In the first chapter of the Book of Acts we find that the resurrected Christ has returned to earth where He has gathered his 120 or so disciples and has, for the past 40 days, been teaching them about “the Kingdom of God” (vs 3) that He will establish upon His return to earth to establish that kingdom.  Having finished His teaching He told them to remain in Jerusalem where they were to wait “… for the promise of the Father ….” (vs 4).  In the following verse He explains that the Father’s “promise” would come in the form of a spiritual “baptism” (emersion) in which the Holy Spirit would “come upon them,” meaning to fill them.  In verse 8 He tells them: “You will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you ….”  This spiritual power abiding within them would enable them to be His witnesses throughout the earth.  Only 12 of those people would be called to officially preach His Word (witness/Gospel/Truth), but all would be His “witnesses” by way of their life’s “walk”–words, thoughts, deeds, etc.  Being “witnesses” by way of our life-styles, God’s saints are “our brothers’ keepers.”  Those around us are to observe our “witness” and know that they are seeing a human manifestation of God.  Jesus said to Philip: “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” through His “walk.”  Accordingly, we are commanded to “walk as He walked” so that when people see us (our “witness), they see a human representation of our Father in heaven.  This is what Jesus was referring to in His “witness” commission to the disciples at the Mt. Olive meeting.

But how can we do this?  How can a mere human being walk as God?  I am guessing that 100% of professing Christendom believes this to be an impossible order.  If so, how did the man from Nazareth Who, Scripture tells us, was 100% human, do it?  And why did God command that we do it in 1 John 2:6; 3:3/ and Revelation 3:21?  Read Jesus of Nazareth: God, Man or God-man.  Key word–God-man.  If I had made the sacrifice He made, I would command no less of those who would take advantage of my sacrifice.  Just believe?  Seriously?  Only Satan could come up with that ruse.

How did Jesus walk as a God while being a human?  How can we, also being humans, think, speak and act as Gods?  The Almighty tells us.   While with His disciples Jesus told them that the Holy Spirit was WITH them, but would later be IN them.  While they were with Jesus the Holy Spirit IN Him would be WITH them.  Prior to His baptism by John, Jesus had the Spirit WITH Him.  Recall that as He came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit “came upon” Him, thereby “baptizing”–entering–Him (Mat. 3:16,17).  Jesus tells the disciples that soon the Spirit would be IN them as it was in HIM, giving them the same power that He had.  Recall from the previous posting that, though the Spirit was only WITH them, He expected them to do everything He did (Jn. 14:12).  How much more so after they had been baptized (filled) with the Spirit/power of God as He had at the time of His water baptism.  Recall that He told them they would receive inner POWER after the Spirit “came upon” them.  Power is meant to be used, otherwise why have it?  John 1:33 tells us that it is Jesus who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.  It is He Who gives true believers the “promise of the Father.”

Recall that Jesus did no miracles and preached no sermons until after His baptisms (Mat. 4:17).  When teaching the disciples on the Mt. of Olives He told them not to do anything ministry-wise until the Spirit had “come upon” (filled) them.  Because He would no longer be with them, they would not have the Spirit’s power to aid them.  This also holds true for walking as He walked, being pure as He is pure, obeying His Word, resisting Satan, etc.  Without the Holy Spirit living within, no one can resist Satan.  Christ’s Words to Peter reveal this Truth.

In Matthew 16:21-23 we find Peter rebuking Jesus and Jesus casting Satan himself out of him.  Obviously, Peter did not have the Spirit living within him because he had not yet been converted, at which time he would receive the Holy Spirit.  This is made clear later when Jesus said to him, “… WHEN you are CONVERTED, help your brethren (to be converted)–Lk. 22:32.  For 3 1/2 years the disciples had the Holy Spirit WITH them because of Christ’s presence.  When they were truly converted they would have the Spirit IN them in its full power.  This took place in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost 31 A.D.

As the Apostle Paul told the church at Rome, only those who obeyed the Holy Spirit RESIDING WITH THEM were sons of God.  The disciples would not be son’s of God until Christ’s death and resurrection.  By placing His Spirit/power within the true saint Jesus is spiritually IN him/her while being on His throne in the northern heavens.   This is what is meant by, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  God was in Jesus of Nazareth in the form of His Spirit, which, as David said, is everywhere (Ps. 139:7-12).  True converts receive that same Holy Spirit and its power today anywhere in the world. Recall that the Holy Spirit hovered over the entire earth before the Gods (Elohim–Yahweh and Adonai) recreated the universe (Gen. 1:2).

In summary, man without the Holy Spirit is weak relative to Satan.  One can receive the Spirit only through true conversion.  The Spirit is the power of God (Lk. 1:35) residing within the saint that enables him/her to walk in obedience to God.  By having the Spirit within, then truly “Greater is He (the Spirit) that is in you than he that is in the world” (Satan).  The Spirit enters the believer at true conversion.  As Jesus said in Matthew 7:13,14, only a “few” have searched for and found His strait gate (true church) and walked His narrow (very restrictive) path that one walks following true conversion.  These are God’s true sons.  Those who continue to sin following their supposed “salvation experience” have not been converted and therefore have not received the Holy Spirit which must be obeyed from within in order to be true sons of God (Rom. 8:14).  Next: the resurrection of Christ and its meaning to true converts.  L.J.