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The Holy Spirit’s True Identity

John 15:26

“The one thing I want you to remember is that the Holy Spirit is a Somebody.” God’s Spirit possesses three defining characteristics of personhood: intelligence, will, and emotion. Let me prove these points by guiding you to some New Testament verses, just as it was taught to me. First Corinthians 2:10-11 explains that the Spirit knows God’s thoughts and illuminates the truth for us. Later in the same book, He is identified as the One who determines the spiritual gift(s) of each believer (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). Finally, the Holy Spirit’s feelings are revealed in verses like Romans 15:30, which tells of His love, and Ephesians 4:30, which warns against grieving Him.

Consider also that Jesus spoke of a Helper who would come after Him (John 14:16, 14:26). Aiding and assuring others are the acts of a person, as is teaching—these are some of the Holy Spirit’s primary tasks.

Perhaps you misunderstand the Spirit of God as I once did. He isn’t an “it” any more than God the Father or Jesus Christ is. The Spirit is a member of the Trinity, and if you’re a believer, He is with you now. God has given you His Spirit as a special Helper—one who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).

Shared from In Touch Ministries.

The Nature of Strength

Ephesians 6:10-13

The moment a person receives Christ as Savior, he or she enters a battle. The enemy is determined to destroy believers’ testimonies. But God has supplied a mighty weapon to those who serve Him—His Son’s strength flowing through their life.

Christ’s power is supreme. Satan, with all his demonic forces, can’t throw anything our way to match Jesus’ supernatural strength. Even so, temptations and trials expose weaknesses when most would prefer to appear strong. That is one reason human nature rebels against hardship and tries to avoid it.

God wants Christian soldiers to be armed with the Savior’s might so they can confront life’s difficulties. He promises us strength only when we set down pride and accept that we are too weak for battle (2 Corinthians 12:9). And Jesus’ power is available to every believer right now—a gift the Commander gives His followers so they can endure conflicts victoriously.

The world encourages keeping up the appearance of handling one’s own problems. So Christian soldiers’ marching orders probably seem quite strange to onlookers. However, arrogance does not bring blessing; rather, it causes confusion, distance from the Lord, and ultimately failure. If we desire victory, then we must not follow the worldly strategy of facing the enemy alone.

Until our life is over or Jesus Christ returns, we are locked in a battle with Satan. But we have nothing to fear. When we are totally dependent upon the Lord for His strength, we are filled with supernatural energy and endurance.

Shared from In Touch Ministries.

Forgiving the Undeserving

Ephesians 4:30-32

When I tell people who have been ill-treated that full healing requires forgiving their abuser, many will argue, “You don’t understand the hurt I’ve endured.” They’re right. But a bitter spirit, like cancer, penetrates every part of our life. Anger and resentment are symptoms that cannot be pushed away and ignored. They spill out, harming relationships and leading to risky decisions.

Withholding forgiveness may feel as if we’re punishing the offender. But people cannot take revenge on one another without destroying themselves. That’s why the Lord calls us to follow His example of extending grace to all (Ephesians 4:32). Since God has pardoned us so generously, we shouldn’t withhold forgiveness from others. When someone hurts us, we may feel that person doesn’t deserve pardon, but neither are we deserving of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Crucifixion was slow and agonizing, but Jesus’ worst torment occurred when the sin of the world was laid on Him and His Father turned away (Matthew 27:46). Still, as the crowd cast lots for His garments, Jesus gave us the best possible example of forgiveness by saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). I may not know your pain, but I assure you that Jesus does. With His infinite love and gentleness, He’ll help you overcome hurt, anger, and bitterness.

Forgiveness is a choice—an act of service to the Lord, a witness to the person who inflicted our pain, and a necessary step in our healing. No matter how terrible the acts committed against us were, God requires that we show mercy. For our good and His glory, He wants us to give up the “right” to punish those who hurt us.

Shared from In Touch Ministries.

Rest in HIM

The word tells us – Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today . . . The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest. —Exodus 14:13-14

When troubled times come our way, one of our biggest mistakes is not staying calm. Our natural tendencies are to fear, to worry, and to try to do something to fix the situation or solve the problem in our own strength. But we must learn to get our emotions under control so we can think clearly, act wisely, and pray in faith.

Moses often had to help the Israelites calm down. When Pharaoh’s army was gaining ground on them, they kept running, but knew they were headed straight into the Red Sea. Death seemed certain! Exodus tells us the people were frightened and angry with Moses, and they decided they would have been better off as slaves to the Egyptians than trying to outrun Pharaoh’s forces.

Moses was saying in today’s scripture, “Stop it! I know the situation looks hopeless, but don’t be afraid. Just be still for a minute and watch what God is going to do for you.”

Before Pharaoh’s army reached the Israelites, God rolled back the waters of the Red Sea so His people could cross over on dry land. When they were all on the other side, the sea closed again and Pharaoh’s fighters drowned. This same miracle-working God is on your side today. He still fights for His people. Your job, if you belong to Him, is simply to “hold your peace and remain at rest.”

Building Truth in our lives

Believers who have decided to make God’s truth the foundation of their life need a place to start building. First, identify a point of need—some area that requires attention, like financial stewardship. Then search the Bible’s concordance for verses related to that topic. The passages on the subject will form a blueprint of what a believer’s life should look like.

The Holy Spirit provides the construction material. Using His guidance, strength, and wisdom, install new truths in your life by practicing what you read. Let’s again look at examples from the topic of stewardship: Matthew 6:24 teaches that we can’t serve both God and money, so attitudes must change. And since a borrower is the lender’s servant (Prov. 22:7), spending on credit should be carefully evaluated. That’s how new ways of thinking will replace faulty ideas.

It is a good idea to note—literally—the results of our obedience to God’s instructions. Journaling about His provision and the growth of our faith will inspire us to continue adding to our foundation of truth. That means choosing new areas to remodel according to God’s blueprint.

The Light

A thinking person doesn’t drift through life, making decisions according to what looks or feels best. Acting on the basis of feelings will place a person at the mercy of Satan, who uses “spin,” deception, and half-truths to trap victims in the bondage of sin. But wise men and women—those who seek truth to guide them through life—can avoid the snare of poor choices and negative consequences.

The only perfectly dependable source of truth is Scripture. Living by biblical principles protects believers from the Enemy’s deceptions. He may try to deceive with outright contradictions to the truth, but those are easy to detect. The greater danger is the lie that contains an element of fact, which makes it both persuasive and difficult to refute.

Since such half-truths flow freely today, it’s vital that Christians be able to discern between truth and Satan’s twisted version of reality. If we make a decision based on an error in our thinking, we are likely to step out of the Lord’s will and into pain or embarrassment. But God has made provision for our weaknesses. He’s given us His Word and His Spirit so we can fill our minds with truth and live out His principles through divine power.

Living without biblical truth is like walking in the woods at night. The darkness is so complete that we repeatedly trip. But when we use the Scriptures as a guide—“a lamp for [our] feet”—we can see deception lying across our path like a fallen log (Ps. 119:105 NIV). We can also see our way around it so that our testimony is not harmed by stumbling.

Shaped and Molded by God

Jeremiah 18:1-6

If you have ever watched a potter work, as Jeremiah did in today’s passage, you know the wonder of seeing a lovely vessel take shape from a lump of clay. God’s object lesson to the prophet was that the nation of Israel—as well as every person from the beginning of time—was to be shaped by His hand. We are all lumps of human clay waiting for the touch of the master Potter.

When clay is placed on the wheel, the potter already has a specific design in his mind. The same is true of us—God has determined how He plans to work in our life and what part we are to play in building His kingdom – he design has already been done (Eph. 2:10). He shapes with His hands and cuts with His tools so that our character begins to look like that of His Son Jesus. Each believer will be formed differently to carry out the unique service God has in mind for him or her. But regardless of our special equipping, we all bear the unmistakable imprint of our Potter.

Too often we look around at the talents and abilities of others and wish to be more like someone else. But we have been perfectly designed for the purposes God has for us, and He makes no mistakes. If we spend our time wishing for talents that do not suit God’s plan, or if we refuse to use the spiritual gifts He’s given us, we waste His effort and our opportunity to serve Him.

The Master is pleased with the way that He has designed our life and the abilities He’s poured into us. To honor the Potter as a vessel should, we must submit to being molded and used as He desires.

Changing our Focus

There is nothing that can touch a believer’s life unless it comes through the permissive will of God. That means He has complete control, even when it feels as if Satan has been allowed to run rampant through our personal life.

Trapped in Roman confinement, Paul knew that God could rescue him; after all, He had removed Peter’s chains (Acts 12:7). But Paul was not simply waiting around for liberation. Because he believed God did everything for a reason, he earnestly continued doing kingdom work—even while bound in chains.

Indeed, the Lord has a purpose for whatever He brings into a person’s life. Though we may desperately wish for our circumstances to change, God will allow us to go through a given situation when it will ultimately bring about the most favorable result. If we let Him complete the work instead of trying to extricate ourselves, we will see a positive outcome.

Paul’s time in prison proved a benefit for the gospel, though logically, the spread of the Word should have been severely hindered by the confinement of such a great preacher. In two years he had been guarded by many of the elite praetorian soldiers (Phil. 1:13), and we know what Paul would have talked to them about during their shifts—Christ!

There are no verses in the Bible that say believers are promised an easy life. In fact, the Word warns the opposite and says we will see trouble (John 16:33). But we, like Paul, can choose to live above our circumstances by realizing that God has a plan to use our experiences for our good and the benefit of others.

Preparing for Battle

Read  2 Timothy 3:16-17.

An unprepared soldier won’t hold out against the enemy. Since believers are at war with Satan, we must train wisely so that our heart stays clean and our testimony remains strong. Here, then, is a Christian soldier’s guide to preparing for battle:

• Soldiers must acknowledge the war. The Bible is clear: The devil is determined to destroy the saints. For this reason, we must view our life as a battleground (1 Pet. 5:8).

• Soldiers must know the enemy. Satan’s ways and tricks are recorded in Scripture. We know that his words are deceitful—but also very tempting.

• Soldiers must undergo training. Every day believers have the opportunity to demonstrate their trust in God in at least some small way. This is preparation for facing future decisions or adversity with wisdom and courage.

• Soldiers must know how to use their weapons. The Word of God is very helpful in combating Satan, encouraging the heart, and guiding decision making. Prayer keeps us in touch with our Commander in Chief.

• Soldiers must resist propaganda. Satan will use any worldly means possible to entice us—the media and entertainment industries, educational systems, and false religions are all tools of his trade. Believers must be wise in deciding what to allow into their minds.

A prepared soldier is a believer whose mind and heart are full of the Lord and His Word. The Spirit-filled warrior will be victorious against Satan’s attack.

Face Your Fears

And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter recalled the Lord’s words, how He had told him, Before the cock crows today, you will deny Me thrice. And he went out and wept bitterly [that is, with painfully moving grief]. —Luke 22:61–62

The Apostle Peter was a man who began with phony boldness. He thought he was bold, but in reality he was forward, presumptuous, rude and foolish on many occasions. Peter was usually the first one to speak, but what he said was often prideful and completely out of place. Peter thought more highly of himself than he should have. He needed to trade his self-confidence for confidence in God.

Jesus tried to warn Peter that he would deny Him three times in a very short period of time, but Peter thought that was absolutely impossible.

After Jesus allowed Himself to be captured, Peter was recognized as one of His disciples. He immediately denied that he even knew Him. Peter continued on with the same fearful response until he quickly denied Christ three times. Peter, who appeared to be so bold, fell apart in fear during a real crisis (Luke 22).

What are you facing right now? Are there threatening circumstances looming in front of you? If so, remember that God is with you and He will never leave you or forsake you.

Lord, it’s always humbling to read about Peter’s denial. I need the strength that comes from You more than I can possibly realize. Help me to draw so close to You today that I can face any challenge. Amen