Resisting The Holy Spirit

"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" - Ephesians 4:30
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Before a man can enter into the kingdom of God, he must be born again, that is; he must be born of water and of the spirit.
 
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” – John 3:5
 
After a man has been born again; according to Paul the Apostle, that man must now work out his salvation with fear and trembling; which means, we must strive to reach heaven. A duty that equally applies to every believer in Christ, which should become a personal goal in your walk with Christ.
 
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” - Philippians 2:12
 
Working out our salvation cannot be done on our own; we need the help of the Holy Spirit, which is why Jesus sent Him to us. He is an essential part of the Christian life. One of His jobs is to teach us. He teaches us the truth about the existence of our Father in Heaven; the life, death and resurrection of His Dear Son, Jesus Christ; how we should walk pleasing in the sight of a Holy God; and so much more.
 
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” – John 14:26
 
However, in all we are taught by the Holy Spirit, especially in how we are to walk in the presence of a Holy God, it is still our decision as to whether or not we will listen to or ignore Him; whether we will submit to the teachings of God’s word or do things our way.
 
Since He is an essential part of the Christian life – your life and mine; we are cautioned through the word of God to not hinder Him in any way from working in our lives. Unfortunately, He is being hindered in the lives of many believers in the body of Christ, because they would rather do things their way, than God’s way. Clearly this shows there is no desire of turning from the ways of the world, to the ways of God.
 
When you intentionally do what you know is wrong, it is clear you have no other desire but to do things your own way. That means you have made a sound choice to not follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. If this is done enough times, the Holy Spirit will withdraw Himself from you, and your heart will be left in a state of hardness, and your mind in a state of darkness.
 
Why accept Christ as Lord over your life, if you will not let Him work in your life to help change your way of life? And why would a man who professes he abides in Christ and believes in His doctrines, hinder the Holy Spirit from working in his life? Because if he truly has an intimate union with the Savior of his soul, he ought to imitate him in all things.
 
“He that says he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” – I John 2:6
 
God gave us His spirit to teach us the truth and the way of a godly lifestyle. But the Holy Spirit does not, and will not force us to do anything, but rather encourage and empowers us to do the “right thing”, which is to follow the word of God.
 
I therefore, encourage you to seek forgiveness from the Lord for hindering the Holy Spirit from working in your life. Then make a commitment, that from this point on, you will submit to the Holy Spirit, and let Him lead you in the path of truth and righteousness. It is your choice.
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SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES
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• John 3:5
• Philippians 2:12
• John 14:26
• I John 2.6

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Copyright © by Gale Wilcox. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages quoted are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.