In my last post I concluded with the truth that our spirits are now alive to God – the lines of communication are open in Christ. This is why the preaching of the Word is so important. The only way God can speak to an unbeliever is through the church. God speaks to us, then, we bring His message to the world. This in itself is a supreme privilege.
Since the Holy Spirit now lives in you, your spirit is reconnected to the Holy Spirit. I want you to see incredible opportunity that God has opened up to us because of this gift.
Until this generation there was no easy way of illustrating the spiritual principles that are at work here. Now, because of our modern technology, it makes it easier to picture the work God has done in us. Let me explain.
Before you came to Christ, you were an old, broken-down, unusable, burned out computer. Then, Christ saved you, cleaned you up, fixed you and put a brand new processor on the inside. He also wired you up with a cutting edge wireless network adapter – His Holy Spirit in you.
Before this generation, we couldn’t conceive of being connected to something bigger than us, wherever we go. Think about the internet. The internet covers the earth. You can wirelessly connect to it wherever you are, 24/7. That’s what God has done in our spirits. He’s hooked you into His wireless system – His network.
It’s through this network that we have access to the power of God. It comes from the very throne of God, through the Holy Spirit, into our lives. That’s what this series of posts is about. I want to show you how to access and utilize the incredible power of this spiritual network. It’s greater than any human invention.
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:4-5
There is probably no subject in all of Christianity that sparks more controversy than the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Even among the so called Pentecostal, Full Gospel, and Charismatic churches there are many divisions, inconsistencies, and misconceptions concerning this teaching. So many terms are thrown around without the knowledge of what they mean in Scripture.
Terms such as the Gift of the Spirit, receive the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, Baptized in the Spirit, tongues, and prayer in the spirit.
It’s through the gift of the Holy Spirit that we have access to more power than we could ever even dream about. There’s much more to it than just “speaking in tongues.” It’s the greatest gift that we could ever receive, yet the most underused. It’s my prayer and desire that the church enters into a fuller and deeper experience in this gift.
In my next post I will begin to explain this spiritual gift in more detail.
Questions: Have you been baptized in the Spirit? How often do you use this gift?
© Nick Zaccardi 2014
The Spirit and the Word 