Recently, we had the rolling blackouts with the winter storm that hit north Texas mid-February. Each of us were reminded how much we use electrical power in our lives. There was no power for lights, cooking, heat…we were not comfortable without power.
Spiritually speaking, I wonder how many of us would be alright without the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives? A.W. Tozer said, “If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95% of what we do would go on and no one would notice. If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95% of what they did would stop and everyone would notice.” That early church knew if there was no power of the Holy Spirit working in their lives, there was no church.
The Hebrew word and the Greek word for “Spirit” can be translated as “wind” or “breath”. In Acts 2, a mighty wind came on the disciples and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. So much so, they could do many miracles and the church launched in grand fashion on the day of Pentecost.
Jesus told his disciples in John 14 that when he left earth, God the Father would send another one just like him. Jesus was promising the Holy Spirit to be more than God with us but God in us! And we understand through scripture the Holy Spirit is a person. He has feelings and emotions; he has a will and desire; He has intellect and thoughts.
For many of us, we grew up not hearing much discussion about the Holy Spirit. He was part of the God-head but very distant and obscure. But the Bible is clear that he is a person and we can have a deep relationship with him. It’s because of the Holy Spirit that any of us even came to know Jesus and follow him.
So I want to remind us why we know the Holy Spirit is a person that we can interact with and have a deep relationship with. Acts 5 reminds us that the Holy Spirit can be lied to. Ananias and Sapphire sold land and lied about how much of the proceeds they were giving the church. The Apostle Peter knew that and called them on it. Why would they lie? It’s seems to impress the disciples and the church.
So maybe a way to lie the Holy Spirit is to pretend to be more spiritual than we are. Me pretending to impress you seems to be offensive the the Spirit. So praising on Sunday morning but yelling at my family at home seems to be hypocritical. Celebrating communion but holding a grudge in my heart seems to be hypocritical. Saying we’ll pray for someone with no intention to do so seems to be pretending. Looking like you are a great spouse in public but then demeaning your spouse at home seems to offend the Holy Spirit.
And when we live this kind of life, it seems to grieve the Holy Spirit. Paul the Apostle tells us in Ephesians 4:30 that we should not grieve the Holy Spirit. Don’t bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way we live. I mean, you can’t bring sorrow to something that isn’t real. So clearly, the Spirit is a person and our actions can hurt him. Why? Because He deeply loves us and knows us!
Ultimately, the Holy Spirit can be your friend. In John 14:16, Jesus says the Father will send an Advocate. That Greek word can also be translated as “friend”. So, God will send a friend who will always be with you. And more than with you, He’ll live in you.
Real friends lift us up, guide us in decision making, prompt us when something isn’t right, give great advice for living, kick us in the pants when we make poor decisions, and love us unconditionally. That’s what the Holy Spirit does for us. He’s our comforter, counselor, helper, guide and friend.
May you be open to discovering the Spirit in your life. May you embrace the friend you have who loves you beyond measure. May you accept the guidance the Spirit wants to give you in this life. Blessings on the journey.