The Holy Spirit 7

October 18th

Last time I wrote about the gifts of the Spirit. This time I want to write about the unity of the Spirit within the Body of Christ. We read 1.Cor.12:13 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body- whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”

We can compare the Body of Christ with our natural body. That has many different members, both visible and invisible. Some of the most important members are the heart and the brain, but they are invisible. It would be full chaos if the foot said that it should function as a hand or the other way around. Each and everyone of us has a special function in the Body. God had ordained a special task for us even before He created us. This is awesome and nobody can therefore say that they are not important. God has a place and a task for each and everyone. None of us can say that we don’t need the other parts. It says in 1.Cor.12 that the members which seem to be weak are very necessary and those members we think to be less honorable, we bestow greater honor. In verse 26 it is written that if one member suffers, all the members suffer. I have attended different churches during my life-time. There are some who would see and feel if another member is suffering, but this is rather rare. Most of us are so busy with ourselves that we do not feel the pain in the toe if we happen to be a hand. I do not understand how it is possible since a pain in any member of my own body takes a lot of attention and tend to overshadow the other members at the time of suffering.

In Eph.4:11 it is written: “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.” This was done to equip and edify the Body of Christ. It was not done so that one of the five ministers should show off or use power or have any wrong motives. God appoints you if you are to function in one of the fivefold ministries and nobody could function in them without the Holy Spirit.

I will now mention some of the functions of the Holy Spirit. THE SPIRIT GIVES BIRTH.

John 3:6 says that what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Everything that is on the heart of God, is born by the Spirit here on earth. THE SPIRIT GIVES LIFE. In John 6:63 Jesus says that the Spirit gives life. He Himself was conceived by the Holy Spirit. You will find many places in the Bible that mentions that the Holy Spirit gives life, but I will only mention one more. That is 2.Cor.3:6. There it says that the letters (the law) are killing, but the Spirit gives life.

THE SPIRIT GIVES US TO SPEAK. In Acts 2:4 it says that they started to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. In chapter 6 and verse 10 it says that the people could not resist the wisdom of Stephen and the Spirit by which he spoke. You can look up Matt.10 and read from verse 16 and the rest of the chapter. I quote verse 19 and 20. “But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. `For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your father who speaks in you.” This word has been a great help for me in difficult situations.

THE SPIRIT IS POURING OUT AND IS FILLING US UP. We read in Joel that God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh. In Acts 2 we read that those who waited for the Holy Spirit, were all filled with the Holy Spirit. We have the Spirit both in us and outside of us.

THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS. In John 16:8 it says that the Holy Spirit has come to convict the world of sin, and of righteousness and judgment. It continues to say that the Spirit will GUIDE US. Here He will guide us to the whole truth. The Spirit GLORIFIES JESUS. The Holy Spirit will always help you to praise and worship the King, even if your emotions are saying something else. He WILL PROPHESY, tell you the things that are to come.

THE SPIRIT GIVES POWER. In Luke 4:14 it says that Jesus went back to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit. He had just been tempted by the devil. In Acts 1:8 it says: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” We can also use this power to heal and cast out demons.

THE SPIRIT PRAYS. In Rom.8:26 we read that the Spirit Himself makes intercessions for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. We read in 1.Cor.14:2 Paul says that when we speak in tongues, we talk mysteries with God. The Spirit is my best prayer-partner.

THE SPIRIT GIVES FREEDOM. We know well the saying from 2.Cor 3:17 that goes like this: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Paul writes in Rom.8:2 that “for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Some people interpret this wrongly and think that there should be no order and structure. That would lead to chaos.

THE SPIRIT GIVES FAITH. According to Heb.11:6 we cannot please God without faith. In 2.Cor.4:13 Paul says that we have the same spirit of faith. I have mentioned the gift of faith under the gifts of the Spirit.

THE SPIRIT GIVES GRACE. I refer to Heb.10:29 that talks about the Spirit of Grace. We are totally dependant on daily grace. The devil accuses us, but the Spirit of Grace sets us free.

THE SPIRIT SANCTIFIES. It says in 2.Thess.2:13 that God had chosen them from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit. We cannot sanctify ourselves, but we can be willing to let the Holy Spirit sanctify us. 1.Pet.1:2 says that God has chosen us in sanctification of the Spirit for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

THE SPIRIT TEACHES. In 1.Cor2:12-13: We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

THE SPIRIT UNITES. The Holy Spirit unites the Christians. Sin and the devil make divisions. There are many spirits, but only one Holy Spirit. I wish that the Non-believers could cry out: “See how they love each other!” There is only one Savior and we should agree that He is the most important thing ever given to us.

LET US LOVE THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR ALL THE THINGS HE DOES FOR US!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mother Else