The Holy Spirit
Luke 24:36-49 ¡V Jesus Appears to His
Disciples
36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among
them, and said to them, "Peace to you!" 37 But they were
startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to
them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and
my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have
flesh and bones as you see that I have." 40 And
when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still
disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, "Have you
anything here to eat?" 42 They
gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and
he took it and ate before them. 44 Then
he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still
with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets
and the Psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then
he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them,
"Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day
rise from the dead, 47 and
that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all
nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You
are witnesses of these things. 49 And
behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city
until you are clothed with power from on high."
Salvation occurs when we trust Jesus as our Savior--He forgives us,
transforms us, and sees us as righteous. In that moment, we are redeemed, and
though we continue to struggle with sin, it is a defeated foe. Then as time
goes on, our service, gifts, and love for Him should naturally become greater.
Unfortunately, a lot of Christians sit in church week after week,
going through the motions yet lacking passion and failing to grow. How is such
a thing possible? Tragically, many believers are unaware of the essential
ministry of God's Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity and
co-equal with God the Father and God the Son. The opening chapter of Scripture
tells us that He existed before the formation of the earth and in fact
participated in creation (Gen. 1:2, 26). Today, He has the critical role of
helping and counseling all believers.
The Holy Spirit is a gift to every child of God. His presence
within us isn't something we have to earn or acquire. Rather, it is a marvelous
privilege--by indwelling our hearts, He can guide and strengthen, steering each
believer away from danger and into truth (John 16:7-8. Scripture tells us that
Jesus came so we could experience a full life (10:10). This is possible only
when we listen to His Spirit and obey.
Are you experiencing the abundant life Jesus promised? He wasn't
talking about happy circumstances but rather the joy and contentment possible
through a relationship with Him. If you're lacking in this area, consider your
understanding of the Holy Spirit, and pray to be in tune with His promptings.