Encourage Someone Today
HOME
In the Holy Spirit Series
—Part 2 

 

How the Holy Spirit Is Preparing
a People to Inherit the Kingdom
with the Lord Jesus

...a Scriptural Study


Ed Corley

YEARS AGO REVELATION 5:9,10 took my attention. Its straightforward interpretation indicates there will be a representative in Christ's earthly Kingdom from every family, language, culture, and nation. Look at the passage as it appears in the King James Version. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

There's a lot in this passage we need to discuss, but for the present let's just take note of one thing. From all over the world, souls are being redeemed and drawn into the Kingdom of God to reign with Christ on the earth.

Our question is, what are the preparations necessary for these souls to reign with Christ? They are the same that were necessary for Him.

It was the Holy Spirit's business to prepare the Lord Jesus. As the vital Life Force of the Kingdom, He has worked with God from the eternities, but His work became most evident in the life and ministry of Jesus. Now, He is equipping us, who have been redeemed, for our Kingdom calling. In our weakness He is releasing His strength as He makes manifest in us the work finished by the Lord Jesus.

In this article we can do little more than present an outline of truth regarding all this. We will find what the Prophet Isaiah said about the Holy Spirit, what the Lord Jesus said about Him, and what the Apostle Paul said about Him. We want to see what He will do in order to complete His work for this age as He takes us into the Kingdom.

Mark in your Bible all the passages at which we shall look. Study them with the verses around them. Memorize them. Meditate on them. They will become an energizing influence in you as YOU are being made ready for the open manifestation of God's Kingdom.

FIRST WE WILL DELVE into the understanding that came to Isaiah regarding the Holy Spirit. He saw that He would be connected with the life and ministry of Jesus to Whom this passage makes reference. The New Testament calls Jesus the Son of David, who was the offspring of Jesse.

Isaiah 11
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots; (This is prophetic language describing the Lord Jesus Christ).
 2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, (Thus, the Holy Spirit would equip Him for His three-fold ministry of Prophet, King and Priest in the Kingdom of God. These are the three offices of the Old Covenant in which anointing with oil was used in the installation ceremonies, all foreshadowing the anointing of the Lord Jesus. Note the three-fold anointing.)
(1) the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, (This is the prophetic anointing. It brings the release of "intelligent skill" and "discreet discernment." For a Prophet these can only find release from inside the person, surpassing the judgment that arises from outward observance and acquired knowledge.)
(2) the Spirit of counsel and might (This is the kingly anointing. It releases "the deliberation of wisdom" and "valiant courage" that lead to kingly acts. Again, these can only arise from within enabling one to reign in life even in the midst of adversity.)
(3) the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; (This is the priestly anointing. It brings with it "the supernatural and unlearned knowing" of a matter along with "deep reverence and respect" for the Lord God and His high purposes. The Lord Jesus, as the Great High Priest in God's Kingdom, has His adornment within, not in robes and regalia which are outward.)


THE NEXT TWO VERSES in Isaiah 11 reveal seven marks of character the anointing brings upon the Anointed One. These are the distinguishing characteristics that would enable Him to make His Government firm in the earth. The same marks will come upon those who participate with Him in His Kingdom. (Consider these passages all of which point to the people who will rule with Christ in the earth. Ps 149:5-9; Dan 7:18, 22,25-27; I Thes 3:13; Jude 14,15; Rev 2:26; Rev 3:21.) Thus, we find what the anointing will produce in those who are under preparation for that day when Christ's dominion spreads throughout the world. Ephesians, to which we often look, is the most finely tuned word to the saints who will rule with Christ.

Isaiah 11
3 (1) And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD (literally "His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord"):
(2) and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes,
(3) neither reprove ("make decisions") after the hearing of His ears...
4 (4) But with righteousness shall He judge ("obtain justice for") the poor ("those made weak by poverty"),
(5) and reprove ("make decisions") with equity ("integrity and justice") for the meek of the earth:
(6) and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth,
(7) and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. (From these last two marks we take note that the great weapon both of offense and defense comes from the mouth and lips of the Anointed.)

The three-fold anointing upon the Lord Jesus, through which God's Kingdom is becoming strong in the earth, began to be manifest in His earthly ministry. The anointing continues now as it brings His finished work over upon us to reach through us into all the earth. The anointing will come in its full manifestation when He appears again as King. Then His body, the church, will receive release from the bondage of corruption that has hindered it. As the time of His coming draws nearer, the anointing upon His body is increasing.

IN THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE, Isaiah lays out more fine details about the work of the Holy Spirit. We find in this passage the seven-fold purpose of the anointing. In perceiving this, we can better understand what the Holy Spirit desires to accomplish in our own lives now.

Isaiah 61:1-3
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because
• the LORD hath anointed me
(1) to preach good tidings unto the meek; (This is for bringing good news to those who are broken in Spirit.)
• he hath sent me
(2) to bind up the brokenhearted, (This is for bringing healing to those wounded in their inner man.)
(3) to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; (This is like the freeing of a bird caught in a trap, or the liberation of a prisoner who has been long bound in a dark dungeon, and whose eyes have grown blind because they have been so long without light.)
(4) to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; (This it for the proclamation of those who have prophetic understanding of the times who know what the people of God ought to do.)
(5) to comfort all that mourn; (This is for helping those who grieve, both over their own burden of sin and over the deplorable condition around them. Repentance is sometimes so painful to the soul there must come a comfort born of the Holy Spirit. This is one place where the value of the joinings one with another in the body of Christ becomes apparent.)
(6) to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, (This is for the placement in the Kingdom of God of those who are sufficiently broken in their spirits to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, and thus made Useful in the Kingdom.)
(7) to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; (This is for the ministry of restoration. Those who have themselves been restored can thus become better ministers of restoration.)
• that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, (The following passages give hope and instruction to those who are called trees of righteousness: Ps 1:1-3; Jer 17:7, 8 and Matt 7:15-20.)
• that He might be glorified. (This is the bottom line.) As you spend time with the preceding passages, the insight and understanding they impart will increase in you. And, the amazing work of the Holy Spirit to which they point can become more and more apparent in you.


NOW WE SEE THE NINE-FOLD PROMISE of the Lord Jesus regarding the Holy Spirit Whom He said would come upon the disciples after His departure. Jesus promised He would come as:

  1. THE ABIDING COMFORTER--The Lord Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would take His place and would remain forever with His followers. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever--John 14:16.
    This Comforter that Jesus promised will remain through all the trials and afflictions of life for every believer. The word Comforter is from the Greek parákletos, meaning "one who is called alongside" to give cheerful encouragement to one undergoing affliction. The word sometimes has the meaning of an "advocate." As such, He is the one who pleads our cause before the Father by making intercession for us, and, as well, takes our case before the world to vindicate us in the eyes of unbelievers.
  2. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH--Jesus told how the One Who would come, although Himself the essence of truth, would not be perceived as such by the world. Even the Spirit of truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you--John 14:17.
    While the world cannot perceive, or receive, the truth of the Holy Spirit, His presence with believers will not diminish. Instead, we might well understand that, as the world increases in its rejection of Him, all true believers will only know Him and His truth the better.
  3. THE GREAT TEACHER--Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be our great Teacher, releasing truth into the inner parts of us. But the Comforter, Which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things... John 14:26a.
    Here is the marvel of the Spirit's teaching ability: whereas other teachers can only present truth to our minds, He can release it within our minds.
  4. THE REMINDER--He will call our attention to what He, the Lord Jesus, has taught us. He shall... bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you--John 14:26b.
    There is no Truth relative to the Lord Jesus that the Holy Spirit will not bring to us. He will even work in our minds causing us to remember what the Lord Jesus has taught. What a powerful ministry this will be as the end of the age comes on and all the forces of hell work to take from us from Jesus and from what He has taught us!
  5. THE WITNESS--Jesus promised one of the main purposes of the Holy Spirit would be to point to Him, the Son of God. But when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, Which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me--John 15:26.
         The wonderful thing is this: when believers become more and more taken with the Holy Spirit, their acknowledgment of the Lord Jesus only increases. This is because it is the Spirit's mission in the world to testify of Him.
  6. THE CONVICTER--Jesus told that when the promised Spirit from God would come, He would impact the world with conviction. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment--John 16:8.
    Reprove is from a Greek word meaning to bring convincing and convicting proof to one, even to the point of shame, if necessary. Thus, the Holy Spirit in His unrestrained and open movement will lay bare the sins of the world and convince sinners of the way of righteousness and of the judgment to come. What an awesome work! We will see an increase of this conviction as the time of the end comes on.
  7. THE ONE WHO REVEALS THE HEART OF GOD--Jesus told how, as He guides us into all truth, the Holy Spirit will bring revelation that proceeds not from Himself, but from God Himself. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak:... John 16:13a.
    The Holy Spirit becomes the great link with our Father in heaven. Ever listening to hear His heart's desire, the Spirit brings to us what is in the mind and will of the Father.
  8. THE REVEALER OF THE FUTURE--... and He will show you things to come--John 16:13b.
    It is apparent what the Spirit shows to us comes from the Father Who is Omniscient, the All Knowing One. Thus, there is no revelation of truth pertaining to the past, present, or future necessary for us to know that the Holy Spirit will not bring to us--if our ears are but attuned to hear.
  9. THE TRANSMITTER WHO GLORIFIES JESUS--The great mission of the Holy Spirit to us is to receive of the things belonging to the Lord Jesus, bring them unto us, and, thus, glorify Him. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you--John 16:14,15.
         Show is from the Greek anangéllo which means to have been with someone and then bring back news from them. Thus, the Holy Spirit, having been with the Father, brings to us news regarding His Kingdom. He makes clear to us where the Lord Jesus is, what He is now doing, and what is His concern for us. Much of what Paul laid Out in his Epistles is the unfolding of this insight from the Holy Spirit.

IN ROMANS 8 PAUL lays out NINE POWERFUL WORKS the Holy Spirit will accomplish in us. These will come upon us as we see our own inability to accomplish the work of God's Kingdom through the power of our flesh.

  1. THE DIVINE ENABLER--The Holy Spirit will enable us to live above the condemnation of the Law. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit…God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit--Romans 8:1,3b, 4.
    This is the hope of all of us who have placed trust in the Redemption effected for us by the Lord Jesus. Instead of a legal standard imposed from without, the Holy Spirit enables us, and causes us, to walk in the true righteousness to which the Law of God points.
  2. THE LIFE-GIVER--God's Spirit will give renewed life to our bodies that, otherwise, are always pulled toward death. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken ("give life to") your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you--Romans 8:11.
    When physical weakness besets us in the accomplishment of God's will, the Holy Spirit is ready to energize us for what God wants. We soon come to know that His strength is made perfect in weakness. When we are hindered by physical, moral, mental, emotional, or spiritual weakness, He becomes the Overcoming Strength within us.
  3. THE ONE WITHIN US WHO CONQUERS OUR CARNALITY--The Holy Spirit will help us overcome the activities of the flesh which lead to spiritual and physical death. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live--Romans 8:13.
    The greatest opposition to the work of the Holy Spirit comes from our own flesh. The desires, drives, and demands of our carnal man withstand Him and pull us toward death, but He enables us to bring these under check as we live out of the resources of His Kingdom.
  4. THE GOVERNING FORCE OF OUR LIVES--The Holy Spirit will bring God's Government over into our lives so we can walk as sons of God. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God--Romans 8:14.
    Being a son of God is that powerful quality of life the Holy Spirit releases within us when we give the government of our lives over to Him. In the Greek New Testament, the word for son, huíos, appears here without the definite article ho ("the"). This makes it a qualitative word. Thus, we see it is the quality of being a son that the Holy Spirit works into us.
  5. THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION--The Holy Spirit will make real to us our placement in the household of God so we can know God intimately as sons. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father--Romans 8:15.
    Adoption     is from the Greek huiothésia. It means "placement as a mature son" in a household, ready to receive the family inheritance. This intimacy with the Father brings us to the place where there is no barrier of communication or feeling on our part, and no restraint on His part to release His Kingdom's treasures to us.
  6. THE ONE WHO BEARS WITNESS WITH OUR SPIRIT--The Holy Spirit will bear witness within us to confirm our relationship with God. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God--Romans 8:16.
    While the world works to confuse us in our relationship with God, the Holy Spirit continually confirms with us that we are in the household of God where we are warmly regarded as His Own.
  7. THE INSTIGATOR OF OUR TRAVAIL--God's Spirit will release in us the longing for our full redemption. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body--Romans 8:23.
    The Holy Spirit, coming from the heart of God, knows what is God's high will for us. Thus, He causes us to long after, like in the travails of birth, the greater manifestation of the Divine Life God desires to release in us--and that will become ours upon the return of the Lord Jesus.
  8. THE HELPER OF OUR INFIRMITIES--The Holy Spirit will come within us to help us overcome our weaknesses, especially our weakness in praying. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities … for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered--Romans 8:26.
    Seeing that we are beset with all kinds of weakness, the Holy Spirit comes within us to stand with us against these weaknesses. Our spiritual, moral, mental, emotional, and volitional weaknesses often rise to hinder our walk in the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit is ready to help at each point. Perhaps our greatest weakness is in praying. Here, the Holy Spirit works from within enabling us to pray regardless of whatever situation or demand may come upon us. What a powerful ministry He has in us!
  9. THE ONE WHO INTERCEDES FOR US SO WE CAN COME INTO WHAT GOD WANTS FOR US--God's Spirit will come within and help us pray, both for ourselves and for others, according to the will of God. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God--Romans 8:27.
    It is this intercession that will release us unto the full and perfect will of God. Thus, He will bring to pass in us and through us God's great desire for us.

 

© Berean Ministries

 

Visit Us at http://www.maschil.com