Every so often I want to introduce a meditation on the Holy Spirit because He is so important to all aspects of our lives. Let’s consider some of His attributes. He is the third member of the Trinity.
A. The Holy Spirit is both a person and a spirit.
In John 4:24 we read, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” We say He is a Person because of the following qualities that we identify with personhood.
1. The Holy Spirit possesses an intellect. In 1 Corinthians 2:11, we read, “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except for the man’s spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
2. The Holy Spirit possesses emotion. The Apostle Paul in Romans 15:30 wrote, “Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with Me in your prayers to God for me.” Here we see that the Holy Spirit is a lover. He possesses emotion.
3. The Holy Spirit possesses will. In 1 Corinthians 12:11, the Apostle Paul wrote, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each individual as He wills.”
I urge you to consider what I have just shared about this wonderful Holy Spirit who comes to indwell us when we welcome Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit is the promised Helper that Jesus said the Father would send. He thinks, He feels, and He wills. These are the aspects of personhood, and Paul, in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you at a high price. So, you must honor God with your body.”
Dwell on this statement – “The Holy Spirit lives in You.”
I urge you to become intimately acquainted with Him. Listen to His promptings with your spirit. In Romans 8:16 we read, “For His Spirit joins with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
B. We need to remember that the Holy Spirit is God. He is co-equal with the Father and the Son.
· He can be grieved.
· He can be quenched.
· He can be resisted.
· He can be lied to.
In Acts 5:3-4, we see his deity in a rather startling way. Ananias and his wife Sapphira conceived a plan concerning some funds they had accumulated. They gave the impression they were giving all of it when in fact they were only giving part of it.
We read, “But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? You have not lied to men but to God.” In numerous passages, the Holy Spirit is clearly identified with the Father and the Son. For example, in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 we read, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Paul in his wonderful benediction to the Church in Corinth wrote, “The grace of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and the love of God (the Father) and the communion (Fellowship) of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Cor. 13:14)
One further thought – the Holy Spirit is a miracle worker. He was directly involved with the conception and birth of our Savior.
In Matthew we read of the angel saying to Joseph – “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20)
Lastly, I want to remind you that the Holy Spirit will be with you always. In John 14:17 we read, “The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells in you and will be in You.” The Idea here is that He is a permanent resident. WOW! It can’t be any better than that. Please read this meditation over and over. Let the reality of the Holy Spirit in you be your guiding presence every moment of every day.
Welcome, Holy Spirit. You take over.
Pastor Leonard
