The Person of the Holy Spirit: Part 2
Memory Passage
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2
Scripture Reading: Romans 8:9
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
Scripture Reading: John 3:8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
Insights
R. C. Sproul writes in The Mystery of the Holy Spirit (p. 7), "The Holy Spirit leaves no footprints in the sand." These words are from Abraham Kuyper's classic work on the Holy Spirit. Jesus did leave footprints in the sand. He was God incarnate, God with a human nature. When His disciples walked with Him, they could hear His voice, touch His hands, and watch the sand spilling over His feet as He trod the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
But the Holy Spirit is like the wind. Jesus said, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes" (John 3:8). We cannot capture the wind in a bottle. It is elusive and mysterious but nonetheless real. We see the effects of the wind--trees bending and swaying in the breeze, flags rustling. We see the devastation of the fierce hurricane. We see the ocean become violent in a gale. We are refreshed by gentle zephyrs on a summer day. We know the wind is there.
So it is with the Holy Spirit. He is intangible and invisible. But His work is more powerful than the most ferocious wind. The Spirit brings order out of chaos and beauty out of ugliness. He can transform a sin-blistered man into a paragon of virtue. The Spirit changes people. The Author of life is also the Transformer of life."
Consider this!
Sometimes we think that things that are invisible are not real. Yet the Holy Spirit's power to transform lives is one of the most powerful influences in the universe. Our challenge is one of faith, believing in the Word of God that the Holy Spirit is active and living within us, and that He is who He says He is.
Personal Reflection
- In the above quote the Holy Spirit is described as "elusive and mysterious but nonetheless real." Which word best describes your relationship with the Holy Spirit?
- Do you believe what you have read about the Holy Spirit? What is most difficult to comprehend?
- Write down your prayer response
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