The Holy Spirit - Reflections

To know the Holy Spirit and be guided by its power is always a desire in my heart. But honestly I didn’t know how. When fellow believers shared their experiences, I often wondered why the Spirit was generous to some and not to others. However recently the words of the late missionary George Muller caught my attention. He says thus, ‘the word of God alone is our standard of judgement in spiritual things, that it can be explained only by the Holy Spirit. And that in our times and in former times, He is the teacher of His people. The office of the Holy Spirit I had not understood before that time.’

What dawned on me here is that indeed if we seek, the Holy Spirit will guide and teach us. This is promised by Jesus himself. When reading the gospels, we see that John baptized with water which is a symbolic gesture to repent, transform and produce fruits in accordance with repentance. He also emphasizes that Christ will baptize us with the Holy Spirit. The word ‘baptize’ takes root from Greek ‘bapto’ meaning to dip or immerse. Now imagine us being dipped or immersed in the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus began his public ministry, he says ‘The time has come, the Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.’ The good news that if you are baptized in water and in Spirit you will enter the Kingdom of God. While water baptism symbolizes death unto us, only if we are baptized in the Spirit we will rise and enter into the Kingdom of God and in His Kingdom, it is no longer us but God and His supreme will. When we thus submit ourselves to be dipped or immersed in the Holy Spirit, we will begin to bear fruit. The fruits of love, peace, joy

, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control will reign our lives.

When this truth takes root in us like the seed that fell on good soil, our fruit will be in accordance with will of the Holy Spirit. We will be distinguished from the weeds that are not of His Kingdom. If and when we realize this majesty and power of the Holy Spirit, will we not like the parable of the hidden treasure and pearl give up everything else to enter into this Kingdom? This Kingdom like the parable of the net which is lowered into the lake is given to all. We only need to enter and produce the good fruit.

Can we then give up the desires of our flesh – of ambition, greed, idolatry, discord, jealousy, rage, factions, envy, lust and all the like and submit ourselves wholly in total spiritual humility to the will of God? This is the Kingdom of God, where man gives him up completely to be one with the Spirit of God. The task is not easy. It is herculean. Therefore, Jesus says that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a man to enter the Kingdom of God.

We may not always understand the ways of the Holy Spirit. All we need is to trust ourselves to Him. Can you see a Noah who built the ark and earned the scorn of neighbours and friends – but he saved mankind and animals from the devastating flood. Can you see a Moses who led the people of Israel out of Egypt not knowing how – but delivered them the promised land. Can you see the life of George Muller who without a dime, solely on faith and prayer being led by the Spirit sheltered 10,000 orphaned children?

Great are the works of the Holy Spirit! Only be in His Kingdom and submit to His will.

May the Holy Spirit guide us, teach us and lead us….