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Walking in Spiritual Reality by Relating with God through the Lord’s Feast of PentecostSummary Moses therefore reminded the people that God provided manna in the wilderness to prove an important point: “He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:3-4) The LORD quoted this very scripture when tempted by Satan in the wilderness right before embarking on His ministry. (Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4) As the disciples were celebrating Shavuot, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as recorded in Acts 2. God’s covenant Word connected with His Spirit and brought completion—or fullness—to the revelation of God’s covenant. It therefore, brought fulfillment to Isaiah’s prophecy expressing the fullness of God’s covenant: "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth…” (Isaiah 59:21 NKJV) So, full independence in God would be expressed by depending on God’s Word breathed by His Spirit—the Holy Spirit. This is what the LORD revealed towards the end of His ministry in the upper room.
This is also what Paul had in mind in expressing what liberty in the LORD is about: standing free, not being “entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1) As the LORD has discharged us from the debt to the law of sin and fully acquitted us from the guilt of the effects of sin, we have the capacity to be empowered to walk in the Spirit of liberty! That capacity is realized by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit; the enabling power to resist worldly influences and carnal impulses so the LORD’s nature can dominate our thought processes and actions. This happens as we allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to resist the ways of the world and sways of sin: the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life. The more we yield to the LORD’s nature by the Holy Spirit, the more we appropriate His victory in our life. This is what the LORD meant in declaring, “He who loves his life loses it, but he who hates his life in this world will keep it safe right on into eternal life!” (John 12:25 JNT) He was referring to a real kind of life transformation: where our life absorbed in satisfying the desires of the flesh become renewed; and we become more focused on satisfying the desires God imparts in our heart and purposes He has towards us—which have the capacity to bring more fulfilling measures of liberty and the real joy and peace of God. This transformation comes as the Holy Spirit enlightens your mind and heart to truth, bringing God’s real refreshment and liberation! The more you yield to the Holy Spirit, the more you are able to resist temptations and be free from the pulls that lead to anxiety and fear—so God can bring you to His rest, His settling state of peace.
Life Application Questions What good desires and purposes do you think God has towards you? What thoughts can you release to the LORD so the Holy Spirit can empower you to greater measures of freedom, peace and joy?
Scripture References John 12-17; Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 2; Galatians 5-6
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