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We Have Not Even Heard of the Holy Spirit!

Posted in Holy Spirit, Patty's Posts, power to walk in newness of life By Patty Kennedy 0 comments

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit” (Acts 19:1-2).

It's no secret that the Holy Spirit has been the source of many heated discussions in the church. Tragically, entire denominations have been formed around what people believe or don't believe about Him. And if you happen to attend a church where the third Person of the Godhead is virtually ignored, you may echo the sentiments of the disciples in the Scripture above: "We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

The Bible is quite clear that we need the Holy Spirit if we hope to live as Jesus wants us to live. Remember Peter? Before the Holy Spirit came on him, he was weak and cowardly, ultimately denying Jesus. After the Holy Spirit, he spoke boldly and unapologetically about Jesus to anyone who would listen. He died a martyr's death because he wouldn't stop witnessing about his Lord.

The bottom line is that our lives with the Holy Spirit should look radically different than they did before. For many, though, "new life" in Christ has become formulaic:

Life before Christ = drinking, smoking, drugs, sex
Life after Christ = NO drinking, smoking, drugs, sex

We tend to focus on what we DO, but God focuses on who we ARE. Like Peter, we can go from fearful to bold, from powerless to powerful, from self-absorbed to self-crucified. It's not about whether we speak in tongues or not, folks -- it's about our bodies becoming the very temples where the Holy Spirit dwells in power.

Have you shied away from the Holy Spirit simply because you weren't sure what it meant to "receive" Him or be "filled" with Him? Francis Chan addresses this in his book Forgotten God. He has heard people say, "What if I pray for the Holy Spirit and nothing happens?"

It's scary to pray boldly for change or freedom from sin because if nothing happens, then doesn't that mean God failed? Doesn't that mean His Spirit isn't all we've been told He is?
I think the fear of God failing leads us to "cover for God." This means we ask for less, expect less, and are satisfied with less because we are afraid to ask for or expect more.

Chan is absolutely right. We make it so much about ourselves, and how we're going to "look" to other people. Some think they are more spiritual simply because they speak in tongues. Our focus is totally off what God intended when He sent His Spirit -- power to be His witnesses.

I have known people who speak in tongues and were mean-spirited and divisive. I have also been privileged to pray and walk with others whose countenances nearly shone with the Holy Spirit's love and power. May we all desire to be so completely His that we lay aside our preconceived ideas and ask for a fresh infilling of His Spirit today. Then let us "go and make disciples of all nations."

Let's Stop Preaching Cheap Grace

Posted in cheap grace, commitment, Holy Spirit, Patty's Posts By Patty Kennedy 0 comments

One day last week I had the tremendous privilege of reading Rees Howells, Intercessor in its entirety. This was not my first time; this treasure is one I read over and over again. When I sense the slightest spiritual dryness, it is life-giving water for my thirsty soul. When I feel the need to be challenged anew to lay down my life for my Savior, Howells' biography fits the bill.

One of the chapters deals with when Howells allowed the Holy Spirit to come in and take full possession. He claims that he knew God before this time, but was apparently living a rather nominal Christian life. As he explained it, he knew he had been "quickened" but had not yet "been raised up with Christ to that place of power." Howells was attending a revival when he heard for the first time about the personhood of the Holy Spirit and how, if you claim Christ, the Holy Spirit must be given full possession of your body.

Many of us can relate to Howells' spiritual state before the revival. We often forget Paul's probing question to the Corinthians: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).

When Howells heard the truth about the Holy Spirit, his eyes were opened. The Holy Spirit said to Howells,

"As the Savior had a body, so I dwell in the cleansed temple of the believer. I am a Person. I am God, and I am come to ask you to give your body to Me that I may work through it. I need a body for my temple, but it must belong to Me without reserve, for two persons with different wills can never live in the same body. Will you give Me yours? But if I come in, I come as God, and you must go out. I shall not mix myself with your self."

Though Howells was honored to think that the Holy Spirit would come indwell him, he suddenly realized what that meant. Every bit of his fallen nature was to go to the Cross. From that meeting, Howells went out into a field and wept because, "I had received a sentence of death, as really as a prisoner in the dock. I had lived in my body for 26 years, and could I easily give it up?"

Howells fully intended to say yes to the Holy Spirit, but he wept for days as he considered the cost. It took him five days to make the decision -- days in which the Spirit dealt with him, exposing roots of pride and selfish ambition. Finally as he agonized about the decision, the Spirit said, "If you can't be willing, are you willing to be made willing?" As soon as Howells said he was willing to be made willing, the Spirit came in like a flood.

What struck me more than anything about this testimony is that he wept for days as he considered the cost. The preacher at the revival meeting made it abundantly clear that this was not a decision to be made lightly. This was no "Just come to Jesus tonight and your life will be great" sort of message. I fear we hear the "cheap grace" message far too often in American churches, because we're big on racking up the numbers of salvations and baptisms so it looks good on the monthly report.

Friends, the decision to follow Jesus should not be made lightly. And in our efforts to share Jesus with others, it is our responsibility to be honest with them about the costs involved. Following Jesus doesn't mean we will no longer have any problems. It doesn't mean we will never be sick or weak. It doesn't mean we will never be tempted to sin.

What it DOES mean is that we relinquish every part of our flesh to God, so He can use us for His purposes. It means DAILY crucifying our flesh, nailing every bit of it to the cross as the Father reveals parts of our lives that are not in keeping with His will. That may mean ditching the television because God wants you to use that time in prayer. It may mean relocating to a different neighborhood or state or even country, because God has called you to minister to a particular people group. It may mean doing a major overhaul of your finances because you have been spending too much money on frivolous pursuits, and God wants you to use it instead to help someone else.

We sin against God when we communicate to others that the gospel is easily swallowed and easily lived out. Many believe they are following Jesus simply because they go to church, when in reality their church experience is more like a country club. I have been in churches like that, and it's scary how you get sucked in to thinking you are okay spiritually because you are behaving like everyone else.

Brothers and sisters, remember Peter's exhortation: "I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11). The words "aliens and strangers" does not give me the feeling that we are supposed to "fit in." We are not supposed to look and act like other people, even if those people are in the church we attend.

God calls us to intimate fellowship with Him, and that won't look the same for you as it does for me. The point is that we daily offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). Daily relinquish your will to the Holy Spirit, and ask Him to "guide you into all the truth" (John 16:13). Pray for your eyes to be opened to the needs around you, and for your ears to be eager to hear when He speaks. He has redeemed your life for a purpose. Let Him use you as He desires.

All, Some, or None?

Posted in Holy Spirit, Nick's Posts, Old Testament Law By Nick Smith 0 comments

We see it all the time. Christians use Old Testament verses in an attempt to point out the misdeeds of others while non-Christians spout verses right back that serve to prove the hypocrisy of the Christians. This never happens more frequently than with the issue of homosexuality. I myself have shared Leviticus 18:22 in my post about gay marriage, so I am not without blame.

I find this picture to be funny in its irony, but it also cuts straight to the heart of an issue that many Christians struggle with. How much of the law do we believe? How much should we follow? Surely you’ve noticed that there are many laws that just don’t fit with our culture any more. What material is your shirt made of? Hopefully it’s not a blend of more than one material, because that would violate Leviticus 19:19. And how do you like to have your steak prepared? Hopefully well done, because Leviticus 19:26 tells us not to eat any meat with the blood still in it. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Of course there are also the laws that address behavior that can be almost universally agreed upon as “bad.” Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not murder.

So what are we, as Christians, to believe?

Take your pick: all, some, or none. If you choose all, why are you not striving to follow even those parts you do not like or understand? If you choose some, how do you justify which parts should stay and which should go? If you choose none, why have you rejected God’s commands?

Not an easy choice is it? But you’re not alone if you have trouble expressing your beliefs on this issue. The choice that is most founded in the Bible is both all and none. Allow me to explain.

All. As Christians, we believe that all of God’s law must be followed perfectly and to the letter in order for us to earn our way to Heaven on our own merit. But we have to be absolutely perfect at all times or it won’t work. “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” -- James 2:10

When the Law is presented in love rather than hate, it demonstrates that we are ALL incapable of living up to God’s perfect standards (“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23) and it leads us to the only method capable of making up for our shortcomings, Jesus Christ (“and [we] are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” – Romans 3:24). We must always remember that Jesus didn’t come to die for “religious” people; He came to die for sinners. “But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” -- Romans 5:8

None. This is how much of the law Christians have to follow. None. The law was the Old Covenant and Jesus Christ is the New Covenant. By proclaiming Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we choose to live under the New Covenant. It’s a pretty good deal considering everyone falls short under the Old Covenant. But it’s also not a free ticket to sin. “What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” – Romans 6:1-2

In many ways, being under the New Covenant is actually MORE difficult. We no longer have a set of rules to follow. We have to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and we need an actual relationship with God in order to learn to interpret and follow the Spirit’s lead.

Jesus made it abundantly clear that doing religious work is not the same as doing what God wants. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” – Matthew 7:21-23

To tie this all back to the beginning, always remember to use the law only in love and only to lead to Jesus Christ. If someone questions you about the law, use it as a stepping stone to introduce Christ. Focus on the sins we all share in common (like lying for example) instead of those that are more controversial. God is the judge, not us. Let the worst claim made against you be that you pointed to Christ.

If you want to know an excellent way to use the law in a loving manner, read my post about The Way of the Master.

Adjust Your Sails

Posted in Flight Metaphors, Holy Spirit, Nick's Posts By Nick Smith 1 comments

I’ve decided to take a new direction this week. Instead of continuing with my “The Christian Path” series, I’d like to take an opportunity to talk about the Holy Spirit, which I’ve been thinking a lot about lately.

The Holy Spirit is such a huge issue (and a largely ignored issue). It is amazing to me that one week after I posted the What is Sin? blog (which started my recent train of thought on the Holy Spirit), the pastor at my church started a series of sermons about - you guessed it - the Holy Spirit. One thing he shared today was about the vastness of the Holy Spirit. To illustrate, he shared a story about a man who came to visit the ocean. He was from a landlocked country and none of his people had ever seen the ocean, so he was astonished by how massive it was. He took a jar and bottled up some of the water. When someone asked him why he did this, he told them that nobody from his country had ever seen the ocean and he wanted to show it to them. The Holy Spirit is like this too. We can talk about Him (yes Him, not it), but there is so much to say and so much to learn that any discussion will be merely a jar in His ocean.

One thing the Holy Spirit is frequently compared to is the wind. As many of you know, I’ve recently started to pursue a career as a pilot. The wind is a big factor in flight, so I pay much closer attention to the wind now than I used to. Did you know that the wind has patterns? In any given geographical region, it often blows in the same general direction. For example, in Dallas, Texas, the wind often blows from South to North. This reflects the Spirit in the sense that He is often leading us in the same general direction. We can learn a great deal about His Will by reading the Word. The Bible provides excellent guidance as to the general direction that the wind of the Spirit flows.

But the wind doesn’t always flow in the same direction. Sometimes, for hours or days at a time, it will flow in either a perpendicular or opposite direction. So what can this teach us about the Spirit? The Word of God, although perfect, can only tell us the general direction that the wind will flow. It can offer important guidance, but it cannot tell us how to act in each and every situation of daily living. This is where the Spirit fills in the gap. And while the Word of God points towards God for the human race as a whole, the Holy Spirit always flows directly to God specifically for YOU. The wind of God’s Will may flow in a different direction for you than for your Christian brother or sister. This isn’t to say that there is more than one way to be saved. The one and only way remains Jesus Christ. But beyond salvation, God directs us to where He needs us via the Holy Spirit.

One important apparatus in aviation is the wind sock. It quickly and accurately tells a pilot how strong the wind is blowing and from which direction. This is extremely useful as it tells the pilot which direction he should take off or land.

Unfortunately, as Christians, we often think we know better than the Spirit. We want to take off and land to the North, but the wind is flowing the wrong direction, telling us we should take off and land to the South. So what do we often do? We walk up to the wind sock, physically turn it around, and then act as if that is the direction the wind is now flowing. But this doesn’t change anything but our perception of reality. The truth of the Spirit’s direction remains constant.

We need to learn to be sensitive to the wind of the Spirit and then realistic about our response. Let me share a quote that a friend of mine posted on Facebook today:

This holds an important lesson for us when dealing with the Holy Spirit. We shouldn’t complain about where He leads us and we shouldn’t expect Him to lead us in a direction that we would prefer. Rather, we should strive for a mature and realistic approach by adjusting our sails and flowing in the direction God is leading us.

The Christian Path, Part I

Posted in Holy Spirit, Nick's Posts, Sin By Nick Smith 0 comments

This post is the beginning of a continuation of my post last week, What is Sin?. In that post, I shared that it seems that God defines sin differently for Christians and non-Christians. For Christians, the definition of sin comes from the Holy Spirit. Sin is doing what the Holy Spirit commands us not to do AND not doing what the Holy Spirit commands us to do. (Side note: Notice that I said “commands” and not “suggests”. As maturing Christians, we need to grow to the understanding that God is not a consultant; He is our Lord.)

An obvious problem arises when sin is defined by the Holy Spirit instead of being defined in writing as in the Old Testament. Sin becomes subjective. It is up to each person to listen to and follow the Holy Spirit. But some of us don’t listen very well and some of us don’t follow very well. And it’s not like God is talking to each of us through burning bushes either. Learning God’s will is one of the most difficult parts of the Christian lifestyle.

Fortunately for us, there are a few verses scattered throughout the New Testament that let us know what God wants from believers under the New Covenant. These certainly can’t guide us on day to day specifics (that’s what the Spirit is for), but they do give us an excellent baseline on broader issues. These are what I will be exploring in the coming weeks.

This week I’ll be looking at what is what is commonly known as the Great Commission. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus tells us, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

When you read that, which of the commands seems most important to you? A good argument could be made that “go” is the most important command. After all, nothing else can be accomplished if we don’t go first.

Or maybe “baptizing” is the most important of the commands. We want to see people saved and that happens by their accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They then demonstrate that belief through baptism.

Perhaps “teaching them to obey” is the most important. We want to please God, and we do that by accepting His Son and obeying His commands.

Interestingly enough, though, I recently heard a compelling argument that “make disciples” is the most important command. Apparently, in the original Hebrew text, the grammar lends a slight emphasis to this command. I unfortunately don’t know Hebrew, but I can understand the argument just by looking at the sentence structure in English.

Let’s start by looking at the first command, “go.” This is undoubtedly important, but going in itself lacks purpose without a reason for going. And what is that reason? To make disciples. The other two commands then provide details for making disciples. We are to make disciples by “baptizing” and “teaching.”

Jesus taught us by example the importance of making disciples. His ministry lasted only three years and yet he changed the world. How? He made disciples. Then they made disciples, their disciples made disciples, and so on.

And Jesus taught us that there is more to discipleship than just “baptizing” or “teaching.” There is a relationship involved. Jesus didn’t stop at simply teaching his disciples; he invested in their lives. He was there when they had questions. He ate with them, laughed with them, and cried with them. They were able to learn firsthand how the character of God reacts to different circumstances.

But it might be tempting for us to look at Jesus’ example and feel that we are not called to the same type of discipleship. After all, He was God. That’s the only example worth following.

While that logic may be true, it is not the whole truth. How would you feel if I were to say to you “join with others in following my example”? Or maybe if I said, “I plead with you, brothers, become like me”? Would you think I was arrogant? This is exactly what Paul says in Galatians 4:12a and Philippians 3:17a respectively. He says this because he understands Jesus’ command to make disciples. It means leading by example and teaching others to follow that example.

So now here is my challenge – follow Christ’s command. Make disciples. Don’t wait until you are perfect because that will never happen. Paul was not perfect, but he made disciples. There are people in your life that God has placed there for a reason. Friends, family, co-workers, etc. You are ideally placed to reach those people. You won’t be perfect, but you’ll show those people how God can work through imperfect people. And God will certainly help you along the way.

Go for it!

What is Sin?

Posted in Holy Spirit, Nick's Posts, Old Testament Law, Sin By Nick Smith 0 comments

For several years, I have struggled with a question. The question – what is the role of Old Testament law in a Christian’s life? It may seem like an odd question to struggle with, but it is a pivotal question when we want to look at a definition of sin. After all, I am a gradually maturing Christian who is trying to purge as much sin as possible from my life in order to become more Christ-like. In pursuing that, it is crucial that I know what sin actually is. And Paul tells us in Romans 7:7 that, “I would not have known what sin was except through the law” and in Romans 3:30, “through the law we become conscious of sin.”

So, if the law defines sin, why don’t Christians attempt to follow it? This has been the issue I’ve had so much trouble with.

It’s important to note that I am not talking about earning salvation. The Bible makes it very clear that we cannot earn salvation by following the law. (“A man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.” -- Galatians 2:16a) Of this I have no doubt. But now that I have accepted Christ, I want to please him, which means eliminating sin from my life as much as possible.

So what is sin? I’m afraid I’m still a little hazy on that myself, but I do feel as if I am getting closer to the answer. Let me give you some preliminary conclusions that I’m coming to.

It seems that there are two definitions of sin – one for non-believers and one for believers. For non-believers, sin is defined by the law. This is supported by various New Testament scriptures including Galatians 4:23-24 (emphasis mine), “Before [faith in Jesus Christ] came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.” In other words, until you are justified by faith (i.e. you accept Christ), you are under the law.

But what about believers? Paul goes on in verse 25 to say, “Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” He also offers an illustration/metaphor in Romans 7:2-3 when he talks about marriage: “By law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.” Paul then compares that to the Christian’s relationship to the law. Before we accepted Christ, we were “married” to the law. But once we came to Christ, the law died. So Christians are no longer bound to the law.

So if, as Christians, we are no longer under the law, where do we get our definition of sin? This is a tricky one to answer. A Christian’s definition of sin comes from the Holy Spirit. Sin is doing what the Spirit commands us not to do AND not doing what the Spirit commands us to do. Paul says such at several points in Romans, starting with Romans 7:6, “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” And in Romans 8:4, Paul describes Christians as people who “do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” The importance of the Spirit is all over Romans 8. For now, I’ll just share one more part, verses 26-27, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

I find it very interesting that my struggle with this question has enhanced my understanding of the importance of the Holy Spirit. This is the second time that I have struggled with an issue and come to a better understanding of the Spirit (the first is outlined in my post about predestination).

I know that this doesn’t completely answer the question of the definition of sin for a Christian, but the fact is that there is no definition, only a source – the Holy Spirit. It is important that we continually work to be sensitive to that Spirit that we may know and follow God’s will.