Jesus told the disciples they were to go out into the whole world. As they were going, they were to make disciples of others. But He warned them first, “Apart from me, you can do nothing”. (Jn 15.5) Because He knew they would be lost without Him, Jesus made them a promise right before He left to return to the Father, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you”. (Ac 1.8)
In other words, the Christian life cannot be lived apart from the Spirit of Christ. Without a moment-by-moment reliance on the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, Christian living is simply impossible.
In the absence of such a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit, we reduce God to a set of biblical principles instead of a living Person who refuses to be boxed in, controlled or manipulated. Because we fear hearing from God personally, we say that God no longer communicates apart from the Bible, and we close off the surprising work of the Spirit in our lives.
The Spirit of God is never pushy, never rude and doesn’t spend much time where He’s not wanted or welcomed. So it happens that our desires create our beliefs, and our beliefs create our experiences. We don’t expect to hear from the Spirit, and we convince ourselves that the Spirit will not speak to us. And we are not surprised when He doesn’t. Our experiences reinforce our beliefs, which reinforce our feelings.
But what if we’re wrong? What if the Spirit of God wants to communicate with us? What if the Spirit is waiting for a few people who will listen and respond to His prompting? What might He be waiting to reveal to the Body of Christ through one humble servant who is open to His leading?
You could be that person.
He would never ask you to do something Jesus wouldn’t do. He won’t make you do anything. He won’t force Himself on you. He won’t lead you into anything that contradicts the Bible.
But He may have something to say to you. Are you willing to listen and respond in obedience to what the Spirit has to say?
If so, ask Him to speak. Say, “Speak to me, Holy Spirit.”
And listen.
Prayer
Lord, I bless and thank You that Your Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and strength, of knowledge and the fear of the Lord has been poured out within my heart through my new birth in Jesus Christ. Your Spirit convicts me when I disobey You, He comforts and encourages me when I am downtrodden, He illuminates me when I study Your Word and His indwelling presence protects and empowers me. I thank You for the manifold ministry of Your Spirit and for the spiritual gifts He has given to energise and edify Your living Church. May I value His presence even more than His gifts, but may I also learn to discern and develop the spiritual gifts He has imparted to me. I want to learn how to listen to His voice and expect His surprising work in my life and in the life of the community of faith.
In Jesus’s name, Amen
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