Results 1 - 5 of 5
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Evidence of holy spirit in a Christian? | 2 Tim 1:14 | Aixen7z4 | 104568 | ||
OK, Makarios. These things can be. We should not be surprised to see the things you listed in the life of a believer. They are desirable and possible. However, they are not inevitable. In many cases they are not present. If we make them out to be evidences we are saying that their absence indicates the Holy Spirit is not in the life. That cannot be true. As I indicated before, Paul is asking the Ephesians to put on these things. If they were already there he would not have to ask them to put them on. They can be there. They should be there, in a believer‘s life. But they are not always there. Therefore they are not evidence. As you noted before, some of these things are found in unbelievers. Again, their presence in an unbeliever would not be evidence that the unbeliever possesses the holy Spirit. That cannot be. You can take any of the items you have mentioned and recognize that a believer sometimes does not have it. Does that mean then that he does not have the Holy Spirit? I think I have read you enough to know that you believe every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. I hope I have not read you wrong. I wish I did not have to write this, but I guess truth is sometimes sad. I was speaking to a pastor today about a lady who made a profession of faith earlier this year. She showed the joy of the Lord and other evidences of salvation. She was baptized and spent three months in joyful fellowship. She declared that she had given up all other goals for the goal of living for the Lord. I found out today that she has gone back to her former life as a common-law wife. For those who are not familiar with that term, she is living with a man to whom she is not married. Evidence of salvation, and the presence of the Holy Spirit, would not now be joy and peace. It would be a sense of guilt and shame. I hope you understand me. If a person is saved and living for the Lord he will have some or all of the things you mentioned. If he is practicing sin, he will not. He will have the opposite. Yet I am assuming in all cases where we say a person is saved, that we also know the person is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not leave a believer. So, evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit varies. And yet, I feel embarrassed to have had to say these things. I think it should have been clear if a believer is being asked to replace irresponsibility and stealing with industry and benevolence it would not be logical to think that the change had already taken place. I think it is not the change which is evidence but the willingness to change. Learning, perhaps starting with a reading of the epistle, produces the change. The Holy Spirit uses the word of God to convict and to encourage. But even a believer can resist and grieve the Holy Spirit. This in itself is proof that the Holy Spirit is resident. OK. Enough said. Let us think on these things. |
||||||
2 | Evidence of holy spirit in a Christian? | 2 Tim 1:14 | Makarios | 104577 | ||
Aixen7z4, Are you speaking of discipleship, or being filled with the Holy Spirit? Beyond that, I do not follow you at all. Blessings to you, Makarios |
||||||
3 | Evidence of holy spirit in a Christian? | 2 Tim 1:14 | Aixen7z4 | 104580 | ||
My dear brother, take some time to think about it. You have been describing an ideal Christian. But all saved people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Spirit he produces what he will. When we are discipled we grow and become more like the Master. But being indwelt by the Spirit is another matter. Once we are saved, and forever thereafter, we are indwelt by the Spirit. That is a fact, and we might have been left to accept it on the authority of the word of God (John 14:17; Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 5:16; Ephesians 2:22; 2 Timothy 1:14, etc.). But God in his grace has given us indications and evidences of His Presence. Recognizing His presence, we can surrender to him to be filled at his will, and empowered, and to learn and grow. But we can also resist him. Even with that, He never leaves us or forsakes us. He is ever present, and the one whom he indwells can know it. |
||||||
4 | Evidence of holy spirit in a Christian? | 2 Tim 1:14 | Makarios | 104588 | ||
So we are discussing discipleship. :-) I agree, we do not automatically 'assume' or are given all of those 'traits' that I mentioned in my first and second posts unless we have been through a bit of discipleship, and have gone through a bit of 'growing up'. I have an idea that this is what you are thinking.. But the sad part of it is, is that not everyone goes through the discipleship that will carry them through to maturity in Christ. And what I have been describing is a Christian who is mature and strong in the faith, with the assurance of their salvation. While I cannot personally say that I have discipled anyone, I can bear testimony to the fact that there have been a few faithful men who are "pillars of the faith" that I can point to who have been examples for me and have shown me what it means to truly be a Christian man, so that I can now stand on my own, even though I continue to grow in the faith. I have not formally assumed an opportunity to help another person grow in the faith, even though many people have told me that I have been an encouragement to their faith. I am a 27 year old single man. Perhaps I will have the opportunity for discipleship in regards to other men in the years ahead. Blessings to you, Makarios |
||||||
5 | Evidence of holy spirit in a Christian? | 2 Tim 1:14 | flowing | 104589 | ||
but how does one actualy get to go through discipleship? Does or is one discipled when one goes through trials...(James 1:2) or is there a stage in ones life, where one realises that something has changed in ones life that can only be caused by spending time with God (The Holy Spirit?) [john 14:26] flowing. |
||||||