Devoted Blog

Wave Women – You Asked For It – The Holy Spirit

June 2, 2016

The Holy Spirit – Blog by Ps Joe Riddle

The truth is that the beauty of the Holy Spirit really shines through when you understand just how much Jesus loves YOU!

REVELATION 3:20 (NASB)
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

What we often forget about this passage is that Jesus is talking to Christians here! Salvation is only the beginning!!! Jesus wants a deeper, more intimate connection with us.

The word “knock” (Krouo) is unique. It explains the kind of knock. It isn’t the pounding of a person blind with rage. It’s the knock of a close friend pleading to come inside. This word is rare. Because they read their Bibles in Greek, the only other place they would have seen it was Song of Solomon…

Song of Solomon 5:2 (NASB)
I was asleep but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my darling, My dove, my perfect one! For my head is drenched with dew, My locks with the damp of the night.

Jesus is saying, “I’m that guy!!! I’ve been here all night and I’m not about to stop now!” When talking about and interacting with the Holy Spirit, you must remember the motivating force behind it all: LOVE! Building on that foundation, here are some things you should know about the Holy Spirit:

  • HE IS GOD

MATTHEW 28:19-20 (NASB)
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

The Holy Spirit is not some supernatural errand boy. He is not Heaven’s magician… HE IS GOD! His work in the life of the Christian is no less important than the work of God or of Jesus. Look at how Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit…

JOHN 16:7 (NASB)
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

  • HE IS A GENTLEMAN

A gentleman does not force himself on others! He goes where he is invited. This is not to say that he is weak and powerless to impose his will on a situation but it does mean that he concentrates his efforts, time, and friendship with those who desire that he be a part of their life.

When we look throughout the New Testament accounts of the Holy Spirit being at work in the lives of Christians, the consistent evidence is that the entry of the Holy Spirit into the life of a believer is separate from the moment of salvation. It can be best said like this: Being born of the Spirit is not the same as being baptized in the Spirit!

ACTS 19:1-6 (NASB)
It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.

Think for a moment about ACTS 1:8 – Jesus speaking to Christians!!!

Acts 1:8 NASB
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.

Acts 2// Acts 9!! The Holy Spirit fills the hearts and lives of those who ask Him to come in. When someone lives in your home… you see signs of their presence! The same is true of the Holy Spirit! The consistent, initial SCRIPTURAL evidence of the Holy Spirit making His home in someone’s heart is speaking in tongues (see: ACTS 2:4/10:44-46/19:2,5,6)

  • HE GUIDES YOU INTO ALL THAT HEAVEN HAS FOR YOU

Once situated in our lives, the Holy Spirit immediately begins doing His incredible work:

JOHN 16:13-15 NASB
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

The Holy Spirit will reveal and lead you into the better life that Jesus has for you! You can be sure that as you make room for the Holy Spirit in your life, He will lead you into the better things God has for you!

  • YOU CAN KNOW HIM PERSONALLY

ACTS 2:17-19a NASB
And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy. And I will grant wonders in the sky above
And signs on the earth below

… To see and know how to use a life saver on a sinking ship does a drowning person NO GOOD… unless they reach out and grab a hold of it. To know who the Holy Spirit is and what He is like is all well and good but the real power is discovered when He is given room to work in your life. And with all that being said, we come full circle back to the undergirding reality concerning the Holy Spirit: HEAVEN LOVES YOU & DESIRES A DEEPER RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU. Be encouraged!!! This incredible partnership is possible not because we deserve it or are good enough. It’s possible because it is God’s heart for each of us!

LUKE 11:13 (NASB)
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

CONCLUSION
My prayer for you today is that if you are not already filled with the Holy Spirit, that you would now desire for that to be a reality in your life. I encourage you to reread the above scriptures and ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit, or alternatively, that you would seek out a spirit filled pastor or friend that you trust and ask them to pray with you.

 

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