Category: Holy Spirit

I’m concerned that many Christians view that the purpose and operation of the Holy Spirit has changed since the first couple generations of the Church. It is popular to believe that because there was compiled a God-ordained, Holy Spirit inspired set of writings (of course, the Bible) that we, the believers, are now to carry out the great commission, unify, lift up, and teach the Church and have no need for God’s supernatural help in the form the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit.

The change in His operation from the old covenant to the new was obvious and dramatic – change based on the new covenant having been sealed by the blood of Jesus. I know of no other covenant since and no command given in the Holy Bible that is to change how the Holy Spirit would work.

Many books have been written on this subject, but of course I’m keeping it short being a blog and all – so I’ll share one tidbit from scripture that I believe will help believers to understand His ways. Let’s read:

¹⁴But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. ¹⁵ For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; ¹⁶ but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ ‘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;
¹⁸ Even on My bondslaves, both men and women,
I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit
And they shall prophesy.
¹⁹ ‘And I will grant wonders in the sky above
And signs on the earth below,
Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.
²⁰ ‘The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood,
Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.
²¹ ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Acts 2:14-21 NASB

When Peter gives this speech, he states that what was witnessed (speaking in other languages as a result of the Holy Spirit descending in power) was spoken of through the prophet Joel. Read the whole scripture reference and notice how in verse 19 that the same prophecy begins its climax by talking about end times. This is really my point – the term of God’s outpouring of the gifts of the Spirit are in a prophecy that describes a stretch of time that expands from the beginning of the Church to the end – from Pentecost until the 2^nd advent of our Lord Jesus.

From the day you first believed to the last the Holy Spirit with His peace and power is in you believer!

Years ago I heard a voice ask, “Who would refine ore that doesn’t have gold in it?” It was a question I heard in my mind that the Lord placed there. It was one of those encounters that made my heart leap for joy as the instincts of my son-ship instantly knew what my Father was saying.

We are given Jesus and there is absolutely nothing beyond Jesus that we could ever need here on this spinning mud ball or in our permanent home to come. One thing we unquestionably need is His Holy Spirit. He, the Holy Spirit is the Gold the Lord was referring to that was in me – this is what He was and is refining me down to (see 2 Corinthians 4:7). Obviously, this was not just for me, all who believe in Jesus receive Him, the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 1:13).

The following statement is not a nifty concept of some watered down theology or an exaggerated stretch of scripture: we Christians actually, in all practicality are vessels that contain the Treasure that is His Spirit.

The fact that you have His Spirit means you are of great value, of great interest, a child of His that He will insure is successful in whatever He has decided for you to do. It makes no sense whatsoever for your God to put His Investment into you for Him not to see it give a return and be profitable and prosperous according to His purposes. (Assuming you’ve accepted the offer of salvation of Jesus) I think it’s impossible that He would give you The Holy Spirit and not see a return – I’m just not willing to say that God doesn’t know how to invest – you need to answer that yourself though. Consider the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) – He is very serious about the investment turning a profit – this parable is precisely meant to tell you of this Treasure.  The “wicked and lazy” servant who did not turn a profit obviously did not actually know the Master.

So rejoice in this – God has put an amazing Treasure in you and has a glorious purpose for you. Have the greatest confidence that God has given you the Spirit of peace and power and of incalculable value.