After the first section of NIYONSENGA Irene’s sermon in the afternoon on the scriptures in Ecclesiastes 10:11 about “Why Jesus is the only one worthy of bringing salvation to the church”, this evening the congregation of Christians gathered at the campus stadium at University of Rwanda, Huye campus were blessed to listen to the second part of the sermon about “the Holy Spirit; the strength of the believers.” Today marks the seventh day of the evangelical campaign being hosted by CEP association students at university of Rwanda.
Below is a recount of the sermon as delivered by the preacher:
Scriptures read:
Isaiah 40: 29
“He gives strength to the weary and the increases the power of the weak”
John 16: 7
“Very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about judgement, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”
In the beginning, God’s plan for creation was to create a being in his image with whom he would have a relationship with. From Genesis to revelation the bible shows that God’s relationship with a person i.e. the way he interacts with people has been in three ways.
1. By visiting Adam in the garden of Eden. In Genesis, after God created the world and everything in it with his word, God has then said “Let’s make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over all other creations on earth (Genesis 1:26)”. So God created mankind in his image and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. God would visit them in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8) but would return to heaven. God did not live in the Garden of Eden with mankind, instead he dwelled in heavens but visited them daily. The devil in form of a serpent had thus took an opportunity of God’s absence in the garden and approached Eve and this momental loophole become the origin of sin when Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the tree of Knowledge.
This way of interaction was thus no longer suitable since the mankind had become sinful and God was holy. Our loving and merciful God however did not choose to abandon us to our doom but instead killed an animal and used its skin to clothe our nakedness signifying the second method which was the birth of the lamb of God who was to be born and later be crucified to pay for our sins.
2. Taking on the flesh and living as a person among us. Our relationship with God was broken when our fore fathers sinned. God’s chosen way to restore his eternal purpose and revive his relationship with his person was through taking on the shape of human and being born by a woman (Isaiah 7:14, John 3:16). One of the world’s great wonders was seeing God as human (John 1:14, Colossians 2:9). By taking on the shape of human, Jesus experienced sorrows and all other emotions that mankind face. In his three and a half (3 ½) years of Jesus ministry, he preached to people in order that people might have life in relationship with God.
This second method is a crucial stage in Christian salvation since the death of Christ on the cross at Golgotha (Calvary) brought salvation to those who believe in God. He has been tempted in every way, just as we are –yet did not sin (Hebrews 4: 15) and thus he is a worthy high priest and attorney for us in front of God.
On the other hand, this method wasn’t without disadvantage in achieving God’s eternal purpose since being in flesh restricted Jesus from being everywhere at the same time. This loophole is thus covered in the last method which is the arrival of the Holy Spirit; the strength of believers.
3. The arrival of the Holy Spirit; the helper and advocate. When it was about time that the son returns to the father who has sent him, Jesus had told his disciples about the helper he was going to send to them after his departure. In John 16: 7, Jesus says “Very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about judgement, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”
The third persona of the holy trinity, the Holy Spirit, was promised to us by God and he lives in us, those who believed and trusted in the son. He is the source of sanctification to believers and is a worthy helper. You can read more about this promised helper, teacher, and guarantee of our inheritance in (John 14, Ezekiel 36: 26-28, Acts 2: 1-4, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Ephesians 1: 11-14).
As of today, God no longer occasionally visit us as he did in the garden of Eden, nor is he limited to be everywhere by the flesh; instead he lives within us every day and in this way we can truly be sanctified. This is the power of the holy spirit.
Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it (Luke 11:28). May peace be upon you all!
BY Ineza Nelly
