John 16:7-9
7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;
Who is this Spirit of God that has been sent to be with us here on earth? Is He a feeling that overtakes a believer during a worship service? Is He an encouraging word to someone who is in need? Is He the desire to obey God’s commandments? No, that is the spirit of God, not the Spirit of God. What’s the difference? (aside from a capital “S”) The Spirit of God is a manifestation of God that is here on earth. He has the power to miraculously heal, change your natural language, and to give insight into the future. The spirit of God is a human emotion that grows with time as a Christian becomes more and more devoted to Christ. This “small” spirit can’t heal, it can’t see the future, it can’t cause you to suddenly speak Swahili!
The true Spirit of God has a purpose here on earth. Jesus calls Him the Counselor. He isn’t here as our personal psychiatrist, but as an attorney for God. He is here to defend the case for Christ and win at all costs. The Holy Spirit is here on earth to do one thing; to convict or convince the world’s people of the simple fact that Jesus is the Son of God. This will either be a conviction like a Christian has of the peace beyond all understanding, or a conviction that a non believer will have at the Judgement. Make no mistake, the Holy Spirit is not here to help with Sunday’s worship flow.
So how can we can lead a Spirit and spirit filled life? Upon waking every morning there should be a realization that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. An understanding that the punishment that was ours was made His and that through His suffering and sacrifice we have a redeemed and right relationship with the Father. Once the Holy Spirit has convicted, we are allowed to walk free, convinced that Jesus Christ is Lord and worthy of our praise. The new spirit filled life that we walk as a result of the conviction will only serve to glorify God and exalt the name of Jesus in the world. (“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10) The snowball effect generated by the conviction of the Spirit and our conviction in the spirit will only serve to advance the Kingdom of Jesus here on earth.
That’s some pretty deep theology: ” Make no mistake, the Holy Spirit is not here to help with Sunday’s worship flow. “
ReplyDeleteIt’s an interesting perspective that you have. It seems to me that it’s one of the primary reasons for the Holy Spirit – to be a part of us as we worship and for that matter be a part of us as we live. I’m struggling with reconciling Acts 2, Acts 4:31, Acts 9:31 and Acts 10:44 with your statement.
Did I miss something?
J.D. - R7
I removed my prior post because it was just a bit too rambling.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous", I appreciate your comment and have read the scriptures that you referenced. I realize that this post was nothing like the usual, but more of a theological statement. I would ask every reader to continue to search the Bible for answers, more importantly, search the Bible for Jesus.
While I know that this post was somewhat vague and may have even been confusing, I hope that everyone who has read it gathers insight and even fosters questions as to their own theological standpoint.
Thank you all for continuing to read these posts. All comments are welcome!