01 May 2016
Devotionals
05/01/2016 Gabriel Madison

It’s Time for an Upgrade

A few weeks back I noticed I kept receiving notifications through seemingly every avenue alerting me to the fact I was eligible for an upgrade of my smartphone. For those of you who may not know this is a time when your contract has expired with your current phone provider and if you’d like you’re able to change cellphone companies. Knowing this, in order to retain their customers, wireless carriers like to give their customers special perks with their upgrade, in order to ensure that existing customers remain in-house. The Samsung Galaxy S7 was just days away from debut. With this deal I would receive the phone at a reduced price, a micro SD card for expandable memory, a virtual reality headset, and a $50 gift card. All of this comes with the upgrade. All of this for just $200 was a deal that I could not pass up. Besides, I was tired of my cell phone cutting off in the middle of calls, as well as not being able to enjoy many of the more modern technological benefits that come with the latest smartphones.

When I decided to upgrade I was in awe of the updated version for android. With it came new themes, apps, and security features, as well as sharper picture display and longer battery life. It took all of 2 minutes to clear all of the data off of my old phone and kiss it goodbye. Don’t worry–I don’t work for a service provider so I’m not trying to convince you to buy another gadget, but this does come to mind when I think of the fact we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the month of March, while during the month of April we studied the New Covenant and some of the blessings that come after Christ died and rose from the dead (April 2016: Blessings of the New Covenant). I left you with a teaser that in the month of May we would discuss what I consider to be the greatest blessing of them all; in any case it is certainly my personal favorite. First let’s review our definition of the new covenant.

 

New Covenant: a relationship with God made possible by faith and grace, instead of works of the law that were emphasized in the Old Testament.

 

 

What’s Better Than Jesus?

The setting for this month’s devotional picks up where Christ rose from the dead and mediated a new covenant between God and man; Christ is drawing to the conclusion of his earthly ministry, and he’s on his way back to heaven to transition to his new role as intercessor (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25). But before Jesus left earth he told the disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but rather to wait to receive the gift that was promised (Acts 1:4). Jesus was referring to the conversation he had with his disciples in the upper room just before his crucifixion (John 14:15- 17). Sitting around the Passover dinner table Jesus forewarned (yet comforted) his disciples, saying that although he was leaving them physically, he promised that they would not have to endure this world by themselves. If the disciples were anything like me they had to be wondering: what could be better than walking side by side with Jesus himself? What could be better than seeing someone heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, turn a small lunch into food for thousands, calm raging waters, and speak words of peace and comfort? We find our answer in John 14. Pay close attention or you could miss it.

 

John 14:15- 17 NLT:

“If you love me, obey my commandments. (16)And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. (17)He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.”

 

When I think of Christ rising from the dead, the word “upgrade” comes to mind. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ makes us eligible for an upgrade, and this I consider to be the greatest new covenant blessing of all. Should you choose to download this upgrade into your spirit–it is bug free and millions have already downloaded it, and given high ratings.  At this point someone is probably asking what is it? But for those of you who read the verses carefully and know your word you know where I’m going with this? Just in case you missed it we find our answer in verse 17. Jesus said, ‘right now I am with you but soon (after he rose from the dead) I’ll be in you’.

 

 

THE UPGRADE: Who was with us is now in us!

 

When Christ rose up from the dead we received a new covenant, and with it came an upgrade in relationship. I call this an upgrade, in comparison to the Holy Spirit’s role in the Old Testament. When reading the Old Testament we mostly see the Spirit coming and going. His stay with key bible characters (i.e. Samson, David, Elijah) was mostly temporary to empower them for a specific assignment (Judges 3:10). While the Spirit coming upon a person was not restricted to covenant people, it was a sign of God’s favor (1 Samuel 16:13). But when an individual either accomplished God’s task, disobeyed, or was not pleasing to God, the Spirit would depart (1 Samuel 15:19, 16:14, Psalms 51:11).

 

A New Relationship

Now that Jesus has risen from the dead and mediated a new covenant relationship between God and man, there is a permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit in all believers forever (John 14:16, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19). While it is possible to “grieve” or “quench” the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 5:19) we no longer have to live in fear that committing of sin will result in God taking his Spirit from us like it was under the old covenant (Psalms 51:11). The key benefit of the New Covenant is an upgrade in relationship with God, one in which we can never be separated from him (Romans 8:38, 39).

The new covenant is a gift that keeps on giving: with it comes numerous blessings, but this one in particular (the indwelling Holy Spirit) opens the door to grant us even further blessings; in fact, he is the channel through which all of the blessings of the new covenant flow. When speaking of the Holy Spirit Jesus provides rave reviews of his ability and power. Moreover, the rest of the New Testament is filled with benefit after benefit of this new and upgraded relationship. I’ve listed them in order of their unfolding in scripture. Take time to study each one.

 

 

Benefits of the Upgrade

 

  1. We as believers receive the ‘new birth’ by the power of the Spirit. (John 3:5–8, Titus 3:5)

Jesus emphasized that spiritual cleansing through regeneration is solely a work of the Spirit, unassisted by any human effort. Only the Spirit can produce the spiritual rebirth required for entrance into God’s kingdom. The Titus passage has brought much debate as to what it means by “renewal.” One argument says it’s the Spirit’s work in us to accomplish our salvation. Another says it speaks to spiritual development–therefore it is a constant, refining process throughout the life of the believer. For the sake of this study, I believe the Holy Spirit accomplishes both.

 

  1. He’s our comforter (KJV), advocate (NIV), helper (ESV, NASB), and counselor (WEB, NIV84). (John 14:16)

The Greek word given for the Holy Spirit in John 14:16 is parakletos. Various biblical translations attribute different names for the Holy Spirit; nonetheless, all of these traits are found in him.

 

  1. He teaches us all things and reminds us of what all Jesus has said, which assists us when the Spirit reveals to us what is to come. (John 14:26, John 16:13)

This shows the Holy Spirit’s revelation work in our lives for the past, present, and future. Pertaining to the past he reminds us of what Jesus has said, in the present he continually teaches us all things, and for the future he reveals to us what is to come.

 

  1. He fills us with peace, hope, and joy. (John 14:27, Romans 15:13, 1 Thessalonians 1:6)

Jesus left us his Spirit, which is peace, as an inheritance, yet we must still choose to receive it. The Holy Spirit is the channel by which we can partake of this divine gift. As long as his seed is cultivated in the soil of our hearts, we will receive peace and joy as fruits of the spirit. (Galatians 5:22, 23).

 

  1. He testifies of Christ. (John 15:26)

This is not a one-time work reserved strictly for salvation. The entire bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ. He is revealed throughout every passage and page of scripture. It is The Holy spirit who continues to reveal Jesus to us in new ways.

 

  1. He convicts us of sin and sanctifies us. (John 16:8, Galatians 5:16- 18)

The Holy Spirit brings forth an awareness of guilt, which in turn brings us to repentance. Furthermore this opens the door so that we may become fortunate recipients of God’s grace and mercy. This also helps us as believers to live a Godly life. This upgraded ‘moral compass’ inside of us combats habitual sin in our lives, thus sin no longer has control over us. The bible also promises that if we live by the Spirit, we will not gratify sinful desires because the Spirit of God is in direct contradiction to the sinful nature. This helps us to avoid giving in to sinful temptations.

  1. He intercedes for us. (Romans 8:26–27)

The intercession of the Holy Spirit cannot be overlooked. 1 John 5:14-15 reveals to us that the prayer that is according to the will of God is always answered. Because the Spirit only intercedes in accordance to the will of God, it means that the Spirit has a 100% success rate when it comes to him interceding for you and me.

 

  1. He helps us to understand the mind of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9- 14)

Since the bible reveals that no one knows a person’s thoughts except that person’s spirit, the Holy Spirit: which is the Spirit of God, thus reveals to us the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:11). Only through the Holy Spirit can we understand God’s wisdom.

 

  1. He gives us spiritual gifts to help edify Jesus’ church. (1 Corinthians 12:4, 11)

The spiritual gifts are given by God’s spirit, to equip us to minister to both believers and non-believers.

 

  1. He keeps the Antichrist at bay until the proper time. (2 Thessalonians 2:6- 10)

While we read that lawlessness is already at work in secret, it is the Holy Spirit who keeps the Antichrist from fully engaging in his quest for world domination. The Holy Spirit restrains the work of Satan until God determines that it’s time to bring forth the prophecies that are elaborated in the book of Revelation.

 

Upgrade Eligibility

As we prepare to celebrate Pentecost during the month of May, I wanted to make sure you understood why it is important to grow and cultivate a relationship with the Holy Spirit and take advantage of all of the benefits he provides to the believer. To find out if you’re eligible for this upgrade: you must first understand—that if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ and accepted him as Lord, you have an irreversible indwelling of the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). But unlike the disciples, you may have received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit due to salvation (John 20:22), while omitting the baptism of the Holy Spirit they received later in Acts 2:4.  If you want the fullness of the Spirit operating in your life instead of mere casual Christian living, all you need to do is desire the baptism of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37- 39), and simply ask (Luke 11:13). But as stated earlier, as a result of willful sin, this relationship can be quenched and the Spirit can be grieved, so it’s important for you to walk in obedience to God and his word. This will allow the Spirit to work without obstruction and maintain complete control of your life; or as the Bible calls it, ‘be filled with the Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18).

The power of the Holy Spirit within you is greater than Jesus beside you.

In his earthly ministry Jesus could only be one place at a time, but now he lives in the lives of every believer—he is willing to lead and guide all those who yield to him. Sometimes I jokingly refer to the Holy Spirit as Jesus 2.0! We read more than enough evidence of how the baptism of the Spirit can radically change one’s life for the greater. It turned the disciples from cowards locked in a room afraid of the world (John 20:19, 26), to men boldly declaring the gospel leading thousands to Jesus Christ (Acts 2:14, 41). In your prayer time I challenge you to pray in faith, asking God to baptize you with his Spirit; do this and your life will never be the same.