God has chosen each one of us, knowing us and calling us by name, before the foundation of the world. When we consider this subject, we are bound to examine one of the most profound theological statements pertaining to life—that the Lord foreknew each of us.

Therefore, because He foreknew us before the foundation of the world, He planned the steps that He would take in His preparation for our life and eternity. This thought is developed by Paul in Romans 8:29-30: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

God’s predestination is based upon His foreknowledge. These two theological words are inseparable. Because He knows all things, He plans everyone’s life accordingly. However, He gives each person an opportunity to receive salvation and eternal life. God does not predestinate anyone to hell. He bled and died on the cross for every soul. However, He knows who will embrace Him and who will reject Him.

So why did God choose us and what is the purpose of life?

(1) “That we should be holy.” Holiness means “being separate from the world.” Holiness involves a separation from worldliness, the works of the flesh and the devil.

(2) “Without blame.” The phrase means “without blemish” in the Greek. To be totally clean—where our mind, our will, our affections, our walk, our service—are washed through obeying His Word (Eph. 5:26).

(3) “Before Him in love” means that we have a love relationship with Him. We must never forget that the relationship between God (who is love) and His children is rooted and grounded in love. Just think of yourself as a parent. Would you be happy if your child is clean, has good manners, and is obedient to you, but he doesn’t love you? How would you feel? There would be no satisfaction or joy in your heart unless your child loves you. The thing that a parent wants more than anything else from his child is love. So it is with our Heavenly Father. What Hewants more than anything else is for us to love Him with all of our hearts.

Following the list of 17 works of the flesh-which, if practiced, will prohibit us from inheriting the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21)-are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. There is a need for balance between the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit. In a direct reference to Charismatics, Jesus warns, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matt. 5:21-23). The gifts of the Spirit are neither substitutes for the fruits of the Spirit nor an excuse to despise the laws of God. Ultimately, “you will know them by their fruits …

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt. 7:16, 19). The nine fruits of the Spirit are developed and brought to perfection through contrasting and opposing forces. Jesus says, “Every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). Through severe trials and bitter life experiences, God prunes and purges us to bring forth fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. How are they developed?

(1) Love is cultivated through loving those who hate, spitefully use and persecute you.

(2) Joy is developed by those who pass through the valley of Baca (sorrow) and make it a spring.

(3) Peace comes to maturity when you cast your cares on Jesus in the midst of confusion.

(4) Longsuffering can only be formed through overcoming very long and arduous trials.

(5) Kindness shines forth in the midst of the rude, uncouth, ungrateful and unthankful.

(6) Goodness manifests amongst the wicked with their cruel and deceitful acts.

(7) Faithfulness is at its best when confronted by the failure and betrayal of those we trust the most.

(8) Gentleness is developed when confronted by anger to which one does not respond to.

(9) Self-control is the discipline you exercise as you are tempted by unrestrained lust, passions and desires.

The word “communion” comes from the root word “commute,” which means to travel. The communion of the Holy Spirit therefore refers to the moving in the Spirit. But before you can move powerfully in the Spirit, you must become familiar and comfortable with the realm or environment of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual atmosphere is something very real. We live under its influence all the time. There are times when you may come into a room and you feel so uncomfortable that you just want to run out as fast as you possibly can. Then there are other times when you come into a room and you can sense the presence and the power of God. When the Holy Spirit fills a room, exciting and powerful things happen. King Saul was totally transformed when he encountered a prophetic atmosphere (1 Sam. 10:6). One hundred and twenty priests collapsed instantly when the glory of the Lord descended upon Solomon’s temple (2 Chr. 5:12-14).

We must become skillful in discerning the moving of the Holy Spirit and the type of spiritual atmosphere we are in. A sign of spiritual maturity is knowing how to move with the “mood” and “tempo” of the Holy Spirit. Moving correctly with the “feel” of the spiritual atmosphere is so vital. There are a few ways by which we can build a strong spiritual atmosphere around us every day:

(1) Praise and worship. Heartfelt praise and worship always brings down the presence of God (Ps. 22:3; 2 Kin. 3:14-15).

(2) Attitude of faith. When we come before God, we need to let go of our fears, anxieties and worries. An attitude of faith helps us to let go and let God (Ps. 46:10).

(3) Waiting on the Lord. The head moves quickly but the heart moves slowly. The longest distance is usually between the head and the heart. We should daily wait before the Lord until we can “feel” the presence of the Holy Spirit coming upon us. Learn to delight in a prolonged worship time or prayer time before God. Give time for the words of our song or prayer to move from our head to our heart.

(4) Spiritual actions. Our clapping, kneeling, bowing and faith confessions create powerful Spirit-filled atmospheres. The lifting up of our hands is not just a nice worshipful act; it often brings down the anointing of the Lord (Ex. 17:8-13). As you learn to commune with the Holy Spirit in His tangible presence, He will take you on an adventure into the exciting realm of vision and dreams, miracles and the supernatural.

God has chosen each one of us, knowing us and calling us by name, before the foundation of the world. When we consider this subject, we are bound to examine one of the most profound theological statements pertaining to life—that the Lord foreknew each of us.

Therefore, because He foreknew us before the foundation of the world, He planned the steps that He would take in His preparation for our life and eternity. This thought is developed by Paul in Romans 8:29-30: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

God’s predestination is based upon His foreknowledge. These two theological words are inseparable. Because He knows all things, He plans everyone’s life accordingly. However, He gives each person an opportunity to receive salvation and eternal life. God does not predestinate anyone to hell. He bled and died on the cross for every soul. However, He knows who will embrace Him and who will reject Him.

So why did God choose us and what is the purpose of life?

(1) “That we should be holy.” Holiness means “being separate from the world.” Holiness involves a separation from worldliness, the works of the flesh and the devil.

(2) “Without blame.” The phrase means “without blemish” in the Greek. To be totally clean—where our mind, our will, our affections, our walk, our service—are washed through obeying His Word (Eph. 5:26).

(3) “Before Him in love” means that we have a love relationship with Him. We must never forget that the relationship between God (who is love) and His children is rooted and grounded in love. Just think of yourself as a parent. Would you be happy if your child is clean, has good manners, and is obedient to you, but he doesn’t love you? How would you feel? There would be no satisfaction or joy in your heart unless your child loves you. The thing that a parent wants more than anything else from his child is love. So it is with our Heavenly Father. What Hewants more than anything else is for us to love Him with all of our hearts.

Following the list of 17 works of the flesh-which, if practiced, will prohibit us from inheriting the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21)-are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. There is a need for balance between the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit. In a direct reference to Charismatics, Jesus warns, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matt. 5:21-23). The gifts of the Spirit are neither substitutes for the fruits of the Spirit nor an excuse to despise the laws of God. Ultimately, “you will know them by their fruits …

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt. 7:16, 19). The nine fruits of the Spirit are developed and brought to perfection through contrasting and opposing forces. Jesus says, “Every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). Through severe trials and bitter life experiences, God prunes and purges us to bring forth fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. How are they developed?

(1) Love is cultivated through loving those who hate, spitefully use and persecute you.

(2) Joy is developed by those who pass through the valley of Baca (sorrow) and make it a spring.

(3) Peace comes to maturity when you cast your cares on Jesus in the midst of confusion.

(4) Longsuffering can only be formed through overcoming very long and arduous trials.

(5) Kindness shines forth in the midst of the rude, uncouth, ungrateful and unthankful.

(6) Goodness manifests amongst the wicked with their cruel and deceitful acts.

(7) Faithfulness is at its best when confronted by the failure and betrayal of those we trust the most.

(8) Gentleness is developed when confronted by anger to which one does not respond to.

(9) Self-control is the discipline you exercise as you are tempted by unrestrained lust, passions and desires.

The word “communion” comes from the root word “commute,” which means to travel. The communion of the Holy Spirit therefore refers to the moving in the Spirit. But before you can move powerfully in the Spirit, you must become familiar and comfortable with the realm or environment of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual atmosphere is something very real. We live under its influence all the time. There are times when you may come into a room and you feel so uncomfortable that you just want to run out as fast as you possibly can. Then there are other times when you come into a room and you can sense the presence and the power of God. When the Holy Spirit fills a room, exciting and powerful things happen. King Saul was totally transformed when he encountered a prophetic atmosphere (1 Sam. 10:6). One hundred and twenty priests collapsed instantly when the glory of the Lord descended upon Solomon’s temple (2 Chr. 5:12-14).

We must become skillful in discerning the moving of the Holy Spirit and the type of spiritual atmosphere we are in. A sign of spiritual maturity is knowing how to move with the “mood” and “tempo” of the Holy Spirit. Moving correctly with the “feel” of the spiritual atmosphere is so vital. There are a few ways by which we can build a strong spiritual atmosphere around us every day:

(1) Praise and worship. Heartfelt praise and worship always brings down the presence of God (Ps. 22:3; 2 Kin. 3:14-15).

(2) Attitude of faith. When we come before God, we need to let go of our fears, anxieties and worries. An attitude of faith helps us to let go and let God (Ps. 46:10).

(3) Waiting on the Lord. The head moves quickly but the heart moves slowly. The longest distance is usually between the head and the heart. We should daily wait before the Lord until we can “feel” the presence of the Holy Spirit coming upon us. Learn to delight in a prolonged worship time or prayer time before God. Give time for the words of our song or prayer to move from our head to our heart.

(4) Spiritual actions. Our clapping, kneeling, bowing and faith confessions create powerful Spirit-filled atmospheres. The lifting up of our hands is not just a nice worshipful act; it often brings down the anointing of the Lord (Ex. 17:8-13). As you learn to commune with the Holy Spirit in His tangible presence, He will take you on an adventure into the exciting realm of vision and dreams, miracles and the supernatural.