I grew up in a typical Baptist church in the Midwest, and I remember well when I first heard of the Holy Spirit. It seemed that no one really understood who or what the Holy Spirit was! Particularly challenging was the public anger aimed at those who often spoke of the Holy Spirit and began to practice and manifest the " signs of the spirit," such as speaking in tongues and all things "charismatic." Churches split over these issues, and I was confused and a little bit suspicious of those who said 'too much' of The Holy Spirit!
I grew up in a typical Baptist church in the Midwest, and I remember well when I first heard of the Holy Spirit. It seemed that no one really understood who or what the Holy Spirit was! Particularly challenging was the public anger aimed at those who often spoke of the Holy Spirit and began to practice and manifest the " signs of the spirit," such as speaking in tongues and all things "charismatic." Churches split over these issues, and I was confused and a little bit suspicious of those who said 'too much' of The Holy Spirit!
When we consider the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life, we often encounter a wide range of responses, from clarity to utter confusion. This is a lamentable situation, as the Holy Spirit is not just a peripheral aspect of our faith, but an integral part. A comprehensive understanding and application of the Christian faith is impossible without a firm grasp of the Holy Spirit's work in this life and the life to come.
There are many passages and teachings about the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Here is a couple that can give us insight about this 'Spirit of God: "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world – our faith." I John 4:4, 5:4
In these two verses, John addresses a situation in which false prophets lead others away from true faith in Jesus. These 'false teachers' have the spirit of "the antichrist," which is evil and works against the Gospel. He teaches those early Christians that the Holy Spirit in them was more powerful than the spirit of the antichrist, and they had already beaten down that evil spirit because of God's power in the Holy Spirit! There was no reason to fear the teachings of those false prophets or even the spirit of the antichrist because the Spirit of God had already won the war!
John makes another point in Chapter 5: The victory that overcomes the world is "our faith." Our faith in Jesus, our faith in the crucifixion, the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead, and our faith that has led us to live with the Holy Spirit within us; that is the victory that overcomes the world of evil! Our performance of personal abilities will not determine victory over evil; our faith in the life-giving message of Jesus, at work through the Holy Spirit – will bring the victory that overcomes the world!
The Holy Spirit is not a mystery, though there may be misunderstandings and misuses of the 'gifts of the Spirit.' However, for true believers, it is clear that any manifestation of God's power in a situation is a direct result of the Holy Spirit's movement. This is yet another compelling reason to follow Jesus: God is actively working through his spirit. By following Him in faith and serving the Kingdom of God, we align ourselves with this divine movement.
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