Most churches in America today still only give the Holy Spirit an honorable mention, even though he is an equal member of the Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Most believers know that the Holy Spirit lives inside them in some way but beyond that they have little knowledge of the Holy Spirit as God, as a person, and as the source of power for living out the commands and mandates of Jesus. It’s amazing that scripture puts so much emphasis on the Holy Spirit while the church, by and large, gives little attention to this third part of the Trinity. And yet without the Spirit, we can in no way live the life that Jesus has called us to live.
In fact, Jesus said that the best thing he could do for his followers was to leave them, return to the Father, and send the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:7). To his disciples at that moment, that must have seemed like an empty promise. After all, who or what could replace the presence of Jesus? He was the teacher, the healer, and the provider. He could calm storms with a command, walk across lakes, feed thousands with a box lunch, and drive away demons. What could be better than that? However, Jesus kept insisting that he was leaving but, ultimately, his followers would be better off. Peter would become the proof of that pudding.
Peter had been part of the Lord’s inner circle for three years. He had heard every sermon, seen every miracle, and been taught how to pray by the Son of God himself. For three years, he had Jesus himself as a personal mentor and role model. What could be better? But Jesus in the flesh had limitations. He could teach like no man had ever taught but his influence was from the outside in. Now he was going to send a teacher and a counselor whose influence would be from the inside out. The difference is stunning,
With all the teaching, the training, the mentoring, and Jesus as his personal life coach, Peter still stumbled along. Although he got a few things right, there was still such a shortfall. Even on the night of Jesus’ arrest, Peter was arguing with James and John about who was the greatest disciple. A few hours after that, Jesus was arrested and Peter, along with the others, scattered into the night. Although Peter followed from a distance, he still denied even knowing Jesus three times in the courtyard of the high priest. After discovering the empty tomb, Peter still did not believe Mary’s testimony that she had seen the risen Jesus until Jesus made a personal appearance with his disciples. Where was the teaching, the training, the modeling, the prayer, and the effect of seeing hundreds of miracles then?
Fifty days later, Jesus fulfilled his promise. He returned to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to his followers. On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were in an upper room adjacent to the Temple courts and the Holy Spirit fell on them, filled them, and overwhelmed them. Suddenly the inner influence and power of the Spirit took Peter into the Temple courts where he declared the gospel of Jesus Christ with boldness, revelation, and power. What Jesus could not do in Peter’s heart in three years, the Holy Spirit did in a few hours. Jesus was right. It was better for him to go so that he could work from the inside out of those who follow him through his Spirit.
Something else shifted with the internal presence of God in each believer as well. Early in the gospels, Jesus gave power and authority to his twelve apostles and then later to seventy-two other disciples. These men went ahead of Jesus preaching the good news of the kingdom of God, healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons. Their demonstration of the kingdom was to point to Jesus. Both groups came back “blown away” by what they had been able to do in the name of Jesus. And yet, that power and authority seemed only temporary. We have no record of the apostles or other disciples operating in that kind of power after that season of ministry. However, after his resurrection, Jesus instructed his followers to wait in Jerusalem until he sent the Spirit to empower them as well as transform them. After Pentecost, the gifts of the Spirit defined the ministry of the church. These gifts which included healings, miracles, prophecy, etc. were not just for a brief season but for a lifetime. We are told that Peter walked in such an anointing that even his shadow would heal those it touched.
Jesus was right. It was better for us that he returned to the Father and sent the Spirit so that the presence of God could live within each of us. We are called the Temple of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. The word for “temple” does not refer to the larger complex and courts of the temple but the “naos” which was the Holy Place and Holy of Holies where the glory of God rested. As a result of Jesus leaving and sending his Spirit, we are each the Holy of Holies.
The Father sent the Son, the Son returned to the Father, and the Son sent the Spirit. Jim Cymbala points out that the Holy Spirit is God’s current agent on the earth and wonders why the church has neglected the Spirit of God in its teachings to the point that few believers know much about the ministry and gifts of the eternal Spirit. Since just about everything in the kingdom is received and activated by faith, our ignorance of the Spirit keeps us from receiving and walking in most of what he has for us. There are empty church buildings all over America that attest to the absence of the Spirit rather than his presence. Jesus made it clear that his followers could not be effective witnesses of his reality until they received power on that Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. For us to be effective witnesses who live lives that point to Jesus, we too must have the fullness of the Spirit.
A life that is not plugged into the power and resources of the Holy Spirit, even if a person believes in Jesus, will look minimally different from those who don’t even know him. That is not an effective witness. It simply takes the power of the Spirit to overcome the flesh, facedown the enemy, and demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
On the other side of the equation, there are churches that make the Holy Spirit and his gifts the central emphasis of all they do. Jesus clearly stated that the Spirit would bring glory to Jesus, not himself (Jn.16:14). We must always keep our eyes on the giver of the gift not just on the gift itself. But the giver also expects us to love the gift, enjoy the gift, and use the gift to its fullness. It his case, the gift is the Holy Spirit who brings the presence of God to us. Certainly there are excesses in some churches regarding the Holy Spirit, but that should not deter us from experiencing the Spirit as Jesus intended. I remember Bill Johnson saying that he feared lack more than excess when it came to the Spirit. I would agree with that.
Jesus told us that the Father gives the Spirit without limit (Jn. 3:34) so we may assume that he wants us to receive the Spirit without limit. May we and the church be open to everything God wants us to have via the Holy Spirit so that we can be effective witnesses for Jesus and be a people that stand out from the world rather than blending in. Ask for it all.
