Welcome again to Powerful God – Practical Faith and for continuing with us in our series entitled “Bringing Clarity to the Term Christian”. I sincerely hope that what you have learned on this journey with us, has allowed the title of this series to ring true for you in terms of your understanding of what it truly means to be a Christian.
Last time, if you were with us, we had a great deal to say about God the Holy Spirit’s work in salvation. We discussed His miraculous and sovereign work in redemption and how by His own will, He changes the hearts of whomever He wills through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We learned that on those in whom the Holy Spirit so chooses to act upon, no matter where their level of depravity may fall on the moral spectrum, they experience a deep since of their own sinfulness, and seek God’s forgiveness through genuine repentance. This incredible activity of the Holy Spirit is what Jesus calls being “born of the Spirit”. As you have been taking in the truths of this series, it should be strikingly clear that the Triune God and Him alone is the sole author of salvation.
But we are not done explaining the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian. With all we have understood about the Holy Spirit in our last post, we are brought to Statement 9, which says:
“A Christian is a person who has received the Holy Spirit into his heart, giving him the ability to live a righteous life, as he submits to God and His Word in everything he does.”
As we consider this statement, we understand that the Holy Spirit is not only the Person who makes the sinful heart turn to God, He is also the one who then stays with the changed person for the rest of his life, compelling him to become more like his Maker. Consider the Words of Jesus when speaking of the Person of the Holy Spirit:
“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.
St. John 16:12-15 (NASB)
What a profound passage! What is Jesus telling us here? Well, if you have read the book of John, you will know that at the time Jesus makes this statement, He is preparing His disciples for his departure. He lets them know that even though he will no longer be physically with them, they will not be left alone. Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit. or, The Spirit of Truth, will come in His place.
Now as a side note, in John 14, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the Helper. He says…
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
John 14:16 NASB
The Greek term for this word “Helper” is “parakletos”. It is derived from two terms: “para”, meaning “beside”, and “kaleo”, meaning “to call”. So then, “parakletos” literally means “called to one’s side”. When the Christian comes to a saving knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes along-side the Christian to aid him in his walk with Christ. He remains as an abiding presence forever. The Holy Spirit has been called to the Christian’s side to be an ever-present Helper!
Jesus then explains the activity of this “Holy Helper”. Jesus says that the Person of the Holy Spirit will come as a guide. Now when we think of a guide, what comes to mind? A guide is something or someone who provides instruction, clarity and direction. The Holy Spirit then, was sent to the Christian to provide instruction in truth, clarity in truth and direction in truth. The Holy Spirit acts as the Christian’s spiritual and moral compass.
Jesus then goes on to explain in John 16 about “how” the Holy Spirit guides us in truth. Notice how Jesus says, that the Holy Spirit will not speak to us on His own. This does not mean that the Holy Spirit has something new or different to say and is just choosing not to make “His” truth known to us. There is absolutely no suppressed disagreement or disunity between the Persons of the Triune God. I believe that John is emphasizing here that there is one singular body of spiritual truth, especially in regard to salvation, given by God, that is echoed between the members of the Trinity. The truth of the plan of God regarding redemption and salvation is declared from the Father, to the Son, and applied to the Christian through the agency of the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will only Speak what He hears. The Holy Spirit is the conduit through which the Word of Christ is understood and lived out in the life of the Christian.
Not only is the Holy Spirit our guide into all truth, He is also our catalyst for righteous living.
There are two passages of scripture that help us to understand this truth that I would like to bring your attention to. They both have similar messages to the believer. The First passage is in Galatians 5.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
Galatians 5: 16-18 NASB
In this passage, the Apostle Paul tells us to “Walk in the Spirit”. Now we have already learned that the Holy Spirit is a helper and a guide into all truth. We have also learned that He will only speak what is given to him by Christ. So, when Paul tells us to walk in the Spirit, he is speaking of obedience to the Holy Spirits direction in our lives as He reminds us of, and instructs us in, the Word of God. If you do this, Paul says that you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. But why would walking in the Spirit prevent us from carrying out the desires of our sinful flesh? Paul explains this in the next phrase. He says….
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please….
Let’s consider this passage as it relates to walking in the Spirit.
The Christian has been granted the gift of God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is, in fact…, Holy. This means that He is the standard for righteousness and is diametrically opposed to sin. He hates sinful desires and sinful activity. Therefore, God the Holy Spirit’s intent, with respect to guiding the Christian, is to develop holiness in him and a consistent spiritual resistance to his sinful nature or flesh. This is why when the Christian allows himself to be led by the Spirit, he will not and cannot fulfill his sinful desires. Why? because God, the Holy Spirit will not allow a man yielded to Him to engage in sinful activity. This is the divine help God brings to the submitted Christian.
Paul also expresses this truth in yet another passage. Ephesians 5:18 says:
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.
For the Christian, the phrase, filled with the Spirit is very similar to walking in the Spirit. However, in the case of Ephesians 5:18, Paul uses a contrast between being drunk with wine and being filled with the Spirit that is worth taking time to understand.
First of all, Paul says don’t be drunk with wine, because that is dissipation, meaning excess, overindulgence, and leading to degeneracy. When a person is drunk, he loses self-control and succumbs to the control of the wine. When a person is intoxicated with wine, his behavior is involuntary, meaning that the effect the wine distorts the person’s cognitive function, keeping him from reasoning and thinking properly. In this condition the person loses his inhibitions and does whatever is fanciful, and unfortunately sinful at the moment.
Paul tells us as believers to not be like this, but to put ourselves under a different kind of control. Paul says to be “filled” with the Spirit. To be filled with the Spirit means to be controlled by the Spirit. In contrast to being filled or controlled by wine, being filled with the Spirit is something that the Christian does voluntarily. He purposefully submits himself to the Holy Spirit, with full knowledge of what he is doing. When the Christian does this, He allows the Holy Spirit to “be Christ” through him.
This is the eternal treasure we have in God the Holy Spirit.
Well, there is more to come as we continue to Bring Clarity to the Term Christian.
God Bless.
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