WONDERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (1)

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the SPIRIT of TRUTH” – John 14:16-17a

Among the greatest wonders in the Believer’s Life are the WONDERS of the HOLY SPIRIT working in God’s People: “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the SPIRIT of TRUTH, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (Jh.14:15-17). It is wonderful not only that God gives the Holy Spirit to Believers in Christ, but that the Spirit abides with us forever!

Peter affirmed that the promised Gift is to "as many as...God will call" (v.39). Jesus promised the Spirit to any who thirsts, comes, and believes in Him: “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone THIRSTS, let him COME to Me and drink. He who BELIEVES in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the SPIRIT, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (Jh. 7:37-39). The Holy Spirit is given to the obedient: “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32).

Scriptures describe the Nature of the Gift of the Holy Spirit in ways that are wonders in themselves.

Outpouring of the Spirit: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh” (Acts 2:17a). This was God’s prophecy through Joel, fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost! All of us who are saved through "the washing of regeneration” have the Holy Spirit "poured out on us abundantly” through Jesus Christ our Saviour (Tit. 3:5-7). God gives his Spirit without measure – that is, abundantly – to us (Jh. 3:34). We are meant to enjoy, experience, and manifest the fullness of the blessing (Eph. 1:3, Rom.15:29).

Indwelling of the Spirit: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (v.23). That’s Jesus’ assurance to His disciples. Paul said, "Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Rom.8:9b). We have life from Christ only if indeed the Spirit of God “dwells in” us (Rom.8:11). God's “indwelling” means that He lives in us (2Cor.6:16; 2Tim.1:14). 1John 4:13 says: “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” The indwelling of God's Spirit means that our bodies (not only our hearts) become a sanctuary of God, which we should treat and use accordingly (1Cor. 6:19, Rom. 12:1).

Anointing of the Spirit: “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things” (1Jh.2:20). We who believe in Christ have an anointing which helps us discern truth and avoid being led astray: “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1Jh. 2:26-27). False teachers claim to have unique knowledge without which other Believers would misunderstand truth. They’ll claim that we cannot understand the truth without their help.

However, it's the other way around (1Jh.4:6). Of course, the anointing does not do away with the need for being properly taught from the scriptures. What the Holy Spirit does is to help us discern genuine teachers and understand the scriptures properly in the midst of pervading anti-Christian error and confusion.