you out. God wants to bless you, grant you mercy, and give you grace, allowing you to experience His victory in life. Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for loving us like this and helping us. All our sins have been forgiven, and the Holy Spirit has already dwelled in my heart because this is another testimony of our forgiveness of sins. If I still have a sin that has not been forgiven, the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in me. You dwell in me and will never leave. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I dwell in Your love, I dwell in Your light, I am under Your mercy, and I am in Your grace. I am willing to build myself up in this most holy faith. Give me a heart that longs for Your words, and let Your words become the standard in my life. Although I still have many things I do not understand, I believe the Holy Spirit will guide me and open my eyes to see Your light.
I am willing to pray in the Holy Spirit, praying in tongues, letting me understand the things I do not understand, and renewing my strength. All my sins are forgiven, and the Holy Spirit guides me to live a victorious life. I will no longer rely on myself but on the Holy Spirit to live. Thank You and praise You! You love me so much. I also pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for all the brothers and sisters who listen to the word. This will be a different week because the Holy Spirit is with You. He will give you strength; He will give you wisdom, allowing you to taste His power in life, work, and family, overcoming life through His strength. Thank You and praise the Lord. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!