Now, what does the Spirit do when He comes? Theologians often divide the work of the Trinity this way:
God the Father is the Source of all things.
God the Son is the Channel of all things.
God the Spirit is the Agent of all things.
As the Source, all things flow from the Father’s will. As the Channel, all of God’s blessing flow to us through Jesus Christ the Son. But it is the Holy Spirit who acts as the Agent of the Almighty, who actually carries out the directives of the Father.
A. In History
In almost every interview I’ve been asked what I have learned about the Holy Spirit from writing my book. I always say that I’ve been amazed to discover that the Holy Spirit is everywhere in the Bible. The first mention is in Genesis 1:2 and the last mention of the Spirit is in Revelation 22:17. He’s present at the moment of creation and he’s there at the very end of the Bible. In the Old Testament you see the Holy Spirit coming with great power upon kings, priests, judges and military leaders. He is also the one who inspired the poets to sing and gave the prophets a message to proclaim. He is the cloud by day and the fiery pillar by night that led Israel through the wilderness. He was the spirit that lifted Ezekiel when the people were in captivity. He was also the one who enabled Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple.
When you come to the New Testament, you see him at work especially in the life of Christ. Our Lord was conceived by the Holy Spirit, who came upon him at his baptism, who led him into the wilderness, who filled him with power to work miracles, who bore witness that he was the Son of God, who was with him in the crucifixion and who raised him from the dead. All that Jesus did, he did in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit was there at Pentecost when the church was born. He was there when Peter and Paul preached across the Roman Empire. It was the Holy Spirit who gave the apostles boldness to preach in the face of persecution and indifference. It was the Holy Spirit who brought unity to the early church and caused it to grow in spite of fierce opposition.
Everywhere you turn in the Bible, you see the Holy Spirit at work. He is the Unseen Hand of God moving through human history to accomplish God’s purposes on the earth.
And the Spirit is active in our world today! We can answer that from the words of Jesus in John 16:8, “When he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.” The word “convict” comes from the drama of a courtroom trial. It refers to what the prosecuting attorney does when he argues his case.
He puts the defendant on the witness stand and begins to pile up the evidence. Fact upon fact, witness upon witness, truth upon truth, slowly, inexorably, irresistably building his case until finally the enormity of the evidence is so overwhelming that the judge is forced to say to the defendant, “I find you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” Not only that, this word means to present the evidence in such an overwhelming fashion that even the defendant is compelled at the end of the trial to step up and say, “I admit it. I confess. I am guilty.”
Therefore, I conclude that the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the world today is primarily the ministry of bringing men and women to the place of personal conviction concerning their own moral guilt before God. These words of Jesus are literally true today. The Holy Spirit works through us so that as we share the gospel with men and women, they are convicted of their true moral guilt before God. As we share the gospel they come to the conclusion, “Yes, I am guilty. Yes, I need a savior.”
Here are some of the things the Spirit does for us as beleivers:
He baptizes believers in the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13).
He seals every believer, thus assuring their salvation (Ephesians 1:13).
He indwells every believer with his personal presence (I Corinthians 6:19-20)
He gives spiritual gifts to every believer (I Corinthians 12:11). This empowers the church!
He produces the fruit of a godly life in us (Galatians 5:22-23).
He enables us to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13).
He Fills us when we ask, as we are commanded to Be Continually Filled
Ephesians 5:18 says, “Be filled with the Spirit.” In the Greek that phrase is a present passive imperative. An imperative is a command–Be filled. The passive voice means that we are not commanded to fill ourselves but rather to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The present tense describes something that happens continually. You could legitimately translate this verse “Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Let us step out and open ourselves up to the stirrings of the Holy Spirit, to renewal, to invigoration, to new life for our churches. Pray that the mighty shaking Wind will come upon us and renew us, and let us face this powerful and renewing wind that is the Holy Spirit together, to stir our Church afresh with divine deeds of power. Like the disciples on that day in the upper room, let us too expect the miraculous filling of the Holy Spirit.
What better way to move into the future together than by asking God for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. What wonderful things could happen if only the Spirit of God would come in great power. May God grant it! Amen.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Come Holy Spirit (Part Two)
God fills every believer with the Holy Spirit and each in a different way. Young and old. Rich and poor. Men and women. Slave and free. God fills each one of us with his Spirit in a unique way. ALL people are filled with the Spirit, not just the religious big shots of the Old Testament nor the religious heros of the New Testament and each one of us in our day. All people, including you and me in our ordinariness, are filled with the Spirit of Christ.
But notice they were praying for the Spirit to come in the Upper Room. We need to pray, “come Holy Spirit!” We need to open ourselves to the Spirit’s power.
One of the great purposse of the Holy Spirit is to make the church alive. The Spirit of God will shake a church, move a church, renew a church. The Spirit of God blows us off the front porch, blows us out of our pews, blows us out of our institutions and safe communities and into the world.
Who is the Holy Spirit? There are two fundamental facts about the Spirit that you need to know.
A. The Holy Spirit Is a Person --This may seem obvious to you, but it is not obvious to everyone. Some people speak of the Holy Spirit as a impersonal power or influence. They speak of the Holy Spirit as an “it.” If you saw the Star Wars movies, you’ll remember the phrase, “May the force be with you.” That’s how many people think of the Spirit–as a mysterious force from heaven that somehow helps us on the earth.
Te Bible clearly refers to the Holy Spirit in terms that can only apply to a person. For instance, the Holy Spirit possesses a mind (Romans 8:27), he speaks (Acts 13:2), he commands (Acts 8:29), he has a will (I Corinthians 12:11). Ephesians 4:30 says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” But you can’t grieve a force or a power. You can only grieve another person.
In John 16:13 Jesus says of the Holy Spirit, that “he will only speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” That passage is important because Jesus clearly calls the Holy Spirit a “he.”
All the attributes of personality are given to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. Therefore, we may say that the He is a person, not a mere force or an impersonal power.
B. The Holy Spirit is God
The second truth is that the Holy Spirit is not only a person, he is a Divine Person. That is to say, he is God. In the famous story of Ananias and Sapphira in Act 5, Peter says in verse 3 that they had sinned against the Holy Spirit, but in verse 4 he says they sinned against God. Which is correct? Both, because the Holy Spirit is God. That’s why when Jesus gave the Great Commission (Matthew 29:19-20), he commanded the disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” One name, three Persons. That’s the doctrine of the Trinity clearly stated. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God.
Now if you put these two truths together, what do you get? Since the Holy Spirit is a person, you can have a personal relationship with him. And since he is God, his power is God’s power. Therefore, in relating to the Holy Spirit, you are coming into personal contact with the God of the universe.
This week I ran across a powerful quote from J. B. Phillips: “Every time we say, ‘I believe in the Holy Spirit,’ we mean that there is a loving God able and willing to enter human personality and change it.” What a tremendous truth this is.
But notice they were praying for the Spirit to come in the Upper Room. We need to pray, “come Holy Spirit!” We need to open ourselves to the Spirit’s power.
One of the great purposse of the Holy Spirit is to make the church alive. The Spirit of God will shake a church, move a church, renew a church. The Spirit of God blows us off the front porch, blows us out of our pews, blows us out of our institutions and safe communities and into the world.
Who is the Holy Spirit? There are two fundamental facts about the Spirit that you need to know.
A. The Holy Spirit Is a Person --This may seem obvious to you, but it is not obvious to everyone. Some people speak of the Holy Spirit as a impersonal power or influence. They speak of the Holy Spirit as an “it.” If you saw the Star Wars movies, you’ll remember the phrase, “May the force be with you.” That’s how many people think of the Spirit–as a mysterious force from heaven that somehow helps us on the earth.
Te Bible clearly refers to the Holy Spirit in terms that can only apply to a person. For instance, the Holy Spirit possesses a mind (Romans 8:27), he speaks (Acts 13:2), he commands (Acts 8:29), he has a will (I Corinthians 12:11). Ephesians 4:30 says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” But you can’t grieve a force or a power. You can only grieve another person.
In John 16:13 Jesus says of the Holy Spirit, that “he will only speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” That passage is important because Jesus clearly calls the Holy Spirit a “he.”
All the attributes of personality are given to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. Therefore, we may say that the He is a person, not a mere force or an impersonal power.
B. The Holy Spirit is God
The second truth is that the Holy Spirit is not only a person, he is a Divine Person. That is to say, he is God. In the famous story of Ananias and Sapphira in Act 5, Peter says in verse 3 that they had sinned against the Holy Spirit, but in verse 4 he says they sinned against God. Which is correct? Both, because the Holy Spirit is God. That’s why when Jesus gave the Great Commission (Matthew 29:19-20), he commanded the disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” One name, three Persons. That’s the doctrine of the Trinity clearly stated. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God.
Now if you put these two truths together, what do you get? Since the Holy Spirit is a person, you can have a personal relationship with him. And since he is God, his power is God’s power. Therefore, in relating to the Holy Spirit, you are coming into personal contact with the God of the universe.
This week I ran across a powerful quote from J. B. Phillips: “Every time we say, ‘I believe in the Holy Spirit,’ we mean that there is a loving God able and willing to enter human personality and change it.” What a tremendous truth this is.
Come, Holy Spirit -- The Power of Pentecost Propels the Church! (Part One)
Ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, the twelve apostles, Jesus' mother and family, and many other of His disciples, 120 in all, were gathered together in Jerusalem for the Jewish harvest festival that was celebrated on the fiftieth day of Passover. While they were indoors praying, a sound like that of a rushing wind filled the house and tongues of fire descended and rested over each of their heads.
This was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on human flesh promised by God through the prophet Joel in Joel 2nd chapter. The disciples were suddenly empowered to proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ. They went out into the streets of Jerusalem and began preaching to the crowds gathered for the festival. Not only did the disciples preach with boldness and vigor, but by a miracle of the Holy Spirit they spoke in the native languages of the people present, many who had come from all corners of the Roman Empire.
This created a sensation. The apostle Peter seized the moment and addressed the crowd, preaching to them about Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. The result was that about three thousand converts were baptized that day. PRAISE THE LORD!
Red is the liturgical color for this day. Red recalls the tongues of flame in which the Holy Spirit descended on the first Pentecost. The color red also reminds us of the blood of Jesus, and also the blood of the martyrs. These are the believers of every generation who by the power of the Holy Spirit hold firm to the true faith even at the cost of their lives. Red reminds us that the Spirit testifies of Jesus, and empowers those who live for Jesus and follow His commands.
The most powerful force in the world is the love of Christ, and the Spirit rekindles that fire within us! The purpose of the Spirit is to energize the love of Christ within us.
The Spirit makes the teachings and words of Jesus alive in us. His words about forgiveness, eternal life, eternal love, that God is our loving Father. The Spirit makes the words and teachings of Jesus to become living realities in our lives.
This was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on human flesh promised by God through the prophet Joel in Joel 2nd chapter. The disciples were suddenly empowered to proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ. They went out into the streets of Jerusalem and began preaching to the crowds gathered for the festival. Not only did the disciples preach with boldness and vigor, but by a miracle of the Holy Spirit they spoke in the native languages of the people present, many who had come from all corners of the Roman Empire.
This created a sensation. The apostle Peter seized the moment and addressed the crowd, preaching to them about Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. The result was that about three thousand converts were baptized that day. PRAISE THE LORD!
Red is the liturgical color for this day. Red recalls the tongues of flame in which the Holy Spirit descended on the first Pentecost. The color red also reminds us of the blood of Jesus, and also the blood of the martyrs. These are the believers of every generation who by the power of the Holy Spirit hold firm to the true faith even at the cost of their lives. Red reminds us that the Spirit testifies of Jesus, and empowers those who live for Jesus and follow His commands.
The most powerful force in the world is the love of Christ, and the Spirit rekindles that fire within us! The purpose of the Spirit is to energize the love of Christ within us.
The Spirit makes the teachings and words of Jesus alive in us. His words about forgiveness, eternal life, eternal love, that God is our loving Father. The Spirit makes the words and teachings of Jesus to become living realities in our lives.
Monday, May 17, 2010
How Goes Your Race?
The Book of Hebrews, from start to finish, is an inspired admonition to perseverance. It is an inspired motivation to faith, constantly holding before us both the example of Christ as our guide and the accomplishments of Christ as our motive. In the face of trails and temptations on every hand, we are called upon to endure unto the end and persevere in the faith, to go on following Christ. We must not quit. We must not give up. We must not go back, though…
* Temptations of every kind allure us away from our Savior
The believer’s life is compared to many things that picture the absolute necessity of perseverance in faith. We are in a warfare that will not end until we have left this world and entered into heavenly glory with Christ. We are engaged in a work, a labor, a cause from which there is no rest until our work is done. In Hebrews 12 it is compared to a race.
Our life in this world is a race, a race with a starting point, a finish line, and a prize.
(1 Corinthians 9:24) "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain."
(Philippians 3:14) "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
Contrary to what most seem to think, the prize is obtained not when the race is begun, but when it is done (Phil. 3:3-14). It is not he who begins the race and runs well for a season that wins the prize, but he who finishes the race. It is not he who runs fast, or even he who runs well, but he who runs to the end who wins the prize. "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong" (Ecc. 9:11).
* We are sealed by God the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption.
The Word of God is crystal clear. We must persevere unto the end.
(Hebrews 3:14) "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end."
The purpose, the intent of the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 12:1-2 is to show us the necessity of perseverance in faith.
(Hebrews 12:1-4) "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
* Temptations of every kind allure us away from our Savior
The believer’s life is compared to many things that picture the absolute necessity of perseverance in faith. We are in a warfare that will not end until we have left this world and entered into heavenly glory with Christ. We are engaged in a work, a labor, a cause from which there is no rest until our work is done. In Hebrews 12 it is compared to a race.
Our life in this world is a race, a race with a starting point, a finish line, and a prize.
(1 Corinthians 9:24) "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain."
(Philippians 3:14) "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
Contrary to what most seem to think, the prize is obtained not when the race is begun, but when it is done (Phil. 3:3-14). It is not he who begins the race and runs well for a season that wins the prize, but he who finishes the race. It is not he who runs fast, or even he who runs well, but he who runs to the end who wins the prize. "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong" (Ecc. 9:11).
* We are sealed by God the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption.
The Word of God is crystal clear. We must persevere unto the end.
(Hebrews 3:14) "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end."
The purpose, the intent of the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 12:1-2 is to show us the necessity of perseverance in faith.
(Hebrews 12:1-4) "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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