All Of Me: All Of Me, All Of His

All Of Me 1

All Of Me, All Of His

by Daniel Carandang

written by Larisse Oliveros

[Check out the podcast here: All Of Me 1]

In a relationship, we all know that one of the primary desires and expectations of people is loyalty, especially in marriages.  No one enters a marriage and desires to be cheated by his/her partner. Total commitment is desired and expected. If you get married, you expect your spouse to love you and be devoted to you, not to someone else.

In a similar way, God desires and expects us to be totally committed to him. He isn’t looking for a 50% or even a 99.9% commitment, but a 100% commitment to Him.

Whenever commitment is violated, people get hurt. Just like in any relationship, people get hurt, hearts get broken, and consequences are suffered. And that’s not what God desires for us. As we follow the design God has for our relationship with Him, we’ll bring him honor in our lives and at the same time,it will enable us to experience the full life He desires all of us to possess.

“The only permanent thing in the world is change.” –Anonymous

Economy, the in-demand jobs could be obsolete tomorrow. Technology, from pager and antenna phones to touch screen phones and Music, from Beatles to One Direction.

Things change. Are there things in your life that doesn't seem to change?

Anger, lust, greed, pride, sloth, avarice and other sins experience the consequences, and hurt the people around you thus, hurting God.

We can’t change ourselves.

We may not have the power to change ourselves, but the good news is that God has the power to change us and that He Himself – His Spirit wants to personally help and empower us to change.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

First and foremost, the Holy Spirit is a Person: He speaks, He guides and He also knows when we lie.

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But most importantly, the Holy Spirit is God.

“Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

Acts 5:3-4 

Even after the Holy Spirit came, the believers were not immune to Satan’s temptations. Although Satan was defeated by Christ at the Cross, he was still actively trying to make the believers stumble – as he does today. The sin Ananias committed was not holding back part of the money, It was his choice whether or not to sell the land and how much to give. His sin was lying to God and God’s people, saying he gave the whole amount but holding some for his own and trying to make himself appear more generous than he really were. 

All lies are bad, but when we lie to try to deceive God and his people about our relationship with Him, we destroy our testimony for Christ.

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”

Matthew 28: 19 

We worship one God, but exist in three persons. – The bible clearly teaches this, but it is a mystery we will never be able to comprehend or understand.

The Holy Spirit is God. He comes to live in all who have put their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Personal Savior.

The Holy Spirit comes alongside with us. (Side by side relationship)

Have you experienced morose? Discouraged? Heartbroken?Alone?

When Jesus was about to be arrested and crucified, the disciples’ hearts were troubled.

When you are in Quiz bee finals and you lost your most intelligent teammate or in a championship game and you lost the star-player, what would you feel?

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever the Spirit of truth.”

John 14:16-17a 

Advocate – Parakletos

This word comes from two root words: ‘Para’ (beside) and ‘kaleo’ (a verb meaning “to call”). Thus, making the literal meaning of the word “Helper” is “the One called to be beside” or the one called to come alongside believers.

Many times we turn to other people and to other things when we’re in search of comfort and encouragement. Not bad, but who is your first and foremost primary source?

People who don’t have a relationship with Jesus turn to all other things in search of comfort, encouragement, and peace. Which may include drinking, taking drugs, stress- eating, non-stop computer gaming, self-harming, and suicide.

WE SHOULD TURN TO GOD.

Turn to God and come to him whenever you are in need of comfort and encouragement! Lost? When lights go out and it is too dark, what do we grope for first? Flashlight! So there will be light to guide us in the dark.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit leads and guides us through life.

In his letter to the Christians in Galatia, Paul gave them the secret to overcoming the sinful nature. How many of you are still tempted?  To cheat, look lustfully; look at porn, gossip, burst out in anger?

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Galatians 5:16,17, 25 

Walk by the Spirit meaning live by and keep in step with the Spirit constantly. As Christians, we are called to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. We need to surrender and listen.

The Holy Spirit communicates with us.

When you are taking an exam and you didn’t study. You can resort to cheating so that you won’t fail. Your conscience will bother you, leaving you in a rather uncomfortable feeling. You say something wrong. Then you’ll be burdened to take it back and ask for forgiveness.

 “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”

Proverbs 4:23

It depends on the things you allow into your heart. These things form your thoughts and attitudes shape the deepest part of your being. No matter what your circumstances are, if your heart is right, you're going to be okay.But if the wrong things in our hearts go unattended, they will become deeply rooted and harder to deal with. You have to constantly be working with the Holy Spirit to keep your heart right.

Sin has consequences. Even if we’re secured in our eternal destiny, we will face consequences. And if we allow ourselves to be weak, we can commit sins.

God did not make us as robots. We could actually quench and grieve the Holy Spirit, but we will not experience His power and we will suffer the consequences of our sins.

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”

Ephesians 5:18

After making known to them the spiritual blessings given to them by God, and reminding them that He mercifully forgave them, Paul was telling the Christians in Ephesus that they should be imitators of God, live for Him, and in days of evil make the most out of every opportunity to honor God.

Do you want to be Loving like God? Even to people who are not easy to love?

Do you want to be Truthful like God? Even in the midst of peer pressure?

Do you want to be Compassionate like God? Even if we are bent being selfish?

Do not be controlled by wine it will lead to excessive sinning and will ruin your life! Instead, be totally controlled by the Holy Spirit. Be totally sensitive and surrender to the Holy Spirit, moment by moment.Slowly then fully.