Although the Holy Spirit is impossible to measure or contain,
this does not mean he is impossible to encounter.
Introduction:
Imagine you have a certain friend, let’s call friend A, who desires to meet another friend of yours, friend B. You’re just thrilled that friend A wants to meet friend B and you’re convinced that they would certainly get along.
So, after church on Sunday you tell friend A many things about friend B, and you list his wonderful qualities and traits. You tell how much you’re looking forward to introducing them to each other.
The following Sunday you pull friend A aside and tell them a little bit more about friend B and how helpful he’s been in your life, and how you are looking forward to the day when they would meet.
The 3rd Sunday you continue to tell friend A more about friend B, his goodness and kindness.
Now, It’s been 3 weeks and you’ve just been talking about how wonderful it would be for these two friends of yours to meet. Do you think friend A is getting a little bit impatient, wondering if you’re ever going to actually introduce this mysterious friend B?
I think this is often how the church talks about the Holy Spirit – comfortably in the 3rd person (friend B).
We list all his attributes and titles and functions and gifts. We speak of what he’s like and what he does for us. Of course, all that is important, but you only really get to know someone by meeting them, talking to them, spending time with them, listening to them, and watching how they treat other people, becoming vulnerable and transparent in their presence, and building a bond of trust. In essence, an intimate personal relationship.
The most important relationship you will ever have
The relationship with the Holy Spirit is – on one hand the most intimate relationship you’ll ever have – and on the other hand the most mysterious relationship you’ll ever have.
In fact, this relationship is the most important one you’ll ever have for as long as you live. And like any intimate relationship you have there is a learning curve, levels of understanding, and a development of trust, even some awkward moments.
Obviously – sermons, books, courses, and videos have their place, but they also have limitations. So my intention is NOT to do just another class or study or course about a subject, but to step deeper into a relationship with him that requires interaction and intimacy, even a little bit of risk. (faith)
As we interact with him we will learn about his world, a supernatural world of faith.
This is not a comprehensive A to Z study of the Holy Spirit, but rather an invitation to journey further with him.
For those who would like more information, I will be recommending some books and videos to help with this journey.
After establishing some fundamentals and basics about the Holy Spirit and who he is, we’re going to step into interacting with the Holy Spirit and along the way we will use teachable moments to learn what he’s like.
If we’re going to interact with him it will have to be on his terms.
What was Yeshua’s relationship with the Holy Spirit?
What did Jesus / Yeshua think and say about the HS? What was his relationship with the HS? Is it important that we understand this?
Yeshua never reacted to what the enemy did; he responded to the heart of the Father – Why? because of his relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Could it be that we spend too much time reacting to what the enemy is doing – and not enough time responding to the heart of God?
In order to understand our interaction with the Holy Spirit, we need to understand Yeshua’s relationship with the Spirit of God. We also need some background of the disciples interaction with Yeshua himself.
Since we’re going to be talking about the humanity of Yeshua, I believe it’s important that we understand that he was fully and eternally God, and also a fully human man, simultaneously.
How is that possible? I don’t know. There are some things in the Kingdom are mysteries.
And of course, he was without sin. Just so we are all on the same page.
Philippians 2:1-11
So if there is any (Since there is) encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit (Gr: koinonia – Lit. “fellowship of the Spirit”, association, community, communion, joint participation ) , any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Agreement, harmony, humility)
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus (MSG: Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.) who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped (a thing to be held on to for advantage), but emptied himself (set aside his glory), by taking the form of a servant (slave), being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form, (fully man) he humbled himself (even more) by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Notice: Paul is saying, if you are in agreement with the Spirit, you will think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. Fellowship in and with the Holy Spirit of God is expressed and demonstrated in understanding humility, both in our relationships with each other, but also understanding the humility and humanity of Yeshua himself.
* Yeshua walked in the authority and power of God, NOT because he was God, but because he humbled himself in his humanity.
Note: I believe that fellowship with the Holy Spirit, (Philippians 2 calls it “participation in the Spirit”) comes more easily when we understand the humanity of Yeshua.
He stepped into our world so that we could relate to him and understand his example. Everything he did was to guide us and teach us as an pattern of what the Holy Spirit wants to do in us.
Yeshua was exalted because he humbled himself as a man and became obedient to the point of death. He did not become obedient to death, but he was obedient to the father even unto death.
If Yeshua had for one moment used his status as God to accomplish anything during his ministry, then he would have disqualified himself from being the Messiah.
At one time, during his betrayal in the garden of Gethsemane, he did threaten to access his divine authority, but he did not follow through. He would have failed to fulfill his prophetic role as Messiah and Savior.
Matthew 26:53-54 (CJB)
Don’t you know that I can ask my Father, and he will instantly provide more than a dozen armies of angels to help me? But if I did that, how could the passages in the Tanakh be fulfilled that say it has to happen this way?”
In order to bring redemption to mankind, the Messiah had to be a man born on the earth. The first messianic prophecy in Genesis 3:15 calls Yeshua, “The seed of the woman.”
From the start, Satan knew that was the plan, he just didn’t know when or how. That’s why he tried to destroy or defile or corrupt the human bloodline of the Messiah.
Romans 5:17
For if, because of one man’s trespass (Adam), death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 2:5-6
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
I suspect that in his pride Satan thought he had the upper hand against Yeshua.
After all, he had been manipulating humanity – practically unopposed – for 4000 years.
He knew well how to influence the nature of man.
What he did NOT expect was that this simple man, Yeshua, a craftsman from Nazareth – would be filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. !!!!
Did Yeshua do miracles because he was God?
We, as modern believers, generally accept his divinity, but tend to be unfamiliar with his humanity. We struggle to understand how he could’ve been an ordinary flesh and blood man.
The disciples, on the other hand, were familiar with his humanity but struggled to understand his divinity.
I believe the disciples stepped seamlessly into a working relationship with the Holy Spirit because he was so much like Yeshua. The Holy Spirit is just like Yeshua.
Fellowship with the Holy Spirit, (Philippians 2 calls it “participation in the Spirit”) comes more easily when we understand the humanity of Yeshua.
John 14:17 (Yeshua told the disciples) You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
In pursuing an understanding of the miraculous, sooner or later, you will come to this one question that you’ll have to settle in your own mind. If this foundational truth is not established in your heart, the supernatural, the miraculous will be difficult for you to embrace.
Q….. Did Yeshua do miracles because he was God, OR did he do miracles as a man empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit?
If he did miracles because he was God, then we’re still impressed, but we’re only spectators.
From this perspective – When we read or hear about God doing a miracle, we are in awe and wonder at his power and majesty – but we cannot hope to do the works he has done. We can only watch.
But, If he did miracles as a man – who was yielded to the Holy Spirit – then we are faced with a choice.
If this is the case – and I’ll show you that it is – then we have been invited / even summoned to follow him into a supernatural relationship with the Holy Spirit – one that will transform us continually.
We are designed to carry the image of our God, to look like him.
John 14:12
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
This is our ideal, our goal. But, Before we do the “greater works”, we have to do the “works that he did”. We have a long way to go.
END of lesson 1.
What must I do to be saved?