Getting to Know Your Best Friend | Part 1

The religious is still lost. Listen closely to Adrian Rogers values the spirit that you live you cannot have life apart from the spirit of God, you only have existence and the reason that some people are religious but lost. They have never ever received the Pentecostal difference. The Holy Spirit of God. Welcome to love featuring the profound truth of the gospel. Simply stated, the messages Adrian Rogers we just heard the distinguishing mark of the Christian is the Holy Spirit in we can know a person is been saved if the Holy Spirit dwells within Romans eight describes the Holy Spirit as the spirit of life, Christ, and of adoption. We want to get to know our best friend the Holy Spirit. We must understand the ways he ministers to us.

If you have your Bible turn now to Romans chapter 8 is Adrian Rogers begins with part one of getting to know your best friend. Take your Bibles and turn to Romans chapter 8 with the Bible says in verse nine but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you, and then Paul makes a very emphatic statement that if you don't mind underlining you out on the line in your Bible. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his great language.

That's an negative and he just saying plainly and clearly that if the spirit of Christ is indwelling you.

You, my dear friend, do not belong to Christ, you are on your way to hell man Romans chapter 8 is a great chapter on the Holy Spirit of God. Many things are taught in Romans chapter 8, but it is a great chapter on the Holy Spirit and in Romans chapter 8, the apostle Paul is making a comparison between the saved and the lost. The saints, and the anchors and that comparison hinges on the Holy Spirit. Those who have the Holy Spirit and those who do not have the Holy Spirit what is the distinguishing mark of the Christian. What is the one task beyond all of the task that a person has been say is this is he have the Holy Spirit does the Holy Spirit dwell in him. Now just put your bookmark there in Romans eight because were going to come back to that and look with me in John 14 for just a moment and notice what the Lord Jesus says also about this comparison. In John chapter 14 beginning in verse 16 Jesus said, and I will pray the father and he will give you another comforter for that he may abide with you forever, even the spirit of truth. Now here he is talking about the Holy Spirit and calls in the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, and there again.

The Lord is making the difference.

The saints of God have the Holy Spirit they receive the Holy Spirit. But the world does not receive the Holy Spirit because it see of him not. Now the word see of him does not mean that the world doesn't literally see him. We know the world literally doesn't see them but neither do you. He is a spirit and the spirit can't be saying the word see here means that the world does not perceive him. The world is not understanding used in the same sense in which Jesus said in the third chapter of John, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of heaven by means you can't perceive on talking me about something. I say see I mean do you understand that and what Jesus is saying here is in the world can't perceive him. The world doesn't understand him and then he says neither know with him, that you may know about him which you do not know him intimately. You can't perceive the Holy Spirit you cannot fellowship the Holy Spirit.

If you are of the world. It is impossible you may know about him which you do not know him intimately and and because you have not received him not a good test is whether saved or not is just simply this. Have you received the Holy Spirit's matter-of-fact acts chapter 19 Paul met some disciples and he had reasonably related. Just wonder whether or not they were saved at all or not. Then he he asked him he said have you received the Holy Ghost that you were saying our since you believe that they said we didn't even know whether there was any Holy Spirit. Paul said, is that right is that what we baptize. For all they said we were baptized with John's baptism and then Paul realize that these people to come right up to the threshold of salvation, but they never received the anti-priest under them Jesus and they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit. The distinguishing mark of a child of God is this, that he has the Holy Spirit if you will have the Holy Spirit you don't know anything about God and with coming back. Romans eight in just a moment, but go to first Corinthians chapter 24 moment I want to read a passage of Scripture that often used at funerals, but is taken out of context a little bit when you use it at the funeral and turn with me a few wood to first Corinthians chapter 2 and verse nine. The apostle Paul is talking about understanding or perceiving the things that belong to God and he says, but as it is written, I have not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him so many times we use this as a funeral text away. So, in that wonderful aunt Susie is saying what eyes can't see, and hearing what our ears can hear knowing what our hearts can't know because now she's in heaven. That is what this verse means, look at it right here what he is saying is that your natural I cannot perceive, understand, behold, the spiritual truth, neither can your natural ear perceive spiritual proof. Neither your natural heart what he is saying is that you will never comprehend spiritual things visually, audibly, emotionally, never, not by the I gate not by their gait, not by your heart as it is written, I have not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered the heart of man the things which God had prepared for them that love him.

But notice, God hath not, will someday at all has real veal them onto some by his spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. I just contrasting two types of people.

Those who live by the senses and those who live by the Spirit. Verse 12 now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Paul is saying is you have to wait to get to heaven to see and experience these things, but the only way that you're going to know them is by the Holy Spirit, verse 14 but the natural man that is an unsaved man, a man in his natural state receive is not the things of the spirit of God for their foolishness on the hand that if I preach the gospel to you and you say that's foolish are from God's word appears foolish to you. We're just giving proof positive that you have never been say their foolishness to the natural man, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned even have the equipment to know them is no way that he can know these true but he that is spiritual judges all things, that is, he deserves all things turn with me to the next to last book of the Bible book of Jude.

We go to get back to Romans eight shows the moment but I'm really trying to set the stage and I'm trying to get you to see what makes the difference is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the distinguishing mark of the Christian in the book of Jude here is no chapter is just one chapter so we don't give a chapter reference look in verse 10 he speaking of the unsaved, and he said, but these speak evil of those things which they know not why don't they know them because they spiritually desire, but what they know naturally, as brute beasts that he is a man without the Holy Spirit has no head start over an animal in knowing God they are like a brute beast and then look if you would, in verse 19 of Jude. These be they who separate themselves sensual. That is their living by the senses, having not the spirit so you have the sensual man of the spiritual man. The natural man of the spiritual man I'm just trying to tell you and all of these verses what Paul has said in Romans chapter 8 in verse nine. If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of he is now back to Romans eight and I want you to see that God gives your best friend three descriptions there three references to the Holy Spirit and is describe three ways.

For example, in Romans eight verse two he is called the spirit of life do you see that for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. There the Holy Spirit and the word spirit is capitalized in my Bible installing that the Holy Spirit, he is called the spirit of life, your best friend is the spirit of life.

Now go down verse nine and there. He's called the spirit of Christ.

Notice the last part of the spirit of God is called the spirit of Christ in this verse is called both the spirit of God and the spirit of Christ have any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is not of years so the Holy Spirit is called in verse two, the spirit of life. He's called in verse nine, the spirit of Christ. Now go down verse 15 he is called the spirit of adoption. Now I believe in these three references you really have the office work of the Holy Spirit.

Your best friend in your life.

He is the spirit of life. He is the spirit of Christ, and he is the spirit of adoption and I want you to get to know your best friend because this is his threefold ministry to you. He ministers to you as the spirit of life.

He ministers to you as the spirit of Christ he ministers to you as the spirit of adoption LS look at these as the spirit of life he gives us our life we have life by the Holy Spirit. I don't mean existence even unsaved man has existence. He will exist forever, but he doesn't have life. Jesus said in John 1010 I've come that you might have life will how do we get this life we received this life by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says it is the spirit that quickens it is the spirit that gives life. Now the difference between the people of the world are religious and true Christians.

Is this the people who are truly saved lives by the impartation of life. The unsaved live by the imitation of life. They just simply imitate the Lord, but a Christian is somebody who has received life.

Jesus said in John chapter 3, we have to be born of the Spirit when you're born, that's when you have high you're born literally from above, which is life. You see, man is body soul and spirit. I know the theologians argue this and they say no. He's just the physical and spiritual.

But the Bible says in first Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 23 and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now man is more than a plant, because he has a soul. Plants have a body but they don't have a soul, but man is more than an animal.

Animals have a body and a soul but animals don't have a spirit only man has body soul and spirit and your spirit is an organ of knowledge that part of your nature that enables you to know God, for the Bible says God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. And when we get saved. God spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

Now I want to point this out that man by nature is spiritually dead. He may be physically alive. He may be so loosely are psychologically alive, but he is spiritually dead until he receives the holy spirit guide is the spirit that gives life. You cannot have life apart from the spirit of God, you only have existence and the reason that some people are religious, but loss they have never ever receive the Pentecostal difference. The Holy Spirit of God, and that's the reason the Bible says if any man have not the spirit of Christ is none of the as you just did spiritually dead.

You may have physical life, you may have emotional life, but in less the Holy Spirit is coming to you. Your spiritually dead remember reading in John one verse four where John is describing Jesus and the Bible says in him that is the Lord was life and the life was the light of man the Lord has the life and the life is the light John 14 are I know what happened when Adam sinned, is the Lord when out and when the Lord went out, the lights went out, and when the life went out. The light went out and now he doesn't have the Lord.

He's depraved and now he doesn't have the life he's dead now. He doesn't have the light. He's dark and in order for man to be saved again.

He's got to get the Lord back in and when the Lord comes back in the life comes back in and when the life comes back in the light comes back in that. How does the Lord come back in the Lord comes back in by his Holy Spirit. Which brings up a very interesting question who lives in you.

Does God live in you, God the father. Why does Jesus the son living you. How does the Holy Spirit living you well all living you. Romans eight verse nine says if any man have not the spirit of Christ is not of his but in that same verse is called the spirit of God and then in Colossians 1 verse 27. The Bible says it's Christ in you, which is the hope of glory.

Don't ever make the mistake of trying to segment the holy Trinity so precisely that that you think that because the Holy Spirit is in you that Jesus is not a new.

The Holy Spirit is Christ in you, the Holy Spirit is God the father's agent to make Jesus Christ real to you.

Jesus is in us, through the agency of the Holy Spirit is no contradiction and so your best friend. First of all is the spirit of life and he gives our life. The life that I have now.

I have because the Holy Spirit lives in me wanted difference that makes. Let me give you an illustration of I can't, God formed Adam out of the dust of the earth that we know out of the dust of the ground.

God made Adam and theirs, and must just just imagine he's lying down there because he didn't have any life you God is forming and is perfect. There is an easy specimen of a man everything is perfect except for one thing, he doesn't have any life I mean God is made absolutely totally perfect but is no life. Now suppose God would say to Adam.

Adam get up and act like a man no way he can act like a man because he has no life.

Then the Bible says that God breathed into Adam the breath of life and the word breath of life may be translated.

The spirit of life. He breathed a spirit of life in Adam and physically and spiritually and emotionally from his Quicken God breathes into this lump of clay life. Now God doesn't have to say to him that Adam act like a man get up and walk around like a man. It's natural for him to walk around like a man.

He does not mean bagged or instructed new ventures. Naturally, as the life life is inside of them right now. Man I tell you, dear friend that the same thing is true spiritually, you are a spiritual corpse until God infuses you spiritually with his life into you receive the Holy Spirit and to encourage you to live the Christian life before you receive the Holy Spirit is to encourage you in an impossibility. But once you do receive the Holy Spirit. Once your best friend comes into you. It is perfectly natural for you to live the Christian life. I mean, it is just not because you have the life of God in you way is it a miracle. Yes, it's a miracle. But once it is a miracle you become supernaturally natural and naturally supernatural. There has been an impartation of life. So your best friend is called the spirit of life. You have no life, no spiritual life apart from the Holy Spirit of God.

Now not only is he the spirit of life who gives us life and now secondly he's called the spirit of Christ. What is he do as the spirit of Christ is the spirit of life he gives our life as the spirit of Christ. He glorifies our Lord.

He glorifies our Lord. He is called the spirit of Christ. So it is Jesus in you, who is the Holy Spirit.

He is the spirit of Christ.

What is he going to do and you win. This man gets up and walks around this man who has received the Holy Spirit spiritually whose life is ending. What is the spirit of life, the spirit of life is the spirit of Christ that I have the spirit of Christ to my going to act like I would act like Christ.

The Holy Spirit just reproduces Jesus Christ in me. I've told you this many times but I will tell you one more time. There's only one person who has ever lived. The Christian life. His name is Jesus's name is Jesus and of the Christian life is lived at your house it'll be Jesus in you will be the spirit of Christ not only gives us life, but glorifies our Lord. He is the one who makes in Jesus Christ real and you think there's no other way than they should just be a little cheap to an imitation of Jesus, the apostle Paul said I'm crucified with Christ.

Nevertheless I live yet not with Christ who lives in me. The life I now live.

I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Now the Holy Spirit is the spirit of life and is the spirit of Christ.

He gives us our life. He glorifies our Lord. He gives our life. He glorifies our Lord. He is the spirit of Christ by the way, if you want to know where the person has the Holy Spirit don't ask if they speak with tongues is not the sign that Holy Spirit as are they like Jesus are they lie. She's as the sign whether or not a person has the Holy Spirit of God.

What a powerful word to close with today, and a practical one as well.

If you want to know whether a person has the Holy Spirit don't ask him to speak with tongues.

Ask if he's like Jesus you like Jesus today. Is he changing you from the inside out will hear the conclusion of this important message tomorrow but maybe today you have questions about who Jesus is what he means to you. How to begin a relationship with God through Christ good or discover Jesus page at the website you'll find resources and materials that will answer questions you may have about your faith. Go to LWF.org/radio and click discover Jesus after like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety.

You can call us at 1877 love God mentioned the title getting to know your best friend.

The message is also part of the insightful series foundations for our faith.

Volume 2.

For the complete collection, all 27 powerful messages: number 877 love God or you can order online it LWF.org/radio or you can write to order at love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183 thanks for joining us for today studying God's word.

If you'd like to start receiving daily devotions and links to our program.

Make sure you sign up for our daily emails LWF.org/radio and tune in next time for part two. Getting to know your best friend on love worth finding a listener road not long ago to tell us how these messages and encouraged her in hard times.

She said Adrian Rogers ministry is helped me through so many trials. He was a mighty man of God who is still ministering to them so grateful and blessed by pastor Roger but we are grateful for the opportunity to share these timeless messages and resources to help you in your walk with Christ. When you donate to the ministry this month. We want to send you a hard copy of our new resource good morning, the most important thing is to get alone with God consistently and expected.

After all, his mercies are new every morning's new book complements your quiet time in a fresh and personal way.

Request the book good morning when you call the gift in 1877 love God will give online it LWF.org/radio