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Presented by Lisa Bishop
About a year ago I was heading to dinner with a friend, and as we were about to get in her car, I noticed she opened her door without a key. She just grabbed the door handle, and the vehicle was magically unlocked. To my amazement, I blurted out, “Wow, that’s so cool! You can open your door without using the key.” Surprised by my excitement, my friend looked at me a bit strangely and said, “Doesn’t your car do that?” I confidently replied, “No, but I wish it did.”
Well, fast forward to the next day when I’m getting ready to hop in my car. Instead of clicking my key fob, I decided to reach for the door handle to see if my car had the same key-free superpower. To my surprise, I heard a “click,” and just like that, the door was unlocked with my key still in my pocket. Now, as I tell you this story, I am aware you may be thinking it’s rather odd that I am just figuring this out. But the truth is I had my car for four years yet had no clue of this amazing capability. Yes, I know, somewhat embarrassing. The power to unlock the door key-free was always there. I just didn’t know it, and because I was unaware, I was unable to experience the benefits that were mine to enjoy and appreciate.
So, what does this have to do with the Holy Spirit? Now before you think I am reducing the Holy Spirit to some superpower at our disposal, that is not the point. The point is, just like I was unaware of the power of technology right under my nose, we often neglect the presence and power of the Holy Spirit who is in us and at work in all who have surrendered their lives to love and follow Jesus. If you are a Christian, the moment you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior you received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, and while humanly there is no way to perfectly and completely understand the Trinity, the Bible is clear that the one true God exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. We often neglect the Holy Spirit. Sadly, many churches do not talk about or acknowledge him, and many Christians are not aware of his power and presence in their lives. Let me be the first to say I am not an expert on the Holy Spirit, but I have grown in my encounters with him and my relationship with him over the years. I have experienced his love and power at work in my life. So, I want to deepen our understanding of who the Holy Spirit is and his role in the life of every believer.
One of the first things to note is that the Holy Spirit did not first show up on the scene in the New Testament. The opening lines of Genesis tell us that the Spirit existed in the beginning. Genesis 1:1-2 says, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
The Holy Spirit was at work in specific people in the Old Testament, and we see his presence and power working in and through people all throughout the New Testament. He existed all along. Notice how I said, “He.” The Holy Spirit is a person, not an “it.” The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit has all the attributes of personality and is not merely an impersonal force. In the Gospel of John, Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit as “He.” Jesus also referred to the Holy Spirit as the Comforter or the Counselor. And we know from Scripture that in addition to many other attributes, the Holy Spirit gives hope, convicts people of sin, exhorts, comforts, strengthens, intercedes, and encourages. An impersonal force cannot do this, but the Holy Spirit, God himself, can. When we experience the presence of the Holy Spirit we are experiencing the very presence of God.
In John 16:7, 12-13 we hear the words of Jesus as he prepares the disciples for his departure from earth. He tells them, But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. …..I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.
Jesus assures his disciples that his divine presence will continue to dwell within them even after his physical departure from the world. And the same is true for you. If you are born again, the Holy Spirit dwells in you.
1 Corinthians 3:16 says, Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
The Holy Spirit is your advocate, he is your helper, and he provides the ability for every follower of Jesus to have a constant, personal, immediate, indwelling connection, and communication with God. Throughout the Bible, the Holy Spirit equips people for ministry, gives people specific insight and wisdom, teaches people how to interpret God’s Word, communicates with the Father on people’s behalf, and empowers Christians, you and me, to live according to God’s design.
But just because the Holy Spirit dwells in you does not mean you are living a Spirit-filled and empowered life. We can grieve the Holy Spirit. As Ephesians 4:30 warns us, And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Satan’s chief strategy is to get us to grieve the Spirit whether by sexual immorality or a bitter attitude.
1 Thessalonians 5:19, 21-22 says, Do not quench the Spirit….Hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.
To quench the Holy Spirit means to stifle or suppress his divine influence in our lives. This happens when we sin. That is why as followers of Jesus we are to hold onto what is good and abstain from evil. These passages do not imply that the Holy Spirit leaves us, but that he is sorrowful because of our sinful actions. The grieving and quenching of the Spirit does not nullify our salvation, it does hinder our fellowship with him and limits our ability to experience the fullness and freedom of the Spirit-filled life that Jesus died to give you and me.
In Ephesians 5:18-19 the apostle Paul teaches about being filled with the Holy Spirit. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.
Being filled is different from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we receive at salvation (John 14:16-17).
We can hinder or stifle the work of the Spirit in our lives through rebellion against God, disobedience, or delayed obedience. Your sins are forgiven, but they are also offensive to God. The Holy Spirit still dwells in you, but his power is not realized in and through you.
When we give in to temptations and worldly desires, think and act in ways that do not honor God, and live as we did before accepting Christ’s salvation, we inhibit God’s Spirit from guiding and influencing our behavior. We become numb to his presence. Think about any close relationship you currently have, a friend, family member, spouse, kid, or co-worker. If you act in hurtful, dismissive, or harmful ways, that damages and hinders your relationship with them. Your connection is compromised. The same is true with the Holy Spirit.
When we sin, we should confess to God and renew our commitment to walk in holiness. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you daily as you yield your will to him and give him control over every part of your life—your thoughts, emotions, will, body, and actions. When you do, you will experience a harmonious relationship with God.
Paul talks about the power of the Holy Spirit at work through his life. He wanted his life to be a demonstration of the power of God. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 he says, When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
How we live our lives is supposed to be proof of the power of the Spirit at work in us and through us. How many times have you counted on your strength rather than relying on the power of God? I know I have more times than I would like to admit. We go in our own strength when we take matters into our own hands and do not let the hand of God intervene, give us wisdom, guide us, create a way, and carry us through our circumstances.
When we attune ourselves to God’s Spirit, we resist the urge to rely on our human strength.
We can turn up our sensitivity to his voice and presence by spending time in the Word, prayer, quiet time, and worship. I know we have all heard this before, but are we making it a regular practice to be sensitive to, and experience God’s presence? When we meditate on God’s Word, we grow to know him more intimately and heighten our ability to discern his voice. Our wisdom and discernment enlarge. This is a vital practice of living the fully empowered life that is yours in Christ.
A question to ask ourselves is, “Do we live our lives in pursuit of greater synchronicity with the voice of the Holy Spirit or are we more adjusted to the ways of the world?” What if we relied on the Holy Spirit as much as we did on Siri. How many times do we say, “Hey Siri” or “Hey Alexa,” throughout the day? What if instead we said, “Hello Holy Spirit, speak to me,” and sought his voice?
I desire my life to be inexplicable apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, don’t you? I want my life to look different because I live differently, reliant on and submitted to his leading. Our lives honor God when we let go and surrender the smallness of our limited abilities with the desire to give glory and honor to his greatness. This begs the question, “What do you and I need to let go of to fully take hold of Jesus and the power of his Spirit?” Maybe it’s releasing pride, self-sufficiency, fear, superiority, fierce independence, or control. Or perhaps it’s being free from our attachment to idols; life’s comfort, physical pleasure, status at work, or wealth. Those things that crowd our need for God’s comfort, power, and presence. Where do you need to give the Holy Spirit full access to your life? The Spirit’s power is not casually available at your fingertips—to hear his voice and experience his power in your life requires your faithfulness.
I want to share a quote from, The Forgotten God, by Francis Chan. He says:
Without Him (the Holy Spirit) people operate in their own strength and only accomplish human-sized results. The world is not moved by love or actions that are of human creation. And the church is not empowered to live differently from any other gathering of people without the Holy Spirit. But when Believers live in the power of the Spirit, the evidence in their lives is supernatural. The church cannot help but be different and the world cannot help but notice[1].
Let’s reflect and ask ourselves, “Is my life a witness to the power of the Holy Spirit?” In your quiet time every morning, are you building the habit of asking the Holy Spirit, “What do you want me to know today? What do you want me to see? What is my assignment? Help me to see people, myself, and situations through your eyes. Help me to hear with your ears, speak with your words, and love with your heart.” Let’s pray this prayer together and see how the Holy Spirit answers.
There is so much more to learn about the Holy Spirit. We have not even scratched the surface, but I hope this has inspired you to learn more about him, grow more in your relationship with him and live a Spirit-filled and empowered life through him.
[1] Chan, F., & Beuving, M. (2010). Remembering the Forgotten God. David C Cook.