Whenever we speak about the Holy Spirit, many different ideas come to mind. Speaking in tongues, emotional experiences, goose bumps, feelings, etc. are all often associated with the working of the Holy Spirit. If we are going to see the power of the Holy Spirit, what is it exactly that we are going to see? What are we looking for?
Most Christians today are looking for some type of religious experience. Whenever they have this experience, they call it the Holy Spirit. This is such a common thing, that many church now are calling their gatherings “Experiences.” Is this truly what we are to be seeking? No, the goal of the Spirit filled life is nothing less than the Person of the Holy Spirit, not any religious experience.
Jesus made it clear that it was spiritual adultery to seek for a sign. In other words, when someone looks for an “experience” and is not concerned about WHO the experience is with, this is evil and spiritual adultery. Americans are thrill seekers. We love concerts, roller coasters, shows, movies, sporting events, etc. Unfortunately, the same emotional experience and excitement is sought in church as well. We are not looking for spiritual power on Monday; we are looking for an experience on Sunday.
Paul addressed this in his first letter to the Corinthian church. Paul had tons of religious experiences. However, he clearly taught that not all Christians would have the same experiences. There is something greater that we are to be seeking. What is this thing? Love. Love for God. This, by the way, is the first fruit of the Spirit. Instead of loving the experience, I am to love the Person of the Triune God, with or without the experience.
This is the heart of Christianity. We seek God. We know God. Like Paul, we give up everything so that we can know Christ and the power of His resurrection. This brings us to the root of the whole issue. Experience is about me. Christianity is about Christ. The only way for me to have the power of the Holy Spirit is for me to care less about me and more about knowing Christ.
This is exactly what Paul is getting at in 2 Corinthians 1:20. Everything we need or could ever want to experience is found in Jesus. You do not need the feeling of forgiveness; you need Jesus Who forgives. You do not need the experience of deliverance; you need Jesus the Deliver. This is true of absolutely every single promise in Scripture. To have Jesus is to have the fulfillment of every single promise of God.
This is the key to the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. You must not seek religious experiences. You must seek to know Christ through the Holy Spirit. This knowledge of Christ can and will be accompanied by religious experiences, but that is not what we are seeking. Like the pearl of great price, we are willing to give up all experiences so that we might have Christ. He is what we are seeking. Nothing else.
0 Comments