OmniScope

Tag: Christ

  • Now That You Are Born Again

    Now That You Are Born Again

    By Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
    Published by LoveWorld Publications, BLW Inc.
    Second Printing, 2003
    ISBN: 978-34658-7-2
    Copyright © 1999 LoveWorld Publications
    All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission of BLW Incorporated is prohibited.

    Publication Details

    Published by:
    LoveWorld Publications
    BLW Inc.
    Christ Embassy Int’l Office
    Suite 209-210, Estuary House
    Ballards Road, Dagenham
    RM10 9AB, United Kingdom
    P.O. Box 21520, London, E10 5FG
    Tel: +44-208-517-2367

    Nigeria:
    P.O. Box 13563, Ikeja, Lagos
    Tel: +234-1-774-0109 / 774-0243
    +234-802-332-4187-9

    USA:
    Executive Building
    7100 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 211
    College Park, Maryland 20740
    Tel: +1-301-985-9200

    Email: cec@christembassy.org

    Note: All scripture quotations in this volume are from the King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise indicated.

    Contents

    1. The Real You – 7
    2. You Are a New Creation – 11
    3. You Have the Life and Nature of God – 13
    4. You Are the Righteousness of God! – 17
    5. You Are Justified! – 19
    6. You Are Sanctified! – 21
    7. You Are Delivered! – 23
    8. God’s Spirit Abides in You! – 25
    9. What Do You Do When Wrong Thoughts Come to Your Mind? – 27
    10. What Do You Do When Old Friends Try to Discourage You? – 35
    11. What Do You Do When Persecutions and Afflictions Come? – 41
    12. The Holy Spirit and You! – 47
    13. Must You Go to Church? – 57

    Introduction

    Dearly Beloved,

    Congratulations on the free gift of eternal salvation which you received when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

    I want to share with you truths that are fundamental to the Christian life; upon which you can build a strong and vibrant life. Study this material diligently and it will yield for you an eternal harvest.

    I pray that God will give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may realize how great is the hope to which He has called you and know all that is freely given to you in Christ, Amen.

    This material will help you start off your new life in Christ Jesus. As you study it, look into your Bible and study the scriptures yourself.

    I believe that the message contained in it will change your life and help to shape your future according to the principles of God’s Word.

    God bless you richly, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

    Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
    1999

    Chapter 1: The Real You

    You are more than the body that you see. You are more than the case that houses your senses (your senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell). Inside you, there is something much more than your body. It is the spirit, and this is the real man. This inner man is the one the Bible refers to in 1 Peter 3:4: “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.”

    When a man’s body dies, his spirit lives on. He is still as much the human person he was before he died; he hasn’t lost anything except that he has lost the ability to function in the physical world. His body may be dead, but the real person, the spirit man, still has all the consciousness he had before he died.

    Jesus Christ told a story in Luke Chapter 16 about two men who died. One was a beggar named Lazarus. The point is not that he was a beggar, but that though he was poor, he had a righteous heart. When he died, he was taken to Abraham’s bosom. The second man also died. That man had been rich in this world, but in spite of the fact that he had everything in this world, he did not live a righteous life.

    Note that when he died, his body was buried on earth, but Jesus said that in hell, he lifted up his eyes and saw Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom and he recognized Lazarus. This means that he could still see. Then he called out to Abraham, “Please help me” (you see, he could still talk). Abraham spoke back to him, and he heard Abraham’s voice, implying that he could still hear. The man said that he was still thirsty, and not only was he thirsty, the place was dry. And he begged, “Please let Lazarus come and give me a drop of water to cool my thirst,” yet another point to note—he could still feel.

    All of his senses were still intact. In fact, he could remember because he said, “Please, send somebody among the dead to go to preach to my brothers.” He said he had five brothers on earth: “Maybe if someone from the grave goes to them from among the dead, they will believe.” He remembered!

    This lets you know that man’s spirit lives on. And when a man is born again, it is his human spirit that is born again. 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (KJV) says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.”

    Chapter 2: You Are a New Creation

    Now that you have given your life to Jesus Christ, you have made Him the Lord of your life. You are no longer what you used to be. You may still look the same outwardly, but inwardly you are a new person altogether. That is what the Bible says. You are not “one like a new creature,” but “a new creation”—a new species of being that never existed before (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV).

    You are not reformed, refurbished, or renovated; you are a new creation—a new person altogether. However, the fact that you are a new creation inside does not mean that outwardly, you will look different. If you had a low haircut before you were born again, the style would remain short; you will still have the same job, family, and neighbors. The point, however, is that now your values have changed; you have a new set of values because you are a new person on the inside.

    Chapter 3: You Have the Life and Nature of God!

    Being born again, God has given you the power to become His child (John 1:12). The nature of God has been imparted to your human spirit. You now have a new life: the life of God that Jesus Christ made available to everyone who believes in Him. What a privilege! You are therefore a partaker of God’s nature (2 Peter 1:3-4).

    God is now your Father! How? Nature is reproduced by birth; that is why a dog will always give birth to a dog. And John 1:12-13 says, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

    He has parental instincts towards you. You are a member of the Household of God, and therefore a citizen of Heaven where God dwells. God is responsible for you. He will supply all your needs according to His inexhaustible riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). He has a good plan for your life, which was set in motion the moment you were born again. You are a love child of a love God, and you have been born into a love family. This is very important. He gave you this new life to become a member of His Kingdom.

    The Bible declares that God has given you eternal life. This is the life that is inside God, which makes it possible for Him to be Who He is. This is the God-kind of life. This life made it impossible for the grave to hold Jesus Christ. This is Resurrection life! And this life is now in you.

    “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:11-13).

    It is only the one who has the Son that has this life, because this life is actually contained in the Son of God. When you received Him, you received the life.

    This life makes it impossible for you to be defeated by any situation. It always puts you above. Just think! It is impossible for God to be destroyed or defeated. Now you have His life: you cannot be destroyed or defeated because that same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in you (Romans 8:11).

    Chapter 4: You Are the Righteousness of God!

    2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

    Imagine God performing what may be called a nature-transplant. He made Jesus to be sin for us, so that we could be made the righteousness of God in Him.

    This is what made it possible for Jesus to die a sinner’s death in your place. The result is that you can now stand before God without any sense of guilt, fear, or inferiority (Hebrews 10:19, Romans 5:1).

    Chapter 5: You Are Justified!

    What does it mean to be justified? It means to be declared not guilty. As far as God is concerned, you are not guilty of any offense. The Bible says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). You have been justified.

    Jesus took the punishment for your sins when He died on the cross, though He was not guilty of any sin (1 Peter 2:22). God is no longer holding your sins against you. The Bible says, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19).

    Chapter 6: You Are Sanctified!

    Let’s imagine for one moment that you fell into a ditch, got very dirty, and someone came along and rescued you—that is, “got you out of the ditch.” The next thing you’d have to do is get yourself all cleaned up. In other words, “get the ditch out of you,” and that takes time and effort.

    1 Corinthians 6:11 says, “…but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

    Sanctification is in two phases: first, God gets you out of the ditch, which means you are born again and immediately, the Bible declares you sanctified—set apart from the world unto God. Then you must get the ditch out of you by subjecting your mind to a cleansing (renewal) process through the Word of God (Romans 12:2).

    The renewal of your mind is a continuous process. Your mind was trained to think in one way: to see things physically before believing. Now, by renewing your mind, you allow your mind to see things God’s way. You re-train your mind to see things from God’s perspective. Then you’ll speak God’s words, follow God’s ways, and get the results that He gets from His Word.

    Chapter 7: You Are Delivered!

    “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Colossians 1:12-13).

    From the moment you gave your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, you became a member of God’s Kingdom. In other words, no demon hatched out of hell can harm you. You are free from any covenant you ever entered into, knowingly or unknowingly. You are free from every habit, sin, sickness, or disease that ever held you bound. Why? Because you have been delivered from the powers of darkness.

    The Bible says that God has delivered you out of the control and dominion of darkness and has translated you into His kingdom. You never have to be afraid again. God is your Shepherd, and His eyes of protection will always be upon you (Psalm 23:1).

    The Bible says: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). God has delivered you into His Kingdom, which is where you are now. It is where you belong. You have already been (note: this is past tense) delivered from the power of darkness.

    Chapter 8: God’s Spirit Abides in You!

    Another great part of this new life is that the Spirit of God comes to dwell in you. When the Spirit of God takes up His abode in you, He enlightens you on the Word of God and gives you new understanding of the Word.

    So when you study the Bible, you have a new understanding in your own spirit; it becomes applicable to your life.

    Another thing the Holy Spirit does is to remind you of God’s Word (John 14:26). In addition, He gives you the power to be an effective witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

    Chapter 9: What Do You Do When Wrong Thoughts Come to Your Mind?

    Being born again does not stop you from being tempted, but you must not yield to temptation. The Bible teaches that anytime we are tested, God always opens a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). So when wrong thoughts come to your mind, you must:

    (1) Remember That You Are a New Creation

    These thoughts come to you as an outside force, a form of temptation from the devil. You do not manufacture them in your mind, especially now that you are born again. The Bible says that we (born-again believers) have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). You must remember who you are now—a new creation! God always wants us to remember that we are new creations and that He has given us new life. This new life is what you have to believe in.

    (2) Walk in Obedience

    Obey God! Let’s suppose that the thought of a bad habit comes to you. The pressure is so much on you to do that wrong thing; you might even go as far as the beginning stages of the wrong deed. But right there, when you remember that you are born again—a new person—you suddenly have the courage and boldness to shrug it off. Obey God! You see, being born again does not mean that wrong thoughts do not come to you, but the point is you should not allow them to take hold of you. Refuse them! Someone has rightly said, “You can’t stop birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from building a nest there.”

    You may not be able to stop these thoughts from coming to you because they are an outside force, but you can stop them from lodging within you. Don’t let the wrong thoughts lodge with you; don’t let them gain dominion or mastery over you. You can stop them by thinking on the right things instead (Philippians 4:8).

    Suppose you were a stage artist or performer and you were to play the role of a woman, though you are actually a man. You would put on a woman’s dress and wig, perform and talk like a woman, but you do not forget that you are a man at the end of the act. You get off the stage, go back to the dressing room, change, and walk down the street. When you set out to work on Monday morning, you don’t forget that you are really a man. You talk like one and live like one. It would be ridiculous for you to go back to work and talk like a woman, behaving the way you were acting onstage the other night. The same thing applies to you now. You acted the wrong way before you were born again, but now you have a new life; the new life is the one you are supposed to live now. You have been playing the role of a woman for a long time and sometimes you forget your lines; but then you remember again that you are really a man, and you correct yourself. You wise up and say, “Oh, I’m not a woman, I’m on stage, I’ve got to be real.”

    That is the way you should stop a bad habit. Say, “Look, I’m born again! That’s my real nature.” No matter the habit: when you remember (and you will remember), STOP! Say to yourself, “I’m born again!” Stop it right there! Do not let the cycle go on, and don’t be ashamed to tell anyone involved in it with you, “Oh, I’m sorry, I can’t do this because I’m born again.” Get rid of bad habits by replacing them with good ones. Do this deliberately. Find out godly character traits from the Word of God and train yourself in them through practice.

    (3) Be a Doer, Act the Word

    God does not want us to be hearers only but doers of the Word: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was” (James 1:22-25).

    You become a doer of the Word when you remember the Word and act accordingly. And you will always remember it. That is one of the things the Holy Spirit does in us. Jesus said, “He will remind you of the things that I taught you” (John 14:26). Thank God the Holy Spirit is right here; He helps us remember the Word! And when you remember, you must act on it. Don’t be troubled about remembering; the Holy Spirit will bring it to your remembrance. But you must always be ready to obey Him when He brings these truths to your mind.

    (4) Remember That Sin Shall Not Have Dominion Over You

    You must remember one thing: these thoughts do not have the power to gain mastery over you unless you allow them. “For sin shall not have dominion over you…” (Romans 6:14). Sin shall not gain lordship over you; it will not have the upper hand because you are not under the law but under grace. That is what the Bible says about you.

    God has delivered you from the powers of sin and of darkness and delivered you into His kingdom: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Colossians 1:12-13).

    That is where you are now that you are born again. That is why the powers of darkness cannot have dominion over you. Because they are in the realm of sin, you are in the realm of God’s life, which supersedes sin; so you see, they cannot have dominion over you.

    Colossians 1:14 says, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” In Christ Jesus, we have redemption; this is our present-day possession (Ephesians 2:5-6). We are not trying to have it; we have it now. We must retain this consciousness of the Word of God and rejoice in it.

    Chapter 10: What Do You Do When Old Friends Try to Discourage You?

    Now that you are born again, you belong to a new family. You don’t belong to your old family anymore. This does not mean you must completely abandon those old friends and acquaintances or reject them. But you have to be a light to them. They are still in the dark because they do not have Jesus Christ in their hearts. You must remember that you have become the light of God to them, so share with them to follow Jesus.

    When these people try to discourage you, what are you supposed to do? The Bible says that in the last days there will come scoffers who will do every wrong they can think of and laugh at the truth (2 Peter 3:3-4).

    Scoffers are those who try to discourage you and take you back to the old life, but you must refuse to be moved by them. Refuse to allow their attitude to stand in the way of your fellowship with Christ. Refuse to be “unequally yoked” with them. Don’t accept their counsel. Instead, maintain your stand for God and His Word.

    Unequal Yoking

    In the early days of mechanized farming, the farmer would yoke two animals—for example, two donkeys or two oxen—and attach them to a plow, and the two animals would plow the ground as they moved together. Because they were yoked together, the two animals had to move in the same direction; wherever the first one went, the second went too. The farmer directed them, and they had to go in the same direction as long as they were under the same yoke.

    Now, if both of them were donkeys, it was called an “equal yoke,” but if one was a donkey and the other was an ox, it was called an “unequal yoke” (because they were not of the same kind). If we are to be yoked together with anyone, it must be an “equal yoking”—that is, a Christian and a Christian walking together in companionship. But if a Christian and a non-Christian are in companionship together, they are unequally yoked. And God is saying: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).

    So you see, if you and a non-believer are in companionship, living the same life, then you are in an unequal yoke, and this is wrong. God does not want you to be in an unequal yoke, but to be equally yoked with other Christians, doing the same things. Non-believers cannot be your best friends. No matter how moral a person is, as long as he is not born again, he cannot be your best friend.

    It is impossible and unacceptable before God because it is an unequal yoking. Your assessment of an individual can never measure up with God’s assessment. Once, God sent Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons as King of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13). When Samuel saw the first son of Jesse, Eliab, Samuel said, “Surely this must be the Lord’s anointed before Him” because he was huge, tall, and handsome. But God spoke to the prophet and said, “Don’t anoint him, because I have rejected him.” He said, “For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart”—the inward man. So your assessment of an individual is, at the most, based on the outward appearance: what he says, how he looks; you can have all of those kinds of opinions about him, but you see, God looks at the inward appearance.

    One who is not born again does not have the right spirit with God. The only way by which one can be right with God is to be born again. This is the only time the person qualifies to be your best friend. Until he is born again, he cannot be your best friend; he does not qualify by God’s standard, to be sure. Now that you are born again, your desire should be to please God, so you must not use your own standards. This is very important.

    Keep your heart on God’s own, and He’ll see you through (1 Corinthians 10:13).

    Chapter 11: What Do You Do When Persecutions and Afflictions Come?

    In Mark 4:1-9, Jesus told us about the parable of the sower. The man went to sow his seeds, and some fell on stony ground, some on hard ground, some among thorns, and others on good ground. In verses 16-17, the Bible says, “And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, they are offended.”

    He is talking about those people who have no root in themselves and so endure affliction only for a time. He says that although these people eagerly accept the Word, when afflictions or persecutions arise for the Word’s sake, they are offended; this has happened to several people. What Jesus is saying here is that there are many people who really do not have a deep love for Him. They are excited about the Word of God because of the promises of eternal life, happiness, and answered prayers. But they don’t really have a deep love for God. So when persecutions come, they give up. This is sad! When persecutions and afflictions come, follow the Word:

    (1) You Must Have Deep Love for God

    God wants you to have a deep, strong love for Him. Love can increase or decrease. The more you think about Him, listen to His words, and have fellowship with Him in prayers, the greater love you will have for Him, because love increases with acquaintance. The more acquainted you are with God, the more you love Him; the more you listen to His Word, the more you love and discover Him, and then the more of Him you receive. And when you have this strong love for Him, the Word of God becomes rooted in your heart. So that when you are faced with any situation, you know God’s position concerning it, and you promptly declare God’s stand about it.

    The Bible says that life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:20-21). And also, that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34-35, 37). When you fill your heart with God’s Word, no matter the situation, you will see things God’s way and speak the same. And it will come to pass!

    (2) Don’t Give Up!

    You must not give up when problems arise! Being born again does not mean that problems will not come, neither does it mean that there will be no trials. What it simply means is that in the face of all difficulties, in the presence of all problems, God will take you through. As in Psalm 23:5: “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…” You may be right in the presence of your enemies, but they cannot destroy you; the persecution cannot destroy your life.

    God doesn’t want you to give up. You must stand strong! No matter how hard or difficult it seems, never give up! God will bring you through; don’t be discouraged; remain faithful to God, and He will never disappoint you nor forsake you. You will win in every circumstance of life because they become subject to you. Isaiah 43:2 says when you go through the waters, it will not overflow you, and when you go through the fire, it will not burn you. When you follow Jesus Christ, serve Him with all your heart, follow Him no matter the challenges.

    “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).

    “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

    You see, God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, so we can’t be losers. Study carefully 1 John 5:4; it talks about the victory that overcomes this world, which is our faith. Live by faith; you are an overcomer; you are not a loser; you were born an overcomer because you are born of God, the offspring of God, born of God’s Spirit.

    Chapter 12: The Holy Spirit and You

    “To be born again is to be born of the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 12:13, John 3:5-8). The Holy Spirit becomes an integral part of your life, so you need to understand who He is and recognize His work in your life. You must understand what He has to offer so that you can enjoy the abundant life that is available in Christ and receive the gifts (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) and power (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-8) available to you through Him.

    Who Is the Holy Spirit?

    In different parts of the Bible, we find mention of the Holy Spirit:

    • In the Old Testament, we see Him impart power and ability to do extraordinary things (Judges 14:6, 19).
    • In the New Testament, we see Him even more prominent in the birth, ministry, and life of Jesus (Luke 4:18). The Holy Spirit is also seen in Acts 2:1-4 in operation in the lives of the disciples of Jesus. He is God. He is a Divine Person and He is the third Person of the Trinity (John 14:16-17, John 15:26).
    • He has been in existence before time (Genesis 1:2).
    • He is the expression of God’s power. In other words, He is the part of God that accomplishes whatever words the Father speaks (Genesis 1).
    • And He is the Spirit of Love, Power, and Sound Mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
    • He is the Spirit of Liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).

    What the Holy Spirit Is Not

    It is also worthy of note that the Holy Spirit is NOT a force, wind, oil, or a dove, though from scripture we see Him symbolized as such. He is not “tongues,” though He gives the utterance to speak. He is not “power,” but He brings to us the power of God. He is not the Spirit of bondage to fear (Romans 8:15), but of liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).

    Why We Need the Holy Spirit

    The Holy Spirit gives us divine power (Acts 1:8). This word “power,” translated from the Greek word “Dunamis,” actually means “the dynamic ability to cause changes.” When the Holy Spirit comes to live in us, He gives us the ability to change things in our lives and in the lives of others.

    • He gives us boldness to preach the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18).
    • He guides and directs us (John 16:13, Romans 8:14).
    • He comforts us (John 14:18, Acts 9:31).
    • He instructs and teaches us (John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 2:11-12).
    • He walks with us and becomes a part of our daily lives (John 14:17).
    • He bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God, and therefore partakers of His riches in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:16; Ephesians 1:13-14).
    • He gives us the freedom to approach God in love (Romans 8:15, 2 Corinthians 3:17; 2 Timothy 1:7).

    You Can Have a Relationship with the Holy Spirit

    In John 14:17, Jesus says, “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.”

    To have a relationship with Him is to recognize His presence and acknowledge His ministry in your life. You must therefore spend time in His presence, communing with Him and getting to know Him as a friend. You can have this relationship by spending time praying, studying the Word, and obeying the prompting and bidding of the Holy Spirit.

    When you are born again, you are baptized into the Spirit of God. To be baptized means to be immersed inside completely. For example, you can take a rubber ball and immerse it into a large tub of water in such a way that the ball is totally covered by the water. This is what happens when you are born again: you are immersed like that ball into the Holy Spirit. But you know it is one thing for the ball to be covered by the water and a different thing for the ball to be filled with the water and also covered. For the ball to be filled, there must be a way for the water to enter into it. In other words, the material of the ball must permit the water to flow into it. In the same way, when you are born again, you must receive the Holy Spirit into you and be filled with Him.

    Again, being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a singular experience that occurs once in a lifetime. Rather, it is a continuous daily experience (Ephesians 5:18). This relates to your consciousness of His presence and constant acknowledgment of His ministry in your life. You can be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit as you grow in your fellowship with Him through praise, prayers, study of the Word, and consistently adhering to His instructions and prompting. This way, you can be led by the Spirit of God.

    Speaking in Other Tongues

    As I mentioned before, the Holy Spirit gives to God’s children the utterance to speak in other tongues. One of the signs which the Lord said would follow the believers is that they should speak with new tongues (Mark 16:17).

    This is a spiritual and supernatural ability by which the believer communicates directly with God from his spirit, and it is imparted to you as a gift by the Holy Spirit. Speaking in other tongues is sometimes referred to as “praying in the Spirit.” When we speak in other tongues, we speak directly to God (1 Corinthians 14:4), and our spirits are edified or built up (Jude 20). Our spirits are also energized and refreshed (Isaiah 40:31).

    Once you receive the Holy Spirit, you can speak in tongues anytime you choose. He doesn’t speak through you, but He gives you the ability to speak. So you can go ahead and talk to the Lord in tongues when you desire to.

    When you begin to speak in other tongues, you will become more fluent as you continue in practice. It is just like a little child who just speaks his first few words. The more he practices speaking, the more fluent he gets. This is the same with speaking in tongues. It is a new language, and although you did not need to learn it, you become more fluent as you continue to speak. And as you speak in tongues often, it will enhance your spiritual development and lead you into other gifts and manifestations of the Spirit of God.

    Chapter 13: Must You Go to Church?

    In Matthew 16:18, Jesus spoke of His Church, which represents His body on earth (1 Corinthians 12:5-14).

    “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many” (1 Corinthians 12:12-14).

    We are the body, and Christ is the head. All Christians (born again) are members of His body and of one another (1 Corinthians 12:27). And just as different parts of the human body cannot function in isolation, the different members of the body of Christ cannot function effectively on their own. This is because God gave different gifts and callings to members of the Church so that the whole Church may benefit (1 Corinthians 12:18-24; Ephesians 4:11-12).

    Attending Church is therefore in obedience to God’s will and enables us to bless and edify each other with different gifts of God—miracles, healing, prophecy, etc. You are able to obtain a better understanding of the Word that is taught, hear testimonies, and witness miracles. Praying and worshiping God together brings on a “corporate anointing” of the Holy Spirit, ministering to each member of the congregation in a specific manner (Hebrews 10:25; Acts 1:14; Psalm 133:1-2).

    Walking in the Word on your own is an uphill task when you are not attending a “Spirit-filled” Church; but participating fully in such a Church enables you to find out more about the Church and her members. You are also able to develop your spirit (the inner man) to maturity. This makes your walk in the Word easier and more productive.

    As a Christian, you must identify with a local assembly, a Church you can call your own and participate in its activities. Otherwise, you’ll deprive yourself of a lot of God’s blessings and will be walking out of line with the Word.

    Now that you are born again, walk in the consciousness of who you are.

    Growing Up

    The Bible says that as you hear God’s Word, faith comes to you. I recommend the following messages for your spiritual development. These messages are designed to show you how to be fruitful and productive and cause faith to rise in your heart to do just that. Get yours today and see a transformation in your life:

    1. Now That You Are Born Again (1 tape)
    2. Explaining Christianity (1 tape)
    3. Growing Up in the Word (1 tape)
    4. Growing to Maturity
    5. Building Your Spirit (1 tape)
    6. Being Filled with the Spirit (1 tape)
    7. Victory in the Word (1 tape)
    8. The New Birth Series (12 tapes)

    For additional information about the ministry and materials by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, please contact:
    Christ Embassy (a.k.a. Believers’ LoveWorld Inc.)
    P.O. Box 21520, London E10 5FG, United Kingdom
    Tel/Fax: +44-0181-670-6845
    Email: christembassy-int@lineone.net

    OR
    P.O. Box 13563, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
    Tel: +234-01-774-0109, +234-01-774-0243
    Fax: +234-01-493-4392
    Email: storeadmin@loveworldmail.org
    Website: http://www.christembassyonline-store.org

    About the Author

    Through an anointed ministry spanning more than 30 years, pastor, teacher, healing minister, television host, and bestselling author Chris Oyakhilome, PhD, has helped millions experience a victorious and purposeful life in God’s Word. He is the author of several bestsellers, including None of These Diseases and Rhapsody of Realities, which he co-authors with his wife, Pastor Anita. His teachings are also available in all audio and video formats.

    Presiding over an ever-widening network of Christ Embassy Churches and campus fellowships on five continents, Rev. Chris also pastors one of the largest congregations in Africa. He holds massive teaching and healing crusades with crowds of over 3.5 million in a single night’s event. The scope of his television ministry extends throughout the world with several LoveWorld satellite television networks from Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Kingdom delivering qualitative and life-changing Christian programming to a global audience. He is also the host of Atmosphere for Miracles, a program on major television networks around the world that brings God’s divine presence right into your home.

    Pastor Chris is the founder of the world-renowned Healing School, a ministry that manifests the healing works of Jesus Christ and has helped many receive healings and miracles through the operation of the gifts of the Spirit.

    LoveWorld Publishing
    http://www.christembassy.org