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The Path to Freedom

 

Seven Lives...One Common Thread

 

 

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Let The Holy Spirit Flow!

 

by Pastor Rod Enos

 

The Lord has really been stirring my heart on the work of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. I feel like the Lord is showing me fresh revelation as to the essential work and practical application of the Holy Spirit in our daily walk. I believe there are three basic ideas that can hinder our ability to step into what the Lord has for us in this area.

The first view is from a theological viewpoint known as Dispensationalism. This view affects many different aspects of scriptural interpretation mainly end time events and the nature of Israel and the Church, but also relegates the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit to only the period of the first century church.  Those subscribing to this view of scripture believe that the supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit ceased after the church got started and didn’t need it any longer! However, if you are reading this article, there is a pretty good chance that you do not subscribe to this interpretation of scripture.

Another view, not a theology, but as a mindset that has crept into Pentecostal Christians thinking is seeing the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as more of an event than an ongoing active part of our lives. I believe some of this was a result of the resistance to the teaching on the baptism in Holy Spirit as evidenced by the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues by other churches and denominations. This created a us and them mentality. Now I believe, that the clear teaching of scripture is that everyone who is baptized in the Holy Spirit gets to speak in tongues, but an unintended outcome of this emphasis on getting one’s prayer language made it more of an event than an ongoing process. “I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, check.” “I speak in tongues, check.” Now on to living life!

A view that, again isn’t a theology, or necessarily intentionally advocated, is seeing the work of the Holy Spirit as primarily a personal experience. By this I mean, the experience of the Holy Spirit becomes an end in itself. Rather than the baptism of the Spirit being a means of cultivating a deeper relationship with God and an empowering for service, it inadvertently became an experience to seek as and end in itself.  With this attitude there sometimes becomes a glorifying of special experiences and ‘power’ encounters as a litmus test for spirituality. Now before you think that I am against the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, let me tell you that I have experienced many of what I would call the special experiences and ‘power’ encounters. I firmly believe we must allow God, by His Holy Spirit, freedom to do what He wants to do when He wants to do it. I just believe that these are merely signs and manifestation, not the real thing. When you come to a sign that says, “Pocatello” you don’t stop at the sign thinking you’ve arrived, you drive right by it on the way to the real destination. The manifestations and signs of the Holy Spirit are simply to increase faith and lead us closer to God. We shouldn’t get hung up on them, but just continue pressing into God; knowing Him and seeking to obey Him.

You many notice that two out of the three views expressed here apply to those of us who have a Pentecostal/Charismatic view of scripture. As Pentecostal Christians we believe the person, work and ministry of the Holy Spirit is relevant and indeed very important today. However, the enemy knows just how to twist things just a little bit so as to nullify the wonderful gifts of God. Therefore, we must be very vigilant to not allow that to happen.

We must keep a Biblical perspective, which is to understand that everything that God has created is to reflect His glory. The Holy Spirit wasn’t created, since as part of the Trinity He has co-existed with the Father and the Son for all eternity. However, the Holy Spirit is a gift (Acts 2:38) to us and we are created by God. Therefore all that we are, and all that He has given us, including the Holy Spirit, is for His glory.  This fundamental understanding will help us stay grounded when it comes to our interaction with the Holy Spirit. What this means is: 1) It isn’t about me, about achieving a milestone or having an experience. 2) The Holy Spirit wasn’t given as a mark of spirituality or to give me some special experience to set me apart from others. 3) An experience with the Holy Spirit is not an end in itself, but is the initialization of a new type of relationship with God that empowers me to know Him more, live in His strength and power and thereby to make Him known to those around me.

If we will keep those fundamental ideas in the back of our mind, it will keep us from many erroneous ways of thinking in our pursuit of the flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This is going to become increasingly important as we look to increase the flow of the Holy Spirit at the River! Let’s let the Holy Spirit flow uninhibited in our lives!

Video Testimonies Of   Transformation:

 

 

Part 2: (YouTube only allows 10 minutes, this was 12!)

 

This page was last modified on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 01:46:46 PM