Next Part What the Holy Spirit is Not
Next Part How to Exercise God’s Spirit
Most professing Christians have their own differing ideas about the Holy Spirit. Some people believe it is a “phantom-like” being. Others believe that it is a part of a “trinity,” along with God and Jesus Christ. Some even believe that the Holy Spirit is some type of spiritual dove, flying around, “spreading love.”
However, we have seen that the Bible teaches otherwise! Recall the phrase “…the Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the POWER of the Highest shall overshadow you…” (Luke 1:35).
If the Holy Spirit is part of a trinity—as so many claim—then wouldn’t Christ be called the Son of the Holy Spirit? The Bible explains that God sent the Holy Spirit—His power—to beget Christ. (Read our free book The Trinity – Is God Three-In-One? to learn more about the falsehood of the trinity doctrine.)
Another common misconception is being able to tap into an “inner power,” or accessing “energy inside.” In fact, most motivational speakers talk about “breaking through” and using “dormant powers” that lie inside, just waiting to be used. Many religions teach about “reaching deep inside” and accessing your “inner self.”
But these are the false ideas of men. The Holy Spirit does not reside in us from birth—it is a gift from God, given after repentance and baptism.
But is this all there is to it? What do you do with God’s Spirit after you receive it? Are there ways you can increase—or lose—this Spirit?
How the Spirit Works
Notice the following scriptures: “But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you…” (Rom. 8:9-10).
A Christian is one who has God’s Spirit residing within him. He belongs to Christ, who lives in him through this Spirit.
Understand this! A Christian is only a Christian by this Spirit! Without it residing in you, you are nota true servant of God. Millions believe they are Christians, when in reality they are “none of His.”
Paul warns that certain actions can extinguish, suppress, squelch or put out God’s Spirit: “QUENCH not the Spirit” (I Thes. 5:19). Paul also writes, “And GRIEVE not the Holy Spirit of God…” (Eph. 4:30).
This is a sobering warning!
But how can someone grieve or quench the Spirit? How can you be sure that YOU are not doing this?
It is important to understand how this Spirit works. Christ received an unmeasured portion of it (recall John 3:34). But Christians are given a certain amount: “Now He that has wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also has given unto us the earnest of the Spirit” (II Cor. 5:5).
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines earnest as “a token of what is to come.” In other words, it is a portion, or down payment, of the complete amount that Christians will later receive.
A Christian’s goal—the end of his spiritual growth process—is to become completely composed of Spirit at Christ’s Second Coming: “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you” (Rom. 8:11).
The Holy Spirit is like a muscle: If a muscle is not exercised, it will shrink and eventually atrophy—diminish and wither away.
Although not a living person or being, the Spirit of God is active. In John 7:1-53, Christ compares the Holy Spirit to “rivers of living waters.” Notice what He said, starting in Jn 7:37: “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spoke He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” The Holy Spirit flows like a powerful river current.
Imagine the current of a river as it flows down the riverbed. The raw force behind it is so powerful that over years, it will cause the formation of additional channels. Engineers have discovered this great power, and hydropower plants now provide about 24% of the world’s electricity. Christ understood the great power that drives rivers when He made this comparison.
Try to bottle up a river current. It cannot be done! This powerful force cannot be saved or preserved.
In this same manner, God’s Spirit cannot be saved for future use, lying dormant inside you. It must flow. Through Christ, it flows into us. And by following God’s Law, and producing “good fruits,” it flows from us. Like a mighty current, it flows continuously!
Recall the account about the woman healed after touching Jesus’ garments (Mark 5:28-30). Notice that Jesus was aware that virtue—power—had gone out from Him. Christ, who performed great miracles, could not “bottle up” or store God’s Spirit—neither can we.
Paul wrote, “…be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). That message is for you! God wants to fill you with this dynamic power!
After receiving a small amount or down payment of God’s power, we are commanded to “…grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Pet. 3:18), and “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (I Pet. 2:2). It is our job to grow and “…stir up the gift of God” (II Tim. 1:6).
We must stir up—rekindle, exercise, utilize—the Spirit. When you put it to use, you develop godly character (Matt. 5:48).
But how can one exercise God’s Spirit? What are the vital tools that will help God’s Spirit to increase in, and flow from, you?
The apostle Peter wrote, “For even hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (I Pet. 2:21). We must pattern our lives after Christ (Eph. 4:13, 15). By the presence of God’s Spirit, we can become more like Him. Paul instructs us to “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). We must strive to think and act like Christ.
Notice Christ’s example. When He declared, “I can of Mine own self do nothing” (John 5:30), Christ understood that without God’s Spirit He was powerless. This is why He strived to stay fully “charged.”
But how did He do this?
As the only blueprint for Christian living, the Bible gives key examples of ways to swell this mighty power inside you. By regularly practicing them, you can also be fully charged with the Spirit!