The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Ephesians 5:15-18,
"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."
In theology classes, in our study of "pneumatology" we learn of the various aspects of who we call the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. A study of the Scriptures reveals he has his own mind, his own will, functions entirely in concert with God the Father and God the Son. He is not merely a manifestation of God wearing the "Holy Spirit" cap, when he isn't wearing the "Heavenly Father cap" or the "Jesus Christ cap" so to speak. All three are different persons of the one God that we reference using the term "Trinity". A person can butcher the Scriptures any way they like, but they simply will support no other view than that God exists as one God in three persons.
What do we learn from the Scriptures about the Holy Spirit relative to his dealings with us? Jesus told us that once he arrived in heaven, following his resurrection, he would send the Holy Spirit to planet earth. The Spirit would come to bring conviction to the world of the need of the Savior. John 16:7-11. The Holy Spirit would be sent to empower the saints and bring the church into existence, Acts 1:4-8 and Acts 2:1-4. We learn the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Jesus Christ, that he indwells believers and seals them as the Lord's own, guaranteeing our inheritance. The Holy Spirit "gifts" us with special enablement to build up the body of Christ and to carry out God's agenda on planet earth. He is a counselor, companion and an encouragement to us.
There are many things we learn of the Holy Spirit in the pages of Scripture, but what Paul refers to in this Ephesians 5 passage is something that is simply amazing to me! We can "be filled with the Spirit"! Just as the transaction that took place in every believer's life when they embraced Jesus Christ in faith was real and experiential, so too is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives! As the mystical aspect of our relationship with God has been sealed in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit himself, the third person of the Trinity takes up residence in our lives. He is not simply furniture that is placed into our lives to take up space... the presence of the Holy Spirit within us is both real and dynamic. In Ephesians 4:30 we are encouraged to not grieve the Holy Spirit, and in this passage we are told to make choices that bring us a filling of the Holy Spirit.
I find it astonishing that the Holy Spirit resides within me! I find it sobering, as well, to know that choices I make have impact on how filled I am with the Holy Spirit. This isn't dusty doctrine from a theology book - this is real life!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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