Comments by Joan Boney:
At the time I was born again, I was reading a book about sin. I thought I was born again by reading that book. So I bought copies of that book and sent them to friends and relatives.
I did not understand that it was God who caused me to be born again.
Jesus says: John 6:44 No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I (The Word) will raise him up at the last day.
After we are born again, God gives us HIS Spirit to live in us, to lead and guide us in things of God, showing us the way to go.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
The Holy Spirit of Jesus lives in us, in each believer.
I Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
I Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
II Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Because we now have the Spirit of Jesus living in us, we follow what HE brings to our mind rather than following our own fleshly ideas and desires.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For our flesh will cause us to do the works of the flesh if we allow such and this is destruction to us.
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But when we have the Spirit of Jesus living in us and we think about doing one of the works of the flesh, the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, will bring to our minds another way to go so that we can go in the way of God instead of going in the way of the thinking of our own fleshly minds.
Romans 8
11 But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, HE that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
We simply walk in those things brought to our minds by the Spirit, following HIM, keeping our flesh under control by doing that shown us by the Spirit, going in the way of the Spirit which is the way of God.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
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The Holy Spirit of God who lives in us is an "Helper", showing us a better way to go than the way we were planning.
* A man in our little church group was thinking of building a second storage building in his back yard to store his stuff when the following thought came to his mind, "Why don't you just get rid of the stuff?"
(The Holy Spirit showing him a better way for him to go.)
* In 2020, I was considering having the seat of my 25 year old car reupholstered when the following came to my mind, "Or you could just buy a new car."
(That's right! I could! For I had just sold the house in Texas and had far more than enough money to pay for a new car.)
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The Holy Spirit shows us the godly way to think, bringing to our mind that which Bible says.
* I was watching a documentary on television concerning a famous person who had accomplished many outstanding achievements. The Holy Spirit brought the following truth to my mind to set me in a godly way of thinking.
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36)
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The Holy Spirit brings to our minds God's answer to our prayers.
* In March, 2020, the Coronavirus struck the United States. Businesses closed. Fear was rampant.
At that time I had a house in Texas which had been for sale for the past 1 1/2 years.
I turned to God, asking HIM: "Is there anything I should do about that house in Texas?"
Instantly the following came to my mind: "Put the house on a special sale reducing the price for one week."
I did that immediately.
I did that immediately.
The house sold in 2 days.
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The Holy Spirit is The Comforter.
* Several years ago, a woman sent me a Birthday Card in which she enclosed a note telling me of various things she was doing: plans for the holidays with her husband and daughter and grandchildren, attending her grandson's wedding, and such.
As I read her note, the Holy Spirit brought the following to my mind: "You are dead and your life is hid in Christ."
That's right! I shouted. It looks like I do not have a life but I do. My life is hid in Christ.
Had I not heard this from the Holy Spirit I might have been a little depressed by reading that note because I had no plans for the holidays. I was alone. I had no husband, no daughter, no grandchildren.
The Holy Spirit comforts us with the truth.
Colossians 3
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with HIM in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
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The Holy Spirit is The Comforter.
* Several years ago, a woman sent me a Birthday Card in which she enclosed a note telling me of various things she was doing: plans for the holidays with her husband and daughter and grandchildren, attending her grandson's wedding, and such.
As I read her note, the Holy Spirit brought the following to my mind: "You are dead and your life is hid in Christ."
That's right! I shouted. It looks like I do not have a life but I do. My life is hid in Christ.
Had I not heard this from the Holy Spirit I might have been a little depressed by reading that note because I had no plans for the holidays. I was alone. I had no husband, no daughter, no grandchildren.
The Holy Spirit comforts us with the truth.
Colossians 3
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with HIM in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
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The Holy Spirit, The Spirit of Truth, teaches us:
* After I was born again, I was baptized a second time.
As the minister lowered me into the water, the Holy Spirit brought the following information to my mind: "This is like being buried with Christ." As I came out of the water, the Holy Spirit said: "This is like being raised with Christ."
Romans 6
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into HIS death?
4 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.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection:
6 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.
II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
4 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.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection:
6 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.
II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
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