The New You and the Holy Spirit Part 1
The New You & the Holy Spirit.
Andrew Wommack.
PART 1.
Choosing to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is the most important decision you'll ever make. This book will help you understand the choice you've made and discover what's next.
Welcome to the family!
CHAPTER 1.
UNDERSTAND.
YOUR SALVATION.
When G.o.d's Word first comes to you, Satan immediately tries to steal it (Matt.13:19). However, he can only do so if you don't have understanding. That's why you need to comprehend what takes place the moment you accept the Lord. Understanding prevents the devil from talking you out of your salvation benefits.
G.o.d's Word promises "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that G.o.d hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom, 10:9-10). 'For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13).
Have you done this? Have you confessed with your mouth the Lord Jesus? Do you believe in your heart G.o.d raised Him from the dead? Are you a "whosoever" who has called on the name of the Lord? If your answer is yes, then you've been saved!
You were saved the very moment you sincerely committed your life to Jesus Christ. The truth of His Word instantly came to pa.s.s as you believed in your heart and confessed with your mouth. Congratulations- you've been saved!
G.o.d KEEPS HIS WORD.
You're in good hands now! "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:28-29).
Since you've committed your life to Him, He'll keep you.
'For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day " (2 Tim. 1:12).
G.o.d will be faithful even when you aren't! "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself" (2 Tim. 2:11-13).
When you make mistakes or feel discouraged, just remember-G.o.d can't deny Himself, because He always keeps His Word!
KNOWLEDGE UNLOCKS EXPERIENCE.
Knowledge from G.o.d's Word helps you comprehend what took place in your life at salvation. You began an eternal relationship with the most Wonderful Person in the universe. Knowing and following Him will bring you unspeakable joy. Salvation isn't just going to heaven when you die; G.o.d wants you to start experiencing your salvation benefits immediately. This requires knowledge from His Word. As you understand and act on that knowledge, you'll experience the benefits of your salvation.
G.o.d has given you everything you need for life and G.o.dliness through the knowledge of Him. "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of G.o.d, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and G.o.dliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through l.u.s.t" (2 Pet. 1:2-4). The knowledge of G.o.d gives you access to His promises. By believing and acting on them, you'll partake of His divine nature. This means you'll experience all of G.o.d's love, joy, peace, health, deliverance, prosperity, and so on that's already in your spirit now by Christ Jesus!
As your thinking changes to line up with your born- again spirit, your life will too. For instance, perhaps you've spent your entire life hating Mondays. You've always given it over to the devil by believing, speaking, and expecting it to be a bad day. Just because you were born again doesn't mean that all of your negative att.i.tudes and thought patterns have changed yet.
Monday will be the same as before until knowledge from G.o.d's Word causes you to understand and act differently toward it. As the Word changes the way you believe, speak, and expect things to be, you'll start experiencing your salvation benefits-even on Mondays!
RENEW YOUR MIND!.
Your whole outlook will change as you grow in the knowledge of G.o.d and His promises. This is called "renewing your mind." "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of G.o.d, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto G.o.d, 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 G.o.d" (Rom. 12:1-2).
The way you think must match your born-again spirit.
At salvation, your spirit became an entirely new creation.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are pa.s.sed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). Your born-again spirit is always in agreement with G.o.d. The Word will renew your mind to what s already happened in your spirit.
G.o.d wants you to think and act like Him! By submitting yourself to His Word, your life will change like a caterpillar transforms into a beautiful b.u.t.terfly. Don't allow worldly pressure to squeeze you into its unG.o.dly mold; renew your mind. Be transformed by the knowledge of G.o.d, and your life will increasingly reflect Christ Jesus.
YOUR SPIRIT CHANGED.
Some people don't understand the spiritual nature of the radical change that occurred when they committed their lives to Christ. For example, many individuals receive Jesus in jail because they're desperate for a change.
Waking up the next morning, they find themselves in the same cell, wearing the same clothes and eating the same food. They don't feel any different, and their circ.u.m- stances certainly haven't changed. Discouraged by this lack of immediate outward transformation, they incorrectly conclude that nothing really happened at salvation. Because of this, many never go on to renew their minds and enjoy the benefits of salvation.
Your body and soul (mind, will, and emotions) didn't change at salvation the way your spirit did. If you If you were bad at math before you got saved, you'll stay bad at math until you increase in learning. Your mind isn't instantly changed; it's your spirit that's been made new!
Since you can't see or touch your spirit, G.o.d's Word is the only way you can know what has happened within.
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). Faith is simply trusting what the Word says happened in your spirit more than what you see in the natural.
TRUST THE TRUTH.
When I accepted the Lord as an eight-year-old, all I experienced was an inward "knowing." A nagging fear of h.e.l.l left, but other than that, nothing felt different to me. There were no bells, no whistles, nor fireworks. I had to believe G.o.d's Word, that said my salvation was true.
As I renewed my mind, I increasingly partook of His divine nature and enjoyed living in His promises.
Feelings change, but the truth doesn't! If you genuinely committed your life to the Lord, the truth is He will If you genuinely committed your life to the Lord, the truth is He will always honor that commitment. He'll never deny, leave, nor forsake you (Matt. 10:32 and Heb. 13:5). Your relationship with G.o.d is secure. Whether you felt anything or not, radical change took place in your spirit, and you're now a brand-new person. Trust that G.o.d's Word to you is true!
You'll experience your salvation more as you renew your mind. When you think according to the flesh (i.e., what your five senses tell you) and give in to negative external influences, you won't be able to enjoy G.o.d's benefits. However, as you trust the truth of G.o.d's Word by keeping your mind on the Lord and thinking in line with your born-again spirit, you'll experience G.o.d's love, peace, joy, etc. (Gal. 5:22-23). The choice is yours. Begin renewing your mind today!
CHAPTER 2.
JESUS IS LORD.
Salvation is G.o.d's gift to you through faith in Jesus Christ. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of G.o.d is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).
Salvation can't be earned by any amount of good works, because G.o.d doesn't give eternal life based on anything you do. Jesus Christ did everything that needed to be done through His death, burial, and resurrection. You receive eternal life by faith in Him alone!
No one deserves to be saved because of their good works. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of G.o.d" (Rom. 3:23). G.o.d doesn't deal with you in proportion to your sin. If you miss heaven by an inch, then you've missed it by a mile. Either you are completely righteous in His sight or you're not. It's that simple! No matter how good you think you are, you've been bad enough to miss heaven!
The Lord explicitly stated that He's not just a way to the Father but the way! "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). Acts 4:12 declares, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Either you come to G.o.d the Father through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, or you don't come at all!
G.o.d IN THE FLESH.
"And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good?
there is none good but one, that is, G.o.d. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth" (Mark 10:17-20).
A rich young ruler asked Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" He wanted to know how he could earn his way into heaven. Notice how the young man called Jesus "Good Master" at first. When the Lord countered him by saying that only G.o.d is good, he dropped "Good" and referred to Jesus simply as "Master." By this we know he didn't see Jesus as G.o.d.
Jesus Christ was G.o.d in the flesh. He wasn't just a good man who gave us a tremendous example of humility and love. He was literally G.o.d incarnate! "And without controversy great is the mystery of G.o.dliness: G.o.d was manifest in the flesh Justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory" (l Tim. 3:16).
Either Jesus was a deceiver, or He is who He said He was. No man who claimed to be G.o.d-but actually wasn't-should ever be considered "good." However, there's more verifiable historical evidence proving that Jesus Christ lived, died, and and was resurrected than that Julius Caesar ever lived! was resurrected than that Julius Caesar ever lived!
Every cult and religion on earth acknowledges Jesus'
existence, but they stop short of calling Him G.o.d. They'll grant Him the status of a prophet or an inspired teacher sent from G.o.d, but not Deity Himself. The rich young ruler did the same by dropping "Good" and simply calling Jesus "Master." He just couldn't bring himself to believe that this Man standing before him was G.o.d.
Apart from Jesus being the Son of G.o.d, there's no way to the Father! Everything hinges on His divinity. The Lord Himself stated "that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him" (John 5:23). If Jesus wasn't G.o.d, then His life wasn't worth more than any other man's life, and He couldn't have atoned for the whole human race. However,since He was G.o.d in the flesh, His life was worth more than all mankind-making His sacrifice eternally sufficient for all!
THE GREAT EXCHANGE.
Christianity is the only faith with a Savior. All other faiths depend on good works to achieve various degrees of "holiness." The holier you live, the better chance you have of being accepted by that "G.o.d." In essence, you become your own savior because "salvation" is based on your own performance. G.o.d knew you couldn't live a perfect life! Instead of demanding that you do everything right, He came and took your sin into His own body at the cross (1 Pet. 2:24). He suffered the punishment you deserved, to give you salvation as a gift. Praise G.o.d for the Savior!
Jesus took your sin so you could become righteous! "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of G.o.d in him" (2 Cor. 5:21). G.o.d put His judgment for sin upon Christ at the cross so you wouldn't have to bear it. Then, when you believed and received the Lord, He placed Jesus'
righteousness on you. This is the Great Exchange!
When this exchange takes place, your spirit is immediately re-created with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. You are then able to fellowship with G.o.d spirit to Spirit. "G.o.d is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). Even when you sin, your born-again spirit cannot be contaminated, because of the impenetrable seal of Christ's own Spirit. "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. 1:13). Since the new nature of your spirit is always holy, you can approach G.o.d at any time and in any condition. Now that's good news!
SUSTAINED BY FAITH.
The Christian life is both born in faith and sustained by faith. You'll just end up condemning yourself if you try to live it by your own works. As long as you're in your physical body, there'll be times when you fall short. If you're not careful, you'll beat yourself up trying to live right and wonder how G.o.d could ever love someone who messes up as much as you.
G.o.d's love doesn't change when you make mistakes. If He went to the cross for you as a sinner, how much more does He love you now that you're a Christian! "But G.o.d commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to G.o.d by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life" (Rom. 5:8-10). He loves you more now as a Christian-even when you sin-than He did when you were lost. Don't ever let your failures separate you from G.o.d's unfailing love!
THE LAW'S PURPOSE.
G.o.d gave the Law to show man he couldn't save himself.
The Ten Commandments are really just the tip of the iceberg; there are literally thousands of rules to keep in the Law! Jesus used several of these commandments in an attempt to show the rich young ruler we read about in Mark 10 that he would never be holy enough for eternal life on his own. "Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother" (Mark 10:19). This young man genuinely thought he could do something to earn eternal life. Doing and receiving by faith are very different from each other indeed!
The Law is like a plate gla.s.s window. Whether you break it with a BB or a boulder, it's broken! "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10). G.o.d doesn't tell you to do your best and He'll make up the difference with mercy.
Either you live holy and receive eternal life because you earned it (which is not possible), or you receive it by faith as a gift.
This deceived young ruler needed to quit trying and start trusting. In an effort to convince the Lord that he deserved eternal life, he told Jesus that he'd kept all of the commandments since his youth. Impossible! This man's att.i.tude had him going straight to h.e.l.l!
Loving the young ruler, Jesus tried to bring him out of this deception. "Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions" (Mark 10:21-22). The Lord touched this man's true "G.o.d" when He instructed him to sell all of his possessions and give to the poor. The rich young ruler wasn't willing to lay them down and make Jesus Lord, because he'd broken the very first command: "Thou shalt have no other G.o.ds before me" (Ex. 20:3).
G.o.d is not against you having money, but He's against money having you! Giving away all of your possessions to the poor is not a requirement for salvation. When Zacchaeus, another wealthy man, met Jesus and repented, he declared he'd give half of all he had to the poor (Luke 19:1-9). Jesus never asked this of him, but Zacchaeus volunteered to do it because his heart had changed. The issue Jesus is driving at is who or what do you trust in as your "G.o.d"/G.o.d?
THE BOTTOM LINE.
If you believe Jesus Christ was only a good person and that you can get to G.o.d through many different ways, you haven't truly made Him Lord of your life. Jesus is either Lord of all, or He isn't Lord at all! You can't receive salvation, which comes only through Him, if you aren't willing to bow your knee and acknowledge Him as G.o.d and Supreme Ruler. Either Jesus Christ is your Savior and Lord or He's not. It's that simple! Lord or He's not. It's that simple!
CHAPTER 3.
FROM DEATH TO LIFE.
All people are born into this world separated from G.o.d (Ps. 51:5). Adam and Eve died spiritually when they sinned. Even though they didn't die physically right away, their spirits were separated from G.o.d and fell under the control of Satan (Gen. 3). Every person born into the earth since then has had this inherent sin nature.
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death pa.s.sed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12).
However, sin isn't imputed until you reach the age of accountability. This means you aren't held responsible for your sin until you're old enough to intentionally violate G.o.d's Law (Rom. 7:9). This age varies from person to person, but you need to be born again as soon as possible once you reach it.
A natural birth brought you into this world, but a spiritual birth is required to enter G.o.d's kingdom. "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of G.o.d. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of G.o.d" (John 3:3-5).
When you're born again, you pa.s.s from death to life.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is pa.s.sed from death unto life" (John 5:24). At salvation, the sin nature you were born with dies and is replaced with a brand-new, righteous nature. You're no longer a sinner but righteous in Christ!
NEVER AGAIN!.
G.o.d's standard of goodness is His own glory. We might have looked good compared to other sinners, but no one is holy compared to Jesus! According to Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of G.o.d."
Who wants to be the best sinner who ever went to h.e.l.l?
We all need a Savior. G.o.d declared everyone a sinner, but He loved us and wanted to redeem us. And in doing so, He could declare everyone righteous who has accepted Jesus by faith. Regardless of how bad we were, we instantly became righteous through receiving Christ.
Born-again Christians know they don't deserve salvation based on their own merits. It's only because they put faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.
All other religions try to approach G.o.d based on their personal holiness-what they do for Him. Christians approach G.o.d based on a firm heart belief in what He did for us.
All of your sins were forgiven-past, present, and future -the moment you received the Lord. You are now eternally redeemed and have an eternal inheritance (Heb.