“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” – Romans 8:9-16
LIGHT FOR NOW: The nature of God is imparted into the born again man by the indwelling of the spirit.
We’ve been investigating verse 25 to 27 of Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning the indwelling of the spirit in Ezekiel 36:25-27 “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them”. Observe verse 27: The statement “put my spirit within you” was repeated and thus, is an emphasis we should take note of. Thus, the focus of the promise was this indwelling of the spirit. He went on to speak of how God by his spirit in us will cause us to walk in his statutes and keep his judgments.
So as we have understood so far, while Joel’s prophecy (in Joel 2:28-29) concerning the spirit was on the outpouring of the spirit, explained by Peter in Acts 2 in relation to “prophecy”. In contrast to this, Ezekiel’s prophecy deals with the spirit within (a new spirit which is a new heart), explained as a new nature. This will become clearer in subsequent studies as we examine the words of Jesus in his earthly walk with respect to the promise of the spirit. Glory!
INSTRUCTION: Know your realities in Christ.
DECLARATION: I have God’s spirit within me; I have God’s nature from which I naturally walk in God’s stature, in Jesus Name, Amen
QUOTE: The believer by the new birth has received a new nature.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: JOHN CHAPTER 7; EVENING: JOHN CHAPTER 14
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 