Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
One of the most significant moments in my life was
when I realized out in the backyard in my study,
alone on the floor talking to God, and God helped
me to understand for the first time in my life,
although I've been a seminary and I already been passed
into churchy before that, that it was not my responsibility
(00:26):
to live a Christian life.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
What an awesome sense of relief. Are you relying on
you to live the Christian life? Or are you depending
on God's unlimited resources? Welcome to in Touch the teaching
ministry of doctor Charles Stanley. God sent the Holy Spirit
to live within every believer, enabling our lives to mirror
(00:51):
the life of Christ.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Learn how to tap into.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
This ever present, never failing resource, and Part two of
help is on the Way.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
One of the gifts of God to every single one
of his children is the person of the Holy Spirit.
He's the one who convicted you of your sin to
begin with. He's the one who gives you the faith
to believe. He's the one who makes you aware of
the reality of who Jesus Christ is. So think about this.
You and I have within us a helper who is
(01:21):
omniscient knows all things omniving and has all power. I'm
the present, that is, all things are in his presence.
But primarily he lives on the inside of us, so
that you can never be without him. You said, well,
wait a minute, I could be without him. Listen to
what Jesus says. He says he'll be with you forever.
And I think of it, how many people sit in
(01:42):
pews week after week after weekend. They don't even have
any idea who he is. They're saved, but they don't
know think about him, or they've just sort of heard
about him, and they've heard about those people who believe
in the Holy Spirit, and they put some kind of
a category on all of that, and thus a stair
away from that. Well, you can't stay away from God,
(02:03):
and so whatever else you may fear, remember this. The
Holy Spirit is a person of the Trinity, dessent by God,
the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to live on
the inside.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Of you to help you.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
He's there as your helper no matter what you face.
He's adequate, ready dependable, and he's also very wise. Now
what do you mean by being wise? Well, because he
knows what to do and when to do it, and
how to do. But he also knows something else. He's
also wise enough not to do for you and me
what God's made us to do for ourselves. So we
(02:38):
can't afford to be lazy and say, well, those spirit
are God's going to help me? Know he's not. You
can't be slothful, can't be lazy, careless, indifferent, and wasteful
and expect the Holy Spirit to bail you out of
all of that. He's not going to do it. He'll
convict you of it, but he's not going to bail
you out of it. We're to live righteous lives, godly life,
(03:00):
and you see, the truth is we don't have any
excuse for not living a godly life. The person who
is God in the Spirit is living on the inside
of us, and one of his responsibilities, primary responsibilities, is
to do what watch this, to live out through our speech,
through our body, through our ears and our eyes, and
(03:24):
our hands and our feet, the life of Christ. He says,
we are the body of Christ. Where is he see
to the Father's right hand, Well, where's the body He's
living in you? It's your body, my body, all the
bodies of believers all over the world. We make up
the body of Christ on earth, and listen. He has
a plan for every single one of us, ready and
(03:46):
willing to work out that plan every day. Well, think
about some ways, for example, some areas of our life
in which He helps us, and one of the first
ones is in our prayer life. Look if you will
in the eighth chapter of Romans, and notice what Paul
says and the parts of speech he uses. Listen, he
says in verse twenty six, in the same way, the
(04:09):
Spirit also helps our weakness, Paul, including himself, For we
do not know how to pray as we should, but
the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep
for words. What in the world does that mean? Well,
it simply means this that sometimes you and I don't
know how to pray like we ought to pray. We
don't know how. Sometimes we don't know what to ask for.
(04:30):
Sometimes we don't know what His will is. Sometimes we're
not sure how we should pray for another person.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
He says.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
The Spirit of God, who lives within us, will do
what intercede with us and through us with groanings. That is,
sometimes don't you find yourself just crying out to God
and praying to him, And Lord, I don't know how
to ask about this. I don't know what's going on
this person's life. I just feel burden to pray for them.
Or maybe you're trying to find the Lord's will in
(04:57):
your life. And Lord, I don't know what your will is,
but need you to show me he's there to help
us in our prayer. Well, let me ask you a question.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Now, Suppose I ask you this.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
When you pray most of the time, do you pray
standing up, lying down, or kneeling? When is the last
time you knelt on your knees before Almighty God and prayed.
You've said, well, I can pray standing up, Understand that
I can pray lying down, Understand that I can pray
(05:33):
seated standing writing? When is the last time you got
on your knees? You say, I don't have to get
on my knees to pray? Is it that you don't
have to tell? You too proud to ask yourself the question,
when is the last time you got on your knees?
An acknowledgement of the supreme superiority, holiness and righteousness.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
The glory of all My God, Because there's.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Not a single one of us who's worthy it come
to him. And I'm asking you, when is the last
time you humbled yourself before Him God, on your knees
to talk to your heaven a father. You said, why
do you have to get on your knees? You don't
have to. You don't have to. But when I think
about who this is that I'm worshiping and serving, listen,
(06:24):
He's not a bell hop. He doesn't just come running
to me when I have something for somebody else to do.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
He is God, this righteous.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Holy God living on the inside of us, willing to
help us, and we come to Him in prayer. And
I'm ad it to have it a long time ago,
since I can remember that, before any day of my
life is over, if I'm able to walk or get
(06:57):
out of the bed or whatever, I'm going to get
on my knees and talk to God. Does that make
me holy? No? But here's what it does. Do. It
keeps me very aware of my unworthiness and His awesome
glory and power and majesty is God. And when you
(07:19):
and I, when a person cannot kneel to talk to
the Father, it's because of pure pride. I don't have
to do it.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
He is this holy God.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Before whom every single one of us will one day
what bow and acknowledge that he is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Don't you think we ought to get in the habit
I think we ought to sort of due of practicing
that one of these days we're going to kneel before him.
A second awesome thing the Holy Spirit does to help
(07:54):
us is to help us with the Word of God.
That is, he helps us interpret the Word of God.
If you turn to First Corinthians, for example, in the
second chapter, listen to what he says. People tell you, well,
I've read the Bible and this, that and the other.
Let me just say this to you. If a person's
not a believer, they cannot understand the word of God
he is.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
How do you know that?
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Because Paul states it clear in First Corinthians chapter two.
Listen to what he says. The natural man, that is,
a lost person does not accept the things of the
Spirit of God for their foolishness to him, and he
cannot understand them because they are spiritually a praise are discerned.
Lost person can't. So when you're arguing with somebody and
they say, well, you know, I've read the Bible, but
(08:35):
I don't understand that that's what God says. You wouldn't
don't push that in their face. But you know it's true.
All they may say, well, i've read the Bible. I
don't believe all that's true. Naturally they don't because the
Bible says that it's foolish to them. Well, listen, you
and I have the Holy Spirit to interpret the truth
of God's words.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
So watch this.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
The truth is I may happen to be a vessel,
but I'm not the teacher. The Spirit of God is
the one who's the teacher. He's the only one who
can discern. He's the only one who can give you
understanding and enlighten your mind and mind about what the
truth is about the Spirit of God, and about the
things of God, about the will and purpose and plan
of God. He's the one who does that. He's the
(09:15):
discern because he says, for to us, God has revealed
these things through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things,
even the depths of God. You will understand the world
of God. Then, when you read it, ask the Holy
Spirit to give you understanding and show you how to
apply it to your heart. You think, for example, what
about some of those verses that you've memorized and you
(09:36):
go back to once in a while, and all of
a sudden you read the same verse and you think,
my mind never saw that before. Why now watch this carefully.
Why because the Spirit of God gave you deeper understanding.
Now watch this carefully. The Spirit of God, here's how
he helps us. He helps us by giving us un
(10:00):
standing and insight into the Word of God, according to
where we are at that point in our life, what
we're thinking, what we're going through, how we're feeling, what
we're challenged with. So what happens, He gives us new insights.
You can read the same verse over and over and
over again. And then here you are at this point
in your life, and you go back and you read
(10:20):
that same verse, and God just has the message goes
straight to your heart. Had you read it before? Yes,
did you see that before? No? Why that's not where
you were before. The Spirit of God is the discerner.
He's the one who's the teacher. He's the one who
brings to light the truth of God's word. Then he
helps us in the whole issue of sin. For example,
(10:40):
he says, when the Holy Spirit comes, he will convict
us of sin, righteousness and judgment.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
What does that mean?
Speaker 1 (10:47):
He will convict us of our sin. That's how we
got saved. Holy Spirit convicted us of our sin, made
us where we need Christ showed us how to trust him.
Convict the world of sin righteousness, that is the the
righteousness of Christ which makes it which made it possible
for him to go to the cross and die and
pay us sin dead in full, because he was the
(11:07):
only one who was righteous enough to do it. And
he says, convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment,
the judgment that is to come. The Spirit of God
will remind us that we're going to give an account
to God one of these days. He reminds us and
shows us what in our life is not right. For example,
you move along the Christian life and maybe you're heading
in the wrong direction and you get what I call
(11:29):
static in your heart, and that's the Holy Spirit doing
what warning you watch it heading in the wrong direction.
That's not of me, that's not righteous, that's not God,
that doesn't fit who you are, that doesn't belong in
your life. That's the work of the Spirit of God.
If we didn't have the Holy Spirit of God, in
our life, we probably put up with some things that
God does not want us putting up with and maybe
not even be aware of it. It's the spirit of
(11:51):
God who makes us aware of these things. Then I
think also that one of His works in our life
is the fact of there's moments of weakness and frail
to do we have in our life. There are times,
for example, when there's a sense of weakness and you
don't feel adequate and you just can't quite think. I
just I don't know what's going on. Did you realize
(12:14):
that the Holy Spirit can energize your physical body. He
can give you strength and energy to do what you
normally will not be able to do. And I can
think of many times in my life when I thought, God,
I don't know how I'm going to be able to
handle this or do this, or say that or whatever.
And here's what I learned a long time ago. Thank God,
(12:35):
if I, no matter how tired I was, if I
get on my knees or on my face before God
and start talking to Him and just tell him what
I needed and that I needed a fresh new anointing
or energizing of the Spirit of God in my life.
About fifteen or twenty minutes of that, you can get up.
And I'm here to tell you there's nothing that can
(12:56):
stop you. God knows how to deal with your human body.
He knows when you need strength, he knows when you
need encouragement, he knows when.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Your spirit needs to be charged up.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
That's not a single facet of our life that he's
not there willing to help us in every aspect of
our life. In those moments of weakness, he's there, for example,
when we attempted to doubt his truth and to doubt
his promises. What does the spirit do? The spirit is
there to help us. And here's what the spirit's going
to ask you. Would the Father alow to you know,
(13:31):
does he keep his promises?
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (13:33):
And you see, here's what happens. And this tickles me sometimes.
Now think about it, people say, well, well that's what
I'm thinking. Let me tell you something. The spirit of
God is the one who can listen, who can place
thoughts in your mind to think his thoughts. You thought
there were your thoughts, they're his thoughts. He's the one
to remind you that God keeps his promises. He's the
(13:54):
one that reminds you and me that God doesn't fail
to keep those promises. That what he promises he will
provide because all of Heaven's power is behind him. Then,
for example, though those times when you and I go
through difficult times of sorrown heartache because of loss of
some loved one or whatever it might be, friend, only
(14:14):
God can help in those times. That's the work of
the Holy Spirit. How many times have I seen it?
Only the Holy Spirit can take a broken heart and
do what and mend it and mold it and encourage
it and cover it and assure it. Right, listen in
the presence of the body of someone whom they love
(14:35):
dearly when it comes, for example, to what he wants
you to do, think about this, God, watch this. First
of all, it's the Holy Spirit who gives us spiritual gifts.
He's the one who equips us to do the work
that God has called us to do. Every single person
is equipped to serve the Lord in some way. Say
(14:56):
I don't know what mine is? Have you asked him? Oh, well,
I really have a nast Well listen to this. Talents
and skills and natural abilities, I'm not talking about that.
I'm talking about those spiritual gifts that discernment that power,
that potential to make an impact. The Spirit of God
(15:18):
is what is there to help you and me to
make an impact in the lives of other people, whoever
it may be. The Spirit of God is there to
equip us to do whatever God has called us to do.
Here's the issue. You say, well, why doesn't that work
in my life? And there's one primary reason. The Spirit
(15:38):
of God is not going to fight you. He's on
the inside to equip you to live the Christian life.
You cannot live the Christian life apart from the Holy Spirit.
You cannot. Well, let me ask you this question. If
I name something that you want in your life, would
you say amen?
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Is that fair enough? Out loud?
Speaker 1 (15:58):
So we let everybody know that's what you want. Number one?
Do you want this in your life?
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Love?
Speaker 3 (16:04):
What about joy?
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control?
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Well well, well, well then you.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Know what You've got it because that is the fruit
of the Holy Spirit. That's what he promises. He said, Okay,
what he meant. Now, I want all of that in
my life, but I don't have it. Why do I
not have it? You ready for this answer? One word?
And then you're going to let me know how much
(16:44):
you want those in your life. One word surrender. Watch this.
To the degree to which I surrender myself to the
Holy Spirit, to that degree, will there be love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness,
self control, all the rest. You say. You mean to
(17:05):
tell me that if I surrender my life fully to
the Holy Spirit, that I can experience all that. Yes,
watch this, you say, But I don't think I have
the ability, right, I'm not sure I can do that.
Correct again, you know why I send a helper because
we can't do it.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
One of the most significant moments in my life was
when I realized out in the backyard in my study,
alone on the floor talking to God, and God helped
me to understand for the first time in my life,
although I've been a seminary and already been passed into
churchy before that, that it was not my responsibility to
(17:50):
live a Christian life. Wh what an awesome sense of relief.
It's his responsibility to live through me. And here's the
way I learned it. I was preaching through the Book
of Galatians and I was coming to chapter five, and
I was getting worried, literally worried. I thought God, I'd
(18:12):
already got into the first part of it. I thought
the Sunday is coming. When I got to come to
that twenty sixth verse and the fruit of the Spirit,
the Lord, that's not true in my life, old Sunday
it is, But what about all those other days? Love, joy, peace, goodness,
self control, gentles, kindness. I was sweating it because I
was not going to tell somebody something that I did
(18:35):
not know for certain. And I'd already come to this conclusion. God,
you have got to teach me something I don't know.
I cannot stand up here and tell these people something
that's not true. Well, God wasn't late, but he's getting close,
because this is about three weeks before I realized for
(18:57):
the first time in my life.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
He says, these characteristics.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Are the fruit of the Holy Spirit, not of Charles Stanley,
not your responsibility. You've already got this many years to
prove to being a failure and all that.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
This is where it works.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
You surrender your life. Told it to me, and watch
me work this in your life. And I can tell
you that was a defining moment in my life. It
was a shocker because I prayed fast and being pleading,
worked hard and struggle and strive you name it was
(19:36):
I happy? No, was I being obedient to God as
best I knew how. But you know what I had
missed the point that it isn't what we do, it's
what He, our Helper does in us and through us,
if we are willing to surrender everything to Him.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Thanks for joining us today for in Touch, the teaching
ministry of doctor Charles Stanley. If you continue struggling to
live the Christian life on your own, you can expect
frustration and failure. It's when you turn to Jesus and
give up control that you realize what the Holy Spirit
can do through you. To listen again, look for the
(20:24):
Today on radio link at in touch dot org and
search the resources on our website to learn more about
the role of the Holy Spirit and connect to our
online bookstore. If you'd like to order a copy of
doctor Stanley's complete message, Help is on the Way again.
That's in touch dot org or call one eight hundred
(20:46):
in Touch. You can write to us at in Touch
Post Office Box seventy nine hundred, Atlanta, Georgia, three zero
three five seven. If you're asking for God's help, there's
a condition that must be met. Today's moment with Charles
Stanley is just a head?
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Have you ever forgotten something God taught you when you
were reading the Bible? When we take note of what
God reveals to us, it helps us to apply it
to our lives.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
With the Charles F.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Stanley Life Principles Journal, you can keep track of your
spiritual journey and be transformed by God's truth. This journal
features artwork of doctor Stanley's thirty Life Principles, lined pages
for writing, a prayer, journaling section, and more. To order,
call one eight hundred in touch or go to InTouch
dot org slash journal.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
How far are you willing to go to trust God with.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
My family, with my home, my future, when things are
going great and when.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Things are going not so great.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
I'm willing, but just don't know how to completely trust God.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
If you and I genuinely love Him, and if we
really believe that His love is perfect, we will indeed
trust Him in the most difficult times? Can you still
trust God? By Doctor Charles Stanley?
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Order yours today go to in touch dot org slash store.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
You're listening to in Touch. The Bible says God is
willing to meet your every need? How does that apply
to those who don't follow Jesus. Here's a moment with
Charles Stanley.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
You say, you mean to tell me that I can't
call on God and have him help me. Listen very carefully.
The only thing that God will do to help you
as unbelievers this He will help you in those circumstances
when he listen, has the motivation in mind to bring
you to repentance. That's what Paul says. He said, don't
(22:48):
you know that the goodness of God to lost people?
Don't you know the goodness of God is for the
purpose of leading you to repentance. Would I say that
God would never help you. I would never say that.
But you can't call him heaven and father if you
rejected his son. Wat's this you say, Well, I can
call him heavenly father if I reject his son. No,
you can't. Here's the reason. The scripture says, I am
(23:13):
the Father a one, Jesus said, And if Jesus and
the Father a one, you can't have one without the other.
I want to challenge you to ask the Lord Jesus
to forgive you of your sins, surrender your life to him,
and life all of a sudden will take on a
(23:33):
whole different, fantastic perspective. If you willing to let him
do it.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
You can learn more about what it means to trust
Jesus as your savior at in touch dot org. And
if this program has encouraged you to know Jesus better,
please let us and the people around you know tomorrow
on in Touch. Parents are always communicating something.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
To their children.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Thursday's program helps moms and dads recognize what they're saying,
both verbally and nonverbally to their kids. I hope you'll
join us then for in Touch, the teaching ministry of
doctor Charles Stanley. This program is a presentation of in
Touch Ministries Atlanta, Georgia and remains on this station through
(24:23):
the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts
One of the most significant moments in my life was
when I realized out in the backyard in my study,
alone on the floor talking to God, and God helped
me to understand for the first time in my life,
although I've been a seminary and I already been passed
into churchy before that, that it was not my responsibility
(00:26):
to live a Christian life.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
What an awesome sense of relief. Are you relying on
you to live the Christian life? Or are you depending
on God's unlimited resources? Welcome to in Touch the teaching
ministry of doctor Charles Stanley. God sent the Holy Spirit
to live within every believer, enabling our lives to mirror
(00:51):
the life of Christ.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Learn how to tap into.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
This ever present, never failing resource, and Part two of
help is on the Way.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
One of the gifts of God to every single one
of his children is the person of the Holy Spirit.
He's the one who convicted you of your sin to
begin with. He's the one who gives you the faith
to believe. He's the one who makes you aware of
the reality of who Jesus Christ is. So think about this.
You and I have within us a helper who is
(01:21):
omniscient knows all things omniving and has all power. I'm
the present, that is, all things are in his presence.
But primarily he lives on the inside of us, so
that you can never be without him. You said, well,
wait a minute, I could be without him. Listen to
what Jesus says. He says he'll be with you forever.
And I think of it, how many people sit in
(01:42):
pews week after week after weekend. They don't even have
any idea who he is. They're saved, but they don't
know think about him, or they've just sort of heard
about him, and they've heard about those people who believe
in the Holy Spirit, and they put some kind of
a category on all of that, and thus a stair
away from that. Well, you can't stay away from God,
(02:03):
and so whatever else you may fear, remember this. The
Holy Spirit is a person of the Trinity, dessent by God,
the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to live on
the inside.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Of you to help you.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
He's there as your helper no matter what you face.
He's adequate, ready dependable, and he's also very wise. Now
what do you mean by being wise? Well, because he
knows what to do and when to do it, and
how to do. But he also knows something else. He's
also wise enough not to do for you and me
what God's made us to do for ourselves. So we
(02:38):
can't afford to be lazy and say, well, those spirit
are God's going to help me? Know he's not. You
can't be slothful, can't be lazy, careless, indifferent, and wasteful
and expect the Holy Spirit to bail you out of
all of that. He's not going to do it. He'll
convict you of it, but he's not going to bail
you out of it. We're to live righteous lives, godly life,
(03:00):
and you see, the truth is we don't have any
excuse for not living a godly life. The person who
is God in the Spirit is living on the inside
of us, and one of his responsibilities, primary responsibilities, is
to do what watch this, to live out through our speech,
through our body, through our ears and our eyes, and
(03:24):
our hands and our feet, the life of Christ. He says,
we are the body of Christ. Where is he see
to the Father's right hand, Well, where's the body He's
living in you? It's your body, my body, all the
bodies of believers all over the world. We make up
the body of Christ on earth, and listen. He has
a plan for every single one of us, ready and
(03:46):
willing to work out that plan every day. Well, think
about some ways, for example, some areas of our life
in which He helps us, and one of the first
ones is in our prayer life. Look if you will
in the eighth chapter of Romans, and notice what Paul
says and the parts of speech he uses. Listen, he
says in verse twenty six, in the same way, the
(04:09):
Spirit also helps our weakness, Paul, including himself, For we
do not know how to pray as we should, but
the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep
for words. What in the world does that mean? Well,
it simply means this that sometimes you and I don't
know how to pray like we ought to pray. We
don't know how. Sometimes we don't know what to ask for.
(04:30):
Sometimes we don't know what His will is. Sometimes we're
not sure how we should pray for another person.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
He says.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
The Spirit of God, who lives within us, will do
what intercede with us and through us with groanings. That is,
sometimes don't you find yourself just crying out to God
and praying to him, And Lord, I don't know how
to ask about this. I don't know what's going on
this person's life. I just feel burden to pray for them.
Or maybe you're trying to find the Lord's will in
(04:57):
your life. And Lord, I don't know what your will is,
but need you to show me he's there to help
us in our prayer. Well, let me ask you a question.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Now, Suppose I ask you this.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
When you pray most of the time, do you pray
standing up, lying down, or kneeling? When is the last
time you knelt on your knees before Almighty God and prayed.
You've said, well, I can pray standing up, Understand that
I can pray lying down, Understand that I can pray
(05:33):
seated standing writing? When is the last time you got
on your knees? You say, I don't have to get
on my knees to pray? Is it that you don't
have to tell? You too proud to ask yourself the question,
when is the last time you got on your knees?
An acknowledgement of the supreme superiority, holiness and righteousness.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
The glory of all My God, Because there's.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Not a single one of us who's worthy it come
to him. And I'm asking you, when is the last
time you humbled yourself before Him God, on your knees
to talk to your heaven a father. You said, why
do you have to get on your knees? You don't
have to. You don't have to. But when I think
about who this is that I'm worshiping and serving, listen,
(06:24):
He's not a bell hop. He doesn't just come running
to me when I have something for somebody else to do.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
He is God, this righteous.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Holy God living on the inside of us, willing to
help us, and we come to Him in prayer. And
I'm ad it to have it a long time ago,
since I can remember that, before any day of my
life is over, if I'm able to walk or get
(06:57):
out of the bed or whatever, I'm going to get
on my knees and talk to God. Does that make
me holy? No? But here's what it does. Do. It
keeps me very aware of my unworthiness and His awesome
glory and power and majesty is God. And when you
(07:19):
and I, when a person cannot kneel to talk to
the Father, it's because of pure pride. I don't have
to do it.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
He is this holy God.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Before whom every single one of us will one day
what bow and acknowledge that he is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Don't you think we ought to get in the habit
I think we ought to sort of due of practicing
that one of these days we're going to kneel before him.
A second awesome thing the Holy Spirit does to help
(07:54):
us is to help us with the Word of God.
That is, he helps us interpret the Word of God.
If you turn to First Corinthians, for example, in the
second chapter, listen to what he says. People tell you, well,
I've read the Bible and this, that and the other.
Let me just say this to you. If a person's
not a believer, they cannot understand the word of God
he is.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
How do you know that?
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Because Paul states it clear in First Corinthians chapter two.
Listen to what he says. The natural man, that is,
a lost person does not accept the things of the
Spirit of God for their foolishness to him, and he
cannot understand them because they are spiritually a praise are discerned.
Lost person can't. So when you're arguing with somebody and
they say, well, you know, I've read the Bible, but
(08:35):
I don't understand that that's what God says. You wouldn't
don't push that in their face. But you know it's true.
All they may say, well, i've read the Bible. I
don't believe all that's true. Naturally they don't because the
Bible says that it's foolish to them. Well, listen, you
and I have the Holy Spirit to interpret the truth
of God's words.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
So watch this.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
The truth is I may happen to be a vessel,
but I'm not the teacher. The Spirit of God is
the one who's the teacher. He's the only one who
can discern. He's the only one who can give you
understanding and enlighten your mind and mind about what the
truth is about the Spirit of God, and about the
things of God, about the will and purpose and plan
of God. He's the one who does that. He's the
(09:15):
discern because he says, for to us, God has revealed
these things through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things,
even the depths of God. You will understand the world
of God. Then, when you read it, ask the Holy
Spirit to give you understanding and show you how to
apply it to your heart. You think, for example, what
about some of those verses that you've memorized and you
(09:36):
go back to once in a while, and all of
a sudden you read the same verse and you think,
my mind never saw that before. Why now watch this carefully.
Why because the Spirit of God gave you deeper understanding.
Now watch this carefully. The Spirit of God, here's how
he helps us. He helps us by giving us un
(10:00):
standing and insight into the Word of God, according to
where we are at that point in our life, what
we're thinking, what we're going through, how we're feeling, what
we're challenged with. So what happens, He gives us new insights.
You can read the same verse over and over and
over again. And then here you are at this point
in your life, and you go back and you read
(10:20):
that same verse, and God just has the message goes
straight to your heart. Had you read it before? Yes,
did you see that before? No? Why that's not where
you were before. The Spirit of God is the discerner.
He's the one who's the teacher. He's the one who
brings to light the truth of God's word. Then he
helps us in the whole issue of sin. For example,
(10:40):
he says, when the Holy Spirit comes, he will convict
us of sin, righteousness and judgment.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
What does that mean?
Speaker 1 (10:47):
He will convict us of our sin. That's how we
got saved. Holy Spirit convicted us of our sin, made
us where we need Christ showed us how to trust him.
Convict the world of sin righteousness, that is the the
righteousness of Christ which makes it which made it possible
for him to go to the cross and die and
pay us sin dead in full, because he was the
(11:07):
only one who was righteous enough to do it. And
he says, convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment,
the judgment that is to come. The Spirit of God
will remind us that we're going to give an account
to God one of these days. He reminds us and
shows us what in our life is not right. For example,
you move along the Christian life and maybe you're heading
in the wrong direction and you get what I call
(11:29):
static in your heart, and that's the Holy Spirit doing
what warning you watch it heading in the wrong direction.
That's not of me, that's not righteous, that's not God,
that doesn't fit who you are, that doesn't belong in
your life. That's the work of the Spirit of God.
If we didn't have the Holy Spirit of God, in
our life, we probably put up with some things that
God does not want us putting up with and maybe
not even be aware of it. It's the spirit of
(11:51):
God who makes us aware of these things. Then I
think also that one of His works in our life
is the fact of there's moments of weakness and frail
to do we have in our life. There are times,
for example, when there's a sense of weakness and you
don't feel adequate and you just can't quite think. I
just I don't know what's going on. Did you realize
(12:14):
that the Holy Spirit can energize your physical body. He
can give you strength and energy to do what you
normally will not be able to do. And I can
think of many times in my life when I thought, God,
I don't know how I'm going to be able to
handle this or do this, or say that or whatever.
And here's what I learned a long time ago. Thank God,
(12:35):
if I, no matter how tired I was, if I
get on my knees or on my face before God
and start talking to Him and just tell him what
I needed and that I needed a fresh new anointing
or energizing of the Spirit of God in my life.
About fifteen or twenty minutes of that, you can get up.
And I'm here to tell you there's nothing that can
(12:56):
stop you. God knows how to deal with your human body.
He knows when you need strength, he knows when you
need encouragement, he knows when.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Your spirit needs to be charged up.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
That's not a single facet of our life that he's
not there willing to help us in every aspect of
our life. In those moments of weakness, he's there, for example,
when we attempted to doubt his truth and to doubt
his promises. What does the spirit do? The spirit is
there to help us. And here's what the spirit's going
to ask you. Would the Father alow to you know,
(13:31):
does he keep his promises?
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (13:33):
And you see, here's what happens. And this tickles me sometimes.
Now think about it, people say, well, well that's what
I'm thinking. Let me tell you something. The spirit of
God is the one who can listen, who can place
thoughts in your mind to think his thoughts. You thought
there were your thoughts, they're his thoughts. He's the one
to remind you that God keeps his promises. He's the
(13:54):
one that reminds you and me that God doesn't fail
to keep those promises. That what he promises he will
provide because all of Heaven's power is behind him. Then,
for example, though those times when you and I go
through difficult times of sorrown heartache because of loss of
some loved one or whatever it might be, friend, only
(14:14):
God can help in those times. That's the work of
the Holy Spirit. How many times have I seen it?
Only the Holy Spirit can take a broken heart and
do what and mend it and mold it and encourage
it and cover it and assure it. Right, listen in
the presence of the body of someone whom they love
(14:35):
dearly when it comes, for example, to what he wants
you to do, think about this, God, watch this. First
of all, it's the Holy Spirit who gives us spiritual gifts.
He's the one who equips us to do the work
that God has called us to do. Every single person
is equipped to serve the Lord in some way. Say
(14:56):
I don't know what mine is? Have you asked him? Oh, well,
I really have a nast Well listen to this. Talents
and skills and natural abilities, I'm not talking about that.
I'm talking about those spiritual gifts that discernment that power,
that potential to make an impact. The Spirit of God
(15:18):
is what is there to help you and me to
make an impact in the lives of other people, whoever
it may be. The Spirit of God is there to
equip us to do whatever God has called us to do.
Here's the issue. You say, well, why doesn't that work
in my life? And there's one primary reason. The Spirit
(15:38):
of God is not going to fight you. He's on
the inside to equip you to live the Christian life.
You cannot live the Christian life apart from the Holy Spirit.
You cannot. Well, let me ask you this question. If
I name something that you want in your life, would
you say amen?
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Is that fair enough? Out loud?
Speaker 1 (15:58):
So we let everybody know that's what you want. Number one?
Do you want this in your life?
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Love?
Speaker 3 (16:04):
What about joy?
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control?
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Well well, well, well then you.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Know what You've got it because that is the fruit
of the Holy Spirit. That's what he promises. He said, Okay,
what he meant. Now, I want all of that in
my life, but I don't have it. Why do I
not have it? You ready for this answer? One word?
And then you're going to let me know how much
(16:44):
you want those in your life. One word surrender. Watch this.
To the degree to which I surrender myself to the
Holy Spirit, to that degree, will there be love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness,
self control, all the rest. You say. You mean to
(17:05):
tell me that if I surrender my life fully to
the Holy Spirit, that I can experience all that. Yes,
watch this, you say, But I don't think I have
the ability, right, I'm not sure I can do that.
Correct again, you know why I send a helper because
we can't do it.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
One of the most significant moments in my life was
when I realized out in the backyard in my study,
alone on the floor talking to God, and God helped
me to understand for the first time in my life,
although I've been a seminary and already been passed into
churchy before that, that it was not my responsibility to
(17:50):
live a Christian life. Wh what an awesome sense of relief.
It's his responsibility to live through me. And here's the
way I learned it. I was preaching through the Book
of Galatians and I was coming to chapter five, and
I was getting worried, literally worried. I thought God, I'd
(18:12):
already got into the first part of it. I thought
the Sunday is coming. When I got to come to
that twenty sixth verse and the fruit of the Spirit,
the Lord, that's not true in my life, old Sunday
it is, But what about all those other days? Love, joy, peace, goodness,
self control, gentles, kindness. I was sweating it because I
was not going to tell somebody something that I did
(18:35):
not know for certain. And I'd already come to this conclusion. God,
you have got to teach me something I don't know.
I cannot stand up here and tell these people something
that's not true. Well, God wasn't late, but he's getting close,
because this is about three weeks before I realized for
(18:57):
the first time in my life.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
He says, these characteristics.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Are the fruit of the Holy Spirit, not of Charles Stanley,
not your responsibility. You've already got this many years to
prove to being a failure and all that.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
This is where it works.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
You surrender your life. Told it to me, and watch
me work this in your life. And I can tell
you that was a defining moment in my life. It
was a shocker because I prayed fast and being pleading,
worked hard and struggle and strive you name it was
(19:36):
I happy? No, was I being obedient to God as
best I knew how. But you know what I had
missed the point that it isn't what we do, it's
what He, our Helper does in us and through us,
if we are willing to surrender everything to Him.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Thanks for joining us today for in Touch, the teaching
ministry of doctor Charles Stanley. If you continue struggling to
live the Christian life on your own, you can expect
frustration and failure. It's when you turn to Jesus and
give up control that you realize what the Holy Spirit
can do through you. To listen again, look for the
(20:24):
Today on radio link at in touch dot org and
search the resources on our website to learn more about
the role of the Holy Spirit and connect to our
online bookstore. If you'd like to order a copy of
doctor Stanley's complete message, Help is on the Way again.
That's in touch dot org or call one eight hundred
(20:46):
in Touch. You can write to us at in Touch
Post Office Box seventy nine hundred, Atlanta, Georgia, three zero
three five seven. If you're asking for God's help, there's
a condition that must be met. Today's moment with Charles
Stanley is just a head?
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Have you ever forgotten something God taught you when you
were reading the Bible? When we take note of what
God reveals to us, it helps us to apply it
to our lives.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
With the Charles F.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Stanley Life Principles Journal, you can keep track of your
spiritual journey and be transformed by God's truth. This journal
features artwork of doctor Stanley's thirty Life Principles, lined pages
for writing, a prayer, journaling section, and more. To order,
call one eight hundred in touch or go to InTouch
dot org slash journal.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
How far are you willing to go to trust God with.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
My family, with my home, my future, when things are
going great and when.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Things are going not so great.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
I'm willing, but just don't know how to completely trust God.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
If you and I genuinely love Him, and if we
really believe that His love is perfect, we will indeed
trust Him in the most difficult times? Can you still
trust God? By Doctor Charles Stanley?
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Order yours today go to in touch dot org slash store.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
You're listening to in Touch. The Bible says God is
willing to meet your every need? How does that apply
to those who don't follow Jesus. Here's a moment with
Charles Stanley.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
You say, you mean to tell me that I can't
call on God and have him help me. Listen very carefully.
The only thing that God will do to help you
as unbelievers this He will help you in those circumstances
when he listen, has the motivation in mind to bring
you to repentance. That's what Paul says. He said, don't
(22:48):
you know that the goodness of God to lost people?
Don't you know the goodness of God is for the
purpose of leading you to repentance. Would I say that
God would never help you. I would never say that.
But you can't call him heaven and father if you
rejected his son. Wat's this you say, Well, I can
call him heavenly father if I reject his son. No,
you can't. Here's the reason. The scripture says, I am
(23:13):
the Father a one, Jesus said, And if Jesus and
the Father a one, you can't have one without the other.
I want to challenge you to ask the Lord Jesus
to forgive you of your sins, surrender your life to him,
and life all of a sudden will take on a
(23:33):
whole different, fantastic perspective. If you willing to let him
do it.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
You can learn more about what it means to trust
Jesus as your savior at in touch dot org. And
if this program has encouraged you to know Jesus better,
please let us and the people around you know tomorrow
on in Touch. Parents are always communicating something.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
To their children.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Thursday's program helps moms and dads recognize what they're saying,
both verbally and nonverbally to their kids. I hope you'll
join us then for in Touch, the teaching ministry of
doctor Charles Stanley. This program is a presentation of in
Touch Ministries Atlanta, Georgia and remains on this station through
(24:23):
the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts
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