Randy Green's Blog

Just Say No To Drugs – Part 5 Just Say No To Drugs – Part 7

Just Say No To Drugs – Part 6

NEWS FLASH!!! Acts: Volume 8 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes is now available from CreateSpace (paperbacks) and Kindle (eBooks). Click on the link to the right of this page to go to Amazon and place your order.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds [Titus 2:11-14].

One aspect of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in us today is to lead us to say “No” to sin and “Yes” to “righteous living”. Another aspect is that the Holy Spirit keeps us focused on eternity, on our eternal home with Jesus in heaven. In doing so we don’t put undue value on the world and the things of the world.

Before we are born again, all we know is the world and its toys. We live to acquire more toys and indulge our lusts. We want it all, the good life of affluence and easy living.

After we are born again, the Holy Spirit inside us focuses us on the Person of Jesus Christ. We spend time alone with Jesus daily, as the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see His lovely face more clearly. The Holy Spirit also opens our ears to hear His sweet voice speak a fresh word to us from the Bible. Our hearts go out to Him in love. We are growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit takes it further than that. He reminds of us Jesus’ words, that He has gone back to the Father, where He is interceding on our behalf at the throne of God. He is also preparing a place for us, and He is coming again at any moment to take us home with Him. We have a mansion in glory! Hallelujah!

That is where it’s at, dear friends. That is where our focus should be. The Holy Spirit makes it His goal to keep us focused on that. He calls this to mind incessantly, so that we “look for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus”. That is the future aspect of the Holy Spirit’s ministry on our behalf. The present aspect is to just say “No” to sin and “Yes” to righteous living.

Our text concludes in verse 14 by reminding us of the Lord Jesus. Jesus “gave Himself for us”. Yes, He did, and that speaks volumes about why we should love Him and trust Him and obey Him. He laid down His own life, so that we don’t have to die for our sins. His sacrifice on our behalf earns Him our love and trust and obedience.

There is more to come on that blessed subject. We will get to it in our next study. Lord Jesus, we are ready to spend some time with you now.

To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:

http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B00507WC86