Sunday, April 28, 2019

The Work of the Holy Spirit

I've been doing much study on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. As a matter of fact, I've been researching a bunch about the Holy Spirit in general. As you may know, He is the 3rd person of the Trinity (as we say). The Trinity is made up of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But just because He is mentioned 3rd much of the time does not mean He is any less significant than the first two!

Jesus couldn't come to the earth without the work of the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 1:18 the Scripture says, "before they (Joseph and Mary) came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit." God told Joseph, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." (Verse 20) The babe inside of Mary, who was still a virgin, was the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was literally born of the Spirit, with absolutely no sin nature.

In order to save humanity, Jesus had to become human. And the only way for Jesus to be the spotless sacrifice for our sins was to be born of the Spirit, not sinful flesh. Jesus was a human being, born of the Spirit.

And for Jesus to become human, He also had to empty Himself, take on the form of a bond servant, and be made (in Mary's womb) in the likeness of humanity (anthrōpos). As a man, He humbled Himself by being obedient to the point of dying on the cross for ALL of humanity.

The Holy Spirit was responsible for bringing Jesus to the earth, born of the Spirit. He was also responsible for empowering Jesus to begin and complete His supernatural ministry on the earth. Without the enduement of power from on high (He received after being baptized by John in the Jordan River), He could not have carried out His ministry. "Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,  and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased." (Luke 3: 21 - 22) From that point Jesus was led by the Spirit, impelled by the Spirit, and returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that Jesus performed one sign, wonder, or miracle until after He had been empowered by the Holy Spirit from on high.

There is no greater example than our Lord, Jesus Christ! He was born of the Spirit. Now we must be born again (by the same Spirit). He was filled with the Holy Spirit for the purpose of ministry. We who are now born again of the Spirit must also be filled with, or baptized in the Spirit for the purpose of ministry! Jesus Himself said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father." Jesus meant He would go to the Father and send forth the Promise of the Father; the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Instead of being in one place and one time, Jesus now works in and through myriads, through the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit.

I encourage you to seek out the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Let Jesus empower you with the same Spirit and power that He received. Are you ready to change your world? Ask, and you will receive!