What Do You Know About The Spirit?

Dear Christian, here is a question for you: What do you know about the Holy Spirit? Most of us know he is part of the Godhead and that we receive him when we receive Jesus but few of us understand the baptism of the Spirit. Few of us have been taught how vital it is. For some reason we stick the testimonies of Acts in a little box and hide it high on the shelf and we struggle because of it.

We need the Spirit to know God. We need the Spirit to understand the Word. We need the Spirit to hear from Jesus. We need the Spirit to witness with power. We need the Spirit for the power of God in us. We need the Spirit to live a victorious walk with Christ. Just one small snippet from the Word:

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul took a route through the interior and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you came to believe?” (Acts 19:1-2)

Paul went on to pray with them and to lay his hands on them. They received the Spirit in power. Paul knew that no Christian can function properly in the Body without the Spirit. Sure, we can try in our flesh and we may convince ourselves we are doing well but we are accomplishing nothing outside of the anointing of Yahweh which comes by the Spirit in us.

Just before leaving Jesus told his disciples:

“It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)

Most of us have not received that power because we have not understood the place or importance of the Baptism of the Spirit. It is not a design of man but the design of Yahweh. It happened to me with no teaching, no instruction, with no one around. I received that baptism by the hand of Jesus but did not know what it was until years later. It is the power of Jesus in us, his authority to do what he commanded us to do. Certainly we can ignore it, but we will not be able to serve properly without it.

Even if you don't fully understand it, examine the Scriptures for yourself. Read what Jesus said about the Spirit. Read what he did by the Spirit. Understand he came to set us the example of how to live by the Spirit. Read Acts and see what was accomplished when people lived by the Spirit. Understand that nothing has changed and this was the model set for us.

Hearts do not change because we have good ideas. Hearts do not change by our intellectual arguments. Hearts do not change because of our good deeds. Hearts change by the presence of Yahweh and this happens through us; this happens by the Spirit in us when we understand we carry his presence. We need to understand and experience the Baptism of the Spirit. We need the power of Yahweh to return to the people of God.

But By My Spirit

You can dedicate what you do as an act of love for Jesus or you can decide to do only the will of the Father. The first is an act of love that depends on you. The second is obedience, that comes from the root of love. The first is what you decide to do. The second is what you are compelled to do. The first is often done in your own strength, ability and talent. The second is done by the power of Yahweh.

Jesus did not dedicate what he did as an act of love for Father. He came in obedience. He lived in obedience. He acted in obedience. He spoke in obedience. Read through the gospel of John and it will become clear to you that Jesus did not act on his own but only did what he was directed to do by the Father. His was a remarkable life of obedience right up to his final breath and beyond. He never asked blessing from the Father for his plans. He had no plans. He did what he was told to do, in love.

In order to be able to carrying out Father's plan, Jesus was given the Holy Spirit at the very beginning. Although he was equally God and equally man, he set aside his claim to the divinity to walk like you and me on this earth. He was given the Spirit so he could demonstrate for us how we are to do what he commands us to do; to do as he did. We too have been given the Spirit so we can follow in Jesus' steps, obeying the will of the Father. Too few people see it this way and often live by option one instead of option two.

We are too quick to read through what we think has become overly familiar. We miss the parts of Scripture where the Spirit led Jesus into the desert, out of the desert, to this place and then that. After writing it so many times the Spirit must have thought we would understand and so did not mention it every time after the beginning. When you read it with open eyes you begin to see things like Luke 5:17b:

"And the power of the Lord (Adonai) was present to heal them." (NKJV)

The New American Standard has it as:

"And the power of the Lord (Adonai) was present for him to perform healing."

What does that tell us? Jesus was given power through the Holy Spirit to do what was needed when it was needed, just like today. Unfortunately we overlook this and continue to go for option one. We do not seek or expect the Lord's anointing (power) and simply do what we think is best, in our own strength and ability. We make our plans and ask him to bless them. This comes from a lack of understanding or simple laziness. It takes effort to seek the will of Father. It takes time in prayer and being in the Word. It takes an emptying of self and a filling of the Spirit. It's easier just to seek blessing because it is a simple matter to overlook scripture:

"'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6)

Remember the words of Jesus just before he ascended:

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

We have been given the Spirit for many reasons but one of them is so we can receive power for what needs to be done in the moment. If it is to preach then preach, if it is to heal then heal, if it is to cast out demons then cast out demons. He always equips us with his power for his will. We refer to it as the anointing of God. And when we have developed an ongoing, intimate relationship with him, we are given to know his specific will for the moment. We have not been left on our own to figure it out. May we never attempt to serve the Lord without his anointing for the task.

I leave you with this, Paul's prayerful desire for the Colossians:

"For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light." (Colossians 1:9-12) 

Yes, we can live out option one and continue seeking blessings on our plans but these are done without his divine power and will not stand the testing fire. That's a lot of wasted time and energy. Or we can go with option two, and spend our lives occupied with Father's business, following his instructions, involved with a work that will last all eternity. Work within the anointing.