The Gifts of Jesus Christ
Pentecost: The Holy Spirit Has Come
Acts 2
1 At the beginning of the Jewish Pentecost festival, all those who belonged to Jesus were together again.
2 Suddenly, there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Before I explain the Holy Spirit, I would like to first clarify who Jesus Christ and God Himself are. I will summarize this briefly:
God encounters people in various ways and forms. This is similar to water, which can exist in different forms: as ice, steam, liquid, snow, or fog. Despite these different appearances, it remains water. Likewise, God reveals Himself to people in various ways. In the Bible, the focus is mainly on God Himself, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
These forms of appearance existed even before there were people. Jesus Christ is symbolically referred to in the Bible as „the Son of God.“ This designation helps to clarify the relationship between Jesus and God. Jesus Christ is the human manifestation of God. He became man and is referred to as King, as „Christ“ (Greek) and „Messiah“ (Hebrew) mean the same thing. Jesus Christ is both God and man and has never violated God’s justice. This justice was formulated in the Torah.
No Religion Can Save!
Before the arrival and crucifixion of Jesus, the relationship between God and man was similar to that in other religions: Man was expected to do something to appease God. However, everything that people did through religious ceremonies or good deeds was never enough. Why? Because God is just, and nothing unjust can exist in His presence. Good deeds alone cannot outweigh bad deeds. Many people believe that by doing good deeds, attending church, or living in the Christian tradition, they are Christians, but that is not sufficient. No religion can save, and this includes the Christian religion.
God Loves People and Wants to Save Them from Sin.
God loves people and wants to save them from sin (the separation from God). Therefore, someone had to atone on behalf of others to restore justice between people and God. This atonement could only be accomplished by God Himself. God cannot accept anything unjust, and yet He loves every person. It is incomprehensible that God allowed Himself to be punished for injustice through execution and torture. This love is immeasurably great. God loves you so much that He allowed Himself to be brutally executed on the cross for you.
Injustice Must Be Atoned For.
The crucifixion is one of the worst methods of execution that exists. Injustice must be atoned for, and the atonement for injustice is eternal death, the eternal separation from God. In the Bible, we find clear descriptions of what this eternal separation means, which occurs after the failure of our biological bodies. From birth, all people are separated from God, which is referred to as sin. No person is born righteous because injustice is inherited through the genes of the parents. Jesus Christ, who is God, came to earth and left His glory (heaven) to live and save as a righteous man. That is why Jesus Christ is also referred to as the Savior. The old term „Heiland“ means nothing other than Savior.
A Person Becomes a Christian When They Consciously Accept the Repentance of Jesus Christ.
All born-again Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit and receive special spiritual gifts and abilities. These gifts are expressions of the relationship with God and help believers live and share their faith. A person who consciously accepts the repentance of Jesus Christ will have their injustice forgiven—both the injustices they have committed and those they will commit. Jesus Christ did even more than allow Himself to be crucified. He became an example and role model for all people who wish to be born again.
The New Birth
Why do I always write about the new birth? When a person consciously accepts the repentance of Jesus Christ, the injustice dies, and the old identity, which is infected by injustice, also dies. The person is born anew. Only through this new birth will you become a Christian through the power of God’s grace and mercy. This means that you are like Christ—Christian.
People Are Baptized.
Those who are born again are baptized to symbolize this process. The original (biblical) baptism is the immersion in water and the re-emergence. The word „baptism“ comes from the word „to immerse.“ This baptism has three elements:
a) The immersion symbolizes the death of the old identity, which is infected by injustice.
b) The staying in the water signifies the becoming one with the identity of Jesus Christ. You become Christian.
c) The re-emergence signifies the resurrection as a Christian.
The Water is Not Holy Water.
It is important to note: The water is not holy water. However, Jesus Christ commanded that people who choose His repentance on the cross should be baptized. It is not right for you to immerse yourself in the bathtub and come back up. It is important that another born-again Christian does this for you, and there should also be a community of Christians present. For Christians are the representatives of Christ on earth. Jesus Christ Himself said that Christians are the representative „body“ of Christ. Every born-again Christian is a member of this body.
The Water Baptism is a Sign.
The church baptizes you; you do not baptize yourself. Sometimes several people will „immerse“ you and „bring you back up.“ The baptism is a sign, not just before the world, meaning other people. Baptisms should, in my opinion, take place as publicly as possible and not hidden in a church building! A swimming pool is ideal for this! People who are not born-again Christians wonder what is happening there. It is wonderful when the baptized person afterwards tells people what the baptism means.
An important point is that water baptism is also a sign before demons and all dark powers. The baptism frees from old bonds. I would be happy to explain more about this personally.
The Spirit Baptism
There is not only the water baptism, which I just spoke about, but also the Spirit baptism. This is the second step that occurs during or after the water baptism. The Holy Spirit is God, just like Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God unites with your spirit. The born-again Christian does not live from himself but from the power and effect of the Spirit of God. The wonderful thing is that God dwells in you. The Bible says that our body is the temple of God. God, or Jesus Christ, is so present to you that He dwells in you.
Many are Unaware of the Spirit Baptism.
Unfortunately, many born-again Christians are unaware of this Spirit baptism. The water is the external symbol; the Spirit baptism is not symbolized by any signs. Many born-again Christians lay hands on others and ask Jesus Christ to be present in the Christian with His Holy Spirit.
The Gospels Describe Jesus.
Without the Holy Spirit, you are not able to live what Jesus Christ has exemplified for you. You can find all the information about Jesus Christ in the New Testament, especially in the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament, written by Luke, Matthew, Mark, and John. But the other books of the New Testament are also important. Talk to another born-again Christian. The Gospels are written for different people. You can also ask me.
Spiritual Gifts & Abilities
With the Spirit baptism, not everything has been said. Every Christian receives at least one supernatural ability or gift through the Holy Spirit. The Bible describes that born-again Christians receive the ability to speak in a new language that other people can understand. Such wonderful events still happen today.
Conclusion:
The life of a born-again Christian is the opposite of religiosity. In religion, a person tries to earn God’s grace by fulfilling rules. For a born-again Christian, it is different. The born-again Christian accepts the repentance that Jesus Christ has done for him and makes a conscious decision for it. After that, not only is the separation from God removed through the repentance of Christ, but God also grants him His grace and mercy. God grants the miracle of new birth, and the Christian is reborn into a new identity. And then God also personally enters the spirit of the person through His Holy Spirit. All this defines the identity of the Christian. Every born-again Christian is richly blessed and dearly bought.
People Think They Are Christians.
a) Many people do not know that the repentance of Christ is an offer to never be separated from God again. A person only needs to consciously accept the precious gift of Christ’s grace.
b) Many Christians are not baptized in water! Baptism is important and also commanded by Jesus Christ. Christians who have not yet done this should do so. Many Christians were baptized as babies. Christians can also publicly confess afterwards that they conform to this baptism (confirmation). I am convinced that this is possible, even if infant baptism is not the correct biblical form. It is a matter of conscience that every born-again Christian should discuss with Jesus Himself.
c) Many Christians are not baptized with the Holy Spirit! They do not know this and try to live their entire Christian life by their own strength. This can be very frustrating and is one of the reasons why many Christian communities decline and die. If you are one of these Christians, I recommend that you seek the Spirit baptism. Do not let anyone convince you that this has already happened with the water baptism or at your conversion. That is not the case. Ask Jesus Christ for the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. You can ask the church or other Christians to pray with you. (I know that there has been much conflict and abuse regarding this topic in many churches in the past, which is why many churches are very reserved. If you experience something like this in your church or Christian environment, feel free to reach out to me. We can talk.) Many born-again Christians tell me that they have never heard the voice of Jesus Christ. These hearing problems can be resolved, and you do not need a hearing aid or lengthy prayer practices. Being a Christian is not religiosity! If you have not yet been baptized in the Holy Spirit, you should seek this. A simple prayer with your church is sufficient. If you do not want it to be public, you can ask a born-again Christian to pray with you. And if you prefer to pray alone, then do that.
d) Many Christians do not have supernatural gifts or abilities from the Holy Spirit. Many think that this is something spectacular. However, that is not the case. Many Christians have these supernatural gifts and abilities. How can you overcome your uncertainty regarding the supernatural spiritual gifts? It is just as simple as with the Spirit baptism. Ask Jesus Christ and seek clarity. Ask Him as you would ask a good friend. Jesus Christ will answer. You can also ask another Christian to pray with you.
e) Everything I have written here from a to d is simple. Christian faith practice is not a religion and does not need a show or fuss. The problem with people is that they do not allow themselves to be blessed by Jesus Christ. It is like Christmas, where valuable gifts are waiting for you under the Christmas tree, and you simply leave them there. You cannot be blamed if you did not know all of this that I am telling you. You do not need to apologize to God for ignorance. Now you know that you can claim the precious gifts from God. Talk to Jesus Christ. For He rejoices when you ask Him, and He gives you more than you expect. Accept the most precious gift of repentance that Jesus Christ Himself suffered for you through His execution on the cross. Then be baptized, and this should happen quickly. Do not let yourself be put on waiting lists. You have a right to the water baptism; the gift belongs to you! If any officials stand in your way, simply ignore them. Ask other born-again Christians to baptize you immediately. You do not need a baptismal font hidden somewhere in a church building; go to the nearest lake or river. And if it is autumn or winter, I promise you that you will not freeze. People in East Frisia used to break a hole in the ice with a sledgehammer and then jump into the refreshing water.
Ask Jesus Christ to let His Holy Spirit dwell in you.
Ask other born-again Christians to pray with you. If you have a church, you can also ask the church for this. Do not let anything hold you back. The gift belongs to you. And, as already mentioned, this is not all! While you are at it, you can also ask Jesus Christ for the supernatural gifts and abilities.
So much for the first chapter.