Trusting in His Spirit

Whether or not you choose to believe what I'm about to say is entirely up to you. I am going to propose something that is difficult for many people to receive. I recognize the controversial nature of what I'm about to say AND I embrace it. With all that being said...here we go...

I Corinthians 2:12, "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God."

Galatians 4:6, "And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'"

1 John 2:27, "But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him."

Over and over again, the Bible is very clear on the necessity of the Holy Spirit's power and leadership in our lives. If you read the book of Acts (post Pentecost) you will discover the Spirit of God moving mightily in the lives of the Apostles and early church. As you continue reading the Bible you will also read of the reason we possess the Spirit of God and how we are to continue trusting His work in our lives. The Spirit of God is proof of our sonship, He is God's seal upon our lives, and He is the primary source for learning what it means to walk in the abundant life of Christ. We must never get away from this understanding...WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!

I don't believe the Apostles ever imagined the Body of Christ ever operating apart from the Spirit of God. I believe that they pressed forward with the idea that His gifts would always be in operation, the people of God would learn how to live according to His leadership, and that the church would always be sensitive to all that He was/is doing. I also don't believe that they had any notion of the church simply giving token reference to His activity or that focusing upon Him in our lives would be seen as taking anything away from Jesus Christ. However, I cannot tell you how many times I have heard church leaders today make those types of references.

The Holy Spirit is MORE than a logo:
While I have seen many logos that have some type of reference to the Spirit of God - His activity isn't witnessed as easily.
Fire, Doves, and Waterfalls are a poor replacement for His power. What may look good on the side of a building isn't always translated into the lives of the people who gather inside.

The Holy Spirit is MORE than just a comforter:
I honestly don't believe that Jesus intended us to only look for the Spirit of God to give us comfort in difficult times. The word just falls WAY short of what "paraklētos" means. The Holy Spirit was destined to take the place of Christ in the lives of the Apostles and the believers. He would teach them all things, call to remembrance all that was spoken by Jesus, and lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth. He would give them strength to endure all that would lie ahead. He is the indwelling Spirit of God who unlocks all of the things that have been freely given to us!

The Holy Spirit is MORE than just a gifter and fruit producer:
Too often people simply look to the Spirit of God for an experience in the gifts or when their life seems to be lacking the fruit of the Spirit. Don't get me wrong here - the Spirit of God is the source of our gifts and the source of the fruit. However, when we have Him dwelling inside of us, the fruit and gifts of the Spirit can actually flow as a byproduct of a life of intimacy in Him. We are given permission in the Bible to desire greater gifts but His work in us is so much more.

Let me explain:
Intimacy with the Holy Spirit is the key to understanding spiritual truth, moving and operating in His gifts, and the most proven method of living in the Love, Joy, Peace, etc. that flows from God. It's not a greater knowledge that we need but a greater intimacy. In respect to how we treat the work of the Holy Spirit within us it shouldn't be any different than if Jesus was walking beside of us. This was the picture that He was painting in John 14. This is what the Apostles were able to learn. They were able to hear His voice, trust His leadership, and move in His power. Of course they were...they had just spent the last three and half years walking with the ONE whose life was completely controlled by the Spirit of God.

What is needed in our lives is a greater understanding of what it means to be spiritual beings. What it looks and sounds like to be led by the Spirit of God. And what it means to be "continually" filled with the Spirit of God. Depending upon your church background all of this may sound very challenging (it does to me at times). However, I truly believe this is why He was deposited in our lives at salvation. It was to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship that led to a life in this world that looked like Christ. And when we are baptized in His Spirit (something that happens apart from salvation) - we place ourselves in the position of being fully controlled by Him. It is at this moment that we become more aware of His power at work in our lives, His gifts become more accessible, and His voice becomes even louder. Are you ready to trust your Christian life to the Holy Spirit? Are you ready to leave a life filled with rituals and disciplines so that you can enter into a life of intimacy? He's already inside of you - now you just need to allow Him to be that river of living water that flows out of you.