WHO IS GOD?
God is the "salvation" that He brings to everyone in this world according to His perfect plan and purpose. God desires that all people not only know what Jesus did on earth but also have the forgiveness Christ earned on the Cross.
The Redemption
“Redemption” refers to undoing the effects of sin for all mankind. The word itself means to “buy back.” Redemption centers on God, who saves His chosen ones from sin, evil, trouble, bondage, and even death. Redemption is an act of God's grace, by which He rescues and restores His people. Redemption is all-inclusive.
“16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
Christianity is different from other religions in the world—Christians can be good and forgiven; their salvation is a free gift from God.
On the Cross, the world, the flesh, and the devil did their worst, and Jesus was apparently defeated. But God raised His Son from death. The love and justice of God not only had been satisfied but also reconciled by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus.
Jesus’ death on the Cross and His resurrection guarantee that sin can be forgiven, and death defeated. Yes, the war between good and evil will go on, but humans are already given the Helper to fight in the war to gain their salvation and redemption.
The Helper
Given that faith, trust, and obedience are difficult to come by, they’re often unsustainable. So, how can humans detach themselves from their flesh?
God has provided the Helper. Before His departure, Jesus said He would let the Holy Spirit take over.
“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
So, who’s the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is a Person—as Personal as God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit has been there since the beginning of creation “moving over the water.”
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit inspired all the prophets of Israel. In the New Testament, Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary to become a human living on earth for several years. Throughout Jesus’ ministry on earth, the Holy Spirit was with Him.
The Helper can help humans in different ways throughout their lifespans, including the following:
He’ll convict but not condemn humans of all their wrongdoings. In other words, the Holy Spirit will restore them, but He’ll not defeat them. “When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.” John 16:8
He’ll guide humans along their life journeys, always giving humans the wisdom to do what’s right and to avoid what’s wrong. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:13
He’ll teach humans about what they can learn from God, and not from others. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26
He’ll make humans obey God. “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” Romans 7:6
Stephen Lau
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