God the Holy Spirit is full of conviction. He convicts you that you’re righteous. He convicts you that you’re holy. He convicts you that He loves you. Romans 15:30 says “Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me”. It says love OF the Spirit, not love for the Spirit or love to the Spirit.
Not only does Holy Spirit convict you that He loves you, but He assures you there is nothing that can destroy or remove the love He has for you. Romans 8:35-39 convinces and convicts us that there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from God’s love for us, toward us, to us, or through us.
The age of grace is the age of Holy Spirit. He is the third person of the godhead, and is on earth today. Yes! He is a person. There are those today who say that nowhere in the bible does it ever mention that Holy Spirit is a person. Hmmm. I wonder what bible they are reading? Just look at these verses. See the “him” and “he” in the verses below? Proof the Holy Spirit is a person.
John 16:13 – Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
John 14:17 – Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Holy Spirit is sound, kind, gentle, and compassionate. People’s reaction to the power and presence of Holy Spirit is sometimes to run, sometimes they shout, sometimes they speak in tongues, sometimes they cry, and sometimes they burst out in holy laughter. These are people’s reaction to the presence of Holy Spirit, but are not an indication of Holy Spirit’s character or personality.
Also, Holy Spirit is not delicate. People get this mistaken notion that you can scare the Spirit or anointing away if you move around too much, if a baby cries in the presence of a powerful movement, if someone is walking around. He is not moved or affected by these things. Jesus walked through shouting crowds, filled with children running and babies crying, hawkers trying to sell their wares, and people laughing out loud, but the anointing never left Jesus.
Holy Spirit is not bothered by distraction. It’s the individual that is bothered by distraction. He is always just like Jesus and His anointing. John 16:8-15 describes how He leads us into all truth using only that which the Son delivers to Him. They are in perfect sync with one another at all times. Jesus is perfect theology. If someone tells you Holy Spirit told me thus and so and it does not line up with the person of Jesus Christ, then it’s not from the right spirit.
Acts 2:1-4. When Jesus ascended and sat down at the right hand of the Father, waiting for God to make His enemies His footstool, He shed the powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit. Scripture says He, Holy Spirit, came like a violent or mighty rushing wind. It declares He came suddenly. There was no timidity or delay.
Today we want to make this a calculated process. The problem is we have too may different processes to receiving the Holy Spirit. Some people say “get over here by this railing and kneel there. That’s where you’ll get it”. Others say “cry louder and beg God to fill you”. Then there’s the “hold it in crowd” and the “let it out crowd” and the “fall down and roll” crowd. That’s not how this works.
My bible says whatever you ask in His name it will be done by His Father which is in heaven. When you ask for the infilling or baptism in Holy Spirit, you get Him immediately. He comes rushing. He comes suddenly.
But I didn’t get the evidence of speaking in other tongues right away. Some don’t, but that’s not the Holy Spirit’s problem, that’s the person’s problem with a failure to yield to the moving of the Spirit. It may be because of embarrassment, pride, guilt, or even disbelief, but don’t lay that on Holy Spirit. When you get the baptism of the Holy Spirit, tongues are a part of the presence available to you. It’s like Andrew Womack once said. “The baptism of the Holy Spirit is just like a pair of tennis shoes – They all come with tongues.”
So Holy Spirit comes rushing and He comes suddenly, but He does not leave just because we or someone else acts up, or makes noise, or jokes around. For the believer, Holy Spirit never leaves. When we were born again, we were sanctified, justified, and Holy Spirit came to reside in us forever. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19,20). He is not easily brushed aside. He will continue to abide in you and convict you of your righteousness.
That’s how He leads and guides you into all truth. When you make a mistake, call it sin if you’d like, He doesn’t condemn you of that act. He convicts you that you’re righteous and shows you that you’re righteous. He points out who you are and thereby leads you into all truth.
We no longer can or should pray the prayers in the Old Testament like David prayed when he said “take not thy Holy Spirit from me”. That’s a failed and incorrect prayer, because Holy Spirit does not ever leave us nor forsake us. It’s like our teachings on sin. It’s a failed prayer to ask God to forgive you of your sins. First of all, He already has forgiven you and secondly, they are not your sins. They belong to Him because He bought and paid for them. Past, present and future. Calvary was a powerful place and the blood still sets men free today.
This is a good breaking point for part 1, but don't miss part 2. In it we will continue to proclaim God's great love for us. God is not a God of contract but of covenant. That will become very clear in part 2. Grace and Peace.
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