It is good that we can rejoice in the Holy Spirit as Jesus rejoiced! He set the example for us. We were created and chosen by God to honor the purposes He had in mind when He made us in His image and likeness. When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we gain access to the treasures of wisdom and power that are in Him (Ephesians 1:3,4). There is nothing better than being in communion with the Son of the living God!

When He revealed that our names were written in Heaven (Luke 10:20), Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit. Be aware that there will also be times when you will rejoice in the Spirit of God in order to experience a little of what Heaven has in store for you. However, there are some who cannot experience this because they are under very strong temptations, have almost fallen into them, and yet have not repented of the imaginations provoked by evil desires (James 1:14,15). If this is your case, repent and return to the Lord!

Those who sin need to repent and confess their transgressions to God and abandon them (Proverbs 28:13). Christ warned that, spiritually, the simple act of lusting for someone is already considered adultery. So, if such a sinner does not repent, he will be left out of the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10). But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  (Matthew 5.28). If you have sinned, ask for forgiveness now and be cleansed of all evil.

The prophet Isaiah said that God, before the coming of Jesus, was angry with His people because of their sin, and there was judgment. However, wrath gave way to comfort. Meditate on the prophet's words about our position in the Lord: And in that day you will say: “O Lord, I will praise You; though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me - (Isaiah 12.1). Meditate on this! In that day refers to the time in which we live. Praise God!

The wrath of the Most High against us has passed, because His Son took upon Himself our transgressions and infirmities (Isaiah 53:4,5), suffering on the cross in our place, so that we might live free from guilt and the influence of sin. Before Jesus came, iniquities were only covered, but He, by His blood, atoned for them (Hebrews 9:13,14). Today, for us who believe in the Son of God, there is no longer separation from the Creator. We were forgiven of all sin when we repented, confessed, and accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord. Before the Father, we are completely clean!

Having appeased God's wrath in Christ, those who lived under guilt can now be free. The person who believes in Christ and His work as our Substitute on the cross is redeemed. Then, they can go to God in prayer and determine the departure of evil that exists in the spirit, body, and soul. Those who surrender to Christ are received by the Father as someone who has been acquitted.

If you have made the decision to belong to Jesus and believe that He paid for your mistakes, thank God that you are no longer under condemnation. The saved who do not accept themselves as children of God live as bastards. Make your decision and be happy forever!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares