BY CALEB JUMA
Before one can truly understand the Work of the Holy Spirit, he must first of all know the Spirit Himself. We must also establish whether the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person or merely a power emanating from God. If we think of the Holy Spirit as mainly a power or influence, our constant thought would be, "How can I get more of the Holy Spirit?", but if we think of Him as a Divine Person (an essential Biblical truth), our thoughts will rather be "How can the Holy Spirit have more of me?". If we continue to see the Holy Spirit as merely a power that we can possess and use as we please, we will end up falling into a pit of self-exaltation and self-sufficiency (spiritual pride).
I would like to take this opportunity to share about my friend (I say this with all reverence), The Holy Spirit. Of course I could never exhaust all there is to know about Him, but we can take steps toward it. He is a Divine person of infinite majesty, glory, holiness and power who has seen it fit to come and make my body His temple, His dwelling place. Oh what a privilege! As the Psalmist said, for he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust ... (Psalm 103:14), but He, being God, in all His splendor would, in marvelous condescension come and inhabit our hearts, and remain with us in spite of we grieving Him, He remains in us, showing us the way in which to go, speaking out of the depths of His own wisdom, whispering into our ears the precious truths of God in hope that we would one day yield our all to Him.
Kierra Sheard, a popular gospel artist wrote - You see the depths of my heart and still love me the same. This statement brought me to tears as a I led this song in one of the services. He is a holy Person who came to dwell in our hearts, one who clearly sees all our hearts' intentions whenever we do or say anything, He sees every thought we entertain and He sees not only our desires, but the motivations behind them and if there be any impurity or unholiness, the holy One is deeply grieved yet his love for us keeps Him working in us until we are like Christ.
I'm a musician who is very particular about arrangements of songs and the perfect execution of them so much so that I cringe at the sound of any mistake or slight deviation from what was supposed to be. I have a pretty odd sensitivity to musical errors in songs, not only others' but my very own errors, "my nerves is bad" (inside joke). Having this in mind, also having established that the Holy Spirit is indeed a Divine Person - God, meaning He is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful) and eternal. Therefore, even the most "minute" of impurities will not escape His view. If I, being only just an expression of His infinite nature, cringe at such petty things, how much more Him at impurity? I'm not saying any of this to show our "unworthiness" as many may say, but to show the extent of His love for us so much so that He would put Himself through all of this to sanctify us and beautify us to present us to Christ as a pure and spotless bride, not that we deserve it, but He persists nonetheless, in love.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:19 poses a question to each of us, do you not know that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit? Two truths brought to light by this question which we should allow to affect the way we as children of God live our lives. Firstly, we are His dwelling place, and secondly He is Holy. We should allow His holiness to permeate and affect every aspect of our lives, not only by doing what He says, but by becoming who He intends us to be. We should move with the awareness that God Himself is in us and He sees all that is going on in and around us. Having this truth embedded in our hearts will not only help us to overcome sin but things like worry and anxiety. This awareness does not come merely by feeling but by experience, and experience does not come by just hoping. God says He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6), and I believe that the more we seek Him and acknowledge His presence, the more He reveals Himself and gives us a [progressively] greater awareness of his presence in and among us. It's not about us increasing in power, but in yieldedness to His all surpassing power, becoming less so that He can become more. His indwelling presence does not increase, we become more and more aware of Him as we press on in intimacy with Him.
John wrote, as I conclude, that greater is He that is in me than the one that is in the world. By virtue of having God in us, a whole new world of possibilities has been opened to us, we have been given access by the Spirit to the riches of Christ's Glory! Praise be to God! As we go on, let us remember that a Holy God lives in us, and not only that but He yearns deeply for an intimate relationship with us (James 4:5). O, what a truth to behold.
Verses to Ponder:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
1 John 4:4
James 4:5
Questions to consider:
How will knowing that my body is the temple of the Spirit of God change the way I live?
Which area(s) in my life do I need to allow the holiness of God to affect?
How can i practically respond to the Holy Spirit's yearning for a relationship with me?
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