Vazquez Counseling

Tonight, our Blessed Holy Spirit led me to 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, where Paul taught:

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” (New King James Version)

Friends, the time is here that Jesus predicted, a time of lawlessness throughout the world, a time of nation rising against nation, a time when the love of many has become cold, a time of pestilence, a time when hatred between people reigns, a time when earthquakes are happening in various, unusual places. What are we to as Christians to do in the midst of all this chaos? Well, the first thing I want to recommend to you is that you ignore the evil in this world. We are not appointed to wrath, so why should we watch it unfold? Instead, focus on the Word of God, on prayer, on your loved ones, on noble pursuits, and on doing the right things.

Earlier tonight, I was talking to the LORD about my sin. I asked Him for forgiveness for the millionth time, and I felt horrible, as it seems like I ask for forgiveness for the same sins over and over. And on top of that, those sins seem to get worse over time. O, wretched sinner that I am, what am I to do? Thanks be to God, there is a way to sin less in your life. On this side of Heaven, we will never be without sin, for that it is the curse of all mankind. But, we can learn to practice things that will keep us more and more free from habitual sin.

The passage above from 1 Corinthians talks about how the Holy Spirit enables Christians to practice the gifts of the Spirit. Jesus called the Holy Spirit our Helper (in the original Greek, paraklētos). That title for the Holy Spirit has several meanings. He can be our Advocate, just like Jesus is. He can also literally be our Helper. He can guide us into all Truth, which Jesus said would happen. The Holy Spirit can also empower us for good works, which the LORD prepared for us beforehand to do. And the promise about the Holy Spirit that I often miss in my life is that He can help me not to sin. Sometimes when I’m tempted, I will go to the Holy Spirit in my heart, and He will remind me of a Scripture appropriate for that moment, but at other times, I ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and I end up grieving Him when I fall.

1 John 1:8, the Apostle John says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Later in 1 John 3:6, the Apostle also says, “Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.” 

The passage in 1 John 1 talks about the sin that we all have as Christians, and that we will continue to have until we are in our glorified bodies after the Resurrection or we are raptured. The passage in 1 John 3 is talking about those who have habitual sin in their lives and are unrepentant. If they die in their sins, they will spend an eternity separated from God.

The Holy Spirit is only offered to Christians. He helps us to overcome sin, and He helps us to live righteously. Have you ever felt something in your spirit when you are tempted by something? That is the Holy Spirit reminding you of Whom you serve. Sin always lies crouching beside us, and it desires to control us, but we need to yield to God through the Holy Spirit, who will never control us. He loves us enough to come alongside and help us, but he will not control us. That is not the kind of God we serve. In God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, we have freedom from sin, if we truly seek it. And when we no longer sin like we used to before we knew God, He will use us greatly for His Kingdom purposes. Know this, the King of the Universe wants your help in building His Kingdom. We should be excited about this great prospect, and it should be the desire to help the Creator of the Universe of every Child of God. Amen.