Category: indwelling Holy Spirit

Heir by Position, Pauper by Practice #4

Thursday, January 8, 2026

“Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:7 KJV).

Saints, we in Christ are spiritual winners and heirs by position, but we can choose to be spiritual losers and paupers by practice!

Carefully re-read Galatians 3:22–4:7, and observe how it parallels and re-states Romans: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:14-17). Romans chapter 8 is victorious Christian/grace living or Christian service. The indwelling Holy Spirit works in the believer to lead and empower.

When the Bible refers to believers in Christ as “the sons of God” (John 1:12; Romans 8:14,19; Philippians 2:15; 1 John 3:1,2), it underscores how their Heavenly Father (God) has qualified them to be in the “family business.” The Lord Jesus Christ Himself highlighted this principle in His own life in Luke 2:49: “How is it that ye sought me? wist [recognized] ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” Link this to the title “Abba, Father” in Mark 14:36 (“Abba” is Aramaic for “father”), Romans 8:15, and Galatians 4:6. What Christ declared, the Holy Spirit states it in us believers, and we the believers also affirm it by drawing on the Holy Spirit’s power.

Exactly what is this “family business?” God the Father has a plan to exalt or glorify God the Son (Jesus Christ) in Heaven and Earth by creating and maintaining two entities or groups of redeemed (bought-back-from-sin) people. Ephesians 1:9,10: “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:…” (cf. Philippians 2:9-11).

Dispensational Bible study enhances our awareness of what is taking place in the Scriptures….

Scrooges and Christians

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).

To the old identity, we say, “Bah, Humbug!” To the new, we say, “God has blessed us, everyone in Christ.”

Other than Jesus Christ’s conception and birth as found in the Holy Bible, there is one other classic story associated with Christmastime. British author Charles Dickens’ 1843 book, A Christmas Carol, focuses on the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge (the novella has some Christian influence).

From the onset, Scrooge is a wealthy, miserable, mean, stingy, and selfish old man. His employee, Bob Cratchit, is underpaid (yet, strangely, Ebenezer observes, Cratchit is cheerful). Scrooge refuses to donate to charities collecting for the destitute—to him, Christmastime is a time for others to “pick his pocket.” He even refuses to attend his nephew’s Christmas party. What a miser!

Through visitations by four Spirits—his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley; and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future—Scrooge is forced to realize what a thoroughly rotten man he is. Once confronted with his future, the awful events that lie ahead, he asks for another chance to make things right (which, thankfully, he receives and does!). The Scrooge at the end of the book is drastically different from the Scrooge at the beginning. Scrooge is now loving, warm, cheerful, and generous—he is a brand-new man.

Bible-believing Christians recognize parallels between Dickens’ work and the Holy Scriptures. The sinner starts off rotten, a rebel from birth—selfish, miserable, and mean. When he or she comes to realize that pitiful condition he or she is in, and comes by simple faith in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for their sins, God gives him or her a new identity (today’s Scripture). That identity is designed to influence subsequent actions. Scrooge did not simply change his outward activity; he had a change in heart first. This Christmas, let us be submissive to God’s Holy Spirit working in our hearts, as He uses sound Bible doctrine to manifest in our behavior our identity in Christ, that we be not Scrooges.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing #5

Sunday, December 7, 2025

“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:14-17 KJV).

The final verse of the classic Christmas carol highlights today’s Scripture.

“Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!”

Religion has done an excellent job (wrongly) teaching us that God likes to rehabilitate humans—that He wants to make us quit doing certain things (“fleshly”) and make us start doing other things (“churchy”). What a very shallow, and actually a false, perception. God wants to do much more than what we could ever do by ourselves.

For good works to reign in our lives, God has to kill us! As sinners, in Adam, we are dead in our trespasses and sins, no life in ourselves (see today’s Scripture). Nothing we can do in our own strength will ever change our (sinful) nature in Adam. However, God offers us death to Adam and a new identity through Christ at Calvary. When we trust that Jesus Christ died for our sins, in God’s mind, we died to sin, too. Christ did not simply die for us but as us. Romans chapters 5 through 8 describe the victory is in Christ, not in Adam or in ourselves. Success is by the power of the Holy Ghost working with the grace doctrines we study and believe, not in our struggles to do right. And so, “Christ [is] formed in [us]” (Galatians 4:19).

Something about which the angels cannot sing, but we can, should, and do! 🙂

The Injudicious Judge

Sunday, November 9, 2025

“Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9 KJV).

The verdict is in—guilty of injudiciousness!

Many years ago, a judge noticed a man sitting in the back of his courtroom wearing a hat. Outraged that this individual would be so disrespectful to the court, the judge demanded he leave. Proceeding to further business, the clerk announced the next case. The name of a burglar, out on bond, was called. No one came forward. Suddenly, a voice was heard. The prosecuting attorney was speaking: “Your Honor, that was the man you just dismissed!” It is unknown if the burglar was ever re-apprehended.

Doubtless, it would have greatly benefited the public if the judge had first asked the man to identify himself and/or ordered him to remove his hat. Alas, emotions contributed to recklessness, and that “brilliant legal mind” fell prey to injudiciousness. As King Solomon penned in today’s Scripture, “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” Also from Solomon is Proverbs 16:32: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” Emotions are not evil, but, if they rule us, they become evil. Sound Bible doctrine—the indwelling Holy Spirit using the Word of Christ—should instead dominate what we believe and do (Ephesians 5:18,19; Colossians 3:16).

“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26,27). We ought to always be angry with sin (“And when he [Jesus Christ] had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts,…” [Mark 3:5]). However, the anger we see, hear, and feel in the world is seldom justified. Rather, people are reacting in a petty, irrational, or childish manner because they have not gotten their way. It is not individuals irritated that sin is destroying lives and souls. As the injudicious judge of decades ago, they are throwing fits and doing more harm than good (though he/they had good intentions). Friends, may we judge wisely here.

ATTENTION: Regarding our New Testament Survey Project, we have now begun studying Ephesians verse-by-verse. Watch the introduction video here.

Asset or Liability to the Establishment? #11

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

“[Our Lord Jesus Christ] Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:…” (Galatians 1:4 KJV).

Are we assets or liabilities to Satan’s Establishment?

God bestowed spiritual gifts upon the early Body of Christ, that believers grow up into strong spiritual adults (not remain Bible babies!), for only spiritual adults can do the work of the ministry: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:…” (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Now, with the completed Bible canon, the temporary spiritual gifts are unnecessary. All revelation from God has been given, written down in the Bible, preserved through history via a multiplicity of reliable manuscript copies, and translated for us into our language English (the King James Bible). “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

Doctrine is information or teaching worthy of our faith/trust, reproof is criticism for wrong conduct, correction is for improving poor thinking—all three are instruction in righteousness (the right path to walk!). Satan wants us to be ignorant, to not know what God wants us to know, for, if we knew what God wished we knew, we would be “perfect [spiritually mature], throughly furnished unto all good works [the very good works that are liabilities to Satan’s lie program!!!].”

We study all the Bible, Genesis to Revelation, for it is all God’s Word. Yet, we know Paul is our Apostle, Christ’s spokesman to us (Acts 26:17,18; Romans 11:13). Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, describe God’s current dealings with man. If we fail to see what God is doing in the “but now,” and/or try to go back to “time past” (Scripture prior to Paul), that is a heavenly way to do the Devil’s work (serve as his assets)!

Saints, please remember this work of the ministry requires monthly financial support to operate (Galatians 6:6; Philippians 4:16-17; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7). Those who prefer electronic giving can donate securely here: https://www.paypal.me/ShawnBrasseaux. Anyone who wishes to donate by regular mail can visit https://333wordsofgrace.org/contact-us-mailing-address-for-donations/ for details. Thanks to all who give to and pray for us! Unfortunately, since our ministry audience is so large and our ministry staff is so small, I can no longer personally respond to everyone. Thanks so much for understanding in this regard. 🙂

Asset or Liability to the Establishment? #10

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

“[Our Lord Jesus Christ] Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:…” (Galatians 1:4 KJV).

Are we assets or liabilities to Satan’s Establishment?

One Pauline “pastoral epistle” describes the work of the ministry as follows: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2 Timothy 2:24-26). “Those that oppose themselves” are people living contrary to whom they are in Christ—that is, believers who never abandoned what they thought (doctrine) and did (conduct) as lost people. They are “in the snare [trap!] of the devil… taken captive by him at his will.” Until they believe sound Bible doctrine to recover themselves, they will be no bother to Satan because they are functioning as his assets!

Paul prayed saints would be “strengthened with might by [God’s] Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16). “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;…” (Ephesians 5:18). To be “filled with the Spirit” is to “let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly in all wisdom.” That Word of God’s Grace will “build [us] up [edify us], and… give [us] an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).

In short, the indwelling Holy Spirit takes that sound Bible doctrine and works in us as we trust it: “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Here is spiritual growth and development, maturing in the faith, Christ’s life being revealed in and through our life. This is how we are liabilities to Satan.

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Asset or Liability to the Establishment? #9

Monday, August 4, 2025

“[Our Lord Jesus Christ] Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:…” (Galatians 1:4 KJV).

Are we assets or liabilities to Satan’s Establishment?

Ephesians 4:17-21: “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:….”

When a Christian lives in the energy of the flesh, he or she is just as useful to God as a lost person (non-Christian) is. Why? Both people are separated from God’s life. An ignorant Christian is just as useful to God as a lost person (non-Christian) is. Why? Both people are isolated from God’s thoughts. The separations are positional for the lost person and practical for the Christian. Moreover, the Christian living “at Corinth” is no bother to Satan. The Christian living “at Galatia” is no bother to Satan either.

A Corinthian will readily see the error of the Galatian, but not his own faults. A Galatian will spot with ease the error of the Corinthian, but not his own faults. The mature Christian recognizes both. Living apart from Christ’s life, the Corinthian engages in human evil—idolatry, theft, fornication (habitual sexual misconduct, especially outside of marriage), coveting, reviling (insulting language), extortion, drunkenness, homosexual behavior, and so on (see 1 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Living apart from Christ’s life, the Galatian participates in human “goodness”—rites, rituals, ceremonies, self-righteousness, commandment-keeping, including holy meals, confession of sins, fasting, water baptism, physical circumcision, kosher food laws, prayer recitation, and so on (see Galatians 3:1-3; Galatians 5:1-3).

Neither Corinthian living nor Galatian living is Christian living—both are man living, Adam living, not Christ living. If it is not Christ living, it is no bother to Satan, for Adam living enhances and extends Satan’s work. Christ is set aside, and man gets all the attention. It is man’s efforts, man’s intellect… man, man, MAN….

Asset or Liability to the Establishment? #8

Sunday, August 3, 2025

“[Our Lord Jesus Christ] Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:…” (Galatians 1:4 KJV).

Are we assets or liabilities to Satan’s Establishment?

Indeed, we humans are “creatures of habit.” It is difficult (!!!!) to forsake former mindsets and old ways, no matter how incorrect or destructive they are. We believers in Christ can indeed live a lie by entertaining these erroneous thoughts: “The Christian life depends on me. I promise to ‘do better’ next time. I will make a deal with God to try harder to stop doing this or that. Oh no, I am just an old, poor, helpless, hopeless sinner who must sin!” This was exactly Paul’s dilemma in Romans chapter 7—a Christian positionally, but a spiritual loser practically.

Remember, Romans 6:6,7: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” This “old man” is our identity in Adam, something God nailed to Calvary’s cross with Christ. We have been liberated from its power. Sin is not who we are anymore, but we lose the battle with it when we return to a performance-based acceptance system (Romans chapter 7). See Romans 6:14,15: “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”

Sin dominates us when we think Christian living involves our obedience to rules and regulations. Romans 6:18: “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Here is whom we are in Christ, what God made us in Christ. It is not something we make ourselves. We are simply living according to what God has done for us through Calvary (grace). Before we trusted Christ as our personal Saviour, we were living in the energy of the flesh because that is all we could do. We were alienated from the life of God. Now that we have trusted Christ, we have God’s life in us and should let the Holy Spirit have His way in us as we walk by faith in an intelligent understanding of God’s Word to and about us….

Attention: As touching our New Testament Survey Project, we have now started our Galatians studies. See the playlist of videos here.

Asset or Liability to the Establishment? #7

Saturday, August 2, 2025

“[Our Lord Jesus Christ] Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:…” (Galatians 1:4 KJV).

Are we assets or liabilities to Satan’s Establishment?

The Apostle John wrote, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17). Composing today’s Scripture, the Apostle Paul agrees. As God has delivered us from this present evil world (Satan’s influence positionally), so we should be separated from it practically. Unfortunately, the Galatians did not learn this, so Satan was thoroughly delighted when they kept hanging on to their “goodness” (rites, rituals, ceremonies, self-righteousness).

One day, God will overthrow this present evil world, this Satanic Establishment. It thus makes no sense for us members of the Church the Body of Christ to find value in what lost people do. Part of this present evil world is Satan’s religious system, in which we should not participate: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh [Corinth’s sinful conduct] and spirit [Galatia’s sinful doctrine], perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1).

There is more….

Asset or Liability to the Establishment? #6

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

“[Our Lord Jesus Christ] Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:…” (Galatians 1:4 KJV).

Are we assets or liabilities to Satan’s Establishment?

God the Father justified us by faith in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork without our works (read Romans 3:19–4:8), redeeming us from sin’s dominion positionally. Since He has taken us out of Adam and placed us into Christ, that sanctified (set-apart) identity should affect our lives every day (Romans chapters 6–8).

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin…. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:1-7,11-13).

Before they trusted Christ, the Corinthians and the Galatians had been assets to Satan’s Establishment. After they trusted Christ, they never made use of their identity in Him, so they continued to be Satan’s assets. Neither group was useful to God, though both were in God’s family and should have thus been functioning in God’s ministry. Even now, believers tend to be Corinthians (man-oriented, philosophy, entertainment-oriented, carnal, wild/loose) or Galatians (Moses-oriented, commandments, ceremonies, rites, rituals, strict). They thereby are liabilities to God’s work.

Note: In order to bring you two special studies, we will temporarily break away from this devotionals arc….