SPIRITUAL PPG part 3

INTRODUCTION

Psalm 91:1

We said to you that those who are entitled to God’s spiritual protection are those who abide in His secret place. We also said to you that the ‘secret place’ of God is a reference to God’s tabernacle (see Psalm 27:5). Now, at the the time of this Psalm, the tabernacle or temple of the Lord was a physical building. Today, however, the temple of the Lord is Christ Himself. The Bible says that ‘in Him’ (Christ) dwells all the ‘fullness’ of the Godhead (see Ephesians 2:6).

Therefore, to dwell in the ‘secret place’ of the Most High means to dwell in Christ. But, how do we dwell or abide in Christ? The Bible says that we abide in Christ when we believe on His name (1John 3:23, 24a).

Those who are actively believing on Christ are the ones who are also abiding in Christ. But, how can we test or gauge whether or not we are believing on Him? Are there things we can look to that will indicate that we are truly believing on Christ? Yes!

We know that we are actively believing on Christ by...

THE NEW BIRTH

John 1:12

We receive Him when we receive His message (the gospel). Moreover, those who receive Him are given the right to become sons of God (experience the new birth). Most people aren’t all that excited about being born again partly because they don’t realize that it comes with certain privileges.

For instance, being born again ENTITLES you to the covenant promises of God, like divine healing (Matthew 15:22, 24, 26)!

Jesus only healed those who had a covenant right to be healed. Now, we know that this woman’s daughter would eventually be healed even though she was not a member of natural Israel. Why? Did Jesus make an exception?

No, she was healed because of her faith. Faith not only gives you a right to be healed (“All things are possible to them that believe”), but it also places you into the family of God and entitles you to His promises. Ultimately, what entitles us to God’s covenant promises is not being a descendant (or child) of Abraham, but being a descendant (or child) of God!

Romans 9:4, 6-8

Nothing in the flesh can make a person a child of God. We are children of God by faith (see Galatians 3:26)! Since we are children of God, we are heirs of the promise (see Romans 8:17).

John 3:3

Notice you cannot ‘see’ or understand the things of the kingdom until you are first born again. We should add that ‘being born again’ might begin in our spirit by faith, but it continues as we obey the word by the Spirit (see 1Peter 2:22, 23)! Moreover, it’s this kind of regeneration, which comes by the word and Spirit, that enables a person to actually ENTER (experience) the kingdom (John 3:5).

Unfortunately, there are individuals who are able to see the kingdom, but who do not enter the kingdom (Luke 13:24, 28-29). Just because you ‘know’ there are promises available for the children of God, doesn’t mean you will enter in and experience any of them. In fact, you’ll never enter into the kingdom and experience God’s promises if you’re not born again in the soul (see Matthew 18:3).

We know we are abiding in Christ and actively believing on Him, not only by the new birth, but also by...

THE INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

John 7:37-39

If being born again ENTITLES you to be healed, then being filled EMPOWERS you to be healed (Mark 16:17)!

The phrase ‘they shall speak with new tongues’ is a reference to being filled with the Spirit (see Acts 2:4). Sometimes it takes more than laying hands on the sick to be healed. Sometimes it takes power from the Holy Ghost. This is because sickness (infirmity) is sometimes the result of evil spirits.

Luke 13:12, 13

BEFORE laying His hand on the woman to heal her (v. 13), Jesus commanded that this woman be ‘loosed’! Why? Apparently, her sickness was the result of an evil spirit (Luke 13:11).

Psalm 91:5, 6

Notice that the psalmist is seeking refuge, not only from things (arrows) that fly by day, but he’s also seeking protection from things (terror, plagues) that ‘walk’ in darkness. In other words, the psalmist is here giving personal attributes to plagues or epidemics (see Psalm 91:6 NIV, MSG).

The people during that time believed there was often a supernatural or demonic element to diseases and sicknesses. Because Satan is sometimes behind sicknesses, you have to sometimes attack sickness the way you would attack evil spirits—by the power of God!

We talked to you about the need to be born again in order to ‘enter the kingdom.’ It’s ALSO possible to cause the kingdom of God (or it’s promises) to appear in a person’s life by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 12:22-24, 27-29

Notice that Jesus was able to ‘bind the strong man’ (overthrow Satan’s kingdom) and bring the kingdom into existence by the power of the Holy Ghost (verse 28)!

Acts 10:38

The anointing is given to us, among other things, for healing (see Luke 4:18).

The anointing from the Holy Ghost delivers men from sickness (James 5:14, 15)! The anointing also protects and keeps men safe from disease (Psalm 23:5, 6).