From: allan-sv@algonet.se   
      
                     God's Spirit gives us Life   
      
   "And Jehovah God formed the man out of dust from the ground,   
   and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a   
   living soul." Genesis 2:7 (KJ3). When we get the Holy Spirit as a   
   gift, then it is a new creation. The Holy Spirit gives us the new life,   
   and we are new creations in Christ. " So then if anyone is in Christ,   
   that one is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold,   
   all things have come to be new!" 2 Cor. 5:17. Gal. 6:15. The Spirit   
   gives life. John 6:63. 2 Cor. 3:6.   
      
   When Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, then we are born   
   of the Spirit. John 3:6-8. 1 John 5:4. Those, who are born of the   
   Spirit, constitute a new humankind, and they are not of the world   
   any more than Jesus is of the world. John 17:14-16. We have been   
   participating in the divine nature. 2 Peter 1:4.   
      
   In Acts 2:38-39 Peter says, "And Peter said to them, Repent and   
   be baptized, each one of you on the name of Jesus Christ to   
   remission of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.   
   For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all the ones   
   unto far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call."   
      
   They have preached that the baptism by the Holy Spirit is only for   
   those who are born anew. Yet, on the day of Pentecost the apostle   
   Peter promised unsaved people that they would get the Holy Spirit   
   as a gift, when they did repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus   
   Christ. Consider, that Peter promised the Holy Spirit to people who   
   had not been born again! And when they received the Holy Spirit,   
   what happened then? Well, then they got the new life in Christ and   
   were born again!   
      
   The new birth is no adoption. If the new birth is an adoption, then   
   God's children are not his own children, only adopted children.   
   Then God is not our Father, only our adoptive Father. Who is our   
   real Father?   
      
   In Swedish we have also this word "adoption" with the same   
   spelling. But nowhere in the Swedish Bible we can find this word.   
      
   Jesus' disciples were not born anew before the day of Pentecost   
   when they received the Holy Spirit. Before the disciples received   
   the Holy Spirit, they could not witness that they were born anew   
   and purified from their sins through the blood of Jesus because   
   they had not yet understood the importance of Jesus' blood. They   
   did not understand why Jesus must suffer and die. Jesus' death   
   was entirely incomprehensible for the disciples. Please, read   
   Luke 24:13-27. They could not grasp that Jesus died.   
      
   They had believed in Jesus as the great prophet of God, and they   
   expect that Jesus would restore the kingdom to Israel and release   
   Israel's people from the Roman domination. This comprehension   
   they had also after they had met Jesus after his resurrection. So   
   when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you now   
   restoring the kingdom to Israel?" Acts 1:6. Not before they   
   received the Holy Spirit, they understood the meaning and the   
   importance of Jesus' death and resurrection.   
      
   "Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and   
   cried out, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!   
   He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him   
   will flow rivers of living water.' But he said this about the Spirit,   
   which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit   
   was not yet given, because Jesus wasn't yet glorified."   
   John 7:37-39.   
      
   Before the Spirit could be given to the disciples, Jesus must first   
   return to his Father and be glorified. He must get back the glory   
   that he had before he came to the earth as a man. John 17:5.   
   "Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go   
   away, for if I don't go away, the Counselor won't come to you.   
   But if I go, I will send him to you." John 16:7.   
      
   In John 20:22 it is written that Jesus breathed on them and said,   
   "Receive the Holy Spirit!" Jesus had now risen from the dead.   
   Nevertheless, he had not yet returned to the Father and been   
   glorified, and therefore, the disciples could not receive the Spirit   
   then. Jesus only prepared his disciples for what they would get   
   later, on the day of Pentecost.   
      
   Jesus said to his disciples, "You are already pruned clean because   
   of the word which I have spoken to you." John 15:3. But they were   
   not born anew because the Spirit was not given yet. When Jesus   
   forgave sins, the sins were not at once taken away, but Jesus' word   
   was a guarantee that their sins would be taken away through Jesus'   
   propitiatory sacrifice on the cross.   
      
      
   Allan Svensson   
      
   Do you want to read the continuation of this article   
   or if you have any questions   
   Please, visit my Web Site   
   http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/CONTENTS.HTM   
      
   (Article 26. God's Spirit gives us Life)   
      
   The Truth about the Assembly of God.   
   http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/LOVE.HTM   
   Prepare you to meet Jesus!   
   http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/PREPARE.HTM   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)