We have just celebrated the Resurrection of our Lord, but rather than rest in this day, we look forward; forward to Pentecost. I stated Sunday that Easter is the holy day on which our faith stands, and I believe that, but I also know that Pentecost is the holy day that equips believers for the journey we are on. The Holy Spirit is the earthly presence of the glorified Lord. The Spirit is not a magic power, but instead gives the believer faith in the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ and the power to live a life of faith. Separate from man’s own spirit, which is weak and sinful, the Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit. Free from sin, this all-powerful Spirit permeates our spirit, to the extent we allow, and the result is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We now live, walk, work and play in God’s power; not in our own power. We don’t control the Spirit…it controls us. There is no area of our lives untouched once the Spirit has come upon us. You’ve heard it said that we are filled with the Spirit…I think a better, more accurate way to state it is “we are saturated, or soaked, with the Spirit.” Like being continually drenched by water there is nothing we touch that the Spirit does not touch. As we live, walk, work and play, we are so saturated with the Spirit that it drips off of us…everywhere.
I have a question. You wrote that we don't control the Spirit...it controls us. What about when we quench the Spirit? I try not to do that but I was wondering?
ReplyDeleteAlso, what about Richard saying that we leak?
ReplyDeleteGood questions...the Spirit controls those who have TOTALLY surrendered to the Spirit...that is surrendered every aspect of their life...they are like Paul when he wrote, "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me..." The believer who has surrendered all has removed self and replaced it with the Spirit. All believers work toward surrender, and most achieve various degrees of surrender...but few have TOTALLY surrendered to the Spirit, and I do not believe they can quench the Spirit. If they have totally surrendered, everything they do, everything they wanted to do would be the will of the Spirit wouldn't it? Yeah, we leak...I understood Richard to mean that the world drains us of the Spirit...if that is what he meant I am not sure I agree (greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world)...I think we leave trails of the HS wherever we go and it touches the lives of others we come in contact with. Either way we do need to be refreshed and re-saturated. Hope that helps.
ReplyDeleteI like the positive approach to the leak rather than the negative. I like the idea of leaking the Spirit for the good of those that it leaks on!
ReplyDelete