Tag: Holy Spirit

Pedagogue, Paracletes, and Paideia

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 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. – John 14:26

Don’t Stop

I remember the sense of relief I felt once I graduated college and passed the CPA exam.  I felt like I could finally set the books aside and get on with real life.  After all, isn’t the only reason we read and study is to satisfy our teachers and prove what we know?  Or at least what we can retain and regurgitate for a short period of time?  I seemed to think so.  But I was quickly challenged to do some rethinking!

I can still clearly remember the day a dear friend challenged my attitude towards learning.  It was only appropriate that I was standing over my gas grill at the time.  Although I thought I was grilling him dinner, in actuality he was grilling me.  As he was asking me questions about life direction now that I had my CPA license, I distinctly remember sharing with him how I was happy to be freed from the books and the boredom of study.  At the time I didn’t really care to look at another book.  Books meant work and I had a job now.  So who needs books?  We all do.  And my dear friend was wise to challenge me and convict me on the importance of continuing to read and learn.  I accepted his challenge and have never regretted it.

Books and Authors

It is amazing how our perspectives are influenced by our attitudes.  When I was a student, my textbooks seemed somewhat tyrannical.  For the most part, they were cold and sterile vaults filled with facts.  I read them because I was forced to if I wanted to get a passing grade.  Unfortunately, enjoyment is too seldom derived from obligatory acts.

By way of contrast, I now read because I want to.  No longer obligated to read, I find a sense of enjoyment in books and view them much more like friends than tyrants.  As they take me to times and places that I otherwise could not experience I often wonder what it would be like to spend time with the authors if they were still alive.

What would it be like to discuss Hamlet with Shakespeare himself?  Wouldn’t it be a privilege to interview Dickens and allow him to share his inspiration for some of his colorful characters?  How about sitting down with Tolstoy or Dostoevsky to have them elaborate on some of their web-like plots?  How much more would a good book come alive if we were able to share it with the author himself?  Because of the Holy Spirit, such is the case when it comes to the Bible.

Paideia

The authors of the New Testament lived during a time in which the view of education could be described by the Greek word paideia.  Paideia comes from a Greek word relating to children and it refers to the process of developing children into mature adults through education.  However, it is more than teaching or disseminating facts.  Under paideia, the goal of education is to train and develop the whole person – body, mind, and soul, in bringing them to maturity.

Instead of producing parrots who merely repeat facts, “paideia is consciously shaping the young to understand and appreciate the beautiful and the good, always pursuing excellence or virtue.  The end goal of whole-person education is understood as the satisfied life of flourishing that the mature alone can experience.”  This state of perfection is often referred to in the Bible as “perfection”.

As is evidenced in the Scriptures, such education is concerned with investing in people not simply informing them.  To be effective, an educator not only provides information but facilitates transformation.  This takes great commitment.  Thankfully, God is the most committed paideia educator.

Pedagogue

When Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden, God joined them in their fellowship.  Who knows what kind of wisdom the all-knowing Creator shared with His creation in the cool of the day.  As much as they completed each other, they were dependent upon the teaching of God.

When Israel broke the bonds of Egypt and entered the Promised land, they too were accompanied by the presence of God.  Like Adam and Eve, God’s chosen people were dependent upon his guidance.  Moving from childhood to adulthood is not an easy task.  We need God’s help to arrive at perfection.

Because of our sin nature, God has shown his mercy by leaving us help.  In the form of the Law, God gave us a form of teacher.  Specifically, Galatians 3:24 tells us that the Law served as a guardian (pedagogue) until Christ came.  Paul tells us that the role of the Law was to hold us captive and imprison us until Christ set us free.

As our temporary pedagogue, the Law was responsible for “teaching” us God’s moral will for us and convicting us of our sins.  Although the Law could open our eyes to our shortcomings, it could not transform us or bring us to perfection.  We needed more than a teacher, we needed an educator.

Paracletes

Once great teachers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle dominated Greece with their teaching.  As they “practiced” paideia, these men influenced their students not only with words but by their actions as well.  Although there would be times of formal teaching, much of what was gleaned from these men was done by extended periods of interaction.  These philosophers and their students shared many life experiences together, much like Christ and His disciples.

Jesus, our first Paraclete, didn’t “just” come to impart wisdom and knowledge, He came to sacrifice His life for us.  But before He did, He completely invested His life into His followers.  During His short life, Jesus lived out Deuteronomy 6:7.  Regardless if He was sitting in Matthews home or walking through Samaria, Jesus was constantly teaching about the Kingdom of God.  In the upper room before His death and on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection, Jesus was practicing paideia as He was transforming His followers.

Jesus is now at the Father’s right hand until He returns for His bride.  But we have another Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, to assist His bride to perfection until He returns to bring us home.

Teaching and Reminding

Until the 20th Century, paideia drove educational philosophy through most of Western civilization’s history.  We can only speculate how differently our society might be if we hadn’t abandoned it.  But unfortunately, we did.  However, God never will.  He knows we are sinful creatures in need of transformation.  We need to be brought to maturity; body, mind, and soul.

With the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we have the Bible’s author residing with us full time.  As helpful as they may be, we are not dependent upon the church or any man to teach us.  As we open the Word in prayer and humility, the Holy Spirit is willing to open our eyes to Truth.  The most important requirement for understanding the Bible is not the knowledge of Hebrew or Greek, but having the Spirit as our divine educator.

The Holy Spirit not only teaches us Biblical Truth, but as we need it He reminds us of Christ’s teachings.  Perhaps it will be an encouraging parable like the prodigal son when the enemy is trying to discourage us.  Or maybe it will be a stern warning about worldly temptation when the enemy is trying to allure us with his lies.  Whatever circumstances we might face, we will not face them alone.  The Holy Spirit is our faithful Helper, who will never give up on us or stop working on us.  God loves us too much to leave us as we are.  He loves us too much to leave us alone.  Never stop reading His Word.  The greatest Author wrote it with you in mind.

Convicted

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 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. – John 16:8-10

Who Me?

Getting a drunk to admit he drinks is not difficult.  Getting a drunk to admit he is a drunk can often be next to impossible.  We look at the description of a drunkard in Proverbs twenty-three and laugh at his foolishness.  Despite the blurred vision, confused thoughts and utter disorientation, the drunk doesn’t seek relief.  Instead his only thought seems to be where he can find another drink (vs. 33-35).  He is no match for the red wine sparkling in the cup (v.31).  Despite its snake-like bite (v. 32), it goes down smoothly.  And that is all the drunkard seems to care about.

The writer of Proverbs twenty-three tells us that the drunkard has woes, sorrows, strife, complaints, needless bruises and bloodshot eyes (v. 29), but it lacks one attribute.  Company.  And plenty of it.  While you and I might not have a drinking problem, we do have a sin problem.  And like the foolish drunkard described in Proverbs twenty-three, we are very good at deceiving ourselves.

Oh, it is easy for us to admit that we commit acts of sins.  However, like the drunkard, it is impossible (humanly speaking) to get a sinner (that’s us) to admit he is a sinner.  The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9).  This deceitfulness is too often on full display in our distorted estimation of ourselves.  With our vision blurred by sin, we will never understand our deceitful hearts.  Why should we care about the viper’s poison when the red wine’s sparkle is enticing us (Proverbs 23:31-32)?  When will I wake up so I can find another drink (Prov. 23:35b)?

Yah, You!

Do we comprehend the seriousness of our problem?  After all, what harm is a simple “white” lie (as if painting them white makes them better)?  Who really cares if I cheat just this once?  How harmful can a little gossip be?  How wrong can it be if everyone else is doing it?  If you haven’t used the rationalizations you have certainly heard them by now.  Unwilling and unable to stop the acts of sin, we resort to downplaying them or even justifying them.  But God is not deceived.

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God – Romans 3:23

As has been said so often, our sins don’t make us sinners.  Rather we sin because we are sinners.  It is our nature.  Let’s be honest with ourselves; our actions expose our deceitful and desperately wicked hearts.  Like the drunk, it is best to admit we have a problem we cannot control.  Unlike the drunk, we may not have needless bruises and bloodshot eyes, but we share his woes, sorrows, strife, and complaints!

But what match are we for the drink that promises to go down so smoothly?

He Will Convict

Thank God, we are not left alone.  Thank God we are not left to ourselves.  Before His departure, Jesus promised another Helper.  Amazingly, Jesus promised that it would be advantageous for His disciples when He departed and sent the Holy Spirit.  How could this be advantageous?  The Holy Spirit would bring conviction.  Without His conviction, a sinner has no hope.  The red wine will win every time.  But the wine’s sparkle is no match for the Holy Spirit.

I am not sure how He does it, but the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit alone, can do a mighty work on our desperately wicked and deceitful hearts.  Hearts that have been prayed for and preached at for years with no avail can be changed in an instant by the work of the Holy Spirit.  Hearts that have remained stone cold and obstinate despite years of pleading can be easily melted by the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

While I don’t understand how He does it, I believe the first tool the Holy Spirit uses when He transforms our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh is conviction.  When He causes us to see the perfect attributes of our Heavenly Father, specifically His Holiness, He opens our eyes to the ugliness of our sin.  What right do we have to rationalize our sins when they are so abhorrent in the eyes of God?

Concerning Sin

No matter how we try to dismiss it, sin is sin.  We can rename it, calling our disobedience “mistakes”.  Or, we can justify it by playing the victim card, “My circumstances made me do it”.  We can even try to sweep it under the rug.  But like Adam and Eve, we cannot hide.  We will be exposed for what we are.  Sinners.

Like God appearing in the cool of the evening, the Holy Spirit shows up to convict us.  And the most serious sin He is going to convict us of is the sin of unbelief (John 16:9).  The most “damning” of sins that so many are proud of and flaunt with an air of superiority.  Yet how quickly they are made to realize that what they deemed to be intelligence is actually ignorance once the Holy Spirit reveals to them the person and works of Christ.

Jesus didn’t just take on flesh and blood to leave us wise teachings and an exemplary lifestyle.  Not at all.  Jesus was God in the flesh living out a perfect life and fulfilling the Law.  His death on the cross was substitutionary for us (i.e. our sins).

Our salvation is to be found only in the sacrificial death of Christ.  When He was nailed to Cavalry’s cross our sins were nailed to it with Him (Colossians 2:14).  We need to be convicted of our sins that sent Christ to the cross.  Once the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin of unbelief and we turn to Christ in faith, He can convict us of our “lifestyle” sins in His timing.

Concerning Righteousness

While the world may preach relativism, God has an absolute standard of righteousness.  And Christ is it.  Only Jesus lived a perfect life in the flesh.  He alone is the exact representation of the Father (Hebrews 1:3).  Only Jesus has ascended to the Father to sit at His right hand.

While our Righteous Savior intercedes for us, the world denies Him.  And they will go on denying His righteousness until they are convicted by the Holy Spirit.  By the grace of God, there is hope that the deceived will have their spiritual eyes opened to the reality of the Righteousness of the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to recognize the righteousness that God, not man, has attributed to Christ.

Jesus, Righteousness personified, has gone back to the Father as He said He would, but He has left us a standard by which we may be judged.  And a means by which we may be made Righteous.  But conviction must precede imputation.

Concerning Judgment

Sin brings judgment.  Because God is Holy, Righteous, and Just, sin must be judged.  And although it was the body of Jesus that hung on the cross, as we see in today’s passage from John 16, it was Satan and not Jesus who was judged.  Although Satan may have thought that Cavalry was a victory for him, the empty tomb served noticed that he was defeated.

31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. – John 12:31

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil – Hebrews 2:14

Satan is a defeated foe.  Christ is a Righteous Savior.  For those who have been convicted by the Holy Spirit and placed their faith in Him, Heaven awaits.  For those who continue to reject Christ and live in unbelief, judgment awaits.  Along with Satan, the “ruler of this world”, they will be condemned.  Such were we, until the Holy Spirit convicted us!

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. – John 16:7

Breath of Life

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22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” – John 20:22

Life Breath

From all outward appearances the future of the church looked bleak.  Perhaps hopeless would be more descriptive.  The leader of the Way was publicly mocked and crucified.  Despite His claims and the miracles He performed, He was no match for the established religious order or the Roman government.  The religious leaders wanted to protect their authority and Pilate wanted to preserve the peace.  As a result, Jesus’ dead body was laid in a tomb to rot.

While Jesus’ body was (presumably) lying in the tomb, His followers were hiding behind closed doors.  For three years they followed Jesus, and now they were left without their leader.  Accordingly, they locked themselves away in fear of the Jews.  They did not want to meet the same fate that Jesus did.  But their fear of death stopped them from truly living.  Although technically alive, they had created their own tomb.  Such is the power of fear.

Imagine their surprise when their resurrected Leader entered their “tomb” unannounced and alleviated their fears with the simple words, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19).  But Jesus didn’t “just” speak these reassuring words, He did something much more significant, He breathed life onto them in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Life Begins

Theologians debate whether Jesus actually imparted the Holy Spirit on His followers at this time or if this wasn’t just some “prelude” to Pentecost.  I will leave that argument to those with greater credentials.  My concern is simply this, life comes from the breath of God.  So it was with Adam (Gen. 2:7), so it is with the church.  Life is a direct volition of the Creator upon His creation.  Chance is not involved.

If God had not breathed life into the nostrils of Adam, he would have forever remained nothing more than dust from the ground.  If Jesus had not breathed life into the church…, well there would not be a church.  A group of fearful men would have probably lived out their lives until the oxygen ran out of their “tomb”.

But Jesus kept His promise.  He promised His disciples He would send another Helper after He had ascended to the Father.  And so He did.  The same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the grave released the Disciples from fear and locked doors.  When Jesus breathed life into them, He forever set them free.

Stirring Winds

As we know from the exchange between Jesus and Nicodemus in John chapter three, the work of the Holy Spirit can be a mysterious thing.  After telling Nicodemus that he must be born again to enter the kingdom of God, Jesus then compares the Holy Spirit with the wind which is natural since the literal translation of “The Spirit” is “Breath” or “Wind”.

7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” – John 3:7-8

Nicodemus may have had great pedigree.  He most likely had great wealth.  Certainly, he was well educated.  But he did not have the Holy Spirit.  The life giving breath of God had not yet come upon him.  Although he was not living behind closed doors, Nicodemus may have also lived in fear.  Regardless, this important religious leader holds a night meeting with Jesus.  Even though Nicodemus possesses so much, he is missing what is most important; the breath of life.  What good is orthodoxy without it?

Although he did not understand it, the sovereign, although invisible Spirit was stirring in the soul of Nicodemus.  Like a mighty storm He can level the strongholds of the enemy in our hearts and replace them with the breath of life.  Nicodemus, you do not have to enter your mother’s womb a second time to be born again.  God can bring to life dead bones if He needs to.

Dry Bones

As Jesus was teaching Nicodemus about the necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit in his life, I wonder if his mind reflected on Ezekiel’s vision as recorded in Ezekiel chapter thirty-seven. In the Spirit of the LORD, Ezekiel was carried out to the middle of a valley.  A valley full of bones.  According to the Prophet, the valley was full of a great quantity of bones and they were very dry.  In the midst of death and despair can there be any hope?  There is as long as God has breath in Him.  Such is the lesson Ezekiel was to learn.

As God has Ezekiel overlook the valley full of dry bones He asks him one simple question, “Son of man, can these bones live” (v.3)?  And Ezekiel responds to God wisely, stating that certainly God knows whether these bones can live again.  Interestingly, God involves Ezekiel in the “rebirth” and in doing so givies us a very good lesson to remember.

God has Ezekiel first prophesy to the bones.  As Ezekiel speaks the Word to the valley of bones he begins to hear a noise.  Specifically he hears the bones rattling as they came together.  But the bones didn’t just become complete skeletons, they proceeded to develop taking on sinews and flesh and skin.  But they were still not living.  Like the disciples and Nicodemus, they needed the breath of God.

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. – Ezekiel 37:9-10

Fresh Wind

As we continue to look at the person of the Holy Spirit, it is so important to be reminded that all life in the individual believer and the Church is a work of the mysterious “wind” that is the Holy Spirit.  Every teacher and preacher is dependent upon the Holy Spirit without exception if the Kingdom is going to be advanced.

As we see from Ezekiel’s vision and as we are reminded time and again in the New Testament, the Word of God needs the work of the Spirit to be effective.  Ezekiel’s prophesying may have caused the bones to reconnect and put on sinew, flesh and skin, but they still did not have life until the “life breath” came upon them.  May we never think we can do the work of the Spirit or deny it.

Further, I am thankful that the story of the woman at the well follows immediately after Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus in John’s Gospel.  As we have looked at previously, the Samaritan woman was the polar opposite of Nicodemus.  While he was a wealthy, respected, educated man of status, she was an outcast among outcasts.  But thankfully, the wind blows where it wishes!!  The eternal life that was offered to Nicodemus was offered to the woman at the well.  When the wind blows, we don’t know where it comes from or where it is going to go, but it can reach anybody.

Perhaps you know a Nicodemus or a Samaritan woman.  People you may think unlikely “candidates” for the Kingdom.  Never give up on them, the Spirit can reach them.

Maybe you feel like you are living in a valley full of dry bones.  Death and sin have been so rampant for so long that the bones are very dry.  Like Nebuchadnezzar, the world has wreaked havoc and left a valley full of bones in it’s wake.  Very dry bones.  Is there any hope?  There is as long as God has breath!

Praise God for the Holy Spirit.  Thank God for the breath of life.  Our leader is not in the grave.  We don’t need to hide behind locked doors.  Nor do we need to despair dry bones or even dead orthodoxy.  The wind of God is still at work.

 63 It is the Spirit who gives life – John 6:63

True Power

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8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

The Holy Spirit & Jesus

In His humanity, there seems to have been a “dependency” of Jesus upon the Holy Spirit.  From the very beginning, this dependency was evident.  It was a result of the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon the virgin Mary that enabled her to conceive the Christ Child (Luke 1:35).  When He was baptized by His cousin John the Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove as the Father proclaimed His pleasure (Luke 3:22).

It was the Holy Spirit that guided Jesus into the wilderness where He was tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1), and after being tempted Jesus began His ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14).   Jesus, Himself, testified that it was a result of being anointed by the Holy Spirit that He was to preach to the poor.  Likewise, it was the Spirit that sent Jesus to heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind and to set at liberty those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18).

After casting out a demon, Jesus announced His miraculous work was done through the Holy Spirit (Mat. 12:28).  It was through the Holy Spirit that Jesus offered Himself without blemish to God as a sacrifice for our sins (Heb. 9:14).  After His death, it was the power of the Holy Spirit that resurrected Jesus (Romans 8:11).

From His conception to His resurrection, we see a vital relationship between Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit & The Church

If Jesus as God in the flesh “needed” the Holy Spirit, how much more do we?  Consider these words of Charles Spurgeon.  “If there is this day any power of God in the Church of God, it is because the Holy Spirit is in the midst of her!  If she is able to work any spiritual miracles, it is through the might of His indwelling; if there is any light in her instruction; if there is any life in her ministry; if there is any glory gotten to God; if there is any good worked among the sons of men, it is entirely because the Holy Spirit is still with her!  The entire weight of influence of the church as a whole, and every Christian in particular, comes from the abiding presence of the sacred Paraclete!” (emphasis mine)

Charles Spurgeon had no disillusionment about his or the church’s dependency upon the Holy Spirit.  Nor did Christ.  Hence His promise of asking the Father to send us the Spirit to help us and be with us forever (John 14:15-17).

Do you recognize your need of the Holy Spirit?  As you go through each day how cognizant are you of your dependency upon the Holy Spirit?  Consider for a moment the last sentence quoted from Charles Spurgeon.  “The entire weight of influence of the church as a whole, and every Christian in particular, comes from the abiding presence of the sacred Paraclete!”  This quote makes me wonder, to what degree is the church as a whole and we as individual Christians influential “lightweights” because of our disconnect from the Holy Spirit?  Or, to what degree is our influence limited by our lack of recognition of our dependency upon the Holy Spirit?

Power Pleas

So often when we think of the power of the Holy Spirit we desire to see it manifested in mighty supernatural displays.  These sincere desires may be manifested in urgent pleas for the Spirit’s power to be unleashed.

Perhaps we pray for a second Pentecost complete with the sound of a mighty wind and tongues of flames.  Maybe we pray for miraculous healings where the blind receive their sight or cripples are made whole.

It is possible that we desire the power of the Holy Spirit to manifest itself in the exorcism of demons; real or imagined.  And if Lazarus could be raised from the dead perhaps we can witness the same miracle today.

As intriguing and exciting as such occurrences might be, what if the power of the Holy Spirit is unleashed not when we plead for it but rather when we submit to Him?

Submitters Wanted

I believe that if we want to experience the true power of the Holy Spirit, we need to learn the importance of submission.  As we have discussed previously, we need to rid our minds of the notion that the Holy Spirit is a commodity.  Some mysterious and mighty power that we seek to use for our desires and according to our whims.  That is not how Jesus viewed Him.

When Jesus walked the earth He emphasized the fact that He did not do His own will but the will of the Father.  In so doing He taught us the importance of submission and surrender to our all wise and all loving Father.  Our Father who has sent the Holy Spirit to live within us.  The same Spirit that empowered Jesus.  The same Spirit that Jesus submitted to.

Like our Savior, we need to submit to the Holy Spirit.  We need to surrender ourselves to Him.  We have been bought at a price.  As R. A. Torrey has said, “Christian life is not to be lived in the realm of natural temperament but in the realm of the Spirit.  And Christian work is not to be done in the power of natural endowment but in the power of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit eagerly desires to do His whole work for each of us.  He will do for us everything we will let Him do.”

True Power

While it is exciting to ponder the truth that the same power that raised Jesus from the grave resides within us, I wonder how that power is most effectively displayed in the life of Believers.  While performing supernatural miracles sounds exciting, I am not convinced it is the best way to advance the Kingdom of God.  It may draw a crowd, but in time they will become bored and return to their routines.

In our last devotion we looked at a couple of passages which referred to the love of the Spirit (Rom. 15:30) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14).  As I have thought about these passages I have become convinced that they may hold the key to the greatest “power” of the Holy Spirit.

If you look closely at today’s passage, Jesus says that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and then He states that we will be His witnesses.  What if we, as the church, truly lived in and exemplified the love of the Spirit?  How contagious would our lives and church services be if we truly participated in and displayed the fellowship of the Holy Spirit?

Is there a greater power than the love of God (1 Cor. 13)?  Is there a higher calling than intimate fellowship with our Creator?  We live in a dark and desperate world that is divided by hatred.  No amount of “Christians” living in the “realm of natural temperament” while pleading for the power of the Spirit is going to effectively witness to them.  The church has gone down that path far too long.

Weighty Influence

As Spurgeon has reminded us, the entire weight of the influence of the church comes from the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus has already prayed for Him.  The Father has already sent Him.  Now it is up to us to surrender to Him and enjoy His fellowship and allow His love to flow through us.

There is no greater power.

There is no greater witness.

Do you want to experience the power of the Holy Spirit?

“They will never get possession of the power they seek until they come to recognize that there is not some divine power for them to get hold of and use in their blindness and ignorance, but that there is a Person, infinitely wise as well as infinitely mighty, who is willing to take possession of them and use them according to His own perfect will.”  R.A. Torrey

Love & Fellowship

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15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. – John 14:15-17

Meetings

I don’t know about you but I am no fan of meetings.  I know they have their place (at least theoretically), but most of the time I would rather be anyplace but in one.

Maybe it is just me but it seems like keeping focused in a meeting is next to impossible.  Even with an agenda it often feels like every meeting is deja vu all over again.  The same topics are brought up (even if not on the agenda), the same complaints are expressed (always without solicitation), and the same actions are taken.  None.

OK, so maybe I’m exaggerating (just a little), since the Continental Congress did produce the Declaration of Independence as a result of their meetings, but personally I often found them as productive as flogging a dead horse.  No matter how much flogging is done, the outcome is determined.  In other words, if nothing is going to change why waste the time?

Time for Change

Whether or not you agree with my assessment of the value of meetings, I hope you will agree with me on one thing.  For most of us that call ourselves Evangelical, our way of thinking about the Person of the Holy Spirit needs to change.  Rather than flogging a dead horse, I believe it is time for a paradigm shift for many of us when it comes to our thought (or lack thereof) regarding the Holy Spirit.

Everything we as individuals and collectively as a Church hope to accomplish in this fallen world can only happen by the enablement of the Holy Spirit.  Without Him our wisdom is folly and our strength is a stumbling block.

We need to come to grips with the fact that we are completely dependent on the Holy Spirit.  But before we get to the work of the Holy Spirit, I want to spend one last study with you about our need for a vital, living relationship with Him.

Thrice Loved

As Christians we often talk about the love of God the Father quoting John 3:16 as our favorite proof text.  In the same manner we like to take comfort in the love of Christ that manifested itself in His sacrifice of His own life for us while we were His enemies (John 15:13, Eph. 5:2).  In contrast, how often do we talk about the love of the Holy Spirit?  Don’t we owe our salvation to the love of the Holy Spirit as much as we do to the love of the Father or Son?

Listen to Paul’s words to the Romans.

30 “I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf” – Romans 15:30

Have you ever seriously pondered the love of the Spirit?  Scholars are not in complete agreement as to whether Paul is referring in this passage to the Spirit’s love towards Believers or the love He instills in us, but regardless of how you may interpret this passage the fact remains:  As a child of God you are loved by the Holy Spirit.

Further, Paul tells us that it is through the Holy Spirit that God’s love is poured into our hearts (Romans 5:5), and Love is the foremost fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Believer (Gal. 5:22).  The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of divine love.  A love that is relentless.

Heaven’s Hound

In 1893, Francis Thompson published a poem entitled, The Hound of Heaven.  Using an analogy of a hound hunting a hare, Thompson illustrated the persistence of God chasing after a fleeing soul.  No matter how fast or far the hare may run, or the efforts he may take to hide, the hound never gives up on his pursuit.  Divine grace will not be thwarted.

When you were running away from God blinded by your sins, do you know who was pursuing you?  The Holy Spirit.  Time was irrelevant in His pursuit.  Days and months and years passed but the Holy Spirit never gave up on you.  Despite the sinful paths you ran down, the Holy Spirit kept up the pursuit regardless of the grief your sinned caused Him.  Like a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24) He would not give up on you.

When you came to the end of yourself, it was the Holy Spirit that revealed your true condition.  It was the love of the Spirit that opened your spiritual eyes to expose you as a sinner.  It was the Person of the Holy Spirit that enabled you to place your faith in Christ.  If not for the love of the Spirit manifested in His patient relentless pursuit, you would still be condemned for an eternity in Hell.

Let me ask you again.  How often do you consider the love of the Spirit?  Perhaps we would all be wise to meditate on it and then thank the Holy Spirit for His love and what He has done for us.

Sweet Fellowship

As humbling as it is to consider what the Holy Spirit has done in regards to our salvation, there is more to consider.  Listen to what Paul wrote to the church at Corinth.

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. – 2 Corinthians 13:14

When was the last time you heard a sermon on the fellowship of the Holy Spirit?  Do you know what it is like to have daily communion with the Spirit that dwells within you?  It is the privilege of having eternal life.

Forgive me for repeating myself.  I don’t like flogging a dead horse.  But as I have so often said, it is imperative for our lives as individual Christians and collectively as a Church that we have a proper understanding of the Person of the Holy Spirit.  He is not just a commodity.  He is much more than a power.  He is God living within us loving us with a perfect divine love and desiring fellowship with us.  Every moment of every day.

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all love us with an everlasting love.  They decided to make man in their image.  Each of them had a role in our salvation.  All of them want their love reciprocated.  Don’t waste your time, surrender it to the Spirit and enjoy His fellowship.  It is why He tirelessly pursued you.

I’m putting the whip down.  Meeting adjourned!

Truth & Comfort

Posted on by scott

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” – John 14:15-17

Dead Divinity?

I have often looked at the state of the church and the lives of individual Christians, myself included, and questioned the efficacious work of the Holy Spirit.  If the Holy Spirit was unleashed at Pentecost, which He was, and He indwells individual Believers, which He does, how can things be the way they are?

Why does the church seem so ineffective at stemming the tide of an increasingly evil world?  Why has the church lost her focus?  Instead of reaching the lost we seem to be more concerned with satisfying the saints.  Even if we have to entertain them to “keep” them.

At an individual level, how can so many people who claim to be followers of Christ have such “messed up” lives?  What does the victorious Christian life look like?  What does it mean to be an Overcomer?  Which leads me to wonder, while atheists have boasted of killing God, has the church “killed” the Holy Spirit?

Mom’s Request

To my recently deceased mother, the Holy Spirit wasn’t dead.  Far from it.  During the last few months of her life, she would often ask me to pray to the Holy Spirit on her behalf.  Not knowing what precipitated these requests they made me a little uncomfortable.

My mother was on the brink of eternity, so according to my way of thinking she should have been focusing on Jesus and His redeeming work.  But maybe my way of thinking needed a little re-thinking.  Perhaps it was my theology and not mom’s request that was the source of my “discomfort”.

Maybe my theology needed more “life”!

Life Source

It is easy to approach Christianity from an academic viewpoint, gathering facts as if they were ammunition for future discussion or debate.  But Christianity isn’t about cold facts, it is about a living vital relationship with an all-powerful living God.

To me, the most plausible explanation for our plight as individuals and as the Church, is that we are far removed from the living vital relationship with the Person of the Holy Spirit as the Father intended it.  Again, myself included.

If so, there is no better time than the current to repent and surrender ourselves to our Paraclete.  But I am convinced we won’t do so until we understand  Him and trust Him as a person.

Confide

With whom do you share your most intimate thoughts?  A parent?  A sibling?  How about a friend or spouse (in case your spouse isn’t your friend)?  How about your dreams and aspirations or troubles and fears?  To whom do you turn for guidance and direction?

When the disciples needed someone to confide in they turned to Jesus.  He could calm their troubled hearts and buoy their despondent souls unlike anyone else.  When they were weak, they rested in His strength.  When the darkness would oppress them, He was a constant source of light.

No matter what the situation, the disciples always knew they could go to Jesus.  And He never let them down.  He couldn’t.

In the person of the Holy Spirit, we have a Friend just as dear to us as Jesus was to His disciples.  But how often do we confide in Him?

In your time of need, turn to your Friend.  When you want someone to share your cares and concerns with, go to the Holy Spirit.  He is already more intimately familiar with you than any parent, friend or spouse ever could be.  And He loves you more than any human ever could.

Trust

Perhaps when we realize that the Holy Spirit already knows our most intimate thoughts, highest aspirations and deepest sorrows, we will begin to “trust” Him as we should.  Consider this quote from R. A. Torrey.

“The Holy Spirit is not a blind, impersonal influence or power that comes into our lives to illuminate, sanctify, and empower us.  No, He is immeasurably more than that.  He is a holy person who comes to dwell in our hearts, One who sees clearly every act we perform, every word we speak, every thought we entertain, even the most fleeting fancy that is allowed to pass through our minds.  If there is anything in act or word or deed that is impure, unholy, unkind, selfish, mean, petty or untrue, this infinitely Holy One is deeply grieved by it.”

We do not need to accept the status quo.  I am confident God has much loftier plans for us.  Instead of grieving the Holy Spirit with our sin (especially ignorance, apathy, and neglect), what if we were to confide in Him and in an attitude of surrender allow Him to sanctify us?  After all, He is the Holy Spirit and being God His work is efficacious.

Truth

I don’t want to give the impression that the Holy Spirit is simply a “shoulder to cry on”.  On the contrary, as we looked at in the last devotion, He is our greatest hope for comfort.  But He is not going to comfort us “as we are”, but rather by conforming us.  While our sorrows and sufferings are a consequence of sin, the Holy Spirit comforts us with Truth.

When Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit in today’s text, one of the ways He refers to Him is the Spirit of truth.  When we confide in and surrender to the Holy Spirit He will bring us comfort through the Word.  Although we may desire to be made comfortable in our sin, the Holy Spirit must first “hurt” us before He can heal us.  He must be true to His character.  Holy.  This is where trust is so important.

Before we can expect consolation, we must obey the Holy Spirit as He convicts us of sin and reveals Truth.  Truth that He wields to purify us and bring us peace.  With the Word of God, the Holy Spirit can reveal to us eternal truths thereby transforming our ignorance into wisdom.  As He reminds us of the teachings of Christ our fears will give way to boldness.  Certainly, as He illuminates the inerrant Word to us conviction of sin will occur (John 16:8).  Hopefully shaking us of our complacency.

For many, if not most of us it is past time to “reconnect” with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to bring “life” to our theology and comfort to our souls.  Until we do, we won’t be an effective witness to the world.

Revive All

God is not glorified by an anemic church.  Nor is He honored by “messed up” Christians.  While we may grieve the Holy Spirit, He is not dead.  Instead, all too often it is us who seem to be on life support.  But why?

As I have already stated, it is time to turn to the Holy Spirit.  He dwells within you.  He is always available.  The Spirit of truth wants to guide you and comfort you with the Word of God.  He wants to conform you to the image of Christ.  What could be more comforting?  What could be better evidence of the efficacious work of the Holy Spirit?

I may never know what motivated my mother to turn to the Holy Spirit as her certain death was approaching, but there is a truth to be gleaned from her request.  By God’s design, the Holy Spirit is our source of eternal life (John 3:3-6).   Sometimes we need to have the delusions of the world removed from our spiritual eyes to remind us of just how dependent we are upon the Holy Spirit.  No matter what stage of life we are at, the Holy Spirit is our source of comfort.

Thanks for the reminder mom.

The Person of the Holy Spirit

Posted on by scott

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” – John 14:15-17

Simon Magus

What comes to your mind when you think of the Holy Spirit?  I believe that too often for most it is perhaps a thought that parallels that of Simon Magus.  If you are not familiar with him he is infamously recorded in Acts chapter eight.

Simon Magus was a man from Samaria.  But he was no “ordinary” man, however we might define that.  He said of himself that he was “somebody great” (Acts 8:9).  Simon practiced magic and seemed to have quite a large gathering who was greatly impressed by him.

10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic” (Acts 810-11).

But in the midst of Simon’s admirers, God’s true power, the Gospel, showed up.  Philip came to Samaria proclaiming the Gospel and many believed him as he taught about the “kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (v. 12).  Among those who professed belief and were baptized was none other than Simon Magus.

Simon Exposed

After his baptism, we are told that Simon “continued with Philip” (v. 13).  As Simon continued to spend time with Philip, he had the privilege of seeing Philip perform signs and miracles and he was amazed.  Being a magician Simon undoubtedly recognized a great difference between Philip’s miracles and his own slight of hand magic, but what was Philip’s secret?

When the news of what was happening in Samaria reached the Apostles in Jerusalem, they decided to send down Peter and John.  Upon arrival, Peter and John prayed for the new converts and laid their hands on them.  When they did so the new converts “received the Holy Spirit” (v. 17).  At which time Simon was exposed.

18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” – vs. 18-19

To Simon Magus, the Holy Spirit and the ability to disseminate Him represented power.  With such power imagine the fame and wealth that someone like Simon could obtain!  For Simon, the Holy Spirit was something he evaluated on a commercial basis that would be subject to his will.

Peter, in very strong language, reprimands Simon for his worship of money, which is ultimately where Simon’s devotion lay.  Certainly, while Simon was being rebuked, the Holy Spirit was grieved.

Him

Look closely at the passage quoted above from the Gospel of John.  When Jesus promises His disciples the Holy Spirit He uses the pronouns whom, him, and he.  When Jesus departed to go back to the Father, He wasn’t simply going to replace himself with a power, but rather with a person.  A member of the Trinity who is as much a person as the Father and the Son are.

It is of utmost importance that we recognize the fact that the Holy Spirit is a person. Without the intimate knowledge of the personhood of the Holy Spirit, any study of His works or appeals for His power is meaningless.  If we want to have a “fair” and “balanced” understanding of the Holy Spirit, we must begin with the fact that HE is a person.

When we refer to the personhood of the Holy Spirit, we are not referring to bodily substance, but rather we mean that the Holy Spirit has personality characteristics.  Although the Holy Spirit may not have arms, legs, hands, etc., the Bible does ascribe to the Holy Spirit such things as knowledge, will, love, etc.

It is the person of the Holy Spirit that is our Paraclete.  The Person called alongside us.  The Person who lives inside us.

Heaven Help Us

As we looked at in our last study, mankind is in need of help.  We looked at the creation of Adam from the dust and the fact that Eve was formed from a rib from his side.  Eve was made to complete Adam, but as we saw, there are spiritual needs that only God can meet.  We need a Paraclete from Heaven.

Adam and Eve could walk side by side down the streets of New York City.  Despite being surrounded by millions of people in a short vicinity, Adam could be the “loneliest” man alive.  The strange faces around him and even the familiar face of his wife at his side may be desperately insufficient to remove his loneliness.  But Adam’s despair may have company.

As she walks by Adam’s side, Eve may be battling the demons of depression.  Rather than being an escape from her torment, the busyness of her environment may only serve as a fuel for her internal torment.  Why, she might ask, with all of the resources such a populated city might possess, can she not find any relief from her suffering?

Jesus foresaw such suffering.  Jesus foresaw such sorrow.  Jesus did not leave us as orphans.  He sent us another helper.  He did not send us “just” a power.  He did not send us simply an illuminating agent.  Nor did He send us an impersonal enlightenment or divine influence.

When we were given the Holy Spirit we were given a person just as divine as Jesus.  One who daily walks by our side.  One who dwells “in the innermost depths of our beings” and knows our needs even better than we know them ourselves.

Comfort

There are many functions that the Holy Spirit performs as our Paraclete, but for now, I only want to broach one, the fact that the Holy Spirit brings us comfort.  I don’t want to imply that as Christians we will never experience such things as loneliness or depression, but I am convinced that our greatest source of comfort is the indwelling Holy Spirit and without a foundational understanding of His personhood we miss His blessings.

As Jesus’ words quoted above imply, the Holy Spirit is to us what Jesus was to His disciples.  When He walked the earth with His disciples, Jesus was their teacher.  For three years, these men, many of which were deemed ignorant “unlearned”, gleaned from the most intelligent “man” ever to live.  In time they would change the world with the truths Jesus taught them.

Not only did Jesus serve as their teacher, He was also their shepherd and leader.  When they were vulnerable, He protected them, and when they were wayward He directed them.  Although they may not have completely understood His ways at the time, they knew in Jesus they had a “guide, counselor, and friend”.

In the midst of a world dominated by Roman power and religious hypocrisy, Jesus was more than a moral “keel” to keep the ship upright.  To His disciples, He was an intimate friend who loved them with a perfect love.  Christ was their “all in all”.  And such is the person of the Holy Spirit to the church.

Glory

I don’t want to exhaust your patience.  We will have to resume this study later.  For now, let me simply remind you that in the person of the Holy Spirit we have a Comforter who is ever present, at our sides and in our hearts.  He is able to act on our behalf in any situation that may come our way.  While it is my hope to impress upon you the personhood of the Holy Spirit, I don’t want to be accused of making this study about us.  My intention is to make it “personal” without losing focus.

We don’t want to make the mistake that Simon Magus did.  We don’t want to confuse the Holy Spirit with a power or treat Him as an object.  It is imperative we understand that He is a divine person, worthy of our worship.  Just as we adore the Father and the Son we must adore the Holy Spirit.  He is worthy of our love.  He is worthy of our faith.  If we want to live victoriously in our Christian faith we need to recognize that He deserves our complete surrender.

It is the Simon’s of the world who misunderstand the Holy Spirit and think of Him as a “tool”.  Their quest in life is to get more of the Holy Spirit.  Often they advertise themselves as “Spirit-filled”.  They feed their spiritual pride and display self-sufficiency and self-exaltation.

In contrast to Simon Magus, may we always be cognizant of the personhood of the Holy Spirit.  When we do, we are not concerned with having more of the Holy Spirit, but rather interest ourselves in surrendering more of self to the Holy Spirit.  When we truly understand the person of the Holy Spirit indwelling us, forever, we are humbled.  Recognizing that the triune God resides in us has a way of keeping our pride in check.

You will never be alone.  You will never be just another face in the crowd.  In the Person of the Holy Spirit, you are indwelt with divinity.  God, in His infinite wisdom and strength, has taken up residence in you and is carrying out His perfect will through you.  May we give the Holy Spirit the glory He deserves by seeing Him for who He is!

Help Needed

Posted on by scott

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. – John 14:15-17

imago dei

Such is the Latin that we translate the image of God.  As we know from scriptures (Genesis 1:26), Adam and Eve were created to be God’s image bearers.  Which simply means, God intended for His highest Creation to be a visible and “tangible” representation of Himself.

The breath of life God shared with Adam made him unique from the rest of creation in that Adam would not only have a physical body but an “immaterial” nature as well.  This nature would be comprised of a soul and a spirit.  This is the imago dei that separates humanity from the animal world.

When God breathed life into Adam, He imparted some defining characteristics into man; an ability to reason, a conscience, and the need for relationships.  As rational, moral and social beings, man was both created to have dominion over the rest of creation (Gen. 1:28) and more importantly, to have fellowship with their Creator (Gen. 3:8).

A Fit Helper

When God looked over His creation, He said it was “very good” (Gen. 1:31), but His pronouncement of Adam’s plight in the Garden was a little different,18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Gen. 2:18). 

God’s creation was very good, but from God’s viewpoint, Adam wasn’t quite complete.  There was a deficiency.  God did not make a mistake, His work simply wasn’t finished.  Adam and Eve and the rest of mankind would have to be taught a very important lesson; “it is not good that man should be alone”.

From the side of Adam, God would make an ezer (helper) that was kenegdow (fit) for him.  In other words, God was going to make for Adam an ideal partner who was literally, “according to the opposite of him.”  Eve would not be above or below Adam, neither superior or subservient, but rather “just right” for him.  She would compliment him as only a woman can compliment a man (Gen 2:20).

Sadly, God’s highest creation rebelled.  When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, death entered the world.  But in His infinite wisdom, when God breathed life into the man He formed from the dust of the ground, He planted an eternal seed in him.

A Marred Image

When God created Adam and Eve, he gave them a free will.  As much as God wanted their fellowship, He did not force their love for Him, which by definition would not truly be love.  Rather God revealed His character to them and gave them the opportunity to meet with Him, but how they chose to respond was entirely up to them.

The disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden not only ushered death into history, but it also disfigured the image of God.  The imago dei was now marred.  The image that God intended His highest creation to reflect was now distorted.

Although the image of God is distorted, it is not destroyed.  It is still the image of God that makes mankind unique.  More importantly, it is the imago dei that makes man redeemable and worthy of redemption.  Man might be capable of forgetting his Creator, but our Creator will never forget the eternal seed He has breathed into man.

One Flesh

Before Eve was created, God “paraded” all the beasts and birds before Adam to see what he would name them.  Despite being made “out of the ground” as Adam was, none of the beasts or birds could suffice to meet Adam’s relational needs.

When Adam stood in the Garden he needed a helper fit for him to make him “whole” and complete.  For his helper, God did not choose to create from the ground, but rather from Adam’s side.  After making Adam fall into a deep sleep, God performed “surgery” on him by taking out one of his ribs and after closing him back up with flesh, God “fashioned” Eve out of Adam’s rib (Gen. 2:21-22).

When God brought Eve before Adam, he named her just as he had named the beasts and birds, but Adam immediately recognized her uniqueness and significance.

23 Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman
because she was taken out of Man.”

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. – Gen. 2:23-24

God in the Flesh

In Eve, Adam was able to experience the joy of loving another person.  As God’s image bearers, they could enjoy the physical and emotional intimacy they were created for.  They could live out their lives in a very special union holding fast to one another as one flesh.  Their relationship would forever serve as a model for marriage.  One man and one woman becoming one flesh.

But their union isn’t only a model for marriage as God designed it, it is also a model of the union between Christ and the Church.  His unique relationship with His bride (Eph. 5:31).  But before Christ could be united with His bride, He had to redeem her.  The bite that Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit would have grave consequences.

The need that Adam had as he stood in the Garden without a helper fit for him, was a mere shadow of the need he created by his disobedience.  Although he now had a wife at his side, his fellowship with God was damaged.  Sin had created a barrier that had to be dealt with.  Ultimately, only God could deal with it, so He came to earth as a man wearing human flesh.

God is jealous for His glory.  God is jealous for imago dei.

Paracletes

As we looked at in our last study, before Jesus returned to the Father, He promised to send another Paraclete of which He was the first (1 John 2:1).  The word Paraclete literally means to be called alongside.  Like Adam in the Garden, we stand in need of a helper.  One to come alongside us and make us complete.  We need someone to make us whole in a sense that no other created being can.

In Christ, God made propitiation for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross of Cavalry and dying for our sins.  As we have mentioned previously, Jesus has ascended to the right hand of God where He acts as our Paraclete, advocating on our behalf.

Although we have already introduced the theme of the Holy Spirit as our helper, there is so much more to look at.  I believe that if most of us were honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that the “attention” we give to the Holy Spirit is either inadequate or misguided.

Although an equal member of the Trinity, it seems that too often He is delegated to a “secondary” status.  The worship we give Him is disproportionate to that which we give the Father or Son.  Perhaps it is because humanly speaking we can relate to the terms Father and Son whereas Spirit is a little more elusive to our earthly thinking.

Perhaps many of us shy away from placing proper emphasis on the Holy Spirit as a reaction to those that we deem placing “too much” emphasis on the Holy Spirit or His power.  Whatever the reason, it is possible that in our behavior, whether intentional or not, many of us are grieving the Holy Spirit.

God has created us in His image.  He has created us as relational beings whose greatest need is fellowship with Himself.  Accordingly, He has given us the Holy Spirit, who we will be studying in further detail.

Stay tuned.  Stay in tune with the Spirit!

Look at Us

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4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” – 3:4

Lame Beggar

As Peter and John were going up to the temple for the hour of prayer, they encountered a lame man.  It was this man’s practice to lay at the temple gate (Beautiful Gate) and beg for alms.  On this particular day, he was being carried to his usual spot as Peter and John were approaching.  Lame since birth, the lame man did what he had most likely done thousands of times before.  He pleaded for mercy from his fellow man; his only apparent hope for survival.  To the beggar, Peter and John probably appeared no different than any other men.  Little could he have known the consequence of his humble request from them.  But he had more in common with them than he ever could have known.  What is true of this lame beggar was true of Peter and John, and it is true of you and I as well.  Our infirmities are no match for the power of the Holy Spirit.  Physical or spiritual.

Promised Power

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” – Acts 1:4-5

The lame beggar looked at Peter and John expecting money.  Unable to walk, it is probable that he was unable to work and provide for himself and family if he had one.  Try to imagine his feeling of helplessness.  Dependent upon others to be carried from place to place.  Dependent upon others for money once he was carried to the temple.  After a day of begging, he would need to be carried home again.  Day after day after day.  No help, no hope.  And then came Peter and John.  Men once paralyzed by fear now filled with the Holy Spirit.  Fishermen now transformed into fishers of men.

The lame man’s request was met by a command, “Look at us”.  Peter and John had no silver or gold.  They did not possess what the lame man begged for.  They possessed so much more.  They possessed the promise of the Father; the power from on high.  Peter’s command to look was followed by another, “rise up and walk!”.  Peter then extended his hand to the lame man and helped him to his feet.  His weak and atrophied feet and ankles were immediately made strong.  The lame man was healed.  Try to imagine his joy as he walked and leaped.  For the first time in his life, he had the use of his legs.  No more would he need to lay at the temple gate.  No more would he have to depend on others to carry him.  Instead, he walked into the temple with Peter and John, praising God as he leaped.  Three men forever changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.  What an hour of prayer they must have experienced together.

Greater Works

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. – John 14:12

The birth of the church at Pentecost has forever changed the world.  We read the book of Acts and we see ordinary, uneducated men radically changing the world.  Men whose lives were changed because they had been with Jesus.  Once common men now boldly performing miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit.  No longer living in fear of persecution, they can say to the world, “look at us”.  No silver.  No gold.  No shame.  I realize the Book of Act is a transitional book, but I can’t help but look at the early church and the power of the Holy Spirit so incredibly manifested and ask, “where have I/we gone wrong?”.

Plugged In?

I remember reading a story years ago of a young boy who came home from church all excited one Sunday.  Caught up in his excitement, his parents asked him to pray for their lunch.  As he prayed, the young boy innocently said, “Dear God, we had a great day at church today.  Too bad you were not there.”  Is his prayer a true reflection of most churches in the West today?  Is it true of most lives of professing Christians?  The question has been posed, “If God were to remove His Spirit, how many church services would go on just the same and not miss a beat?”.  We could ask the same of ourselves as individuals.  We plan out our lives.  Our days are structured in such a way that from waking to sleeping we are dependent upon no one but ourselves.  I realize that God is a God of order and not chaos, but James also warns us against presumption.  It is okay to make plans but we must not forget to consult God first.  We must be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  We must not rely on our talents, abilities or wisdom alone.  We can’t be so busy counting our “silver and gold” that we are unaware of the lame laying outside our doors.

Look at us!!

Do we recognize the power we possess?  Do we believe we can do “greater works”?  Are we more concerned with silver and gold than the Spirit?  Have we forgotten what the Spirit has done for us?  In short, do we grieve the Holy Spirit?  We can’t help the spiritually lame in our own strength.  Our silver and gold will never save a soul.  We are surrounded by lame, helpless beggars.  Again I ask, do we recognize the power within us?  The Spirit of love.  The Spirit of boldness.  The Spirit that gives us the confidence to gaze at the world and say, “look at us”.  We possess the Helper.  We possess their hope.  God has saved us to make us fishers of men.  He wants to see the spiritually lame transformed into worshippers, leaping into the temple with praise on their lips.

I am certainly no expert on the Person of the Holy Spirit, but I believe in His efficacious work.  If my Christian life or the life of the church seems weak and ineffective, the fault does not lie with the Holy Spirit.  I look at the church and like so many saints throughout history, long for a revival.  The world will always be the world, but I cringe when the line between the church and the world is blurred.  Somehow we need to get plugged back into our power source.  We need to humble ourselves before God and surrender every aspect of our lives to His control.  We need to admit our weaknesses and the worthlessness of our silver and gold.  No one wants to see the power of the Spirit unleashed in the church more than God.  It is His intention to set us as lamps on a hill in a dark world saying, “look at us”!

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. – John 16:7-8