GOD—THE HOLY SPIRIT
After meticulously planning the time and place of my first sexual escapade through texts with my best friend, my mom unexpectedly eased her way into my room and settled on my bed. I lowered my phone from my face to my stomach and smiled, trying to appear nonchalant before turning my attention back to my conversation. Leaning in toward me, she said, “Don’t think because we’re focused on your brother right now that I don’t see you. Don’t even try it.”
“Try what?” I said confused.
“I’m not sleep, just know that.” She retreated, closing my door behind her.
Situation after situation, relationship after relationship, the knowing my mother carried with her was not one from her own understanding or power, but from the Holy Spirit. She’d say, “Anything I need to know, I will know through the Holy Spirit!” At the time, I would ask, “Who is He?” “What is He?” “And how is He telling you all my business?” Today, I hope that I am as connected to the Holy Spirit as she is and was.
“AND I WILL ASK THE FATHER, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER ADVOCATE TO HELP YOU AND BE WITH YOU FOREVER—THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH” JOHN 14:16
For each of us the Spirit is able to help, dwell, lead, and inform us based on our submission and willingness. If my mother ignored or stalled when she was prompted by the Holy Spirit to move, to pray, to come into my room, to tell me no, who knows the types of things I would have gotten into. My mother submitted her entire existence to the Holy Spirit in order to lead and guide us, showing me that to inherit wisdom, to be sober-minded, protect and cover myself and my family, submission to the Holy Spirit is not optional. I am a limited being, with limited control and understanding. The Holy Spirit is within us to lead and guide us so we are without excuse. Our propensity for deception and sin is a choice we willingly make when we do not submit to the Holy Spirit.
In John 14, Jesus explains how He was not going to leave us as orphans, He was going to return to us eventually, but until then, we would have a Comforter, a guide—the Spirit of the Living God—in us and with us throughout our day to day. What a precious gift!
at the point of salvation the holy spirit is received through our faith
“Catching the Holy Ghost,” was something that was associated with church members falling out during praise and worship or altar calls, falsely leading us to believe that the Holy Spirit was something that comes and goes, visits but never stays. The reality is once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 3:14- “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”
Faith is our currency in the spiritual realm.
For most of us, no matter the setting, there needs to be evidence of a thing before we believe in it or commit to it.
God is our evidence. His character, track record, power, and love is our evidence. So, If you don’t know God it is very difficult to have faith.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. You can’t feel salvation. You can’t see the Holy Spirit. But, we are saved by our faith in Christ and we do receive the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38- “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
What are the requirements for receiving the Holy Spirit? Repent and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
John 1:33 tells us the difference between a water baptism, done by John the Baptist, and a Holy Spirit baptism that is only done through Jesus.
You don’t have to be dipped in water to receive the Holy Spirit! If you have not been baptized by water, but you have repented and accepted Jesus in your heart, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit!
Ephesians 1:13-14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
How are we included in Christ? By hearing the message of truth—The Gospel.
What allows us to be marked in Christ with a seal of the Holy Spirit? Our faith
What is the Holy Spirit to us? A deposit, a mark, a seal, guaranteeing our inheritance as God’s possession.
Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
How does faith come or grow? By hearing.
What does hearing come by? The Word of God.
Who was also named “The Word”? Christ.
So, faith comes by hearing and our ability to hear comes from Christ.
What does this mean? Without Christ our ability to increase our faith or hear the things of God is impossible.
THE ABSENCE OF THE FRUIT OR GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE NOT SAVED.
The Fruit of the Spirit include—love, peace, joy, faithfulness, goodness, long-suffering, self-control, gentleness, and kindness. (Galatians 5:22-23). Faith in Christ justifies and sanctifies us which causes us to be obedient and submit. So remember: bearing fruit is evidence of submission and obedience. Salvation is a result of our faith.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit include: words of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, prophesying, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). At the end of this passage it reads, “But it is the same Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God who does all these things. He gives to each person as He wants to give.” Some of us may speak in tongues at the point of salvation, for others 10 years into your relationship with Christ, and for others, it won’t ever happen. Gifts of the Spirit don’t seal you. The Holy Spirit that we obtain through our faith in Jesus Christ seals us.
In Luke 9, Jesus tells us to pick up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow Him daily. In Hebrews 11, Paul writes that we have to strip off every weight that could trip us up. In Ephesians 4, Paul is telling us not to give the devil a foothold. In all of these scriptures, we are called to actively monitor, die to, and crucify our flesh in order for Christ to reign in us. What does this mean? Our flesh and Christ can’t share the throne in our hearts. In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us that it is impossible to serve to masters, we will hate one and love the other or we will be devoted to one and despise the other. We cannot love our flesh and love God. We cannot love the world and love the kingdom of God. We cannot fulfill our purpose for our lives and God’s purpose.
Our submission, ability to be obedient, hunger for righteousness comes from feeding and pouring into our Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not force us to do anything and the Holy Spirit does not force us to be obedient. We have to say yes. If we do not the Spirit does not have the freedom to move or mold us in the way He sees fit.
the holy spirit, who is also god, is literally living in us.
“The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in you, girl get up!” my mother’s voice would echo. It wasn’t until much later that the gravity of her words sunk in. The same spirit responsible for the resurrection, miracles, deliverance, and righteous living lives inside of me. The Holy Spirit isn’t a hat to take on and off or a book to pull off the shelf every blue moon. The Holy Spirit is the living God and He is with us every single moment of the day.
I used to act like God left me for dead most days. I would let my thoughts run wild, not prioritize prayer or studying, and when attacks showed up, I didn’t know the power I had through the Holy Spirit. I didn’t use the power I had through the Holy Spirit.
Living life apart from the Holy Spirit is living as a slave when God has already called each of us to be co-heirs with Christ. The Holy Spirit is our inheritance, our seal, our guide in all that is true and good. Let each of us submit to Him so that our lives can be truly reflective of all that God thinks, wants, and desires for us.
