THINGS FREELY GIVEN TO US BY GOD

MONDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2021

Once we get saved and we stay committed to God in our Christian life, His Spirit in us empowers us to comprehend and delve into all that has been freely given to us by God. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 1:13-14 saying, "And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth - the gospel of your salvation - you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the pledge of our inheritance...to the praise of His glory." In other words, we have inheritance in Christ and they are things freely given to us by God.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 2:12 New King James Version (NKJV) "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God."

God has given every born again Christian His Spirit, and so we are God's heirs through the hope of His everlasting Kingdom. Once you receive salvation, which is Christ taking over as your Lord, the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to you by God Himself. Paul acknowledges that the Holy Spirit which is in us, is not an ordinary being, and at the same time, he wants us to be fully convinced that He is not of the world but the Spirit of God.

Beloved, its not enough to know that we have the precious Holy Spirit dwelling in us. It is also very important that we acknowledge that He is our guide and the earnest of our inheritance in Christ. By this I mean that the Holy Spirit has been given to us for every good reason and benefit. Anything you require to know and to understand about your Christian faith, the Holy Spirit is there to help, guide and answer your question. This is why He is known as the Spirit of truth (John 16:13 NIV). Notice the latter expression in our referenced Scripture: "...that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." It is the special duty of the Holy Spirit to guide us into all the things that have been freely given to us by God.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says, "Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us, placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come." The Holy Spirit is not just our seal, but an earnest, firstfruit, instalment or a pledge of all that belongs to us in Christ, which means that we are blessed beyond measure. The seal of the Spirit does not only assure us of the full inheritance we have in Christ, but also gives us the right to know and possess them. The Spirit of God shows us the level of provision and inheritance God has made available to those in Christ Jesus, His chosen and peculiar people.

Some of the realities that are freely given to us are forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:9), divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), eternal life (1 John 5:13), righteousness (Romans 5:17), exemption from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), grace upon grace (John 1:16), adoption into God's family (Galatians 4:5), freedom from sinful desires and sin's dominion (Romans 6:14), peace with God (Romans 5:1-2), living hope (1 Peter 1:3), divine healing and health (Proverbs 3:7-8), wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30), prosperity (3 John 2), good success (Joshua 1:8), the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), victory (1 Corinthians 15:57), and then the overall gift, which is indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). All of these and more to come in heaven sum up the free gifts and benefits of salvation in Christ.

The vastness of the glorious inheritance the victory of Christ's death on the cross brought to us is quite telling. Jesus paid the full price of all these free gifts, and through the inward heaven in us, the Spirit of God reveals them to us. In doing so, He glorifies Christ, which means that its actually a thing of joy to Jesus whenever you get to know and experience these realities (see John 16:14-15). Jesus made a massive investment in our salvation, considering its benefits, and therefore, reaping the realities will take all eternity. Moreover, through the precious Holy Spirit, we can receive and enjoy as much benefits as we desire - by applying the principles of the Kingdom to our lives. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Psalm 2:8; Psalm 16:6; Romans 8:17; Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 1:12; 1 Peter 1:4.

Guided Prayer: Thank you Father in heaven for investing your love and grace in the gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. The free benefits of salvation are divinely-based diet rich, containing all the nutritional values required for my spiritual health and growth. Awesomely, none of Christ's sufferings on the cross of Calvary invested in my salvation is a waste. Therefore, I thank you precious Holy Spirit for showing and guiding me into all the benefits and for teaching me how to apply the insights to my life in Jesus' Name, Amen!