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SUBJECT : HOW WILL I KNOW IF I HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES OF NOT RECEIVING?
Introduction to this lesson
The Holy Spirit is not just a thought or feeling, but the third person of the Holy Trinity. Jesus himself promised to send the Holy Spirit to dwell in the believers and guide them in the life of salvation.
(John 14:16–17)
Many people are saved but still have questions:
How will I know if I have received the Holy Spirit?
What does he do in a person?
What happens if someone needs a receiver?

PART ONE: HOW WILL I KNOW IF I HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT?

1. The Holy Spirit bears witness to you inside
You get an inner testimony that you are a child of God.
📖 Romans 8:16
"The spirit itself testifies with our spirits that we are the only children of God."
➡️ You find yourself loving prayer, the Word of God and a holy life.

2. You begin to hate sin
The sin you loved in the past is now bothering your conscience.
📖 Galatians 5:16
"Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh."
➡️ The Holy Spirit gently rebukes you when you err.

3. You bear the fruits of the Spirit
Your life is starting to change slowly.
📖 Galatians 5:22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."
➡️ Your behavior changes even people start to see the difference.

4. You get a thirst for spiritual things
Are you interested in:
✍️ Praying
✍️ Fasting
✍️ Reading the Bible
✍️ Hearing the teachings
📖 Matthew 5:6
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied."

5. You are guided by the Spirit in decisions
You begin to hear a guiding voice within you.
📖 Romans 8:14
"For all who are led by the Spirit of God, those are the sons of God."

PART TWO: BENEFITS OF RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. He gives you strength to overcome sin
📖 Romans 8:13

2. He teaches you all the truth
📖 John 16:13
➡️ He does not teach lies or error.

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard! Bigirimana Thierry Thierry, Derick Pastory

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! LUKE 15;17.

A DAY TO REMEMBER IN MY LIFE
13,FEBRUARY __31,MAY,2023
Every Journey it has a special Step to Reach a Destination.



Kale_bwangu💪💪💪

*𝗜𝗦 𝗦𝗠𝗢𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔 𝗦𝗜𝗡?*
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The [Holy] Bible never directly mentions smoking. There are principles, however, that definitely apply to smoking. First, the Bible commands us not to allow our bodies to become “mastered” by anything. “Everything is permissible for me—but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me—but I will not be mastered by anything” ( *1 Corinthians 6:12).*

Smoking is strongly addictive. Later in the same passage we are told, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. There honor God with your body” ( *1 Corinthians 6:19:20*). Smoking is undoubtedly very bad for your health. Smoking has been proven to damage the lungs and the heart.

Can smoking be considered “beneficial” ( *1 Corinthians 6:12)*? Can it be said that smoking is truly honoring God with your body ( *1 Corinthians 6:20*)? Can a person honestly smoke “for the glory of God” ( *1 Corinthians 10:31*) my brothers and sisters?
We believe that the answer to these questions is a resounding “NO.”
As a result, we believe that smoking is a sin and therefore should not be practiced by followers of Jesus Christ.

In stating that smoking is a sin, we are not stating that all smokers are unsaved. There are many true believers in Jesus Christ who smoke. Smoking does not prevent a person from being saved. Nor does it cause a person to lose salvation. Smoking is no less forgivable than any other sin, whether for a person becoming a Christian or a Christian confessing his/her sin to God ( *1 John 1:9)*. At the same time, we firmly believe that smoking is a sin that should be forsaken [abandoned] and, with God's help, overcome.

ACCORDING TO THIS EXPLAIN KNOW THAT SMOKING IS SIN

*WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN COUPLE ALLOWED TO DO IN S*X?*
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The Bible says that "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the s*xually immoral" *(Hebrews 13:4)*. Scripture never says what a husband and wife are or are not allowed to do s*xually. Husbands and wives are instructed, "Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time ( *1 Corinthians 7:5a)*. This verse perhaps lays down the principle for s*xual relations in marriage. Whatever is done, it should be mutually agreed upon. No one should be encouraged or coerced to do something he or she is uncomfortable with or thinks is wrong. If a husband and wife both agree that they want to try something (e.g., oral s*x, different positions, s*x toys, etc.), then the Bible does not give any reason why they cannot.

There are a few things, though, that are never allowable s*xually for a married couple. The practice of "swapping," or "swinging/swingers," or "bringing in an extra" (threesomes, foursomes, etc.) is blatant adultery *(Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3*). Adultery is sin even if your spouse allows, approves, or even participates in it. Po*******hy appeals to the "lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes" ( *1 John 2:16)* and is therefore condemned by God as well. A husband and wife should never bring po*******hy into their s*xual union. Other than these two items, there is nothing that Scripture explicitly forbids a husband and wife to do with each other as long as it is by mutual consent..

*WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT GOOD WORKS ARE THE RESULT OF SALVATION?*
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*Ephesians 2:8–9* makes it clear that we are not saved by good works. In fact, before we are saved, our works are done in the flesh and cannot please God; even our most “righteous” deeds fall far short of God’s glory (see *Romans 3:20* and *Isaiah 64:6*). We can be saved only because God is gracious and merciful and has designed a way for us to be declared righteous when we are not ( *Psalm 86:5; Ephesians 2:4*). When Jesus became sin for us ( *2 Corinthians 5:21*), we inherited His righteousness.
Salvation is a divine exchange: our tattered rags of self-effort for the perfection of Christ. Because His death and resurrection paid the price for our evil deeds, we can be declared perfect before God ( *Romans 5:1*). We are told to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” like a flawless garment ( *Romans 13:14*).

At salvation, the Holy Spirit moves into the repentant heart ( *Acts 2:38*). Self is no longer the uncontested lord of our lives. Jesus is now the boss. That’s what it means to say that Jesus is “Lord” ( *Romans 10:9; Colossians 2:6*). We were once headed south; we are now headed north. Everything is changed. We begin to view life from God’s perspective, not our own—as John Newton wrote, “I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”

The sins we once committed without thought now bring conviction. To know God is to see sin the way He sees it: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God” ( *1 John 3:9*). In other words, the believer will see a decreasing pattern of sin in his or her life. Believers may still sin, but they will not continue practicing sin as a way of life. There will be a difference between the old life without Christ and the new life in Christ. The born-again Christian produces “fruit in keeping with repentance” ( *Matthew 3:8*). Salvation enables us to live “in the Spirit” and so truly perform good works ( *Galatians 5:16*).

*Ephesians 2:10* says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God’s goal in saving us was not only to rescue us from hell, but also that we would reflect His character and goodness to the world. God delights to see us becoming more like His Son ( *Romans 8:29*). We were created in God’s image. Sin marred that image. When God bought us back for Himself, it was to restore His image in us and free us to become all we were created to be. When the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us, He prompts us to do things that glorify God ( *John 14:26*).
Our desire to please God grows as our understanding of Him grows. That desire to please God results in good works.

It is biblically inconsistent to say that someone has been saved but has not changed. Many people go through the outward motions of giving their lives to Christ, but no lifestyle change follows. That is not real salvation but is a “dead” faith ( *James 2:26*). When you walk into a dark room and flip the switch, you expect light. If no light appears, you rightly assume something is wrong. It would be logically inconsistent to say that the light is on when the room is still pitch black. Light naturally dispels darkness. When a dark heart receives the light of salvation, it is illuminated ( *John 12:46*). Priorities change. Desires change. Outlook changes. Life is seen clearly for the first time. If the darkness of sin continues, we can rightly assume no light came on.

To use another biblical analogy, God wants to produce fruit in our lives (see *Galatians 5:22–23*). He is the Vinedresser, Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches. The branches are naturally attached to the vine; from the vine they get their support, their ability to produce fruit, and their very life. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit” ( *John 15:5*). That is the purpose of the vineyard—to produce “much 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭.