"The Spirit"

If I were to ask you about the Holy Spirit, what would you say about Him? Would you call Him an "it"? How do understand and perceived the Spirit? Many are afraid to speak of Him because we have been made to feel ashamed or afraid that we are going off into some 'holiness' or charismatic movement. Some are so lacking insight to the Spirit and His work that they seem to get along well without Him...but they can't! Others speak of the Spirit but if you listen closely to when they talk about the Spirit leading them or helping them, they are really talking about themselves. That too is a tragedy.

Many years back, when I first began to preach, I knew there was something very significant about the Holy Spirit because of Gal. 5:16. I knew something was being missed on my part and many others. We need to learn to trust the Spirit of God more. There are many things we may not understand about Him but we can see His work in us with the things He helps us see and move into. Just read Gal. 5:22-23 and you will see this plainly.

Whatever it is you believe or don't believe, remember this, the Spirit, the Holy Spirit is one and the same as God the Father and Jesus! Just read carefully Rom. 8:9 and you will see Paul speak of the Spirit, the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ in this one verse. How can that be? How do we begin to understand Him? It shouldn't surprise us at all. We too have three parts to us. We have a body, soul and spirit (I Thes. 5:23). The three make us who we are but the three parts do not function in the same way! Our bodies do not operate in the same way as my soul and my soul does not operate in the same way as my spirit but they are all who I am. Here's another way to looking at it. I am a father, a son and a husband. Three different functions but they are all part of me!

The Spirit of God is the key to growing! We must have the Spirit of God or we do not belong to the Lord (Rom. 8:9). I want to encourage you, spend time in study and look at the Spirit. Don't be afraid. Learn to see the difference between the Spirit "coming upon/falling on" and dwelling within. The first is for miraculous, the second is for all the saints. You might be surprised what you learn. One final thought, remember the Spirit of God is the "down payment" of our inheritance (Eph. 1:13-14).