The Holy Spirit: Is He in You?

By Associate Pastor Miles Johnson

There are five NT commands relating to the Holy Spirit. Sound surprising? The Holy Spirit’s gentleness has led to the dove symbol in most Christian art.

But the Holy Spirit is also considered a “blowing, violent wind” in Acts 2:2. Here are few specific commands relating to our best friend on earth, the Holy Spirit.

  1. Do not quench the Spirit’s fire. That’s 1 Thessalonians 5:19. It’s almost humorous because you don’t see too much fire in churchgoers these days. Most either “go through the motions” or “show off their emotions.” Neither extreme is right. The Holy Spirit in you will make you eager, energetic, enthusiastic in the face of life’s everyday round. It will rub off.

What quenches the Spirit? Our conduct. Apathy. Mechanical attitudes towards worship. The frozen chosen. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says for Christians to be joyful always. Always. That’s another command, really. If Christians were more that way we’d see more people attracted to church. Guaranteed.

  1. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:29). You can only grieve or hurt someone who cares deeply about you. We grieve the Holy Spirit by arguing, complaining, backbiting as it says in Philippians 1:14. There’s yet another New Testament command. I was a lineman for California Edison most of my life. I saw a lot of that conflict and griping and bitching. It never works. Now I know such attitudes short-circuit our relationships with God. Brethren, avoid them like the plague.
  2. Walk and Live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Every Christian is encouraged to be fully responsive to the Spirit’s lead and not the all-surrounding desires of the flesh we see too much of in the media, on TV, in magazines, in advertising. These businesses would collapse without a strong appeal to the flesh.

God shows us a better way in Galatians 5:22, love, joy, peace – the fruits produced by a close walk with the Holy Spirit. When we sin we trust in God, go to him, ask him to forgive us and to use some “replacement therapy,” replace the deeds and urgings and promptings of the flesh with the fruits of the Spirit. And how do we get those fruits?

Ah, read on. This gets close to what it’s all about.

  1. Pray in the Spirit (Romans 8:26-27). Romans 8 describes both Jesus and the Holy Spirit as our Intercessor. How does that work? Gordon Fee explains it as Jesus interceding for us in heaven and the Holy Spirit interceding down here on earth. When we pray, really pray, we fulfill what out pastor talks about a lot – being ushered into the heavenly places through Christ.

Think about that. How wonderful. Prayer ushers us into the heavenly presence of God when we “pray in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18). What an unbelievable privilege Christians are given through this access by the Holy Spirit. Think of it! What if you were going to talk with President Bush or Governor Schwarzenegger tomorrow? How would you feel? Well, we are to pray in the Spirit on all occasions. Then we come from God’s presence fully energized to be His ambassadors. Paul mentions this in 2 Corinthians 5:20 and it is so powerful and visionary about our Christian calling: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

Did you catch the last part of that verse? What a privilege, what power is available to God’s people. Pray in the Spirit and pray often.

  1. Be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). That flows naturally from all we have seen. Being filled with the Spirit doesn’t scare people off. Just the opposite. The Spirit makes you loving, outgoing, kind and helpful, and that is very attractive. And that is how our church, and every church, will grow. Brethren, let’s walk in the Spirit.

Miles Johnson is a West Covina resident, a volunteer at Pomona Valley Shelter, a Korean War veteran and an elder in WCG.