Page 132 - Laying Down the Law

Romans 8:9
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells
in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

It is necessary for every man and woman to settle this matter for themselves.
Perhaps you were baptized in a church and declared to be a Christian by virtue of this
act. Maybe you said a sinner’s prayer, and a minister assured you that you were now
“saved.” Do not permit another to be the judge of whether you are a partaker of the
life of Christ. If you are, you will know it. The Spirit inside will bear witness to the
fact.
What should you do if you perceive that you do not have the Spirit? Ask for it,
believing that God will grant it to you. God knows that it is impossible for any man
to live a single day pleasing to Him apart from receiving His Spirit. He will not
withhold that which a man must have, if it is sought with determination and faith.

Luke 11:9-13
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock,
and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who
seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Now suppose one of you
fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a
fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will
he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those
who ask Him?"

The words rendered as “ask,” “seek,” and “knock” in this passage are written in
a verb tense that indicates ongoing, persistent action. It is aptly expressed as “keep
on asking,” “keep on seeking,” “keep on knocking.” If you were famished, would you
cease asking for something to eat before you received what you needed? Those who
come to God must believe He will give them what they need, and they must persist in
asking until they receive it.
Some want some proof that they have been born again. The most common
evidence that the Church focuses upon today is whether a person is able to speak in
tongues. The apostle Paul never had such evidence in mind when he said, “test
yourself to see whether you are in the faith.” Satan can mimic the gifts of the Spirit.
There are such things as “lying signs and wonders” (II Thessalonians 2:9).
If you have been born of the Spirit, the Spirit within will bear witness of the fact.
You will know that God is your Father. You will have your eyes and ears opened to
perceive the kingdom of God.
It is not a bad thing to wrestle with this issue until it is settled. Even as a
butterfly must struggle to emerge from the cocoon, and a chick must struggle to break
free of its shell, a man or woman may find themselves struggling as they transition
from carnal beings to spiritual. Those who have not settled the issue of whether they