Friday, January 3, 2020

Luke 11:11–13

11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 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 Lord Jesus Christ to make His point that we will find God and His good and gracious answer to our prayers when we seek Him, by way of analogy now says that: “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?” vs. 11-12 Obviously no one would give a child a stone when he asks for bread because a stone cannot satisfy one’s hunger. Similarly, no one would give their son a serpent when he asked for a fish, or a scorpion when he asked for an egg, for that would be to only harm them. Therefore, Jesus say’s: 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!” Now obviously Jesus had in mind the Holy Spirit’s being poured out on the Day of Pentecost which came about when the disciples were seeking God and His Will in prayer (see Acts 1). Then later as the early church was being established and the disciples were growing in their understanding of the Holy Spirit and His role in salvation, in sanctifying both Jews and Gentiles (Acts 10). For it is only the Lord Jesus Christ who baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33-34), who freely baptizes everyone who believes in Him (Eph. 1:13-14). For it is by His Holy Spirit that we are regenerated (Titus 3:4-7) and thus made new creations in Christ, 2 Cor. 5:17) and thus being baptized into the Body of Christ, we are sealed and sanctified by Him forever, while also being given His fruits and His gifts for Christ’s service down here. The Holy Spirit then is not something we need to now pray for, for He is freely given to us all the moment we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. No one who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is excluded from receiving Him for He is the means by which we receive our eternal salvation.

Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson

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