Embedded Files
Do you remember when there were only three TV channels and Saturday mornings were reserved for watching cartoons while eating your favorite breakfast cereal?
One of my favorite cartoons was ABC’s Casper the Friendly Ghost.
Casper wasn’t like the other members of his family and his friends.
He didn’t like scaring people at all.
In fact, his favorite book was Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. (Smile.)
Today’s post is about a ghost.
A ghost way friendlier than Casper.
And this Ghost, also known as the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Christ, lives without interruption inside every believer in Christ.
In this final post on the messages in the songs on MercyMe’s Lifer album, I will be sharing the message in its last track,“Ghost.”
Let’s begin by listening to Bart Millard, the band’s lead singer and songwriter, share the backstory behind this comforting song.
I really like what Bart said:
A lot of people are wrapped up in being Spirit-filled and getting Spirit-filled. My take is that if you’re a believer, you are filled with the Holy Ghost the day you call His name and there is no separation. It’s more about being Spirit-led. When you think about it, we (Christians) have a Ghost inside of us. If you’re not a believer, that’s a creepy thing to say. The weird irony is that the only thing that keeps me from being afraid—the only thing that calms my fears—is the Ghost that lives inside of me. The anthem for the album—the way to end the album—is “Holy Ghost, lead me through everything. Whatever You do, just lead me.
I might step on some toes here, but I completely agree with Bart.
If you are a believer, you are filled with the Holy Ghost the day you call His name and there is no separation.
I remember a season in my walk with the Lord where it was all about me trying to get more of Jesus, getting filled and refilled with the Spirit.
It was all about continual introspection.
Am I sinning? Am I not sinning? These were the questions of the day.
Honestly, I’m getting worn out just remembering it.
Thank God I don’t live there anymore!
If that’s where you are currently living and you are completely exhausted and overwhelmed, then keep scrolling.
If you are a believer in Christ, then all of you (you are a spirit) is already united with all of the Spirit of Christ (the Ghost)!
This just might be the best news you’ll ever hear!
If you don’t believe me, let Scripture prove it to you:
“The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1 Cor. 6:17).
The believer in Christ is eternally fused together with Christ’s Spirit, never again to be separated from Him (John 10:28; 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 13:5).
“His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Pet. 1:3).
Believers in Christ have already been given everything they need because of their eternal spiritual union with Him.
“You are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).
In means “in”!
It doesn’t mean a part of us is in Christ.
Our entire spirit (who we are) is completely immersed into His Spirit. No separation. Ever.
Now, let’s watch the official lyric video for “Ghost.”
Christian, the Ghost who lives inside of you 24/7/365 is your comforting Counselor, your forever Friend, your sustaining Strength, your relaxing Rest, your heavenly Hope, and your perfect Peace (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7).
He is everything you need, your All-Sufficiency.
What I love most about “Ghost” and every other song on Lifer is that they all accentuate the truth of our eternal spiritual union with the Spirit of Christ.
And it all started the moment we called on the Name of Jesus, believing into Eternal Life Himself.
In honor of this God-glorifying, grace-saturated, new covenant-focused album, I would like to close out this post series with a little diddy I wrote:
If you are one of many redeemed saints who can thankfully and enthusiastically shout to Jesus, “You Found Me!” then “Grace Got You,” and you are now a “Lifer” in Him. And it all started when you first heard and responded to the “Best News Ever”—the gospel of grace in Christ Jesus. That’s when you waved goodbye to your old life and shouted, “Hello Beautiful!” to your new life in Him. “Even If” you go through hard times on this earth, you can still do the “Happy Dance” because “Heaven’s (already) Here.” Yes, that’s right. The Holy “Ghost” lives inside you 24/7/365 and there ain’t no storm that can change how this ends: “We Win!”
I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing the messages in all of the songs on MercyMe’s feel-good-because-God-has-already-been-so-good-to-us album, Lifer.
(Here is a table of contents for every post in this series.)
“Are You a Lifer in Christ?” – a review of track 1, "Lifer"
“Come out, Come out, Wherever You Are!” – a review of track 2, "You Found Me"
“Has Grace Got You?” – a review of track 3, "Grace Got You"
“Have You Heard the Best News Ever?” – a review of track 4, "Best News Ever"
“Because Life Ain’t Always Pretty” – a review of track 5, "Even If"
“Bye-Bye Lies!” – a review of track 6, "Hello Beautiful"
“Don’t Throw in the Towel” – a review of track 7, "We Win"
“Why Every Christian Should Be Doing the Happy Dance” – a review of track 8, "Happy Dance"
“Christian, Heaven Is Here & Now!” – a review of track 9, "Heaven’s Here"
“This Ghost Is Way Friendlier Than Casper!” – a review of track 10, "Ghost"
Every one of its songs exude the best news ever—the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ!
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If you enjoyed this post, I invite you to check out all of my books and my video series based on my first devotional.
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