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Power
It might be tempting to think of the "power" of the Holy Spirit as something
we can call down from heaven to help us become bold, wise, healthy and wealthy.
But we need to remember that the Holy Spirit is God, not a genie in a bottle
to grant our every wish.
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to
you,” Jesus said in John 14:26.
And in chapter 16, verses 13-14, Jesus added,
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all
truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and
he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking
from what is mine and making it known to you.”
The Spirit does not have his own agenda, only the agenda of the Father and
the Son, who sent him. That is, human redemption and salvation—the gospel agenda.
The Holy Spirit is not a scene-stealer or a circus act. The Spirit is God,
and he is God with the Father and the Son, not on his own, somehow acting
apart from the Father and the Son.
Our heavenly Father is the Father of Jesus Christ, the Father who loved the
world so much that he sent his Son to save the world and who, with the Son,
sent the Holy Spirit so that he and the Son would always be with us and in us.
Jesus said in John 14:16-19:
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to
be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because
it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you
and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before
long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live,
you also will live.”
The Holy Spirit empowers us, not for selfish, person means and ends, but
for God’s means and ends, which have to do with conforming us to the
image of Christ, not with granting us the life-style of the rich and famous.
To be baptized with the Holy Spirit is to be baptized into the baptism of
Jesus Christ. It is to enter into new life in Christ—the life of the kingdom
of God.
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God's grace in its various forms” we’re told in 1 Peter
4:10.
The gifts of the Spirit, then, whether tongues or healing or administration
or teaching or whatever they might be, are for the benefit of the body of Christ,
and not for personal acclaim or gain.
The Holy Spirit lives in us, unites us with the Father and the Son and transforms
us into the image of Christ. He stands beside us, bringing us hope and courage,
endurance and peace. He leads us toward Jesus, nudges our conscience, and reminds
of the Father’s love and mercy. And he does it without drawing attention to
himself.
When we truly listen to the Spirit, what we’re going to hear is, “Listen
to Jesus.”
I’m Joseph Tkach, speaking of LIFE.
Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that
I am?" We have a free booklet, The God Revealed in Jesus Christ,
to help you answer that question. In the United States, to request your
free copy, see http://www.gci.org/god/revealed Or call
us toll-free at 1-800-423-4444.
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