By this time you know, beyond any shadow of doubt, that you are a born-again Child of Almighty God. You also know that God, through Jesus, has imparted His very own power to your New Life. However, in order to be able to use that tremendous power effectively and properly, you need to grasp exactly what is implied by what you have already learned. The old you still lingers in your as yet unresurrected flesh, in your mind and emotions which are still quite a long way from being under the control of your spirit through the guidance and leading of God's Holy Spirit. You still need to be disarmed of fears and bondages which belong to the old life and, like moving into someone else's house and finding lots of that person's belongings still there, those things need to be thrown out.
                                          Realizing our own True Nature in Jesus is realizing its own True Freedom through him. Our humanity may experience to the full the impact of the Fallen World because it is still of that world of deception and fallenness but we don't need to bow to our still fallen human nature nor do we need to change anything or anybody in or of that Fallen World in order to realize our own True Freedom.
                  Our True Nature stands righteous of itself because its existence is of God's own righteousness (12). We are indeed the children of God (13) and "His divine power has given us all things that pertain to true living and godliness . . . and promises by which we are able to partake of His very nature." (14).
                When we grasp these truths sufficiently we will be able to bring our human life back from the wrong road of death and deception and onto the Right Road ,the Highway of Kings, as God's children.  Isaiah, Paul and John called it the way of continual victory, constant contentment and evergrowing peace and happiness. (15) We will begin to live the Abundant Life which Jesus promised, with a "joy and gladness complete and overflowing" that no one nor any situation will be able to take from us (16) because it comes from a different dimension.
                  God's power is God Himself. God's Word is God Himself. God's freedom in your New Life is God Himself. God's promises are God Himself. God is not apart from any and every manifestation or experience He brings about. He is what He says. He is what He does. He is what He promises. He isn't in the doing - He is the doing. He is the speaking. He is the promises. He is the guarantees. Therefore, in using God's power we are actually being used by God Himself and for us to be able to do that takes a special manifestation or indwelling of God, which is called the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" (17). The word Baptism comes from a Greek word meaning to be immersed or saturated.
             How this is accomplished is actually very easy. Usually by this time you will have sought out other Christians and begun fellowshiping with them. If so you should ask them to lay hands on you and ask Jesus to baptize you with His Holy Spirit. One of the signs which God is delighted to give in this experience is what is called "Speaking in tongues".(18) Find out about this before you are prayed with.
                         If you find yourself far from any other Christians, simply ask Jesus to send His Holy Spirit into your life in this special manner. Ask Him to fill you to overflowing with the Holy Spirit's  presence. Acknowledge that, just as a child having the strength to be born needs  to develop in strength to grow and mature into full manhood, so you now need that special indwelling of the Holy Spirit to grow and mature into God's plan for your New Life. You need His special indwelling to be able to take the victories He has planned for you to take. Continue to seek out Christians of like mind, to fellowship with them.
 
 

Footnotes
1: 2Chronicles20:15; John 16:33b.          10: John17:16
2: Isaiah53:5; 1Peter2:24.                      11: 2Pet.2:19; Romans7:18,19.
3: 2Cor.9:8; Phil.4:19.                               12: 2Cor.5:21.
4: Phil.4:6-9;Luke12:22,32.                      13: 1John3:2; 4:4.
5: Ephes.1:4;John17:16;1Cor,3:21-23.      14: 2Pet.1:3,4.
6: John18:20-23;14:27.                            15: Isaiah11:16; Rom.5:17b; Revelation1:6.
7: Genesis1:27;Acts17:28.                        16: John!0:10b; 16:22.
8: 2Timothy3:16,17;John17:8.                   17: Acts1:3; 11:16.
  9: 1Cor.4:3,4;John5:24.                           18: Mark 16:17b.
 

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