 Good evening, good afternoon, good morning. Hope you all are into it because this is, I think, pretty important. I think it's pretty important so much so that I even change the name of, or the title of the video, which is, do we really need the Holy Spirit? That might sound silly. That might even sound blasphemous. Do we really need the Holy Spirit? Well, question, I'm asking you guys. Do we really need the Holy Spirit? Every Christian is going to say yes, but every Christian doesn't think that we need the Holy Spirit. I'll get into that later. And I'm gonna tell you something that may be some of these, some of the Christians might not agree with because of how we treat the Holy Spirit, because of how we treat our walk. And so first of all, first and foremost, I want to ask a question. Not who or what, we say what is the Holy Spirit sometimes, but who is the Holy Spirit? Well, obviously the Holy Spirit is God. Where do we first see the Holy Spirit? We literally see the Holy Spirit where? In the beginning. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and then what does it tell us about the Spirit of God that's hovering over the deep? And so the Holy Spirit was always there in the beginning, but the question is, what was he doing? What was he doing? What was his purpose? Has his purpose changed? Now there is one question that we can ask. I've asked this question. Folks have asked me this question as well. And I use this question in class. We haven't gotten to this question yet in the Bible study. We will eventually, but I'll go ahead and ask it now. And the question is this, what will the role of the Holy Spirit be in eternity? What is he going to be doing in eternity? Well, the question is that, I'm sorry, the answer is we don't know. We really don't know because the Bible didn't tell us. As a matter of fact, the Bible doesn't tell us a whole lot about heaven, what it's going to be like. We just don't have that. However, we know we're going to enjoy it. We know we're going to be with him, but what will his role be? Have no idea. The reason why there might be some confusion as to what his role will be in us is because what his role is now necessarily has to change. Well, we would think so. I should say we would think so. For me to make that leap to say it would necessarily have to change, I don't know, because I don't know about heaven yet. No eyes have seen their ears of hers. We don't know exactly what it's going to be like. And therefore we don't know exactly what the Holy Spirit is going to be doing with us. We've made it. We're there. We've got our glorified bodies. We're with the Father. What's it going to be like? Well, we don't know. But what we can figure out is, what does he do here? I guess a better way of putting it is why. So let's start with that. Why? Why do we have the Holy Spirit? Do we need the Holy Spirit? People will say yes. Everybody's saying yes, but why? That is the $64,000 question. And we probably ought to change it from the $64,000 question, which was an old TV show, game show host. $64,000 used to be worth a lot. $64,000 couldn't even buy you a new car nowadays. So let's just say it's the $64,000,000 question. So why do we have the Holy Spirit? And then another question is, who has the Holy Spirit? So why do we have it? Why do we need it? And then who has the Holy Spirit? Well, let's just, let's go to the scriptures immediately. The identifying mark of the Holy Spirit, I'm sorry, of a believer is the Holy Spirit. Let me say it again, very important. The identifying mark of a believer is the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit as it identifies us, number one, with who we are. Plain and simply, if you do not have the Holy Spirit, you don't have Christ. We'll go through that. As a matter of fact, let's start running through those now. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12, 13 that all believers, he says by one spirit, we were all baptized, and it says pantes, which is the Greek word for all, every last person who was in Christ has them. So by one spirit, we, speaking of believers, are baptized into one body, whether Jew or Greek, Jews or Greek, whether slave or free, we were all made to drink of one spirit. Now remember what John was saying. And I don't mean John the, I don't mean the apostle John. I mean, in the book Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we're hearing what Jesus is going to do by way of John. John says, hey guys, I am baptizing you with what? With water. But, and he's making a comparison, or really we should say a contrast. He's making a contrast between what John is baptizing people with versus what Jesus will do. Jesus is the one who says that he will baptize. And he will baptize. Now you can take it however you want to because essentially it's the same whether it's in or with the Holy Spirit. Both actually work, whether you say you're being baptized into the Holy Spirit or you're baptized with the Holy Spirit. Imagine it this way. And I've used this analogy because I think it works well. A white piece of cloth. The word baptized means to be dipped or to immersed. And so a white piece of cloth is immersed into red dye. When that white piece of cloth after having been dipped, immersed or baptized in or with this red dye, it comes up with the qualities of that red dye. In other words, the white cloth is no longer white anymore. The white cloth is red. Can you see a little bit of whiteness in it? Yes. Is it as red as the red dye? No. But the qualities are of that dye are now in it, are now on it. It becomes known by the quality or by what it was dipped into. Are you all with me? And so Paul says that all believers have been baptized. And so whether you were a believer for one day, for one second, one minute, one hour, one year, 100 years, you have been baptized in with the Holy Spirit. The qualities of the Holy Spirit should be upon you. Now, we'll come back to some more identifying markers, but I want to deal with a few things that need to be off the table upfront. In the Old Testament, we see the Holy Spirit. We see that obviously he's there in Genesis. We're not told what his description is, what he's actually doing, but he's hovering over. And we know that the Spirit of God is everywhere. David kind of lets us know that as well, that wherever you go, where can I go where I'm out of your presence, where I'm out of the presence of your Spirit? But what we see the Holy Spirit doing in the Old Testament is that we see him, one, empowering people for what? For service. Well, for who's service? To serve who? For what purpose? Well, for the glory of God. Even if the people may not matter fact, and this is important, we've seen the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament come upon people. And it's important to understand when we say upon people, not in, but upon. Now, he could feel a person temporarily, like they would be in, those people would be in upon someone like Joshua. But it was never a permanency like we have today. There is going to be a difference, but the important point to see is what the Holy Spirit was doing then. Here's the interesting tidbit. I don't know if you all remember this passage before. This is in Exodus 31. Let's start in verse two. He says, this has been taken to Moses. See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Eury, the son of her, the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding and knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and the cutting of stones for the setting and the carving of wood that he may work all kinds of craftsmanship. And he does that for other people as well. So he's going to put his spirit upon people why to serve in this case for building things for the benefit. One, obviously of God, certain craftsmanship goes into the ark and so forth, but then we'll see him do the exact same thing when it comes to when Moses kind of burdened down and leading the people. Then God says, appoint these elders, these 70 men who I will take some of my spirit off of you and put on them. Why? For the service. So every time you see the Holy Spirit working, you see him working for the benefit of service, serving who? God, why? For his glory. Ultimately to bring about the goal which is to glorify God and then moving men to do likewise. So the men in the Bible is important. The men in the Bible, when the spirit was upon them, or even when God was with them, you would see these people acting okay. You would see them doing their job. You would see them, they're on their best behavior. Well, that makes sense, like us. If daddy's around, then as little kids, we didn't mess up. We were on our best behavior. But as soon as the cat was away, what happens? The mice will play. Similarly, you look in the Old Testament, when the presence of God was there, the people, they were in awe and they would say the right things. They would even do the right things. Same thing with us. We can even use it how it is at church and what I say it used to be. If you were in church or you were around a preacher, we would act and say the right way, right things, and then when we moved away, they all best were off right. Well, you see the power in the presence of God. So now, if we think about the presence of God, his spirit being upon man, he would do that to move mankind. His spirit, his presence was to move men. Exactly, see if it's right, just like Saul. So the spirit would be upon Saul. Why? To move him. And remember, even though Israel chose a king, God is not some giant come lately. He's not late to the party. He knows what's happening. And so he's already stated that there's gonna be a king, a kingdom that's in his promise with Abraham. And then we see this backed up when Jacob makes this announcement that the sephirist is not in part Judas. So God is already going to set up a kingdom and he knows these sinful men are gonna wanna have a king like other nations. And so fine, go ahead. I'll bring about through this my king. I will choose for myself and then I'll eventually put a king on the throne who'll be there forever. Obviously that's Jesus. But the problem that man has had is man's sins. Man, we are sinful people. We like to sin. As a matter of fact, we could all even as godly as all of us are, even as wonderful as all of us are, we could sit and figure out some sin. We could sit and figure out some stuff to do. We actually could, some bad thing. We can come up with some things and like, we would sit back and wow, we came up with that as a matter of fact. Sometimes you get some Christians together who are even legitimate Christians and you think, hey guys, do y'all realize what we're saying sometimes? Sometimes we just kind of forget ourselves. So we have the ability to sin with the best of. We can sin like nobody's business if we want to. The problem is, the problem is what he said, what scripture did Corey just have? I'm sorry, I'll put that back on the screen. That was Exodus 31, two through five. I'm sorry, I didn't have it if they're long enough Kenny, but we can sin with the best of us. I mean with the best of them. So what does God want to do because sin has separated us from God and put this barrier. So what does God want to do? He wants to get rid of this sin in us and the way he's decided that he's going to do it, he's going to do it with our heart being fixed. So he has stated that, well, our heart being fixed and staying fixed can only be done by the presence and power of what? Of his spirit. And so we'll see even in Deuteronomy 30, we see what more of the Lord God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants. So here, God has stated, now they don't understand the fullness of this, but that God is going to do a work in their heart. How is he going to do that? Well, he is going to do this work by putting his spirit in their heart. How do we know? Again, we've covered these passages before. Is he go 30s? I mean, 36, 27, I'm sorry, 25 starting off there. He says, then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Notice he's going to use two elements. He's going to use water and spirit. The reason why that's important to know because in John three, what does Jesus say? If you're born of water and spirit, those same two elements are here. He says, I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart, which is what Deuteronomy says 30. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit, here it is, put my spirit within you to cause you to walk in my statues. This word right here for statues is my teachings, what I've told you to do. I'll put my spirit in you to cause you to walk in them and you will be careful to observe my ordinances. So the spirit, as we've seen, even if it's a non-believer, it is to cause us to move and this moving is always going to bring about a glorification of God. Important, we do not see the Holy Spirit coming upon people, the Holy Spirit using man, moving man to glorify himself. That just doesn't happen. But God is not using his spirit to glorify you. God is not using his spirit to glorify this person. God is going to use his spirit to glorify himself. Matter of fact, in particularly, God makes a shift. He tells us later on and we'll get to it. Excuse me, who he's going to glorify? Excuse me. Let me answer this question. Someone says, do you actually have to get dunked? Meaning being baptized? Yeah, you do actually have to get dunked. You actually have to get fully immersed. But I'm not talking about the water. You have to get dunked fully immersed in the Holy Spirit but don't worry, it's not you that's doing it. The Lord is going to do it for you and to you. Now, if you're speaking about water baptism, that's fine. That's fine. Now, that's not what saves you. What saves you is this spirit, this baptism. Every believer, according to Paul, has been baptized. If you haven't been baptized in the Holy Spirit, then you cannot be saved. As a matter of fact, and we'll probably get to it, Acts 238, misunderstood by a lot, y'all forgive me, but a lot of times by the Charismatic and Pentecostal audiences. I'll show you that in just a little bit. Something is scratching my throat. So, who has the Holy Spirit? You must be a believer. Again, it's the identifying mark. Before we get to more of that, what does the Holy Spirit also do? Well, we're speaking about now how He regenerates, how He moves, how He does. Think about John chapter three. John three says, now, when He's speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus makes a statement. He says, truly, truly, I say to you that unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. What does born again mean? The word here is ganethanothan in the Greek, which means to be born above. It can also mean born a second time, but Nicodemus thinks that as well, and Jesus corrects him. So, he doesn't mean a second time. He means to be born from above. We know this because he describes it in three ways. Born from above or born again. That's one way. Born of water and spirit, and in three, born of the spirit. So, here we go. Nicodemus says, how could that be? How can he enter a second time? Jesus says, truly, truly, I say, unless one is born of water and spirit. So, now, he describes it a second way. Born again, now born of water and spirit. He says, don't be amazed. Not marvel, I said, you must be born again. He says, the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it's coming from or where it's going. So, it's everyone who is born of the spirit. So, now, the third way. Born again, born of water and spirit, or born of spirit. So, you are, and he's making it plainer each time, born of the spirit. Your heart has been changed, born of the spirit. Tied as two, we're saved by the washing regeneration of the heart. And it's important to understand that where this comes from, we didn't do it. It's not something that we do. We don't bring the Holy Spirit upon ourselves. We don't cause ourselves to be born again. God is the one who does. So, remember what he says in 1 Peter 1-3. He says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who as according to his great mercies has what? Caused us to be born again. So, he causes us to be regenerated, our heart to be regenerated. Because a man can make a proclamation, even a positive proclamation or affirmation. But the ability to keep it going, that's the problem. Because we look throughout scripture, as people make probably even sincere promises. I promise to do this, I mean to do this. Think about it yourself. How many times have you promised to do the right thing? And you mean well. But then after a week, after a day, some folks after an hour, after a month, after two months, after a year, things change. I was sure I meant it. Matter of fact, in my heart, it was a heartfelt meaning. I really, really meant it at the time. I was sincere. Being sincere doesn't mean anything as far as humans are concerned. A sincere desire to do right doesn't mean anything. One, because we also have a sincere desire that's deep in us to do wrong too. Just look at your kids, look at yourself. Look at your, how many of you made a New Year's resolution? I really mean it this time. Matter of fact, in the middle year, I'm gonna get my finances right. I'm gonna make a budget and stick to it. I'm gonna get on a diet, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that, and then we just don't. And then we just don't. And so what is necessary is, is the need for the spirit. The only thing that will keep you, that will move you, as God says. Now remember, this is me saying this, this is God saying this. God says, I'll put my spirit in you and cause you to walk, cause you to move. That's the problem that human beings is even, even, even Christians have. We have a problem with, we're like the guy in the movie, Life. Can't get right, that's us. Even as Christians, we just can't get right. Try as we may, mean it as much as we can. I really, really, really wanna do. What's the old saying? The road to hell is paid with good intentions. We can, we have good intentions to do right, but dog on it, I just, it's just something in me that ain't right. Or, let me say it how they say in the South. There's just something in me that ain't right. R-O-T, right. Something in me that ain't right. That's how it is. That being the case, so the Holy Spirit has to move in us. Think about this prayer. He says, let me put it on the screen. Matter of fact, I won't put it on the screen, you all know it. Matthew 6, 13, and others, other places. This prayer that's given, he says, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us. Well, how does he do so? How does he say, lead us not? Don't lead us, so what could be there to possibly lead us not or away from temptation? The only thing that there could be is the Holy Spirit. Not your good looks, not your good will, your good intentions. No, the only thing that could do so would have to be the Holy Spirit. The only thing, excuse me. Matter of fact, we see Philip. The Holy Spirit leads Philip in Acts 8 after leaving Samaria. It leads him to go to the Ethiopian. The Holy Spirit is the one who leads us. The Holy Spirit is the one who guides us. What's your question say? You said, are we regenerated before or after we believe? I'm sorry, are we regenerated before we believe or after? That's a good question. Well, I think the regeneration happens before we believe. Let me go back to it. Actually, it was a really good question. I've covered this before and I don't wanna be here too long. But notice the chronology of John 3. Jesus said, truly truly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So what has to happen first? The being born again first. And so this regeneration has to take place in order for you to not to start to believe but to keep believing. But I think though, this is me, the issue was it's the constant, the continuing seeking, the continuing desire. Matter of fact, another passage is Acts 1348 that says that all of those that were appointed to believe, they believe indicate that there was something at work previously. There is something at work previously and the Holy Spirit is the one who is at work in us. We look at Ephesians one, which we'll go to in a little bit as well. And so I believe that he is, that the heart is regenerated prior to. Now, could it be that the heart is generated right at? Could be. Could be a person could make the case. A person could make the case that the regeneration happens after but I don't think that makes sense. I don't think that makes sense but so that we don't stay in that discussion now, we can come back to that later. But the Holy Spirit does move us. We know so because God said the Holy Spirit would. That shouldn't be a mystery. If God said what the Spirit is going to do, well then guess what the Spirit is going to do? He is going to move us. He regenerates us. He moves us. He also dwells in us. Let's go to a couple of passages. John 5th, no, let's go to 16. Let's start in 16th. Matter of fact, there's a couple of things that come up in this. In chapter 16, starting verse 8, he says, and he, that's the Holy Spirit, when he comes will convict the world of sin so he is going to cause us to be one bothered by our sin. Well, think about this and this kind of goes with the other generation part. The conviction of the sin, when you place your faith in Christ, when you place it public or personal or private that matter, affirmation in Christ, why do you do so? You do so because you recognize I'm no good, I'm bad, I'm wrong, I'm right and I need saving. Who can save me but him? So there's an understanding of who is the one that's going to save you. At the same time, an understanding of why you need saving. Well, this is the Holy Spirit, he convicts you of sin so how the order, the actual order don't know, but it seems to be that it has to be this conviction of sin that would, it's only brought about by the regeneration that will then cause you to place your faith. Think about this. How many times have you or you know someone that heard the gospel and then heard the gospel? They kept hearing the gospel like, what's wrong with this person? What's wrong with me? Why did I place my faith in it? I heard one of the greatest sermons ever. The choir was wonderful. All the people at the church were just amazing night. Everything was just wonderful. Everything was set. And then when it came time for me to decide, well, yeah, I should place my faith in Christ, not right now, not right now. Why is that? What's going on? But then here comes some, matter of fact, it could be some 12 year old kid shows up, gives you a track and said, Jesus loves you. And then all of a sudden, you know what? I wanna place my faith in Christ. Well, that's the Holy Spirit's work right there. Think about Agrippa. Here we've got Agrippa who hears this wonderful, this wonderful testimony, this wonderful gospel given to him by Paul. He says, you almost, almost. Or maybe he's saying, are you trying to, either way, he didn't. He didn't. Certainly that was a wonderful gospel decoration presentation that was given to him, but he didn't. Why? Because it is the Holy Spirit that does so. The Holy Spirit is the one that charges or convicts and regenerates the heart. That part is there, so let's continue. He says, he will convict the world of concerning sin and righteousness and judgment concerning sin because they do not believe in me and concerning righteousness because I go to the Father and you no longer see me and concerning judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged. Then verse 12, I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when the Holy Spirit, when he, the Holy Spirit of truth, I'm sorry, the Spirit of truth comes, he will what? Guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will disclose to you what is to come. Look what he says, he will glorify me for he will take of mine and will disclose it to you. Now, whether someone is saying he's speaking specifically to the apostles, the disciples or not clear what he's gonna do, he's gonna testify, one is gonna move them, but he's also gonna testify of who? Of Jesus. That part, guys, that's an important part to understand. He's gonna testify of Jesus. As a matter of fact, in John 15, 26, what does he say? What does Jesus say? He says, when the helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. Who's the me? Jesus. So having the Holy Spirit, this is, by the way, a key way, an easy way to know who is a false teacher, prophet, what have you. When they are, the Spirit is upon me to tell you about you. The Spirit is upon me, the Spirit is working in me to tell me about you. The Spirit is working in me to tell me about me. No, the Holy Spirit is to move man for the purpose of God, in service. That part is not going to change. Similarly, as he gifts people, we read it in Ezekiel and there's other passages in the Bible where the Holy Spirit came upon people and move them to do things in service. So, just like in the Old Testament, we have it in the new, after the cross, the Holy Spirit will also, will also give us gifts. Grady asked the question, can someone lose the Holy Spirit? We don't have an example in the Bible where a born again believer, spiced their faith in Christ and has lost the Holy Spirit. Now, in the Old Testament, we've seen, for example, David would say, after his sin, Lord, don't take your Spirit from me. We've seen people with the Spirit was upon them, but not in a continuous residing inward. We didn't see that happen in the New Testament, in the Old Testament, but upon them we would see from time to time it would leave from upon them, or he would take it off of this person and put it on that person. But under the new, we'd never seen that happen. It's not a thing. Why? Because again, when we look and see what the Holy Spirit is doing, then that would probably give us an indication and we'll get to that in just a little bit, but he does convict, but he also restrains. In other words, he's moving us. Now, the question's gonna be, the question's gonna be, because I brought up the passage earlier about us having the Spirit in us and God said that I will cause you to walk. Folks, I'm not gonna deal with that passage, but that passage says what it says in English in Hebrew. I will cause you to walk in my teachings. I will cause you to walk in my teachings. It says when someone backslight is their salvation compromised. You've never seen the word, this is what you've never seen. You have never seen the word backslide in the New Testament. Why? Because it's for, and it's only used in regards to Israel. God is telling them, you're walking with me. Now here's the question. Did all of Israel have the Holy Spirit? The easy answer, and obviously the answer is no, but Israel will hear God and they will turn and walk the other way. And so this backslidden, this backslide of those that have turned and walked the other way and what would God's command be? Turn and come back. However, we never see that word, not once in the New Testament. We never see this word backslide. And so people say, hey, I'm a backslider. Well, no, you can't be. The only backslider that could be is the nation of Israel. So the question is though, when he says I will cause you, think about what God said. God said in the future, I will cause you to walk in this way. What does that mean? Pretty easy, pretty simple. I will cause you. Now, that necessarily begs the question, what about our, here's that word again. Matter of fact, guys, trigger warning. Let me drink my coffee so you guys can just get ready for a sec. Just get ready. Some of you guys are about to be triggered, okay? Probably need a countdown. I probably need a 10 second countdown. So let you guys know that you are going to be, or some folks are going to be triggered. Give me a second, Lady T. I'll answer that question. So somebody start counting while I drink my coffee. I want you all to be aware. I don't want you all to just blow a gasket. I don't want you guys to, you know, because here on this channel, there are no safe spaces. Sorry, sorry. This is in California for some of you people. This is a New York city. There are no safe spaces here. All right, here's a trigger warning. Here's a trigger. What does that do to free will? There it is. I know, I know. Breathe deeply. Just breathe. When we bring up free will or someone brings up free will as though that just, you bring up free will. Some folks think that just nullifies everything. Listen, guys, call it free will. Call it your will, call it volition. Here is the question. And I hate to use the word free will because one, the word is not in the Bible. There is a free will offering that's used in the Bible and it does not mean what we think about free will. But we do have volition. How much volition, and by the way, volition means the ability to choose. We do have the ability to choose. Whether in the old, whether in the new, whether saved or unsaved, we do. The question is, how much? Now, if you want to use the word free will, fine. Fine, I really don't have a problem with you using the word free will. You know why? Here's why. Because if we have free will, doesn't God, think about it, if we have free will, then doesn't God. And what does God do with his free will? Your free will, fine, amazing, wonderful. You've got the greatest amount of free will. You've got the power to do whatever you want to and whatever with your free will. Your free will enters in the ring and God's free will enters in the ring. Whose free will wins? Have you ever seen two fighters fighting? Both of them got free will, right? Ultimately, one fighter's free will is going to prevail over the other's free will and what ends up happening he submits. Or let's say you go to the hospital, you got all this pain from some surgery, no fault of your own, and they put morphine in you to help you with the pain. You leave, whose will is working now? Yours or the morphine? Those pain pills you were taking. Yeah, find somebody addicted to a substance and see what happens to that person's free will. Now, what's more powerful? You tell me, cocaine, one of the few times you'll hear cocaine on this channel. Cocaine? What about heroin? What about porn? What about alcohol? Whatever. Whatever substance that you have in you, what's more powerful? I'm gonna put you out. I'm gonna put you out for what you just said, Rock. He said coffee. Now I feel like I need a safe space. Now you didn't trigger me. Now you didn't trigger me. I don't even know how to respond to that now. Yeah, sometimes coffee too. But no, coffee, coffee comes from heaven. Now coffee comes from heaven, so let's put coffee over there, that's God-given. That's a gift of the spirit. Amen, amen. But I don't care how powerful you think any drug is, even coffee, sugar, whatever. You're gonna tell me it's more powerful than the Holy Spirit who lives in us. That's why he makes a statement. Greater is he, that's the Holy Spirit who is in us. By the way, greater is he that's in us, including you. The most powerful thing you have in you is the Holy Spirit. How do I know? What does Paul say in Romans 7? Paul says, you know all the good stuff I wanna do? I don't always do it. All the bad stuff I wanna stop doing? I still keep doing it. But then what does he say? I'm a wretched person, there's nothing good that's in me, except for God, his spirit, his presence in me. So therefore the only redeeming quality that you have in you if you are a believer is the spirit of God. That's it, that's why Paul says let every man examine himself to make sure that he has Christ. Well, we said Christ, make sure you have God if the spirit does not dwell in you, you are not his. We'll come to that in a second, but it's vitally important. That's why I use this statement all the time. All of you, me, you, all of us, we are $5 worth of dirt. Some of us might be slightly less. Some of us might be $2, $2.50 worth of dirt. Some of y'all might be $1.75 worth of dirt. Okay, fine, with inflation you might be $5.17, $5.17 worth of dirt. The only thing that makes you worth anything is the fact that the Lord has breathed in you. And then even in that, if it's just the breath of life, that's so what? Even rabbits have life, even cats have life, even birds have life. But what makes you of value is the Holy Spirit in you, working in you. Amen? I think we need to get that. It's the Holy Spirit who is the one that is the, he's the prize in our life. He's the one that makes us worth anything. Him, him, him. Which is why, now his whole goal is to glorify God through who? Through Jesus. And so therefore, that's why Jesus tells us he's gonna testify of, not of me, he's not gonna testify of you. He's not gonna be this apostle, this prophet somewhere out there testifying of other things or his great works or his money or how God is what? No, testifying of Christ. You do realize, especially you should realize even more and more today that you literally need the power of God to help you testify. It's getting hard and hard. It's getting hard out there for a preacher. It's getting hard out there for a saved person. It's getting hard out there. Pretty hard. Pretty hard. I'm not devaluing you. I'm devaluing all of us. I'm devaluing, I'm not putting the value of you down. I'm putting the value of all of us. Paul says, don't think too highly of yourself than you ought to. And we do that. How easy is that? Because what do we teach kids? To stand up for themselves, to express themselves. A lot of these parents know the rock among the, I wasn't going there. But if a kid is being picked on or bullied or what have you, what would we say? Are they just jealous of you? No, they're not. Maybe your kid is horrible. Maybe, maybe your kid, your kid is eating, your kid is eating glue. And kids are talking about it and you saying, no, they're just jealous of you. Of what? You're Elmer's glue fetish? No, but that's what we do. We make kids out to be special. You are wonderful. We spoil our kids like nothing else. And so they grow up, instead of being four-year-old spoiled kids, they grow up and be 44-year-old spoiled kids. And it's a problem. It's a problem. You said this, okay, I'll ask this question. Grady says, does one saved always saved create an incentive to sin? You know why it can't? You know why it can't? Because if you truly save and you have the spirit in you, well, then you're not gonna have this incentive to sin. Because what we're now doing is we are impugning the spirit. I have, listen, here's what you don't need, Grady, or anyone else. You know what you don't need? You don't need a license or an incentive to sin. You know why? Because you just like doing it. It's like, do I need a license to breathe or an incentive to breathe? No, I just, that's what I do. I breathe. That's what I do. This is what I do. I breathe. I don't need a license to sin. I don't need an incentive. What we do need is something to restrain us, to hold us back, to move us. That's what we need. Go look at your little four-year-old, your little three-year-old kids, or grandkids, or nieces and nephews. Look at your little 10-year-old. Look at your teenage, well, Lord Jesus. Look at your teenagers. They don't need an incentive to sin. Hey, it's what we do. This is what we do. And proudly so. I was sinking deep in sin and weed loving every minute of it. That's us, right? Come on, can I, let me just. I'm gonna, I could move the camera in, but I don't wanna mess with it because if I move it in, I don't know if I might mess up the settings. So I'll just move myself in a little bit. Can we just talk? Let's talk. You and I. Let's just, all 300, I mean, folks are actually watching right now and we'll watch later. Can I tell you about this? Let's just, I feel like putting on some slow music, dimming the lights a little bit, and let's just get comfortable for a second. Let's just talk. You like sin. You like sin. Every last one of you, you like sin. Feels good. You know how I know? Let me tell you how I know. You're gonna say, no, I don't, I don't like sin. Yes, you do. Because if you didn't, there'd be no need for the Holy Spirit with you. Yes, you do. How many of you have actually, have actually reminisced about something you did in the past? Wasn't Godly. It was in the past. You don't do it now. You don't do it now. Maybe it was some woman, some man. You took some trip. And what happened in that city or in that hotel room or whatever, it's gonna stay there. Right. And you think about like, who, boy, that was wild. And you're not saying it with a frown on your face. You're saying it with a smile. Man, what did we sure have? I hate sin too. I hate sin too, but don't go on it. I hate it so much. I need you to keep away from me because I will indulge in it. If you create opportunity in space. Thank God the Holy Spirit is there to keep away the opportunity in space, which is why Paul says, make no provision for sin. But some of you all, if you hear a certain song, if you hear a certain song, I don't know, maybe it's Luther. Maybe it's, maybe it's Freddie Jackson. You know, why are some of these famous singers a little soft? They're dead now. But, well, is Freddie Jackson dead? I don't know if he's dead or not. I don't know. But some of these singers come to find that they were a little, a little sweet back in the day. But you listen to some of these singers. Some of you folks are older, Johnny Cash. Was it Johnny Cash? Yeah, Johnny Cash. No, not Johnny Cash. No, definitely not Johnny Cash. Maybe Johnny Cash. I don't know. You listen to some of these songs, Frank Sinatra, if you're 70 something years old. You listen to some of these newer people who got some really some vocal stuff, by the way. Some of these slow songs that they are really, really vocal. They're really hard. It's just, it's porn with a note. Dana brings up Marvin Cease. That is that dude. Listen, we, my father, I'll never forget my father. Like y'all's music is just, just disgusting and so forth. And he was playing Marvin Cease. Daddy, wait a second. I wouldn't even Christian in, but wait a second. That was critical. That dude is a porn star for the blues. But anyway, R. Kelly too, everybody. And so what we do, we have a room. I don't know if y'all know this, but every single one of you have a room. You've got a room. Only you have the key to it. You go in there, you open that door, you open that room, what's in that room? You've got a mantel with all your trophies. You've got decorations to remind you of all this. And you go in there and from time to time, you think back like, yeah, I remember that. I remember that. Yeah, yeah, that's, and then you'll hurry up while you're there. Get your one last glimpse, leave the room, take the key out, lock the door and hope no one saw you go in that door. Were you were reminiscing about that sin? Come on, we're telling the truth. We're shaming the devil. We do that. We do that. Now, that's why you have to have the Holy Spirit. We're gonna get to this why in a little bit. We're gonna get to this why in just a little bit. Because I've got a question. I've got a question to ask. And then I've got a statement that's gonna also trigger, I'm gonna trigger some more people later on. I'm gonna use another word that is going to trigger people. But you guys are going to get triggered. I already triggered some folks with the whole free will thing. Now, what we do also know is that the Holy Spirit has will. What is he doing with his will? What is, is he, is he, what do we say? The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. Who told you the Holy Spirit is a gentleman? I would love to find that verse. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. No, he is not. You know how I know the Holy Spirit is not a gentleman? Go to Acts and ask Ananias and Sapphira, how much of a Holy Spirit, how much of a gentleman the Holy Spirit is. Kill you just as quick as you could. The Holy Spirit is God. He's not some butler dressed up in a tux with a British accent, formal and polite. He's God. And so what God will do to you, the Holy Spirit, who is God will do the same thing. Kill you or grow you. He is going to bring about his purpose. His purpose, no, not accountants. He's going to bring about, yes, he will strike you down. He will bring about his purpose. Why? Ultimately for his glory. He does exactly, Joshua. He does whatever he wants. You know why? Cause he's sovereign. He's God. He didn't have to, he does not have to ask you for permission. By the way, thank God for that. Because if he would, he's not Jeffrey, if he would have asked me for permission to save me, I would have said one of two things. I would have said no, I'm good or two, yes, but later, not right now. And of course my not right now, my later would have come never cause I was kept enjoying sin. I still got some time. So, he is going to move in us. He's going to convict us. He brings about these gifts and these gifts bring about edification, building up of the body. Guys, that is so important to understand. These are gifts. This is the spirit moving to benefit the body, which is to move the body to glorify ultimately God. That's what he's here for. Not to make you feel good about yourself. But however, in serving him, you do get, he does encourage you, he does move you and so forth. But this is where it's going to get a little bit tricky. Matter of fact, before I go, let me answer the question because Lady T. did ask the question. She says, wasn't the Holy Spirit referred to as the anointing in the Old Testament? Is it referred to as the anointing in the Old Testament? No, I don't think, you know what? Let me just say, I don't recall him being referred to. He may, I don't think so. But what the anointing is, it's a weird word when you think about it, the anointing is the smearing. So does the anointing reference the Holy Spirit? Absolutely. Because the word anoint means to smear. And so when we're talking about in a sense being used for God and it's the spirit, it's the smearing on of the Holy Spirit, being on you, are you with me? So in that regard, Lady T, I could see that. I could see that. So that being the case, I wanna deal with something that is going, again, we're gonna get to this issue where I'm going to have to trigger some people. Before I do though, before I do, we've gotta go to Paul's writing. Paul's writing in Ephesians one. And then after that, so in Ephesians one, he says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, in Christ. In Christ, important, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. Now, he chose us, and again, I had a conversation with someone earlier today, this us that's chosen is the direct object in him is the indirect object. So he chose us where in him, this issue of us having to be in him, as long as you're in Christ, well, dawg, he chose us in Christ. He chose it, and when did he choose us? And guys, this is to be in Christ before the foundation of the world. Now, we know this is to be in him because, let's look at what he says, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world for us to be, he chose us to be holy. He chose to be blameless before him, before his face. So before God's face, he looks at us as holy. Amen? Then, it was done so according to the kind intention of his will, to the praise and glory of his grace. In other words, remember, everything is being done for God's benefit. I'll never forget, this was funny. I was preaching and there were two guys in the audience who I knew, they both, two of these guys were adopted. And every time I used this analogy of adoption, they would get a little emotional, but one more than the other, old country guy, we used to call him Slick Willie, he would just go to cry. He would just go to bawling, his mouth would go to trembling and the tears would start coming down his eyes at this concept. This concept at the fact that, and I would use it this way, when you are adopted, it's not that you had a legal right to your parents. No, your parents in turn gave you a legal right to them after first adopting you, not because they walked into the orphanage and they saw you were the most beautiful child there, you were the smartest. No, you was a baby, you didn't know anything. You didn't know anything better, you was like the rest of them. They could have easily chose that other kid and not you, but they chose you. And he would go to crime because one, he recognized that even after all of his crimes and after all of his family matters, as bad as he was, his parents still loved him and he would just go to crying because of what he put them through and the fact that they still love him. And then look at him now. Look at this man now, he loves the Lord as constantly talking about the Lord. And he wants to represent obviously God, but also he wants to represent his family. He wants to make his family proud of him because of the love that was shown on him and him being adopted. He's not, he doesn't have the same DNA as everyone else. And so he is so grateful. Now you think about it in the same sense. We had no legal claim to say, hey God, yeah, no, but if he chose you through no goodness of your own, like he chose Israel, nothing good about you. As a matter of fact, you don't look good. You're not even cute, you don't even smell well, but I chose you anyway. How else are you anything else but grateful? The fact that you don't deserve this, the fact that he put his, he literally, according to Jesus, according to other pastors, he regenerated your heart. Your profession came as a result of him. Remember, he says by grace you have been saved. It is a gift of God, by myself by faith you have been saved. It is a gift of God. And we know because it used the new to to, which refers back to salvation and faith, grammatically speaking, y'all pardon me for the Greek. That's not what I'm using to trigger you though. That's not the trigger warning. But because of that, it refers to faith and salvation as being a gift. Well, you mean my faith is a gift? Well, yeah, yeah. The very fact that you believe the faith that you have comes from him. You have to be regenerated first, born again to have this lasting faith, not this generic faith. Yeah, I believe God, yeah. And then a week later, a month later, hour later. No, no. Oh man, I'll come back to that question later, Gary. So, there is a need for that. Let's go back to, am I, is it still on screen or is it still on screen? Put it back up there. In him, we have redemption through his blood. The forgiveness of our trespass according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished past tense upon us in all wisdom and insight. He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his kind intentions, which he purposed in him with a view to an administration, or economy, or by the way, there's a word dispensation, suitable to the fullness of the time that is the summing up of all things in Christ. Your goal, your purpose, your focus is Christ. We speak about him, not about again how wonderful I am, how God has blessed me, all of those things. No, no, no, no, no. Now, wait a second, wait a second, wait a second brother, hold on, we got that. We don't have a problem fixing this. Let's fix this. You're saying that's the apostles? No, he's not talking to the apostles. Paul, you're not talking about what I'm reading, are you? Because if so, then that's just, that's clearly wrong. Paul is speaking to the saints in Ephesus. Paul is not an apostle to the apostles. Paul is an apostle to the Gentiles and he's speaking of his letter in Ephesus. I mean to the saints that are in Ephesus. By the way, this terminology, I know this wasn't the word that I was going to use, that I was going to use, but election, predestination, chosen, I know it triggers some people, whatever. But did you know that every single book of the New Testament, except for Philemon and Third John, speaks about election? Think about that for a second. You said, us and we, the apostles, you, the, no, sir, no. Okay, let me help you out, brother. Let me help you out because I love you. And I don't wanna see you saying the wrong thing. Put it back on the screen. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation where that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. Okay, who's he speaking to? You say the us is he chose the apostles, us in him before the foundation where the we should be holy and blameless for him in love. He predestined us the adoption of sons according to his kind intentions, his will to the praise of his glory, which he freely bestowed upon us in the beloved. In him, in him, we have redemption and forgiveness. Are you saying only the apostles have redemption and forgiveness? Only the apostles were chosen, which he laves upon us. Only the apostles have, as he lavishes upon him, he made known the mystery of his will according to his kindness, which he purposed in him with a view to the administration suitable to the fullness of the time that is the summing up of all these things. By the way, this mystery that Paul is just speaking of, he also brings this mystery out, also even more so in Galatians, where he talks about this mystery, which is that salvation is not just for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles, but we don't even have to go any further. We know who he's talking to because he's speaking to the saints who are at Ephesus. He's writing a letter to them, my friend. But if you disagree, I would say pray. I would say pray. I cannot go further into this at this moment because we've got far more room to cover. I mean, far more road to cover. So look what he says in verse 13. He says, in him, you also, after listening to the message of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge to our inheritance with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory. Now, here is the question. Here is the question. What does it mean to be sealed? Let me see if I can, yeah, there it is set up. Let me go ahead and click this and see if I can make this right. Double click this. There it is. Alrighty, let's close this out right here. Let's hit the word for what are we in? I wanna be in the B-Dag. Let's go to open and let's get rid of that and let's make this bigger and let's get rid of that. I want you all to see what I'm reading. All right, can you all see this? This word, seal. It means a couple of things and we're gonna find out that even the one that's referred here even means the first one. Look what it says. One, this is the B-Dag to provide with a seal as a security measure. In other words, you're protected. That is to be secured or fastened by the seal of a stone to prevent from being moved. So in that sense, in that sense, that's what the word seal can mean. Two, to close something up. Well, we're not talking about that to seal it up. Hey, seal the top on this can. It's not meaning that, the third one. To mark with a seal as a means of identification. Remember I said that the identifier mark of a believer is the Holy Spirit, this seal that he set upon us. We'll come back to this in a second, but let's finish reading. I said, so that the mark denoting ownership also carries, in other words, who owns you. Remember he says that the possession, we are the possession of God. We are his possession. So this seal identifies possession. Remember they put this seal after they put a boulder in front of the tomb of Jesus. They also put a seal around it. Marking who stone, who has covered this up. Don't mess with this. This is ours from the Roman government. What he says, denoting ownership. The protection of the owner. So he says, and then he gives us the scriptures. He says, this forms a basis for the understanding of the imagery, which speaks of those who interchristian community as being sealed with or by the Holy Spirit. But here the context contributes an additional component in the sense of in due with power from heaven. There is this power that comes from this sealing and a protection that comes with it as well. So now let's go back to the passage. Let's go back to the passage. In him, you also after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed you were sealed. This protection around you, this identifying mark indicating who you belong to. This ownership, who you were given to. Remi just said that you are the possession of God. In him, with the Holy Spirit of promise, who was given as a pledge, the Holy Spirit was given as a down payment as a pledge of our inheritance. What's our inheritance? Ultimately to be reconciled in every way, shape from a fashion with the Father, not just spiritually, but also physically with the Father. That's our inheritance, but he is given as a down payment until we get that with a view of redemption of God's own possession. Again, we belong to him or with me. So the Holy Spirit was given as a seal. And then we also go to Ephesians 4 30 says, do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. So you have been sealed for the day of redemption. That's what he put around that. There's nobody's going to break that God certainly won't. And so can you grieve him? Sure, you certainly could grieve him. And this word grieve, it means to kind of suppress, to hold back. So the Holy Spirit wants you to do certain things once you move a certain way and you don't or you sin. Do you have the will, the ability to sin? You sure do. Is there something that's going to kind of constrain you? Sure. So here we've got two things at play. Our desire to do right and wrong, sometimes our desire to do wrong may win out. We've got this Holy Spirit who's also moving in us. Again, to cause us. Now, is it holding us rigidly to where it's going to make our arms move this way and that way, hands move, legs move, mouth move? No. So he's working in us, convicting us of one, of sin, giving us a thought leading us as he did Philip to go somewhere to do something to say certain things and what have you. So the Holy Spirit is working in us. Now, that's what he's doing. That's what the Holy Spirit is doing and as he regenerates us, gives us this desire to even want to place our faith and he keeps us. The difference between the believer in the past who didn't have the Holy Spirit is, his belief might even been heartfelt, but there's nothing to hold him. Now, I'm getting ready to trigger some people. I'm getting ready to trigger some people and I apologize, I'm sorry, not really, not really. Am I sorry? I said before that the Holy Spirit is the identifying mark of the believer. So I want to put up a couple of passages. We could, come on, my computer's not working all right. I want to put up a couple of passages to help us. What helped me trigger you. First off, let's go to John 738. Got a few passages to go through. Says, he who believes in me, as the scripture says, from his inmost being will overflow rivers of living water. But what is he speaking of? He says, but he spoke of the Spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive. But the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus had not been glorified. So he's telling them that you believe in him. Now, for them that's future, for us that's current. For those who believe in him, as the scripture says, his from inwardly will flow rivers of living water. The Spirit is going to roll up in us and move in us. Now he's speaking of those who believe in him who were to receive the Holy Spirit. So this is the Spirit working in you. He is going to be like these rivers of living water moving in you. And this verse right here is vitally important to understand. Romans 8 verses 9 through, oh, it's on the screen, verses 9 through 14. However, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. So you guys, if you are saved, what does he say you are in the Spirit? Now this whole dialogue that discussion in Romans 8 is speaking about the certainty and security of our salvation because of who it's brought about and what God is not after anymore. God is not after a payment for debt, for any other debt because the debt has been paid, which is why he says we are justified. So now Romans 8 and 9, he says, however, you are not in the flesh, but what do you are? What are you in the Spirit? I'm wondering, you're in the Spirit. If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. So now here's the question that is, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you, if the Spirit of God dwells in you, if you are it, that is if. So here's a warning passage for you to make sure. Paul says, let every man examine himself. So if indeed, if you are in the Spirit, that's if you are in, if, if, if, if you are, you're good, make sure you are. If indeed you are, if the Spirit of God dwells in you, then guess what? You are not in the flesh, but you are in the Spirit. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. So I said before, the identifying mark of a believer is the Holy Spirit. If you do not have the Holy Spirit, you don't belong to him. If you have the Holy Spirit, you are his. We've covered before, if you do have the Holy Spirit, what the Holy Spirit is going to do. That part is not going to be revoked. That's not going to change. That's not going to, we're not going to move from that. That is if you have the Holy Spirit. So if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, huh? So the body is dead because of sin. The body is dead because of sin. Well, that body ain't going to be revitalized. That body ain't going anywhere but the grave. Yet the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. So here's a promise. If that same Spirit of Christ is in you, which if you believe, he just saved us in you, guess what he's going to do? He is going to give you life through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die. But if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. So the Spirit of God, if he's in you, will lead you. Therefore, you can identify that I am a son of God. Does he lead you in a perfect line? Well, even the apostles, even the disciples will say, well, no, we weren't really led in a perfect line. I still kind of get out of water again. Paul says, the good I want to do, I don't do. The bad stuff I want to stop doing, I do sometimes. Paul talks about his, Paul himself talks about his pride. Even if you read his writings, Paul will boast. Paul will boast, even getting a little subtle boast, a humble brag throughout his scriptures. Matter of fact, Paul was given a thorn in the flesh. Why? So that he would not elevate himself. That he would, hey, listen, first of all, if you go to heaven, if you get this vision, that's something to brag about. But Paul says, you know, Paul even goes, he even has some fun with it. I'm not gonna boast about this. I'm not gonna boast about that. But what I will boast about is, well, Paul, you're boasting. Yeah, I know, but I'm trying to do this. So we need the spirit to move us, but we will not do it perfectly, which is why John says, if any of you also that you don't sin, well then guess what you're doing, you're lying. But even when you do sin, because you have the spirit, you have this advocate who Paul goes on later, say in eight, that he is interceding on our behalf, present act of tense. He is interceding on our behalf. We're at the side of the father, which is why the writer of Hebrew says that he's not a priest interceding on our behalf on earth. He is a high priest who's interceding on our behalf in heaven, constantly. So he's interceding with the father. He's interceding with God. And then God is gonna turn around and say, no, I'm not listening. No, no, sorry. No, Jesus, no, that's not what happening. So, by the way, what prayer did Jesus make that he didn't get? What prayer did Jesus make that he didn't get? Now, are you ready for my trigger? Here is my trigger. Knowing that this is what the Holy Spirit does. If you reject what the Holy Spirit does, if you reject what God has promised, the Holy Spirit will do. He has promised to put him in us. He has promised to keep him in us, to seal over us and this working in us until we reach our ultimate inheritance. This is what God has promised. He's promised to lead us and to cause us to walk in his teachings. That's what his promises are. I didn't make this up, we read this, and there's other passages that we can go to as well. He made this promise to us. This promise ultimately glorifies, not us, but glorifies him. Are you ready for this trigger? I'm going to trigger some people enough to let some folks, but I must. If you disagree with what I'm saying, and if you disagree that you are a believer, that you are kept, because the question is, if you believe that you could move away from God's saving power, even though we don't have any example of it in the Bible, no one ever had an Holy Spirit in the moving way, even if you believe that, if you believe that he can save you today, make you new today and then tomorrow you're not be new, tomorrow you're not be a brand new creature, tomorrow you're not be changed, tomorrow you've walked away, if that's what you're saying, but you're saying that you're still saved and that you can stay saved, can I tell you what you have just banked on? Can I tell you what you no longer believe in? You no longer believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. You have no confidence in the Holy Spirit, rather what you do have confidence in, and this is going to trigger you, what you are, you are basing your salvation off of luck. So why say to you, good luck, sir. Good luck to you, madam. Why would I say luck? Christians should not believe in luck, should not hold to luck? No, Christians should hold to faith. And who is moving their faith? Well, we just read the Holy Spirit, but if you doubt the power of the Holy Spirit to hold you, the only thing left is luck. That is what you do. Chances, things have to line up just right, because if it's dependent upon you, what will happen if someone comes and kills one of your family member? Someone dies, you get laid off, no fault of your own, all these things, these precious life coming at you, what will it cause you to do? Since it's not the Holy Spirit, it's you that must do so, you that must remain faithful, you that must keep believing, you that must keep following. All these things, it's dependent upon you, but when outside pressures come, health, financial, political, oppression, whatever it's up to you, and a may or may not work out, what is that guys? That is literally the definition of chance or luck. Since the Holy Spirit doesn't play a big part in that, if you agree with me then amen. If you disagree, my question's always, what then does the Holy Spirit do? In your life as a Christian, what does he do? Why do you have the Holy Spirit? If the Holy Spirit won't do anything more than what he did in the past, why do you have it? You don't, if you can walk away from what he's, if his power isn't great, if this power isn't powerful, if he ain't God, well then he's not worthy for you to be around him anyway. If he doesn't fulfill his promises, if he doesn't keep his word, that's not a guy that you wanna serve anyway. If he doesn't mean what he says, if he lied to us and put it on paper, put it in ink, put it in the book, if he lied to us, he's not a guy worthy of serving, but he didn't lie to us. He has told us the truth. He has made it plain. The reason why you can't make it, we have an example of Israel. They literally had all these miracles and they would steal the soonest that they can get the turn away they would as quickly as they could. The moment the present God was gone, what would they do? Go back to being themselves. We've got the example that man does not, will not keep seeking after God. So what was God's promise? I'm going to put my spirit in them, change their little rotten wicked heart, that same little dirty heart and give them a brand new heart and cause them to walk. Cause I'm so sick of your sin. I'm sick of you thinking you can fix your sin, that I'm sick of you thinking you can stop your sin. We've got thousands of years of test case to show that you cannot, will not stop sinning. That's your problem, that's my problem. The only hope that we have is the spirit of God. That's why he says those that are led by the spirit. Those are the sons being led by it. Now what is going to happen? As you are led by them, the spirit in you, you are going to start seeing some fruit, some results, the word is Carpaz, result of the spirit in you. The result of the spirit in you. Love, joy, peace, all those things. You've got some other fruit that you're still yet to get off of you. But what's gonna happen is in this basket we've got a fruit, we've got bad fruit. In this basket we've got good fruit. Starting off in your wall, the good fruit is down here and the bad fruit is up here. What happens after a while, it starts doing like this. Less and less bad fruit, more and more good fruit. And the people that watch you and see you will begin to see you for the spirit that's in you. They'll start, as the Bible says, they will see your good works because the spirit is working in you and they will do what, guys? That's why this plan comes together. They will glorify God. They won't glorify you. They won't glorify your church, your pastor, your preacher. They won't glorify your ministry. They will glorify him. Why they see the spirit working in you? Where do these works come from? The Holy Spirit. If a person disagrees with that, my question's always been, what does the Holy Spirit do in you? What is the point? What's the purpose of the Holy Spirit in you? I don't know if he's not keeping you. Steve, thank you for the super sticker. Grady says, what advice would you give to rekindle your fire with God? Let me just caution everyone about this. If what you're looking for is this, and I know what you mean, bro, I really do, but if we're looking for this fire of God, which we might think is an outward manifestation, be careful because some days you feel more on fire. Some days what you might mistake fire is just simple emotions, which can change depending on how you woke up. Had a good day, had a good night's sleep, feel good today, and so therefore I feel good about God. Got money in my pocket? Feel good about God. My wife, my husband ain't trippin'. Feel good about God. Kids got a good report card. Everybody's good. Feel good about God. Just got laid off. God, where are you? I've got what might be a tumor. God, what's going on with you? I've got high blood pressure. Lord, God, what? My kidney. Lord, God, where are you? I ain't feelin' so good. I'm still on fire. How you know you are on fire for the Lord is when just like with Gideon, they're just pouring water all over you. Getting water poured all over you would, but you still show up and let God show out. When you're going through, you keep going. When you're going through, you show up at church. You keep reading. You keep praying. You keep pushing through. And especially when you don't, that's the measure of a believer. When it's looking bad and you're still pushing through, you don't feel like it. So how would a person rekindle what they, ultimately this feeling, because you can have a good feeling about things are going bad. I said before, I haven't had a bad day in about five years. Because in spite of it, I know who's in me. And so all you can do is all you can do. One, read. Keep reading. And when I say read, I don't mean, because sometimes we read just for the sake of getting or proving an argument. That's fine to give a defense. It's fine to read to learn a thing or two, to figure out something, which you should do. We all should study. But I mean read also, not just to study, but also read to get a further appreciation for your reading enjoyment. Seeing what God, man, God, I don't believe. Wow, you are a wonderful God. Do that. Secondly, pray. No one can bring you closer to God than God. So pray. Speak with Him. Third, fellowship with other believers. Let what you hear every day as often as you can be something God feels, something edify. Let those three things happen even when you don't feel it. And then keep reminding yourself of what you read. Keep reminding yourself of what you prayed about. Keep reminding yourself of what you keep hearing. And then you'll be fine. There are times where I felt like my Christian walk was here and the down here, down here, down. But the key is to be content. Paul said, I've been up, I've been down. I've had a lot and I've had nothing. But how does he start it off? I say, I've learned to be contentant regardless of the statement. We've got letters of Paul where he's praising God while he's in prison. And my prison was horrible. His prison was horrible-er. His prison was horrible-er. That's not a word, but I just made it into a word. Listen, his prison was bad and he's talking about the joy of the... Sometimes if we just let the stories of the Bible speak to us, they will. They really will. Amen, amen, Byron. He says, let the word just meditate on the word. Read and meditate on that. That's why we have it. For our comfort, for our edification, that's why we have it. Can I tell you a real quick prison story? I'll tell you a prison story. I told my daughter earlier today, I'm gonna figure out a way to make this story fit. Now, in prison, they will wash your clothes for you. You can wash them yourself. Depend upon the prison setup that you're in. I've seen, I've had prison setup where I had the freedom to move around a little bit inside the prison or one where I'm confined behind this big old steel door. And in this room, I never did this, but I had a cellmate that would do this. It's just you and him in this room. In that room, sometimes it might be a shower in the room, but sometimes it's not. It's just, you have to go to the shower. They let you out to go to the shower. And you've got this big old metal toilet and you gotta sink. It's kinda hooked together. They don't wash your clothes all the time. And so sitting in a room, especially sometimes, the air conditioning isn't that good. So you might, your clothes might be getting sweaty or whatever, they might give you a change of clothes. They might. Some places, they don't give you a change of clothes. You just got that same change of clothes. And when they have you change out there, some new clothes through the thing and you gotta, but you don't wanna feel like waiting for them to come and bring you some clothes. So what will you do? You gotta wash them. So you ask for some chemicals. You'll ask for some chemicals and some of the soap or whatever and make your, wash your clothes. Here's the problem though. Here is the problem. You gotta sink, but there's no stopper in the sink. There's no way to stop the water up. So you can run water, it won't fill it up. Where could you find some water just sitting there to wash your clothes? Where would you find some water in that jail cell to wash your clothes? Yep, Josh, we got it in that toilet. Yep, in that toilet. So what they would do is, take bleach or whatever they can and this wouldn't, and I told the guy, you realize that ain't the best bleach, right? Bleach the toilet and scrub it out real good, get his hands all up in there, all this, just, and then put his clothes in there and go to wash those clothes out and put them on. Not me. You know what? I think I'll keep the clothes I got on. Cause I, yeah. Ashley said, what? Yeah, that's how it is. No, it grows. Yeah, listen. I'm not doing that. I trust the wash machine far better than I trust my abilities with this toilet and this low budget Walmart off-brand bleach. I'm not, no. Do you know what that's like? That's what it is, walking around with microscopic particles. I'm not doing. I am new, new, no, no, no, no, no, no. Nope. Sorry. You know what that's like? Do the exact same thing with your salvation. I'm gonna handle it myself. I'm gonna keep me clean myself. How am I gonna keep me clean myself? All I got is this toilet bowl, or another way, me. Paul was the one that says that my right, my goodness, the best of me is like, filthiness, filthy rags. Same as that toilet bowl. Even if I clean it out, scrub it out as best I can. My clothing, my apparel is still gonna be microscopic particles, I can't see them, but it's just nah, it's just yeah. That's what it is like with us trying to keep our own salvation. That's what it's like, us. Us trying to do that. Meanwhile, we've got somebody that will do it for us if we allow them. I got this, Jesus. I got this, okay, fine. You're doing it the hard way. You are driving with the break on, and that's what it is. I hope this has been informative. The Holy Spirit is there to keep you, to guide you. Why? He chose you from the beginning of the world. You are in him because of him. Regenerated your heart. Everyone who was born is born of the Spirit. He caused you to be born according to Peter, according to John. He moves in us, he leads us according to Paul. All of us who are saved are baptized in him, and we have him, according to Paul again, as a seal and a deposit. So we have this protection, we have this ownership, this statement, and we have this good money deposit that God says, I guarantee you to have this inheritance that's been promised for you, which is eternal security, which is salvation, being with him. I'm literally putting the Holy Spirit down as my deposit, and we will never, ever lose it. If you can, you might wanna get you another Holy Spirit because the one you got ain't from God. Amen? Now, y'all thought the mic drop was coming. You see why Corey gets called a Calvinist? That's not a Calvinist. Calvinists believe the same thing that I do in that regard, but some folks asked about the intro, the new intro, I'll play it again on the way out. In the meantime, guys, if you haven't seen it, y'all tell me what you think about the new countdown. I do have an announcement coming tomorrow, depending on how you take it, some might not like it, some might like it about this channel, so please make sure you listen. And then in the meantime, guys, be blessed, and I love you.