“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, 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.”
September 18, 2024
A preacher friend of mine said, “When I first got saved, I was so full of joy. I walked out and I said, ‘Man, this is easy. This is wonderful.’” Then after he lived a while and got his nose bumped a few times, he said, “This is difficult.” And then as he repented and tried to get better and stronger and made more resolutions and resolves, he failed more, and he said, “This is impossible.” But then he learned the secret of Christ in him, and he said, “This is wonderful.”
There’s only one who has ever lived the Christian life: His name is Jesus. And if the Christian life is lived in your house, in your club, on your team, in your choir, there’s only one person who’ll be doing it: Jesus! May God help us understand this: We’re not to be little imitations of Jesus; it is Christ in us doing the work. He said, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14). He is the one who steps in. This is the exceeding power we have to do greater works than the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus was on Earth, He was limited by time and space. But when He comes into each of His people through the Holy Spirit, He’s not limited by space; He’s not limited by time. He lives and dwells in all of us through the Holy Spirit of God and, therefore, the Church is the body of Jesus on Earth.
Speak with someone you look up to in the faith and ask how he or she has learned to depend on the Spirit.
Just as plants need certain essentials to grow—light, water, and fertile soil—so do new Christians, babes in the faith. Without these essential basic truths of the faith, they will never establish strong roots or bear fruit. What Every Christian Ought to Know is a valuable volume for new Christians and young disciples and a suitably instructive resource for believers of all ages. This new paperback edition includes discussion questions for personal reflection or group study.