3 3/9/08 The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life Acts 4:31; Romans 5:2-4
Many years ago I was a minister in Darlington County. We were invited one day as ministers to tour the Darlington 500 raceway. There I saw two identical cars. They were identical in every way- same decals, same numbers, same paint job. One of the race drivers invited one of my colleagues to get in the car and turn the ignition- nothing happened. Then the driver got in the identical car, turned the ignition and I think I lost my hearing right then- it was so very loud. One car didn’t have an engine the other did.
A person can look like a Christian, talk like a Christian, but the real test is what’s inside- is the Holy Spirit inside you? The Bible says that if you have Christ, you also have His Spirit.
It is not that if we do good then God’s Spirit will come. However, if we do evil, it scares God’s Spirit away. Evil quenches and grieves the Spirit. If you claim to be a Christian and you are on fire for God, but your life is not lived in accordance to what the Spirit has said, you are putting out His fire in your life. You are putting a wet blanket over a soul on fire. However, being good does not guarantee that the Spirit is there. There are a lot of good, dry as dust people out there. There are people who do what is right – better than most- but they are missing love, grace, forgiveness, and the Spirit.
Too many try to be good without God. It can happen to a certain extent- but without God, in your own strength, it is terribly hard and tedious. Some of the most bitter people I know are the people who try to be good in their own strength. There is a real balance here- trying to trust God, growing in grace, and also trying to do what is right even when you don’t feel like it. You know, we are called to do what is right even when we don’t feel like it. But the Holy Spirit is the One who is like oil to a machine. A machine might function without oil, but it becomes cranky, rusty, hard to move. When the Spirit is there- things speed up, doing good is easier, there is a joy there that wasn’t there before.
Sometimes the scriptures speak of the Spirit as if the Spirit were fluid- like oil. We are not to be drunk with wine- but be filled with the Spirit. We are not to quench the spirit. Ezekiel was once shown a valley of dried bones- and was asked, “Can these bones live?” When the Spirit entered them- the dried bones came to life. In the beginning the scriptures say we were dust and then God breathed his spirit- his wind, his breath, his soul in us and we who were dust came to life. The Spirit is like a missing ingredient for many. It is a breath of fresh air- a literal translation of the Hebrew word for spirit (nephesh) is breath. We who have the breath of God in us, are called to pass that breath on to others.
So we should seek God’s Spirit. This doesn’t mean to seek to handle snakes. When I preached in the North Carolina mountains, there were some real snake handlers who believed you should handle snakes because the scriptures indicated that those who have a lot of faith could. It was one of the stupidest things done in the name of religion I’ve ever seen! Just because God said you can do something- doesn’t mean you should? In many ways the very act was a way of showing off. Showing off is a selfish thing to do that is bound to quench the Spirit. But I don’t need to talk to you about that. Most of you will not go out and try to handle snakes. The real danger for most of you is that you will go home and do nothing.
You can go home and do nothing and you will be comfortable (for awhile), but maybe a bit sad, maybe lacking energy and strength. When you seek to be filled with the Spirit- God blesses you.
In my mind, seeking to be filled with the Spirit is not handling snakes, it’s not speaking in tongues or prophesying. It Is not seeking some magic charm, or some force that permeates all of life. It is, seeking God to fill you.
You see the Holy Spirit is not some nebulous, mysterious, unknowable, impersonal force. The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Christ- the Spirit of God. We have spirits too- we are made of flesh, mind, and spirit. Our spirit is not different from us- rather it is the part of us- our soul if you will, that lives on. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God- the Spirit of Christ. As we would not fear Christ, we should not fear His Spirit.
The scriptures say there are lying spirits and false spirits, and even evil spirits. Just because something claims to be spiritual does not make it good. When someone says, “I want to get in touch with my spiritual side” I think- that’s cool- if that person means I want to get in touch with God. It is not cool if that person is saying- “I just want an experience.” I used to hear that a lot from New Age folks years ago in Asheville, or some of my hippie friends in the 70’s. Experiences can be good or bad. Spirits can be good or bad. But the Holy Spirit is Holy- separate, different, set apart because it is God’s Spirit. How do you tell if the spirit is good or bad?
The Bible gives some basic criteria:
1) The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth- not the spirit of falsehood.
This means the Holy Spirit will not lie. The Holy Spirit will not go against what He has already said in His Word. You can trust the Spirit to speak reliable, trustworthy, promised truth. Moses was told if someone prophesies and many of his prophesies come true but one does not, they are not from God. The Spirit is Holy- that means it is entirely other, different, awesome- majestic- but holiness also means pure, truthful, without falsehood. If the spirit is truth- then we can trust the spirit of God- you don’t need to be afraid of what is true and trustworthy.
2) The Holy Spirit will not lie about Jesus. I John has a lot to say about discerning the spirits. It says, anyone who says that Jesus did not come in the flesh is not from God.
The Bible admits there are other spirits, other powers, other invisible forces in the world than the Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit is mysterious. In part because we cannot control, or limit the Spirit, some of us are scared of the Spirit. Presbyterians in general are rational, thinking, well-mannered, educated folk who want to be in control. But there are some things we do not need to be afraid of. One of the key lessons about the Holy Spirit is that you cannot control Him or conjure Him like some Genie in a lamp. Jesus says as the wind blows wherever it pleases- you hear its sound but you can’t tell where it is coming from or where it is going. (John 3:8). Last week a tornado supposedly came through Little Mountain and brushed the trees of Peak. It left a path of downed limbs- thank God no injuries. The wind is powerful, yet invisible, and uncontrollable. The amazing thing is that we are asked to be filled with something/someone so powerful!
I have one of the meekest dogs in the world. She shivers in the presence of a stranger. She very, very, very rarely barks. I have taken the dog to church and it never barked. But I have met children who see my dog and they are scared of her! I want to say, there are some dogs to be scared of, but this little footlong-toothless poodle is not one of them! God’s Spirit, however, is not toothless, it is powerful. But the Spirit is a friend to all those who are on His side.
I remember once interviewing an associate pastor for the Georgetown church. She loved the church and area, but was scared to ride on bridges. There were bridges everywhere in Georgetown- and not one had collapsed with a car on it since the beginning of the town in the early 1700s. This was an irrational fear, that kept this person from getting the job. Do not be afraid of what helps you. The Spirit consoles, comforts, leads, guides, convicts when we are wrong, and smooths the way for us. The Spirit is called our advocate, counselor, comforter. Do not be afraid- rather seek that comfort, that person. Seek to be filled with Him and you will find hope renewed, energy you didn’t have, strength that you didn’t have. Seek the Spirit.