Live and Thrive in the Power of the Holy Spirit

Today is Pentecost, and on this day 2,000 years ago, Jesus fulfilled his promise, “you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit … you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:5,8). The Holy Spirit was poured out as we see in Acts 2. And since that day God has used his people, his church, powerfully to proclaim in word and deed his kingdom rule. Jesus said that the gates of hell will not overcome his church (Mt 16:18). That is why the Church is still here today. That is why the Church will be here until the end, no matter how hard the devil and the world try to destroy it. However, in times like these, in a world filled with evil, conflicts, violence, hatred, and increasing anti-Christian attitudes, we may wonder, how can we be and live faithfully as God’s kingdom people? How can we love others unconditionally with self-giving love? Is it possible to overcome anger, hatred, racism, greed, and injustice? It is impossible. Impossible for us. We cannot do this on our own. We cannot do this by our own power. Jesus knows this. And that is why He sent the Holy Spirit. The church is not powerless. We are not powerless. The Holy Spirit is a life-giving and life-transforming power. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can live the kingdom life. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can thrive as kingdom people, bear fruit, and be the witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1. The Holy Spirit is God

We can, because “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Lk 18:27). The Holy Spirit is God. He is not a force, a power, or some kind of cosmic or spiritual energy that we can use as we want. He is God, and He is a Person. This Person lives in us. And because our God is one God in three Persons, when the Holy Spirit lives in us, then God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son live in us. Jesus said this of the Spirit, “But you know him for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you … you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (Jn 14:17-20)

All believers are filled with the Holy Spirit, and therefore we can live the kingdom life by the power of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the power of our new lives. Ephesians 3:16-17 — “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” God’s incomparable great power is now available for us as believers. This is not just any power. It is the same mighty strength, vast power, that he used when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places (Eph 1:19-20). 

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth that guides us into all the truth. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and revelation so that we can know God better and deeper as Paul prayed in Eph. 1:17-19 — “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” 

The Holy Spirit lives in us. We are temples of God. Our bodies, our lives, are temples of God.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says — “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

As a church, we, the people of God, are the temple of God. Through the cross of Jesus Christ God reconciled us to one another and to God, making peace. He created one new humanity in one body. Now we all have access to the Father by one Spirit. We are now fellow citizens with God’s people, members of his household. In Christ Jesus, we are all joined together and we have become a holy temple, a dwelling, in which God lives by his Spirit. God the Father and Jesus the Son through the Holy Spirit live in us. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit. We can do Spirit-inspired ministry and missions with Spirit-led boldness. PAUSE — CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS

2. The Holy Spirit is Real

This is a mystery that is hard to explain and understand. But it is truth that we accept in faith. The Holy Spirit is God. And through the Holy Spirit God lives in us and empowers us to live the kingdom life. What is the evidence? How can I believe that?

First, we have the Word of God. The Bible tells us the greatest, true story ever told. It tells the history of the deep and abiding love of God, of the living God, who creates, pursues, redeems, and restores all He has made through the power of his Holy Spirit. 

Then, just look at the history of the church through the ages since that first Pentecost day. By the power of the Holy Spirit, through his church, Jesus Christ continues, throughout the world, to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, to heal the sick, and free the oppressed. Throughout history and still today the Holy Spirit is transforming hearts and lives. Just look at your own life and how the Spirit has changed you, gave you a new life, and is still changing you to become more and more like Christ. 

When I was wondering if the Holy Spirit is real, if I am filled with the Spirit, God took me back and showed me my life and ministry. He showed me the times when I experienced his love and presence in simple silence, but with profound joy and peace that could only be explained by the Spirit. He showed me how He guided me in making God-glorifying decisions, decisions that I would not have made by myself with my own selfish desires. He showed me how my ordinary activities, which I thought were useless, accomplished extraordinary things, extraordinary things, which clearly were not my doing, but the power of the Holy Spirit. He showed me how, when all odds were against me, the Holy Spirit enabled me to persevere in his kingdom work. And again, just recently, when I wanted to give up and thought this is impossible, the Holy Spirit came and lifted me up with new power, courage, and boldness. Nothing is impossible with God.

The Holy Spirit is real. The Holy Spirit is God, and he lives in us. We live and thrive by the power of the Spirit. By faith, any believer can claim the Holy Spirit’s power to do Christ’s work and live the kingdom life. 

3. Keep in Step with the Spirit

And that is the action step we must take, the decision we must make. As Paul said, “Be filled with the Holy Spirit” or a better translation, “Keep on being filled with the Spirit.” (Eph 5:18) We are filled with the Holy Spirit. But the question is, Are we walking, living by the Spirit? Are we keeping in step with the Spirit? Are we empowered by the Spirit? To put it in other words, are we plugged into the power source, the Holy Spirit? How do we plug into the power of the Spirit?

Pray, ask and we will receive the power of the Spirit as Jesus promised, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Lk 11:9-13). Then believe and receive the Holy Spirit. Give over all control of our lives to the Spirit. Yield, submit to and allow the Holy Spirit to do his work in us. Allow his power to flow through us.

For our cell phones or computers to have power and work effectively, we must plug them in and charge them daily. We plug into the power of the Holy Spirit by doing our daily spiritual exercises, our spiritual push-ups and sit-ups — yes, the spiritual disciplines. Pray, read, study, meditate on God’s Word. And then, abide in Christ. Practice the presence of Jesus as much as you can. Practice to be aware that you are living every moment with Jesus through the Spirit. Remember — we are his temples. Talk with Him. Imagine Him being with you in whatever you are doing. Remember the Game of Minutes. The more we abide in Christ, the more we will walk in step with the Spirit, the more we will be able to live the kingdom life. 

Jesus was very clear in John 15. “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (vv.4-5) Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit. And we remain in Jesus through the Holy Spirit. And so by the power of the Holy Spirit, we bear the fruit of the Spirit — “love, joy, peace, patience (forbearance), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Gal 5:22-25) What more do we want? This is the kingdom life. 

We can do it! We live the kingdom life by the power of the Holy Spirit. We thrive as God’s people, and bear kingdom fruit, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are joyful and rejoice in suffering by the power of the Holy Spirit. By the power of the Spirit, we love. By the power of the Spirit, we proclaim and offer the hope of Jesus Christ to those who are suffering. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are the Lord’s witnesses in every place where we live and work, up to the ends of the world.

Prayer 

Come o Holy Spirit, and fill us with your power. Ignite the flame of your love in our hearts. Let us be ablaze and burn for your glory. Spirit of God, Spirit of Christ, empower us to live and work, to speak, and think for Your glory. Enable us to be ready and willing to do your will. It is only by your power that we can be and live as your kingdom people. We confess and repent that so many times we try to do things on our own and in our own power. So many times we forget to live and walk in You and to keep in step with You. Come o Holy Spirit, revive us, rekindle your flame and power in us, and enable us to live and thrive and to be your witnesses.

Blessing

May God the Father give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

May God strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

May you walk in step with the Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Spirit,

May the words of Christ be in your mind, and 

May the love of Christ guide your actions. 

May you live and thrive as God’s kingdom people.