The Holy Spirit indwells a Christian. Those that have trusted Christ alone as Saviour become the residence of the Spirit of God.
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” I Cor. 3:16
God’s Spirit never leaves the person, as some unbiblically teach. The Spirit is “sealed,” or permanently confirmed, and the matter is closed in His eyes (Eph. 4:30). He does not come and go out of the believer’s life.
However, there are some things in a believer’s life that can cause God’s Spirit not to work or have control as He desires. Sin is the culprit that can sadden the Spirit of God that wants to work in a Christian.
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Eph. 4:30
I understood this best after raising a child. On a very rare occasion, my child would do something that broke my heart. I did not do it out spite, out of anger, or to “teach a lesson”, nor was it a planned reaction, but the child’s commission of some wrong-doing made me so sad I could not talk to or even look at the child. The act did not change my love for the child one bit, and in a short time I was “over it” and things were back to normal, but for that brief moment, my spirit was crushed. That is exactly how the Holy Spirit must feel when we commit sin or violate what God intends for us to do. Our activity, or lack of it, can grieve the Holy Spirit.
Not only can the indwelling Spirit be saddened, because of what we do or not do, but His excitement and zeal in working in us can also be “quenched.” Just as water puts out a fire, our sin can put out the flames of anticipation God has for using us for His glory. The “putting out” of the Holy Spirit’s activity in one’s life may be why so many have lost the joy of being saved (Psalm 51:12) when their sins do not allow God to work in their life.
“Quench not the Spirit.” I Thes. 5:19
Nowhere in the New Testament is it suggested that the Holy Spirit goes in and out of one’s life like He is in a revolving door, as some would have us believe. He is in us for good. We do not have to get saved again, but we do have to get some things resolved with the Holy Spirit in order to have Him work in us again.
The easy and fast way to resolve my broken-heart when my child grieved my spirit was for my child to simply admit the wrong-doing and apologize. After that was done, everything was back to normal, and it was never spoken of, or thought of, again (on my part).
The loving Spirit of God reacts much the same way. Although He knows exactly what we have done, humbling ourselves and admitting the sin is the first thing in soothing the broken heart of the Spirit. Secondly, a genuine apology and a sincere desire not to commit the sin again is what it will take to have the Holy Spirit again working in our lives. There is not one sin He will not forgive. The Holy Spirit will always love the believer and always desire the best for his life.
“The Spirit-filled life is life at its very best.”
otme 7/17/16
I first got saved at a younger age than you .felt Jesus swap His hand thru my body oh such a glorious feeling yet when I was 17 at a church camp and we had the call to alter I felt a shove on my back to go up and I did [not a people shove either ] . so even though I was already saved Jesus wanted me to go up to the alter yet still I had not gotten baptized until I was 23 because I did not feel I needed it . But was I saved as a child yes and the other two times I went up was I resaved no but renewed my faith yes . No one can not tell me Jesus is not real as he showed me thru touching me with his hand thru my body as a child and that has always been the thread that has kept me to him . Has this thread been broken at times maybe or stretched but I know deep in my heart Jesus saved me and is my Savior forever . One time I was sleeping on my back and I felt some one tapping me on my back ah how if I am laying on my back hmm Jesus did to wake me up to let me know a heater was catching on fire and it was not the first time . So yes we are sinners we will always sin our flesh is weak we live in a world that flashes things in front of us daily and makes us crave or lust for it but we don’t need it as Jesus provides . Many of us have pasts many of us have done wrongful things many of us have gone astray but you know what Jesus’s arms are wide open and he says come home my child .
Great testimony – “Jesus is my Savior forever!”
It is not for me to question what you experienced. I have heard several claim physical experiences, as you did, as how they got saved. Some claim they saw things; some heard things. They take that experience and claim that is when they get saved.
Never once in the Bible is there any account of one being saved by physical experience. Some were raised from the dead. Otheres healed. Not one of those supernatural experiences is tied to their salvation. Salvation is ALWAYS tied to believing the Word of God, and trusting Christ alone for salvation. In your testimony you did not mention once trusting Christ as your Saviour, That is the ONLY way anyone can be saved.
Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Ro 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
These verses, and others, rule out “supernatural” experiences as a method of salvation:
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Brothers,
I love you all. I hope you are right.
Lets see how many folks we can get under the blood…whichever way we believe.
Time must be short, we are laboring near midnight. As long as we all have our eyes on Jesus and the fact that his blood is necessary for our salvation, the rest of the discussion becomes strangely dim.
Thanks for commenting.
Bless you all.
One more thing David, don’t build a doctrine on salvation based solely on the story of the Prodigal Son! Build a doctrine on salvation based on what Jesus says! Jesus said in John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them ETERNAL LIFE (eternal life is not eternal if you can lose your salvation!) and THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH (never means: CAN NOT HAPPEN! You can NEVER be lost again after you’re saved) nor shall anyone (including yourself) can pluck them out of my hands”
This is the strongest verse in the bible on the absolute, eternal security of the believer!
David, the Bible speaks of people LOST being saved, but never the SAVED being lost! When you accepted Christ as your Savoir at 8yrs old, your sins of the PAST,PRESENT, and FUTURE was wiped away! Thrown into the sea of forgiveness to be remembered no more!
That’s the good news about salvation! It’s FREE! You don’t work for it to be saved (Simple Faith in Christ alone and what He done for you on the cross), and you don’t work for it to stay saved! Jesus said “It Is Finished” – that means no sin you can ever commit will God hold against you!
Paul said in Romans 8:1 “There is therefore NOW (TODAY, TOMORROW, NEXT WEEK, NEXT YEAR) NO CONDEMNATION TO THOSE WHICH ARE IN CHRIST JESUS” – That means you’ll never stand before God guilty of your sins cause He paid it all on Calvary!
Besides, if you can lose your salvation because of sin in your life, then tell me what sin it is? What sin does someone have to commit for God to get so mad at you that He forfeits your salvation?
One more thing: David committed adultery, lied, committed murder! Moses was a murderer! Samson was a womanizer and forfeited his Nazarene vow! Solomon turned away from the Lord near the end of his life! Yet in all these cases, you never see where God stripped them of their salvation! All theologians would agree that all these O>T saints are in heaven!
David, the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient and powerful enough to save you and KEEP you saved! Please read Ephesians 1:13-14. Also, Bro. Bill has some great things about salvation on openthoumineeyes.com!
I didn’t see David’s comment as he though he got unsaved, it was more of statement, “Was I really saved?” I have a sadly similar testimony, that when I have time I will write it.
Brothers,
I too come from your denominational background and want to share my testimony.. not to convince, but just to share my experience.
I was saved at 8 yrs old. I loved the Lord. I prayed through. I know it was real.
By the time I was in 9th grade I had begun to grow cold. I eventually became involved with many of the typical things young people get into that I will not catalog here. It went very far. I will admit that I remember in college arguing with people about the existence of God. Brothers, I was as lost as could be. There is no way that I was going to Heaven.
Later, I married, drug my wife into a bunch of sin, and eventually was convinced to come back to Church. It was a Methodist Church and I remember being under such conviction, although I wasnt sure what was going on. Eventually I made a decision to commit my life to the Lord Again and have been living for him since. It was as real as the experience I had when I was 8.
I am the classic prodigal. I chose to turn my back on the father. I walked on my own power and by my own choice to the far country. While there in the pig pen, I came to myself and I chose to walk back to my Father’s house….and he ran to me. All my choices entirely. We don’t see anything in this parable about the Father offering any provision whatsoever when the son was in the far country. Once his inheritance was spent on riotous living, he was destitute (lost). There is also no indication of any hesitance of the Father about taking him back. In fact he rejoiced…killed the fatted calf, put his ring and a fine cloak on him. He was glad to have in back in safety again.
Question is.. what would have been the disposition of my soul if I had left this world during those 15 years? I know what it would have been. Hell and eternal damnation.
You brothers obviously are more learned than I am, but I do have an experience that I am convinced of that I wanted to share with you.
I appreciate you all. I am glad you never went as far as I did. I would appreciate hearing both of your response. I have grown to have a lot of respect for you all.
I’m glad Psalms 51:12 is in God’s Word! I’ve used this Psalm so many times with people who think they can lose their salvation because of what their denomination teaches, or because of a particular sin they’ve committed!
I point out that David was a “man after God’s on heart”, and that David deeply loved the Lord, but David also committed adultery, lied to cover it up, and had Uriah murdered on the battle field! Because of his sins, he lost the “JOY” of his salvation! He didn’t lose his salvation! He lost the closeness, the fellowship that he and God once had!
And it wasn’t until David repented did his “joy” return! When I don’t feel as close to God as I use to, I immediately check myself to see where I left Him at! Amen? I’m so glad I don’t have to work to be saved (faith in Christ alone), and I’m so glad I don’t have to work to stay saved (once a child of God, always a child of God)!
Another great one Bro. Bill!
I enjoy reading your replies and those of others. They are a blessing. Thanks for sharing that.
I appreciate you too Bro. Bill! I’ve been reading devotions for several years, and I have to honestly say that yours is the best I’ve read! I’ve read great devotions from other Godly men (Charles Stanley, Dr, Robert Jeffress, and so on), but yours always challenges my walk with the Lord! And for that, I do thank you!