When a crisis hits that forces us to consider if God exists or if we are saved, we are in the "valley of decision"......
Joel 3:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
So, what is the “valley of decision”? It’s the fork in the road, the place where you can’t go on without making a choice. Which way to go…….which path to choose… Life or Death.
Deuteronomy 30:19 King James Version (KJV)
19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
God's Will is that we would choose Life which is filled with blessings. He wants us to be with Him now on the Earth and in all eternity. God loves us!
Our sin separates us from God. He could have just annihilated us, but instead He chose to save us. He chose to give us Life, not Death. Now, God wants us to also choose Life, not Death.
On purpose, God gave us a choice because He doesn't want robots, He wants us to choose to love Him, to choose to know Him, to choose to be with Him. We don't have to wait till we die and go to heaven to be with God, we can be with Him now, on the Earth.
Yeshua/Jesus had to come to take away our sin so that we could receive the Gift of Eternal Life and be reconciled to the Father just because He loves us and wants to enjoy fellowship with us now on the Earth and in eternity.
By receiving the Body of Yeshua/Jesus, we receive the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
By receiving the Blood of Yeshua/Jesus, we receive total forgiveness and penalty paid in full for all our sins.
The Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus is the Human Fulfillment of the Law of Moses. While on the Earth, Yeshua/Jesus fulfilled all of the Human Law of Moses in His Body - every good work and obedience to the Law of Moses was recorded and fulfilled in the Body of Yeshua/Jesus, as well as all that the Prophets had written about Him.
On the Mount of Transfiguration Yeshua/Jesus was examined by Moses and Elijah - the Law and the Prophets. He was transfigured because He passed His examination - He had fulfilled all the "works" of righteousness for us.
Now, He was ready to go to the Cross where He would pour out His Blood and give His Life for us so that we would be able to choose Life. His Blood was examined and accepted by the Father. We know this because He rose from the dead, alive forevermore - the firstborn of many brethren. Yeshua/Jesus Christ offers us His Body and Blood, He offers us Life, if we reject Christ, then we have chosen Death.
Yeshua/Jesus Christ is the ONLY SAVIOR for us, there is NO OTHER. Don't play with or gamble the Gift of Eternal Life that the Father offers you. Death is real. There is a Lake of Fire that awaits those that choose the path of Death, by rejecting Yeshua/Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
After we make our decision with ALL our heart and choose Life by receiving Yeshua/Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are "sealed" with the Holy Spirit immediately and marked as God's possession.
However, the "baptism" and "continually being filled" with the Holy Spirit is a Gift from the Father - just as He gave us the Gift of His Son - He gives us the Gift of the Holy Spirit which empowers us to live this new life in Christ that has been given us.
After we are "sealed" with the Holy Spirit, God wants to "baptize" us with the Holy Spirit. Our body is to be the Temple of the Holy Spirit - to be indwelt with the Holy Spirit. This is Emanuel - God with us on the Earth.
The "baptism" with the Holy Spirit is when God first fills you with His Holy Spirit. To help understand this, Solomon built the first Temple in Jerusalem and after the priests had placed the Ark in the Holy of Holies and left the temple, the Glory Cloud (Holy Spirit) filled the temple.
1 Kings 8:10-11 New International Version (NIV)
10 When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. 11 And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.
The same happens to us - it's phenomenal! Absolutely a joyous time! You'll know when it happens.
After we are saved with the Body and Blood of Yeshua/Jesus, sealed with the Holy Spirit and baptized in water.......
How do we get baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit?
Simply ask the Father and the Lord Yeshua/Jesus Christ, "Father, Lord Jesus, I receive Your Gift of the Holy Spirit, baptize and fill me. Indwell me with Your Holy Spirit, I want to live with You on the Earth now and for all eternity. I choose Life. Your Gift of Eternal Life in me. Thank You, Father, in the Name of Yeshua/Jesus, amen."
The Holy Spirit dwells within us and with us on the Earth - just as Yeshua/Jesus was with His disciples on the Earth. The Holy Spirit will teach us, guide us, counsel us, comfort us, instruct us, correct us, empower us to be an effective witness of Yeshua/Jesus, and always be with us.
After the "baptism" of the Holy Spirit, the scriptures open up so beautifully to us and the things of God begin to make sense, we receive understanding and our love for God and His Ways increases tremendously.
However, loving God is ALWAYS a choice. He never takes the "choice" away from us. Every day if we do not choose God, then our flesh gets stronger and we backslide. It's very important to stay "filled" with the Holy Spirit. We do this by reading and meditating on God's Word, praying, singing songs in our hearts to God, fellow-shipping with other believers, etc.
Our flesh grieves the Holy Spirit. We need to learn to walk by the Spirit so we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. It's a choice..... just keep choosing Life!