Thursday, June 27, 2024

I Am But A Pilgrim


We are travelers, you and I. Our journey will never end where it began. It is what we
discover along that journey about ourselves and our God, and our response to that knowledge, that determines the case of our eternity.


In this essay, I speak only for myself and the discoveries —I would like to say ”that I have found along the way”, but in reality, I will speak concerning the discoveries — that found me.

I was born into a Christian culture whose church craft included an altar call at the end of every sermon. I cannot remember missing not one call to the altar. Those repeated walks down the aisle to the prayer bench of that country church was the beginning of my personal life’s journey. Again, even then it was He who found me, not I that found Him. He was not lost—I was.

I seem to have been born knowing that I needed, more correctly: wanted God in my life in a very real way. I have often pondered: From where did this “want of God” come? Finally, in a winter revival meeting at my home church in 1963 I was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

From the moment of Holy Spirit infilling, a burden of the Word of God lay heavy upon my heart. I shared this with my pastor. The next Sunday, Pastor O. T. Cottrell came to my Sunday school class room and announced, “I am placing Jerry in my Bible class from this time forward”. I, then, walked behind my pastor out of the junior class into an association with the Pentecostal ministry. From that day I was my pastor’s shadow, accompanying him to conferences and minister’s meetings, etc.; I was his adjutant. The congregation ordained me as a junior deacon at age 16; then at age 18 I was ordained into the ministry by the laying on of the hands of over 20 pastors.

At age 18 I left my secluded rural community and embarked upon the journey of a full-time evangelist. The churches opened up to the style of preaching that God had blessed me with. The UPCI, ALJC, and PAW all welcomed me into their pulpits. 

In those early days it was customary for the visiting minister to live with the pastor and his family during the duration of the meeting. Consequently, the Lord gave me access to the most spiritual and intellectual minds in the Pentecostal movement at the time. Most every night after the service the conversation between myself and the pastor (often the church elders were included) would go on deep into the morning hours. This was an education that no college or seminary classroom could possibly provide.

I traveled this road of evangelism for over 30 years; coming off the road a few times to establish a new congregation here and there. It was mostly during these church planting years that a formal education was acquired: undergrade studies at Moody, Chicago, Il.; Biblical languages at Milligan, Johnson City, TN.; Master of Divinity, Emmanuel School of Religion, Elizabethton, TN.; Doctor of Ministries, Emmanuel Christian Seminary, also in Elizabethton TN.

By most accounts I am (at the time of this writing) in the winter of my life. Throughout my journey I have had great appreciation for those who have walked the path before me; plus, I am also thoughtful of those who will come up the trail behind me, and of my responsibility to them. I say this because, truth be told, Pentecostalism is a restoration movement. We are attempting to restore the Church to its pure condition of the 1st century. Since the Church is the Body of Christ we may consider the Pentecostal revival of the last century as the renewal of Christ’s church. Permit me to be clear on this point: The true church has never left the world since its beginning on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem AD 30. That being said, there has been a great falling away from the apostolic experience and doctrine by the majority of Christianity, and the presence  of Christ’s true church has been minuscule and its influence has been minor. However, since the tremendous outpouring of the the Holy Spirit (the latter rain of the Spirit) at the beginning of the 20th century, the body of Christ has been undergoing stages of growth. From the Azuza Street revival (turn of the 20th century) to today (first quarter of the 21st century) the Pentecostal movement has grown from infancy to a more mature entity. At the beginning of this renewal most voices that are today considered the pioneers of modern Pentecostalism came from Methodist and Baptist traditions. Consequently, then, much baggage was brought into Pentecostalism from those two paradigms. Now, 100 plus years later, we are still dealing with much of that baggage. Throughout the last century of growth there has been more truth unearth than that with which we began: deeper illumination has brought the Lord's church into a higher stage of growth. We have now reached a point where we may advance from an adolescent stage into a church that is more reflective of our Apostolic roots. 

As a traveler on the path of restoration I see those who have gone before me as having been trail blazers; I benefit from the path they have marked. But, often times the well worn path has revealed the tip of treasures that have been overlooked, gone un-noticed, by those who have gone before. Often I have stumped my toe on some priceless truth that has gone un-recognized by those who have gone before. At other times I have actually tripped over some gloriously astonishing artifact of the church’s past that has been discarded and now is protruding from the surface of the path begging to be unearthed and put back into service. My peers have not always appreciated my spiritual archaeological propensity to recover and restore apostolic articles of faith that Christianity has lost through the annals of history, and that have been hidden by the sands of time. 

What follows is the briefest possible account of my journey and the treasures upon which I tripped. I had no choice but to exhume them from their burial ground and hold them up for my brothers and sisters to behold and contemplate.

Before I write another word there is another point I must make crystal clear: Outside of the Word of God (the Holy Bible) there are no new doctrinal revelations, only illuminations. I have never searched for that that is new; only the old arrested my attention and called me to itself. Thus, what I will write in the following lines are not new revelations, only illuminations of the ancient truths of the Church. 


Early 1980’s: In the early years of the decade of the 80’s I entered into the ministry of apologetics. This took the form of public moderated debates on theology. The main point of discussion was the Godhead. After a few engagements it became clear to me that the Oneness doctrine, which I attempted to championed, must include an element that would allow for distinctions within the Godhead. Through being lead by the Holy Spirit, in my study I discovered the ancient Godhead paradigm called Modalistic Monarchianism. Though this terminology was new to myself and my brethren, it was ancient and provided the exact paradigm needed to allow for distinctions within the Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, without making those distinctions rational persons. I became a champion for Modalism within the Oneness camp. This culminated in the publishing of my signature book entitled “Godhead Theology” subtitled: “Modalism, the Original Orthodoxy”. 


Order this classic work today at the link provide here:

https://www.amazon.com/Godhead-Theology-Modalism-Original-Orthodoxy/dp/1516983521/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Bishop+Jerry+Hayes&qid=1564848438&s=books&sr=1-2&fbclid=IwAR2HnCYlzW8ZejnX1YHJpzHSfNwKoCD5Wd_DOMhhyflcIWrUnRolG8uUQs0



Order this classic debate today at the link provided here:

https://www.amazon.com/Hayes-Conn-Debate-Modalism-Monarchianism/dp/1978371403/ref=sr_1_1?crid=19T3HX7M8FA46&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KPHl38MVsipJW1xfHuMpUw.xxA83-rFS1GJJaXCwekNywbgMNnc6bt5jR8w7kKsHlo&dib_tag=se&keywords=Bishop+Jerry+Hayes%2C+Hayes%2C+conn+Debate&qid=1719532014&s=books&sprefix=bishop+jerry+hayes%2C+hayes%2C+conn+debate%2Cstripbooks%2C93&sr=1-1


Mid 1980’s: While conducting a revival meeting in Bloomington, Indiana, one evening when the pastor turned the service over to me, I approached the microphone and announced: “Everyone here, tonight, that knows, that you know, that if you died this night you would make Heaven your home, stand up.”  Out of over 200 people not a soul stood; even the pastor was not standing. When I left that service I had had an epiphany: Something was seriously wrong with our (Pentecostalism’s) understanding of salvation.

In the weeks that followed a message of grace began to consume me. Out of my agonizing and soul searching the message of “The Blood Covenant” was born. This was a message of grace. The Blood Covenant was a breath of fresh air to our people all over the world. I preached it everywhere I went. Other preachers began preaching it. As far as I know the Holy Spirit brought the truth of The Blood Covenant to the Oneness Pentecostal movement through the illumination given to me that fateful night in Bloomington, Indiana. 


Read the Sermon Outline of The Blood Covenant at: 

https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-blood-covenant-sermon-outline.html



Early 1990’s: Spurred on by a theological polemic war between the Literal Communion (Lord’s Supper) and Spiritual Communion camps within Pentecostalism the Holy Spirit lead me to engage in the contest. As a result the truth of the “Real Presence” of the Lord’s body and blood in the communion elements became biblically clear.  After engaging is several public formal debates on the issue the result was a full-blown theology of The Lord’s Supper. Now, I am third generation Oneness Pentecostal and to my knowledge no Pentecostal theology on the Lord’s Supper existed until this point; we had only adopted the Baptist’s view of this blessed sacrament and observed it as a memorial only — missing the deeper reason of/for it altogether. (I speak of the Pentecostal circles in which I moved.) 

Deeper light is not often readily accepted, for whatever reason. When I began to teach and preach the “Real Presence” my Pentecostal organization (ALJC, Tri-State District) put me on trial for false doctrine. After hours and hours of interrogation and cross examination I was sent to a room in the Knoxville, TN church and asked to write my doctrinal statement on the Real Presence. This was what I wrote: “Concerning the body and blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, I am in agreement with the Apostle Paul: The bread that we brake is the fellowshipping with the body of Christ, and the cup we bless is the fellowshipping with the blood of Christ. And, the blood does what the blood does.” The District Board could not nay-say that statement, and I was sent home in peace.

Many pastors and congregations have recently adopted the “Real Presence" doctrine and have instituted the biblical weekly observance. 


Order this classic book on the Lord's Supper today at the link provided here:

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This is truly a classic debate in that it is the ONLY one on this topic. Order today!
https://www.amazon.com/Hayes-Hardin-Debate-Holy-Communion/dp/B09JJJ647X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3M8KCFJBCUCN6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XbcseixMAWsVsv4y5ppplg.yja79FyEaQtgIkvYYWABKBvVzUc2qodE-teM3fMzUNk&dib_tag=se&keywords=Bishop+Jerry+Hayes%2C+Hayes%2C+Hardin+debate&qid=1719533525&s=books&sprefix=bishop+jerry+hayes%2C+hayes%2C+hardin+debate%2Cstripbooks%2C96&sr=1-1



Mid 1990’s: Although, I became a convert to the Apostle  Paul’s required covering for the Christian woman (1Cor 11:3-16) being the RAC (Religious Article of Clothing) a few years before, it was not until the mid 90’s that the Lord gave me the courage to start preaching it. Within the Pentecostal circles, in which I moved, the movement had adopted the Methodist position of the woman’s hair being the covering. The Lord lead me to challenge the “long uncut hair” position in public debates, and in a writing campaign. Since that time I have rejoiced to see many Pentecostal congregations adopt the RAC.

This book is the most in depth study ever published on the headcovering. Included are Bishop Hayes' debate charts on the topic. Truly, a classic. Order today.

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Late 1990’s: Doctrine is important. Throughout my evangelistic travels it was clear that we, as Pentecostals, believed the essentials of the faith as one man. But, we had many ways of explaining those essentials. We needed a Creed. 

For some years the Spirit lead me to work on a statement of faith that all orthodox Oneness Pentecostals could agree upon. With the help of Pentecostal intellectuals from several denominations/organizations, The Apostolic Creed was written and signed by over 400 Pentecostal bishops and pastors. 

To review The Apostolic Creed click the link provided here:

https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-apostolic-creed.htmlhttps://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-apostolic-creed.html




First decade of 2000: Pre-millennial rapture has been the common doctrine of Pentecostalism from the early days of the 20th century, and pre-tribulational dispensationalism the most common of the pre-millennial views (This view was brought over from the Baptist.). In the 90’s of the last century my spirit became restless and convicted with, what I considered, the dishonest manner with which we had to explain certain texts to maintain the pre-millennial view. (I will not detail those texts here; they will be examined in an upcoming writing called “From Crises to Epiphanies”. 

Having been an outspoken pre-tribulational dispensationalist for my entire life, in the year 2000 I denounced that position, and the Spirit took me on a 10 year journey of prayer and Scripture study. Finally, after 10 years of the wilderness I became convinced that the Bible taught Realized Millennialism (also called Amilliennialism). Imagine my surprise and joy to learn that this had always been the majority view of Christians throughout history. I just returned home to the historical eschatology of Christianity. 

Since my willingness to enter the list in favor of Realized Millennialism and against the pre-millennial rapture view, I am discovering many voices (not just mine) within Pentecostalism that are  proclaiming the same.

This book follows my journey from dispensationalism to Realized Millennialism.

https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Children-Apostolic-Kingdom-Theology-ebook/dp/B012BXQHYG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2X63Z35EMM9NC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.W3c1KRXJvExx7wBFoE7cXBNBxPV3s_zEslVYdF6Hj80.ihhl1PpOLMypWifdDwq83A-faVaOL9HFZ6RpNz8vGU4&dib_tag=se&keywords=Bishop+Jerry+Hayes%2C+Letters+to+my+Children&qid=1719535937&s=books&sprefix=bishop+jerry+hayes%2C+letters+to+my+children%2Cstripbooks%2C99&sr=1-1#customerReviews




Conclusion: I am but a traveler, as are we all. I have shared a bit of my journey. Others have, perhaps, a more exciting story to tell; but this is a little of my story. I am prayerful that you, dear reader, may be encouraged by my journey.



Apostolically Speaking,

Bp. J. L. Hayes, D. D.

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

The Regenerated Man

 


From the moment our first parents’ fellowship was severed with their Creator, mankind has sought a way back. But God is holy, and fallen man unholy. How can unholy man ever be restored to fellowship with his holy Maker? Man must become sanctified.

But man is incapable of this transformation of himself. It must be a work of a benevolent God.

Sanctification is the act, or process, of acquiring sanctity, of being made or becoming holy. To be made holy is understood as: set apart for a particular use. In our case it is for the use of Yahweh that is in view. It is a gift given through the power of Yahweh to a person, or thing, which is then considered sacred or set apart in an official capacity within the Faith; in general, anything from a temple, to vessels, to days of the week, to the human believer (who willingly accepts this gift) can be sanctified. To sanctify something means to set it apart for a particular use in a special purpose or work, and to make it holy or sacred. Etymologically, the word sanctify derives from the Latin verb sanctificare which in turn derives from sanctus (holy) and facere (to make); thus, “to make holy.” 

Thus, one is sanctified with and by the Holy Spirit in the act of the New Birth (John 3:3-8).  The pattern chosen by Christ of the New Birth is taken from the natural process of conception and birth. In the realm of the physical human birth there is conception, the gestation period, the breaking of the water and the actual birth.  Jesus tells Nicodemus (John 3:3-8) that the spiritual rebirth was just that way.  Ergo, vv3-5 Born again. Grk gennēthei anōthen (St’s #‘s G1080 & G509 respectively) Lit.: generated from above. Anōthen may mean above or again. Jesus meant “above,” Nicodemus understood “again.” Verse 3 stands in contrast to v5, in that v3 has conception in view, while v5 speaks of the actual birth. The result of v3 is “seeing” the Kingdom of God, while the result of v5 is “entering” the Kingdom of God. One is conceived by the Word of God (1 Pet 1:23f), but one is born into the Kingdom through water and Spirit baptism respectively (vv5-8). See Acts 2:4, 38; 8:12-17; 10:45-47; 19:1-7; Mark 16:16; 1 Pet 3:21; Acts 22:16. Upon receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, one receives the gift of sanctification. We call this “positional sanctification.” One becomes set apart for the worship and work of God. There is an ongoing work of sanctification wrought in the believer’s life by the continual communion of the Holy Spirit; this is called “experiential sanctification.” Then lastly there is “ultimate sanctification” when the believer stands redeemed in His presence. 


Three Phases of Biblical Sanctification 

  1. Phase One: Positional sanctification signifies that every believer at the moment of Holy Spirit infilling acquires the status quo of being set apart in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:2; Heb. 10:10; Col. 2:10). At the moment a person is immersed in the Spirit of Christ, he/she is entered into union with Christ; he/she shares all that Christ has and is; he/she is a partaker of the divine nature. “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.” (1 Cor 12:13). 
  2. Phase Two: Experiential sanctification is the function of the spiritual life after salvation, which involves the believer’s spiritual growth (from baptism up to death or the rapture, whichever comes first) by means of the filling of the Holy Spirit and the grace apparatus for perception (Ephesians 5:26). The key to being sanctified in Phase Two is the proper use of John 17:17 (“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”) in learning Bible doctrine. This produces spiritual maturity. 
  3. Phase Three: Ultimate sanctification is the status quo of every believer in his resurrection body in the eternal state (1 Cor 15:35-54; Phil 3:21; 1 John 3:2). We will be set apart unto God for all eternity, and are assured of living in God’s presence forever. 

All three aspects of the doctrine can be seen in 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness (positional), and sanctification” (experiential), “and redemption” (ultimate): “31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”


Progressive Sanctification

Holy Scripture speaks of our salvation in the three tenses of past, present and future: 1. We have been saved (Eph. 2:8). 2. We are being saved (1 Cor. 15:2 ESV). 3. We will be saved (1 Cor. 3:15). All three are true. So, then, we may speak of Progressive Sanctification.

Past: We have been saved in spirit. We receive a revived spirit that is born again by the Holy Spirit (Ezek. 36:26-27; John. 3:5-8). In the New-Birth process our spirit becomes one spirit with the Holy Spirit: “… he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Cor. 6:17). This is the natural course of events since the human spirit is but an extension of God’s Spirit right out of the gate at the time of creation (Genesis 2:7). The Apostle Paul echos this truth when he writes that there is but one Spirit (Eph 4:4). As a result, then, of the meshing of the Holy Spirit with its kindred nature, the believer’s spirit is awakened from its long sleep and begins the battle to regain the throne of the soul. But more than that, the human spirit is sealed and fully saved (Eph. 1:13-14, 2:6; cf. Col. 2:10). 

The Holy Spirit’s role in awakening the god-spark (human spirit) is demonstrated by 1 Corinthians 2:8-3:3. This passage highlights the glory and necessity of the Spirit’s ministry to our spirits. For brevity we will only present vv12-15: “But we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, in order that we might understand the things freely given us by God, which things we also are speaking, not in words taught by human wisdom, but taught by the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things. But a soulish man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know, because they are spiritually discerned. But the spiritual man discerns all things indeed.” These verses serve as the catalyst for Paul to explicitly declare in the following verses (3:1-4) that the believers in Corinth were soulish and fleshly instead of spiritual. This again proves a serious distinction between soul and spirit. It stresses our need to submit the soul to the spirit’s ability to receive from the Holy Spirit. 

Present: We are being saved in soul. Our minds are being renewed in knowledge after the image of our Creator (Paul writes in Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” And again in Colossians 3:10, “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”), and we are in the process of obtaining the salvation of our souls as the outcome, E.g. Peter writes in 1 Peter. 3:9, “knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” cf. James. 1:21, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” To which Paul agrees when he writes to the Corinthians, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2 ESV). 

Future: Currently, in our physical persons, we are outwardly wasting away, but we will be saved in body at the Resurrection when we will receive glorified, imperishable, spiritual bodies. Matthew records the words of Jesus: “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved”.  Paul explains it further:  It will be like that with bodies that are raised from the dead. The body that is planted does not last forever. The body that is raised from the dead lasts forever. It is planted without honor, but it is raised in glory. It is planted in weakness, but it is raised in power. It is planted as an earthly body, but it is raised as a spiritual body.

“Just as there is an earthly body, there is also a spiritual body. It is written, “The first man Adam became a living person.” (Genesis 2:7) The last Adam became a spirit that gives life. What is spiritual did not come first. What is earthly came first. What is spiritual came after that. The first man came from the dust of the earth. The second man came from heaven. Those who belong to the earth are like the one who came from the earth. And those who are spiritual are like the heavenly man. We are like the earthly man. And we will be like the heavenly man.

“Brothers and sisters, here is what I’m telling you. Bodies made of flesh and blood can’t share in the kingdom of God. And what dies can’t share in what never dies. Listen! I am telling you a mystery. We will not all die. But we will all be changed. That will happen in a flash, as quickly as you can wink an eye. It will happen at the blast of the last trumpet. Then the dead will be raised to live forever. And we will be changed. Our natural bodies don’t last forever. They must be dressed with what does last forever. What dies must be dressed with what does not die. In fact, that is going to happen. What does not last will be dressed with what lasts forever. What dies will be dressed with what does not die. Then what is written will come true. It says, “Death has been swallowed up. It has lost the battle.” (Isaiah 25:8) “Death, where is the victory you thought you had? Death, where is your sting?” (Hosea 13:14) The sting of death is sin. And the power of sin is the law. But let us give thanks to God! He gives us the victory because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done.

“My dear brothers and sisters, remain strong in the faith. Don’t let anything move you. Always give yourselves completely to the work of the Lord. Because you belong to the Lord, you know that your work is not worthless.” 1 Cor. 15:42-58, NIRV 

These spiritual bodies of which we speak are not to be thought of as ghostly, but spiritual in the sense that they are physical bodies that have undergone glorification and made like unto the glorious body of Christ. The progression of sanctification begins in the spirit, emanates to the soul, and culminates in the body. (See the diagrams on pages 22 & 23.)

Most all pagan religions and philosophies had guessed at the immortality of the soul, but had never, in their most adventurous dreams, envisioned the body getting up and joining it. The resurrection of the body is the unique teaching of the Christian Scriptures and the exclusive Christian hope (see 1 Cor 15; Phil 3:10-11; Heb 6:2; 11:35 etc.). 


The Sanctification Work of the Holy Spirit

Line twenty-six of The Apostolic Creed, speaking of the work of the Holy Spirit, says, “Because of ... sanctification ...” So, let us consider the work of the Holy Spirit as it relates to sanctification.

  • Romans 15:16 “That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.” 
  • 1 Peter 1:2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” 

Just as the Apostle Paul described the condition of the soulish man (that one ruled by his soul) in 1 Corinthians 2:12-15 (which we reviewed earlier in this chapter), and Romans 7:14-25 (which we discussed in chapter five), we will now read his description of the spiritual man (the one governed by his spirit) who has yielded himself to the sanctification process of the Holy Spirit. Of such a man Paul writes: 

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus are no longer under God’s judgment. Because of what Christ Jesus has done, you are free. You are now controlled by the law of the Holy Spirit who gives you life. The law of the Spirit frees you from the law of sin that brings death. The written law was made weak by the power of sin. But God did what the written law could not do. He made his Son to be like those who live under the power of sin. God sent him to be an offering for sin. Jesus suffered God’s judgment against our sin. Jesus does for us everything the holy law requires. The power of sin should no longer control the way we live. The Holy Spirit should control the way we live.

“So don’t live under the control of sin. If you do, you will think about what sin wants. Live under the control of the Holy Spirit. If you do, you will think about what the Spirit wants. The thoughts of a person ruled by sin bring death. But the mind ruled by the Spirit brings life and peace. The mind ruled by the power of sin is at war with God. It does not obey God’s law. It can’t. Those who are under the power of sin can’t please God.

“But you are not ruled by the power of sin. Instead, the Holy Spirit rules over you. This is true if the Spirit of God lives in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. If Christ lives in you, you will live. Though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life. The Spirit does this because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of the God who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you. So the God who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your bodies. He will do this because of his Spirit who lives in you.

“Brothers and sisters, we have a duty. Our duty is not to live under the power of sin. If you live under the power of sin, you will die. But by the Spirit’s power you can put to death the sins you commit. Then you will live.

“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. The Spirit you received doesn’t make you slaves. Otherwise you would live in fear again. Instead, the Holy Spirit you received made you God’s adopted child. By the Spirit’s power we call God Abba. Abba means Father. The Spirit himself joins with our spirits. Together they tell us that we are God’s children. As his children, we will receive all that he has for us. We will share what Christ receives. But we must share in his sufferings if we want to share in his glory.” (Romans 8:1-17, NIRV)


Apostolically Speaking,

Bp. Jerry L Hayes, D.D.