Get Off the Beach! - Booty and Treasures fer All!
New Birth
If you are a believer in Christ, God’s seed — sperma — is in you (1 John 3:9).
This is your new conception. In the same way the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and Jesus was conceived, the moment you believed God’s Word regarding His Son, your old man died on the cross and gave up his spirit. In that moment, God’s seed—σπέρμα (sperma), that which is sown to produce offspring—created a new spirit in you, one able to hold His Holy Spirit.
You were born of imperishable seed through the living and enduring Word of God (1 Pet. 1:23). Born of God, yes (John 1:13). Born by the Spirit of God that gives birth to spirit (John 3:6). The Word of God gives life (Hebrews 4:12), and in believing God’s Word, new life sprang up in you.
Our New Spirit as New Wineskins
Jesus tells us that, “New wine must be put into new wineskins. In this way, both (wine and skins) are preserved.” (Luke 5:38)
Jesus spoke these words in response to a question about fasting (Luke 5:33), an Old Testament command and ritual. He used the picture of new wine and new wineskins to show that the new thing He was sending into the world—His Holy Spirit—could not be contained within the old.
We see evidence in the way those who are not born by God’s Spirit cannot receive the things of God. They can know about those things, even teach on those things. But they will not receive the things of God.
The new wineskin is your new spirit.
The new wine is His Holy Spirit.
When you believed God’s Word regarding His Son, you were born of God and a new spirit, capable of receiving the things of God, came into being.
Just as God breathed—ἐνεφύσησεν (enephysēsen)—into Adam the breath of life (Genesis 2:7), Jesus breathed—ἐνεφύσησεν (enephysēsen)—on His disciples and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22). The new vessels were now made ready for the first batch of new wine.
What had been water, was now the finest wine.
What the law that could not do—save—now filled them with never-ending life (Romans 8:3–4).
Baptism of the Spirit of Truth
Jesus promised to send the Counselor who would teach us all things and bring to our remembrance all that He said and did (John 14:26).
Baptism of the Spirit of Truth
When you believe God’s Word regarding His Son, you are born of God and receive new spiritual life (John 1:12–13; John 3:6). But Jesus also promised that His disciples would be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, “John baptized with water; but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5).
At Pentecost, that promise was fulfilled. The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in new tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1–4).
This baptism of the Holy Spirit is the filling of the new vessel. To be clear, the Holy Spirit lives in every believer (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19). The Spirit was at work in Jesus from His conception (Luke 1:35), and God gave Him the Spirit without measure (John 3:34). After Jesus was baptized in water, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and He was fully anointed with the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:21–22; 4:1). From that moment on, He went about doing good and healing all.
Jesus ministered in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14; Acts 10:38). When the woman touched His garment, power went out from Him (Luke 8:43–46). This example is for us. Jesus promised that rivers of living water would flow from the believer (John 7:38–39). As the Spirit flows through us to bring life to others, so we must also remain filled with the Spirit. New wineskin receives new wine—not for simply preserving—but serving. This new wine—His Holy Spirit at work—flows out to others for God’s glory.
For this reason, we need times of solitude with our Father to pray, give thanks, worship, and, through speaking in our heavenly language, build ourselves up in our most holy faith (Jude 1:20; 1 Corinthians 14:2, 4, 15; Ephesians 6:18).
Jesus told His disciples to wait for power from on high: “But you will receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Then you will testify about me” (Acts 1:8).
Peter later declared that God’s promise was for his hearers, their children, and those afar off, even as many as the Lord would call (Acts 2:38–39). As in, all who believed then, later, now.
How and when do we receive this baptism? We seek God and ask to receive the gift He promised. We trust His Word and ask Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13; Acts 1:4–5; Acts 2:38–39). This asking is key. Jesus concludes his discourse on asking with this statement: “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13). Don’t assume you are filled. Ask to be filled—and keep asking!
In Acts, people received the Holy Spirit in connection with faith in Jesus, prayer, the laying on of hands, and the preaching of the Word (Acts 8:14–17; Acts 10:44–46; Acts 19:1–6).
Why Being Filled With His Spirit Is Necessary
The Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Now that Jesus has returned to the Father, He has given us His Spirit, authority, and power to continue the work He began.
Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do.” (John 14:12). He gave His disciples authority over the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). And He promised that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). In this way, they testify to the authority and lordship of Jesus.
When God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit, He received power, and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:38). Jesus kept those the Father gave Him (John 17:12), cared for them, healed the sick, and destroyed the works of the enemy.
This connects with the commission God gave Adam in the beginning: to care for what God had entrusted to him and exercise dominion. Part of Adam’s commission was to ka-bash—subdue. But subdue what?
All that God made was good—very good, in fact (Genesis 1:31). Yet somehow, Lucifer—cast from heaven and falling like lightning—ended on earth in the Garden (Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:7–9). Why?
Could it be that Adam’s original purpose was to destroy the works of the devil? Genesis 1:28 records God’s command to Adam and Eve to be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, have dominion, and subdue evil.
When Adam abdicated his responsibility and dared to deny the truth of God’s word—”You will die.”- God. “No, I won’t.”—sin entered the world (Romans 5:12). The devil took Adam’s authority and power for himself, and Scripture later tells us that soon afterwards every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). Every. Not some. All.
God regretted that He had made man (Genesis 6:6).
If only Adam had used his authority and power against the devil—God’s word—the outcome in the Garden may have been different.
After the flood, God told Noah and his sons to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth (Genesis 9:1, 7). He did not repeat the command to subdue the earth and have dominion. Why? The text does not explicitly say Noah lacked authority to exercise dominion, but it’s worth noting that not one person who ever performed a miracle afterwards acted independently of God. All obeyed in response to a word from God. And those who did were few.
Jesus carried out His Father’s work in obedience to Him.
He came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).
Now we are called to follow His example and do the works He did (John 14:12).
But this can only be done through His authority and power. His Holy Spirit empowers us to do the works Jesus did for the express purpose of destroying the works of the enemy. We need to be filled with His Spirit so His power can work through us to heal the sick, set people free, overcome the works of the enemy, and bring the life of God’s Kingdom to others.
We are born of God to live as children in His kingdom.
We are filled with His Spirit to carry out the works of Jesus.
Isn’t it time you went about destroying the works of the enemy before he kills, steals, and destroys your spouse, family, friends, and neighbors?
Rise up.
Put on your armor.
Get off the beach and charge into the battle!
