Understanding The Holy Spirit

If you ever saw “Holy Ghost” in the King James Version of the Bible, you may have been curious – or even uncomfortable. But the Holy Spirit isn’t creepy – He is our helper.

00:00
00:00

• Understanding The Holy Spirit – Audio
  00:00
  

The world was turned upside down for the earliest followers of Jesus when they had to learn to follow Him – without His physical presence – in the aftermath of His death, resurrection, and ascension.

The introduction of the Holy Spirit, a pretty epic account we call Pentecost, outlines the collision of the Holy Spirit and humanity in a brand new way that is paradigm-shifting and life-changing:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them… -Acts 2:1-3

I grew up thinking this was one of the most important chapters in the entire Bible with an emphasis on the experiences of the Holy Spirit. Many of my beliefs about the Holy Spirit have changed since my childhood – some of that growth was painful – but I now have a deeper understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit in my own life, and I feel more freedom than I did when I was penned in by the expectations of my childhood church.

I still hold the sentiment that Acts chapter two is one of the most important scriptures for us as modern-day Christ followers, but the emphasis is different for me now. Rather than focusing on what, I focus on who.

When I fully wrapped my head around the Holy Spirit being present at creation (Gen. 1:2), and the Holy Spirit empowering different individuals throughout the Old Testament (Numbers 11:24-25, 1 Samuel 11:6, 1 Samuel 16:3), it made the ‘presence’ of the Holy Spirit in my own life easier to understand. Seeing that the Holy Spirit has engaged with humanity and creation since the beginning, helped me to embrace the invitation of the Holy Spirit to walk through life with me!

And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. – Acts 2:44-47, ESV

‘Church people’ often reference the early church and their approach to communal living as the gold standard, a sort of utopian goal to be achieved. The challenge is that we live in an incredibly individualistic society. Very rarely do we open our lives to others in a way that fosters the authentic community that the early church was experiencing. We will open certain segments of our lives to certain people, as required to be accepted in society, but nothing close to being ‘devoted to fellowship’ and ‘together, having all things in common.’ 

One of the reasons this is so difficult and seemingly unattainable, is because we seek the results of Acts chapter 2, without first turning inward to do the work in our own hearts. To be like the early church we have to do the same work that the early church put in! 

The gift of the Holy Spirit – the very presence of God – came in a new and fresh way and required believers to completely shift their understanding of who God was and how God operated. As they were trying to wrap their heads around this new understanding of God, Peter challenges them with three areas for personal work, and that’s still what we need to do too:

• Repent – turn away from our own way and align ourselves with God 
• Be baptized – find our new identity in Christ
• Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit – live out this new reality in God

Once this heart work is done in the individual, a special community was possible: the early church. A group of believers who understood that God was for every[one] – not exclusively for the Hebrews alone. A group of believers who found their identity in Christ– not the things of this world. A group of believers who allowed the Holy Spirit to lead and did not follow their own way or seek their own advancement.

The same power and presence of the Holy Spirit that we see throughout the Old Testament into the New Testament Church is available to you and to me! We are invited into a relationship with the Holy Spirit, a divine dance in which He leads, and we follow.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. – Galatians 5:25

Still have questions about the Holy Spirit? Discuss further with a staff member from your campus:

• Birmingham: Jenny Warns | [email protected]
• Clarkston: Lindsey Nartker | [email protected]
• Clinton Twp: Tracey Henkel | [email protected]
• Orion: Susan Welsh | [email protected]
• Traverse City: Brent Swensen | [email protected]
• Troy: Carrie Kernen | [email protected]