We have been in a series unpacking the significance of the Holy Spirit, The Unsung Hero of the Trinity. If you have missed the previous posts you can start here ★ Back to the Basics – The Unsung Hero of the Trinity – Part 1 ★ in which we looked at the significance of not only reading the Bible but also asking the Holy Spirit to help reveal what God’s Will and purpose is contained within the pages. In Part 2, we saw all the benefits that the Holy Spirit can bring to our lives and that through a relationship with “HIM,” how we can become more like Jesus. At the end of that post, under the “DIG DEEPER” section, I shared a powerful sermon series called the “God I Never Knew” by Robert Morris.
Here is the series description to help you make the decision to watch them:
“The most misunderstood person in the Trinity is the Holy Spirit. Many people don’t know how to interact with the Holy Spirit or what His presence offers us. In this six-week series, The God I Never Knew, Pastor Robert Morris clearly explains that the Holy Spirit’s chief desire is for relationship—to offer us the encouragement and guidance of a trusted friend. He moves beyond theological jargon, religious tradition, and cultural misconceptions to clarify what the Holy Spirit promises to do in your life.”
I tell you all of this because I have never heard a more biblically sound, straight forward teaching on the Holy Spirit. If you are struggling to wrap your mind around who I have been referring to as “The Unsung Hero of the Trinity” then this 6-week series is a must see! I personally have watched it 3 times! In addition to all that, I wanted to be upfront that I will be sharing a lot from Robert Morris in this post because of its applicability. So far, we have talked about “WHY” we should desire a relationship with the Holy Spirit, today we will unpack “HOW” this happens. I pray that God will open the eyes of your heart (Ephesians 1:18-19) to hear the heart cry of God to accept not only Jesus BUT also the Holy Spirit! I believe that part of the trouble people have with this concept of building a relationship with the Holy Spirit is because the interaction with Him is from the inside. Whereas there are numerous accounts all through the Old Testament where God spoke audibly to human beings (see ★ Thought for the Day – Annihilating Anxiety ★ post where we looked at this); and obviously we have the (4) Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) of Jesus’ time here on earth as well as in Acts of the Apostles 1:4-9 (NLT) where the final instruction from Jesus is recorded…
“Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them,
“Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him,
“Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
He replied,
“The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
After saying this, He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see Him.”
The very last words that Luke records here in the book of Acts revolves around the relationship that so many people ignore or are afraid of! That is unbelievable to me which is why I am so passionate about the truth of Bible being taught. I’d like to focus now on the two red underlined portions of that passage as they are the linchpin to our faith. In the message “Does He Baptize?” Robert Morris covered that there are (3) scriptural baptisms and unpacks where each one it one is located in scripture.
“There are three baptisms in the New Testament:
The Holy Spirit baptizes us in Jesus;
(1 Corinthians 12:13)
the disciples baptize us in water;
(Matthew 28:19) and
Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Spirit.
(Matthew 3:11)”
I don’t think that there is a more divisive topic than the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Some people don’t believe that it is real, and others refuse to even consider it because of abuses they have experienced by Christians or Churches who have said or done things in the name of the Holy Spirit. But when you read Matthew 3:11 (NLT), it is clear that it is real as John the Baptist made this declaration to everyone about Jesus:
“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
This was not to the (12) disciples but to everyone who was around as John was calling people to repentance and baptizing them. Robert Morris made this point that since the Gospel of John covers the last year of Jesus’ life, while Matthew, Mark and Luke cover first (2) years of Jesus’ ministry, there are very few things that are in all (4) Gospels. In fact, there are only (4) stories in common:
- The Death of Jesus. (Matthew 27:45-56, Mark 15:33-41, Luke 23:44-56, and John 19:28-42)
- The Resurrection of Jesus. (Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-20, Luke 24:1-12, and John 20:1-10)
- The Feeding of the 5,000. (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-20, and John 6:1-15)
- The Baptism in the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16 and John 1:33)
Isn’t it interesting that The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is so significant that it is only 1 of 4 stories that mention that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. Now if this is the case don’t you think that we should do everything possible to develop a relationship with Him. Recently I read 1 John 4:4 in the New Living Translation (NLT) and my eyes were opened! 1 John 4:4 (NLT) says:
“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”
Notice the capital “S” which is for the Holy Spirit and then the second reference with the lowercase “s” which represents the satanic forces that are coming against us daily. I had misunderstood this verse because in other versions it says “He” so I thought it was referencing Jesus but as I have always said context is everything – Take a look at John 1:1-4, it is clear that the passage is referencing the Holy Spirit!
I truly believe we are living in the end days (which you can read about the post ★ Thought for the Day – The End is Near…? ★) and if we are going to win the war we’re in then we must change our approach in our defenses! And if you want to know how to defeat Satan and his minions, it is through the power of the Holy Spirit!!
I have always loved 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT) which says…
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
But just recently I noticed verse 19 which I think cannot be discounted:
“Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.”
Could it be that if we “stiff-arm” the Holy Spirit we jeopardize the ability to follow God’s will for us to be joyful, praying and thankful in all circumstances?
I will close with this prophetic passage from Joel 2:28-29 (NLT) about The Lord’s Promise of His Spirit which was penned 800 years before Jesus was born:
“Then, after doing all those things,
I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your old men will dream dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on servants—men and women alike.”
Charles Stanley had this great life lesson on verse Joel 2:29…
“We live in the great day when God has poured out His Spirit on all believers in Christ, filling them and empowering them to serve Him in holiness and great joy. (Romans 8:11). God’s Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us in full measure at the point of salvation. However, a Spirit-filled believer is one who has surrendered himself or herself completely to the control of the Holy Spirit. We permit the Spirit to empower us in greater measure by submitting to God in obedience. Are you allowing the Lord to fill you today?”
So, do you see Holy Spirit having a vital role in your life and if not, will you make a change today? The power of the Holy Spirit is available for all believers in Jesus Christ. You can tap into the limitless resources of God, all you need to do is ask. I want to challenge you to ask God to activate the Holy Spirit in your life so that the “Fruit” will be evident and the gifts of the Spirit will be released in your life to put feet to your faith and to minister to those people that are in your life!
★ ★ ★ DIG DEEPER ★ ★ ★
Check out these related posts:
★ Thought for the Day – Candy Land Christianity ★
★ Thought for the Day – When in Rome ★
Robert Morris wrote a book called “The God I Never Knew: How Real Friendship with the Holy Spirit Can Change Your Life”