Holy Spirit

Have you ever had anyone hurt you really bad? Maybe they lied to you, raped you, or murdered your dad. Maybe they were your first boyfriend that cheated you and broke your heart. Maybe an old friend that used you again and again or destroyed your reputation?
Do you hate them or do you love them? Can you forgive them? And how would you treat them if they were sick and you had the opportunity to care for them? Would you have compassion?
 I challenge you to read the following stories and test yourself: Do you have the Holy Spirit?

I got this from a wonderful sermon by Ivor Myers called the "Test of the Spirit". Please start by reading Matthew 25 The Parable of the Ten Virgins, The Parable of the Talents, and The Sheep and the Goats. Then read the story of the Good Samaritan in  Luke 10:25.

The priest who had the opportunity to help the Good Samaritan: He didn't know them, therefore he chose not to care
Samaritan: "He went to him bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine." demonstrating compassion

Do you really want the Holy Spirit?
Regardless of you having the truth of God, if you are not willing to forgive those who owe you something, and have compassion .. you will not be in God's kingdom.
Is it any coincidence that the Samaritan put on oil and wine on the robbed man?
Oil represents the Holy Spirit. The Levite and the Pharisee both had lamps, but they didn't have any oil. The Samaritan had the oil and the lamp. The wine represents the blood. So the Samaritan is taking the Holy Spirit and the blood and working on His enemy.
Imagine yourself working with the person you hate the most, the person who has hurt you the most, with the oil and the blood of Christ.
EGW- talking about the lamps and the oil-"This is symbolic of those who have not prepared themselves to develop a character to stand in the time of crisis. It's as if they would go to their neighbor and say "give me your character, for I am lost." Character is not transferable, and character is what counts. Character is shown when nobody is looking. The Levite and the Pharisee both thought nobody is looking.
If you have the Holy Spirit in you, you are going to love.. even your enemies.
 Do not even the evil people love their friends and their daughters? But can you come near the people who have hurt you and scarred you the most? The people who broke your heart and who destroyed your trust? Can you love them? No excuses, no whining. Can you really and truly from the bottom of your heart, when nobody is looking, love them?
Jesus is like the Good Samaritan. He sees us on the side of the road: wounded and injured. He takes the Spirit and His own blood. He takes care of us. He brings us to the end. To Him we were undeserving, we hurt Him, we were His "enemies". He takes us to the inn keeper. And says take care of them and when I come back, I will reimburse you. He leaves the inn keeper some gifts to take care of us. Take care of him.

The Pharisee separated himself from the robbed man. The Levi separated himself, both passed on the other side because they did not know the robbed man. When Jesus comes again, He will separate (Mt 25:32)  the sheep and the goats: right and left. He will separate us based on if we chose to love Him. If we had compassion.. if we loved our enemies and the people we didn't know.. The Bible says that Jesus gave us the opportunity to serve and take care of him every time we saw someone hurting or in need."I was a stranger you took me in... Lord when did we see you? I tell you the truth, whatever you did not for the least of those, you did not do for me."
Luke 10:30 says "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers..." This is exactly what happened to Jesus. In this parable Jesus was not only the Samaritan but He was also the guy who was wounded. He wanted to see how we would treat him if we didn't know who he was?
Do you really have the Spirit?
Do you know how many people will be lost because they hated somebody?
If you don't have the spirit of compassion you don't truly know God.
I tell you the truth whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:40
"He who sayeth He is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now."1 John 2:9
Hatred of a brother, or any person- no matter what they have done to you- will dry out all the oil from your lamp and keep you away from heaven.
Forgiving them is not justifying what they have done. In no way, is it making their action acceptable. God will keep each person accountable for their own actions, but He will also hold you accountable for forgiveness. As Christ has forgiven you so much more, you need to forgive the people who have hurt you. As you forgive them, you are giving Christ permission to heal your heart.
Hating your brother is murder. Search your heart. Do you have the oil of the Holy Spirit?
Have you forgiven your enemies? I challenge you to really take this message to heart and forgive the people who have really hurt you? Just tonight, I wrote a message to a guy that abused my trust and really hurt me when I was 16 years old telling Him that I totally forgave Him and hoped that God would bless His family. I pray right now that if you are having a hard time with forgiveness, that God would give you the strength you need.
Matthew 5:44 But I tell you love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
God bless!