"God the Holy Spirit"

“He saved us not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:5-7

We who believe in the reality and truth of the Trinity realize that God is three in one. He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The problem with many believers is that they no longer see the Holy Spirit as God. The Holy Spirit has no place or role in their everyday life. I believe that if we will return to surrendering to the Lordship of the Holy Spirit in our lives then we will be filled afresh with God’s power.

The key to surrendering to the Lordship of the Holy Spirit is to understand the work of the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit involves 4 areas. The first area is the work of the Holy Spirits around the world in convicting and bringing lost men and women to faith in the Lordship of Jesus. John 16:8 says, “When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment.” No person comes to faith in Christ outside of the work of the Holy Spirit.

The second area of work that God the Holy Spirit does is baptizing every believer. This baptism is proof that they belong to God. This is a one time event. When a person professes Christ Jesus as Lord, the Holy Spirit immediately creates His home in their heart. He baptizes the believer with Himself. Ephesians 1:13, “In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in Him when you believed, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” Then again in Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul writes, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope at your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” Every believer has the presence of God the Holy Spirit in them.

The third area of work that God the Holy Spirit does is filling every believer. According to Ephesians 4:30 and 1 Thessalonians 5:19, the Holy Spirit can be quenched and grieved. God the Holy Spirit is grieved and quenched when we are disobedient to His leading, when we don’t surrender to His control, but most of all when we don’t see Him as Lord in our lives. Dr. Stephen Olford use to say, “Until you are willing for the Holy Spirit to be dominant in your life, He will be dormant. Until you are willing for the Holy Spirit to be President of your life, He will only be present.”

Paul challenges every believer in Ephesians 5:18, when we writes, “And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit.” It seems that most Baptist live out the first part of the verse, but how many are living out the second part of the verse. We need to be filled moment by moment by the Holy Spirit. Moment by moment, I need to surrender to His Lordship. Titus 3:5 tells us the key to sanctification. The Holy Spirit regenerates us and renews us. As I surrender to the control of the Holy Spirit, He transforms my life into the image of Christ. As I surrender, the Holy Spirit lives Christ out in my life. The Holy Spirit’s job is to live out Christ in us and transform us into Christ’s image. This is done by surrendering to the Lordship of the Holy Spirit. I have been guilty of praying, “Holy Spirit help me to surrender more of me to You.” Then I remember what I really need to pray is, “Holy Spirit help me to surrender all of me to You.” Here is the good news. You can’t live like Christ and you can’t make yourself into His image. That is the Holy Spirit’s job. You are to surrender and follow Him.

The last area of the Holy Spirit’s work is He empowers every believer for the work of God. This power is called the Anointing. The Anointing is always given for the purpose of accomplishing God’s work. The anointing comes upon us as we surrender afresh to the Lordship of the Holy Spirit and we ask for God’s Power through prayer. There are two main texts that give an example of the anointing of the Holy Spirit to do ministry. One is Jesus at His baptism. The Holy Spirit came as a dove and anointed Christ as He began His three year ministry. The other example is the anointing of the church in Acts 2. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” To do God’s work God’s way you need God’s power. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to empower the believer who is surrendered and seeking Him.

Many churches are powerless today. The reason they are powerless is because the Holy Spirit isn’t at work in them. He isn’t Lord over their church. They haven’t sought Him or surrendered to Him. Nothing a church can do without the Spirit will equal what they can do with Him. My encouragement is for every believer to acknowledge the Lordship of the Holy Spirit, to surrender to His control, to follow His leading, and to seek His power. Our hope is found in God the Holy Spirit.