
Faith is a gift from God, given to us because of His grace, mercy, and love. It is not something that can be earned or worked towards, but rather, it is a result of God's presence within us. The Holy Spirit is God's way of moving closer to His people, dwelling within them and empowering them to live a life that honours Him. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means allowing His presence to fill every part of your life and submitting to His purpose and power. This submission involves faith and surrender, and it is only through faith that we can please God.
What You'll Learn
God's spirit is a gift, and faith is the avenue to salvation
God's spirit is a gift, and faith is the instrument God uses to bring salvation to His people. God gives faith because of His grace and mercy, because He loves us. Faith comes from God in the form of a gift. A gift is not earned by some good deed or kind word, and it is not given because the giver expects a gift in return. The Bible emphasizes that faith is a gift because God deserves all the glory for our salvation. If the receiver of faith could do anything to deserve or earn the gift, that person would have every right to boast. But all such boasting is excluded. God wants Christians to understand that they have done nothing to earn faith. It is only because of what Christ did on the cross that God gives anyone faith.
The Bible specifies the way that God gives faith to people: "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ" (Romans 10:17). It is the Word of God that produces faith. Any time the true gospel of Jesus is communicated, there is potential for faith. This is why it is of paramount importance for believers everywhere to be obedient and tell people what Christ has done for humanity. Faith is not the product of a preacher's compelling presentation, his eloquence, or even his theological soundness. Faith is given through the message about Jesus.
God's spirit is a gift that can be received by hearing the word of God. The Bible says, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). This means that when we listen to wise believers, our own faith grows in confidence and strength. We can listen to podcasts, sermons, and lectures that edify and grow us spiritually. We can also read the scriptures and gather with other Christians to encourage and challenge each other.
The Christian life is a relationship with God that develops over time. To grow in spiritual maturity is to look more and more like the person God designed us to be – more and more like Jesus. God wants us to be characterized by His qualities: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).
We can grow in spiritual maturity by persevering in following God's plan through the trials and challenges of life and living a life that is Spirit-filled – learning to be aware of and listen to God's Spirit, who lives within all followers of Jesus. Community also plays an important role in spiritual growth, bringing God's Word to life and giving prayer a life-changing impact.
God's spirit is a gift that can be received by faith. The Bible says, "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). We receive Christ by faith, and we live by faith. Everything we receive from God, from the moment of our spiritual birth until we die, is by faith. We don't have to beg God to fill us with His Holy Spirit. We don't have to barter with Him by fasting or weeping. We receive His fullness by faith.
The Holy Spirit is not given to us so that we might have a great emotional experience, but so that we might live a holy life and be a fruitful witness for Christ. We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith and faith alone, but it is important to recognize that several factors contribute to preparing our hearts for the filling of the Spirit. First, we must desire to live a life that will please the Lord. Second, we must be willing to surrender our lives totally and irrevocably to the Lord Jesus Christ. Third, we must confess every known sin and experience the cleansing and forgiveness that God promises.
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Faith comes from hearing the word of God
Faith is a gift from God, given because of His grace, mercy, and love. It is not something that can be earned or worked towards. Instead, it is a gift that must be received.
Romans 10:17 states, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." This verse emphasizes that faith arises from hearing the message of Christ, the Good News, or the Gospel. It is through the preaching of God's word that faith is born in the hearts of His people.
The Greek word for "hearing" in this verse comes from the word for "discerning," while "faith" is derived from "confidence." When we listen to wise believers, our faith grows in confidence and strength. This can be done practically by listening to podcasts, sermons, and lectures that edify and grow us spiritually.
Additionally, reading scriptures and gathering with other Christians can also cultivate seeds of faith. By reading the Bible, we can better understand Jesus and the profession of our faith. Coming together with other Christians allows us to be sharpened and encouraged in our faith journey.
In conclusion, faith comes from hearing the word of God. It is a gift that God offers to those who listen to His message and choose to receive it. Through faith, God brings salvation to His people, and it is only through faith that we can access the generous gift of God's salvation.
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God's spirit gives power to complete Christ's mission
Faith is a gift from God, given to us because of His grace, mercy, and love. It is not something that can be earned or worked towards, but rather is a result of what Christ did on the cross.
The Bible says that faith comes from hearing the message of Christ (Romans 10:17). It is God's word that produces faith. This is why it is so important for believers to tell others about Christ and spread the message of the gospel.
When we receive Christ, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells within us and gives us spiritual life, causing us to be born anew as children of God. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit when we believe, and we receive all of the promised Holy Spirit in that moment (Ephesians 1:13-14).
While we receive the Holy Spirit when we believe, we are also commanded to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). This means allowing the Spirit to fill every part of our lives and control us, rather than living by our own strength.
The Holy Spirit gives us power to complete Christ's mission of making followers of Jesus of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). After Jesus' resurrection, He told His disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they would be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
The Holy Spirit turned these early followers of Christ, who were scared and fearful, into a bold and fearless force that began to spread the gospel and turn the world upside down.
So, when we plant God's spirit by faith, we are allowing His Spirit to fill us and control us, giving us the power to complete the mission that Christ has given us. We are no longer living by our own strength but are empowered by the Holy Spirit to do what God has called us to do.
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God's spirit gives purity to the church
The Bible also says that God's Spirit gives power to complete Christ's mission to make followers of Jesus of all nations. The Spirit fills the followers of Christ with courage and boldness to spread the word of God.
The Holy Spirit is a gift from God, and it is only through the Spirit that we can live a life that truly pleases God.
The Spirit gives us the power to comprehend the incomprehensible. We are strengthened with power through the Spirit in our inner being, so that we may be rooted and grounded in love.
The Spirit also gives us the power to fulfil God's purpose for our lives. We are called to be characterised by His qualities: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).
We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith. We receive Christ by faith, and we continue to live by faith. We do not have to beg God to fill us with His Holy Spirit. Instead, we must desire to live a life that will please the Lord, surrender our lives totally and irrevocably to Jesus Christ, and confess our sins.
The command to be filled with the Spirit is found in Ephesians 5:18: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" (New International Version 1984).
Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a once-and-for-all experience. It is a constant and continual filling, control, and empowerment by the Holy Spirit as a way of life.
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God's spirit gives the ability to comprehend the incomprehensible
The Christian life is impossible to live out without God's help. God has provided His Spirit so that believers can be filled with the Spirit and live a life that brings glory to Him.
Ephesians 5:18 says, "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." Just as a person is controlled by wine when they are drunk, the Holy Spirit empowers believers to do things that they cannot do naturally.
The Holy Spirit gives believers the power to comprehend the incomprehensible. Ephesians 3:14-19 says:
> "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
In other words, when a person is filled with the Spirit, they are enabled to increasingly comprehend and apprehend the overwhelming and incomparable love of Christ for them.
The Bible teaches that while God is ultimately incomprehensible to us, we can have a true and personal knowledge of Him. This means that we can never fully understand His whole being, but we can know Him truly, personally, and sufficiently. God has revealed Himself to us through nature and Scripture, and we can know Him through His Word.
As believers are filled with the Spirit, they are allowing His presence to fill their entire lives. They are giving Him access to every part of themselves, and it is in these areas that they experience the presence of His transforming grace.
The Holy Spirit gives believers the ability to understand God's love for them, and it is through faith in Christ that they receive this gift.
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Frequently asked questions
Planting God's spirit by faith means allowing God's presence to fill your entire life. It means submitting to the Holy Spirit and allowing it to empower you to do things you could not do naturally.
You can plant God's spirit by faith by asking God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. You must also desire to live a life that pleases the Lord, surrender your life to Jesus Christ, and confess your sins.
To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to be controlled and empowered by it. This means giving up control and submitting to God's will for your life.