Accessing the Power of the Holy Spirit

The holy spirit is a stumbling block for many people. The bible speaks of the holy spirit in so many different ways that understanding it can become jumbled, misunderstanding also happens when people latch on to a small or select set of biblical statements about the spirit and try to massage that into a complete description.

The holy spirit could be described as:

1. The creative power and energy of the God family
2. The nature, life, and mind of the God family
3. The power and active energy of life [temporary life & everlasting life]

I use the phrase "God family" since the holy spirit is presented to us as the spirit of God, the spirit of the Father, the spirit of Christ the Son... hence the God family.

Holy Spirit & Material Creation

The spirit is the power by which God created all things Jeremiah 32:17, Psalm 104:30

God's spirit is present in every corner of the universe Psalm 139:7-8, Jeremiah 23:23-24

The holy spirit proceeds from God and fills the entire universe. So, God may be present within every nook and cranny of the universe... but God is still separate from the universe. He is separate as a distinct being and the universe is a thing(s) that He created.

How Does God Use His Spirit Power to Create?

Psalm 33:6-9, Genesis 1:1-13

The God family speaks and stuff happens. The member of the God family who later became Jesus Christ is know as the Word.  John 1:1-3,14.

Words are: 1) sources of information, and 2) expressions of the will of the one speaking. As human beings created in the image of God we use language in the same way... to transmit information and express our will… for example “the cat is gray” [info], “go feed the cat” [will].

So, the universe is constructed on the basis of information: math, gravity, light waves. And the universe is constructed on the basis of God's will: purpose, plan, goals.

Hebrews 1:2-3 this same power which creates, also sustains all things, keeps them running. Therefore God must be present and engaged with His creation. The universe is not like a clock God has wound up and them left to run on its own Psalm 66 :7.

Creation of Spirit Born Children

Although God, through Christ, made you as you are now: atoms, molecules, organs, systems... God wants to work with you on a higher level of creation. This higher level involves the same awe inspiring creative power used to create the universe: the holy spirit. But also your active engagement and cooperation. So, the bible also speaks of the holy spirit as an active power at work within human beings.

2 Timothy 1:7 here the active power of the holy spirit is doing more than upholding and sustaining the atoms, molecules, etc. that make up your body. The power of the spirit is interacting with the human mind.

But this active engagement of the human mind and the holy spirit isn't happening in everyone. For now its only at work in those who accept God’s calling and enter into the new covenant with Him.

By Choice, Humanity Cut Itself Off From Access To The Holy Spirit

Genesis 2:8-9 notice that the tree of life is available for them to eat of if they wanted, verse 16-17. The tree of life represents the holy spirit. God doesn't just automatically give the holy spirit to human beings as part of being born. Receiving the holy spirit is not a passive transaction. 1) the person has to want it 2) the  person has to cooperate and work with God [in their case it was a simple choice to obey].

If [the great IF] Adam & Eve had chosen the tree of life they could have received the holy spirit which would give them spiritual discernment, knowledge, ability to understand and apply the instruction God had given them, and which He would continue to give them. They would begin growing & developing the mind of God... which is a way of peace, joy, fulfillment, contentment, cooperation, and concern for others.

Furthermore... the holy spirit would have planted in them the power that energizes eternal life. The same power that created the vast, awe inspiring universe. When they were ready they would have experienced the transformation of their mortal bodies into spirit composed members of God's family... Alas, they chose poorly... but why?

Reasons For Bad Choices

#1 Deception: God allows alternative theories of reality and the purpose of life to freely flow in the matrix of the material universe [He allows false information to float around as well as truth, and He allows expressions of an ill-will as well as good]. It serves God's purpose for you. You are aware of the options that are out there, you make your choice, and you take your stand. All this gives God the opportunity to see what you're made of.

But, God being perfectly righteous, truthful and good... cannot, will not, and is not the one to spread false information. Satan by his own choice does the dirty work of promoting alternative theories of life and reality... thereby forcing human beings to make a choice, take their stand, and reveal their heart.

#2 Laziness: 1 Timothy 2:14 Eve at least has the lame excuse of being deceived. Adam's disobedience was different. He knew the lie was a lie... but he went among with it anyway. He went with the flow, he was passive, and he was lazy. So, that's another way to choose poorly.

Recap: the record in Genesis shows that in the beginning God gave humanity instruction and good information "you may eat all of these, but not that". Humanity decided to make their own decisions about what was the right way to live. What was right vs. wrong... what was good vs. evil... they would sift through the good information and the bad information and make up their own mind.

Going It Alone

Occasionally, little groups pop up saying they actively and openly worship Satan. They generate a few headlines by erecting big statues in public squares. Sometimes they are quoted regarding their spiritual perspective, which I find interesting: We worship Satan because he sets us free. Free from boundaries and restrictions we never agreed to and don't want.

And in one way, shape, or form this is simply a more brash statement of the approach most of humanity has taken towards God' instruction. We're smart, we'll figure things out on our own.

Self reliance and self confidence are mostly regarded as positive approaches, but they also create a problem: Without the creative life giving power of God's holy spirit... once the 70-80 years God gives you... you're done.  Humanity’s answer to this problem is to construct an alternate reality for themselves.

Defiant humanity says: We won’t really be dead… Our immortal spirit will live on!

God patiently relies: no it won't

Other humans say: there is nothing beyond death anyway, we may as well do as we please

God calmly replies: that is one of the options you can choose

Genesis 3:22-24 cut off access to the tree of life [Isaiah 59:2]

God’s Plan to Reopen Access to the Holy Spirit: the Second Adam

1 Corinthians 15:45-48 what would happen if a human being did not choose poorly. If he/she did not rely on their own human mind and simply accepted the good info and good will of God? 

Through Christ [the 2nd Adam] the door has opened up and access to the holy spirit is now available to all who claim it. Through acceptance of His sacrificial death as payment for their sins and the cleansing of the conscience through His blood human beings can be cleaned up and may once again come into God's presence… and eat of the tree of life.

However, this process still requires you to cooperate and work with God. Only those who respond to the calling of God will be chosen to receive the holy spirit. The process begins with repentance... we as human beings have to admit we are wrong on just about everything... we know nothing... we do not know the way to live... we do not have life within us... and we need God if we want to continue living.

Acts 2:38 God must give it to you

Joel 2:28 God’s end game is that the holy spirit be made accessible to ALL people. But He is working a plan to re-open access in stages.

The Interim Role of Israel

God had already reintroduced Himself to humanity prior to the coming of Jesus Christ. Humanity had cut themselves off but at the time of His choosing God re-established limited communications among humanity through the family of Abraham, Israel… [after 2,000 years]. 

The 1st phase of restoring access to the holy spirit was to commit the essential information about how to live a Godly life  to writing, confirm it by signs and wonders, reproduce and distribute hundreds and thousands of copies. God used the nation of Israel to perform this task. Israel had the necessary information but they were missing the vital ingredient: the holy spirit!

Note: there were some [perhaps many] in Israel who received God's holy spirit but they were the exception rather than the rule. Israel's covenant with God [the old covenant] did not include free access to the holy spirit. Good information [yes], blessings for obedience [yes], but circumcision and animal sacrifice did not open access to the holy spirit.

Access was very limited. Some had it but there was no clearly defined process for laying claim to it.

John 4:24 Israel had the truth / information... but not the spirit. God wants both.

Phase 2 in Reopening Access to the Holy Spirit: The Church of God

Humanity at large were not offered access to the holy spirit [and therefore eternal life] until Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection... any person can now access the holy spirit. However, they still cannot just walk up to the tree and pick the fruit. They gain access only through the doorway of Christ.

To administer this expanded access, Christ established His Church. The Church is:

1. The vehicle through which Jesus disseminates the necessary info to all people [proclamation of the gospel]. By this we mean something different from merely distributing bibles... we mean providing instruction into the meaning and application of what is written. Which can then be verified by referring back to the written record.
2. The vehicle through which God extends His calling, choosing, and setting apart through Godly living.
3. The vehicle through which God administers the receipt of the holy spirit.

Its common to encounter people who reject the Church as serving any necessary role in God's administration of the holy spirit. "I don't need you to administer the holy spirit”, “clearly God's spirit is already working with me, I'm already seeking to obey Him, I've already started changing my life"... there are endless variation to this theme, this is just one example.

The church and the ministry are not willfully inserting themselves between the believer and their God. This is a task God has given us to perform Matthew 28:19.

Acts 5:32 The holy spirit is involved in convicting a person of their need to repent. But that is something different than receiving the down-payment and deposit of the power of everlasting life which follows baptism. Some evidence that a person has started the process of changing their life is actually one of the criteria the ministry looks for in those seeking baptism.  We’re not looking for perfection… just a start, a gesture of good faith. We also want to make sure the person has actually heard and believed the true gospel. Its a very simple transaction.

Consider also the example of Jesus who was himself baptized... John said "whoa, you don't need to be baptized by me... it should be the other way around... Jesus answered, "Go ahead and do it. In this way we establish the pattern for what needs to be done [all righteousness]. Then Jesus was baptized… as an example for those who would follow.

Repentance and baptism are required steps for receiving the holy spirit and the down-payment of eternal life. An outward act signifying an inward change. God will give his holy spirit to those who have made some demonstration by attitude and action that they have repented and want to enter into the new covenant with Him.

Acts 2:38 do these things and you shall receive the holy spirit.

Conclusion:  prophecies we have of the kingdom of God indicate there will be an even more extensive opening up of access to the life giving power of the holy spirit. We do not have a lot of details but we do know that God’s plan for creating many spirit born children is marching forward and will continue to do so. For now we have our marching orders.!