Blessed Holy Spirit

I love the Third Person of the Holy Trinity . . .the Blessed Spirit of God. He always points me to Jesus. He fills me with His fruit. He teaches me. He guides and directs me. He loves me. He communicates and influences me. He is my Helper and Comforter. He opens my eyes and heart to hear and know the Truth. He gives me discernment. He convicts me lovingly if I sin. He speaks to me and communicates the Father's mercy and comforts me. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that I stay faithful to God.

He is a Gift from God to me. He is the Promise of the Father, paid for by the Blood Atonement of the Son. Jesus said in John 16:7, "However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you]."

Verse 13 & 14, "But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].
He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you."

He is the Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4) and Jesus Himself had to leave and go back to the Father in order for the Holy Spirit to come. It is because of Jesus alone and His perfection and Atoning Sacrifice on the Cross that we can be born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, Moses had to instruct the children of Israel NOT to touch the mountain upon which the Spirit of God was resting. They would die if they did. Why? Because He is Holy and we are not. But now, because of the Blood of Christ we are made holy receivers of a Gift of this same Spirit of God . . . not only to recreate a new heart, imparting the Divine Nature within us, but also to become a Temple for His Spirit to rest within us. And we do not die!! His Spirit can rest within us without killing us because Jesus makes us Holy with His Blood. That is how wonderful the Blood and Life of Jesus is!

And then, on top of all this wonderful Good News, Jesus BAPTIZES us with the Holy Spirit. "For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit." ~~ Acts 1:5 He recreates and gives us a New Heart within by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit (the anointing within) and then, Jesus baptizes us with the Holy (Fire) Spirit of God (which is the anointing upon). The anointing within is for our personal walk with God . . .and our relationship with others. We watch His fruit (joy, peace, love, faith, etc) growing within and being produced by the Holy Spirit. The anointing upon is for laboring in the harvestfield of this world, proclaiming His glorious Gospel (And God confirms this Gospel with miracles, signs, and wonders. He gives us boldness . . . and powerclothes); and for the building up of the Body of Christ (for the edification, exhortation and comfort of His saints). Both "anointings" are a GIFT from His majesty, King Jesus and our Father in Heaven.

I cringe whenever I hear a cheap interpretation of something so Holy and wonderful and so FREE! It is a great sin to the Blood of Christ to think that we can earn or qualify in any way to receive either one of these anointings. Jesus paid the price so that the Father could send the Promised Comforter to us. So He could indwell us and make us holy Temples.

"You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? . . . . God's temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple." ~~ 1 Corinthians 3:16

How can you receive the Holy Spirit in your life? Only one way. . .ASK! and believe that it is the delight of the Father to give you the Kingdom. Jesus said in Luke 9:11-13,“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."
“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”

We are incredibly proud and selfish people if we even begin to believe that we receive the Holy Spirit on any merits of our own. Jesus has fully qualified us to receive . . . Hebrews 1 says about the Son of God, Jesus Christ:

1) In many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the Truth] and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets,
2) But in the last of these days, He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order].
3) He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the Divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] Nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on High,
4) Taking a place and rank by which He Himself became as much superior to angels as the glorious Name (title) which He has inherited is different from and more excellent than theirs.
5) For to which of the angels did [God] ever say, You are My Son, today I have begotten You [established You in an official Sonship relation, with kingly dignity]? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He will be to Me a Son? [II Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7.]
6) Moreover, when He brings the firstborn Son again into the habitable world, He says, Let all the angels of God worship Him.
7) Referring to the angels He says, [God] Who makes His angels winds and His ministering servants flames of fire;
8) But as to the Son, He says to Him, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever (to the ages of the ages), and the scepter of Your Kingdom is a scepter of absolute righteousness (of justice and straightforwardness).
9)You have loved righteousness [You have delighted in integrity, virtue, and uprightness in purpose, thought, and action] and You have hated lawlessness (injustice and iniquity). Therefore God, [even] Your God (Godhead), has anointed You with the oil of exultant joy and gladness above and beyond Your companions."

God is speaking to His Son in Hebrews 1:9 -- because of Jesus' uprightness, because HE hated lawlessness, God has anointed HIM. And those who rest in Him, receive the same inheritance {freely} for that which he wrought.

John 7:38-39 Jesus says, "Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” 39) (When He said “living water,” He was speaking of the Spirit, Who would be given to everyone believing in Him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)"

The Holy Spirit is a Gift and Promise from the Father and released by the glorification of Jesus. Anyone who believes in Jesus and asks may receive the Blessed Holy Spirit . . . both within and upon. Anyone can be a living Temple of the Holy Spirit, have the Divine Nature and Living Water flowing out as well as be an instrument in the Hands of the Redeemer for His glory. Amen.