In Search of the Holy Spirit: Part I

When I was a teenager, I wanted to know how to dance.  However, when I asked the girls how to do it, they simply said, "Go with the music."  I said, "I don't know how to go with the music.  You've got to show me where to put my feet, or I'll never learn."

This is an attempt to do just that - to show you exactly where to place your feet so you can learn.  It's dedicated to the people who spent years of their lives trying to find the secret of living a spirit-filled life.

I believe there are three levels we are trying to reach.  The first level is becoming a Christian; the second is growing in the Christian faith; and the third is sharing that faith with others, the ultimate goal and purpose of Christ's church.

Our journey begins with the first question, "What is a Christian?"  The answer is a follower of Christ, i.e., a person who tries to live by the words and actions of Jesus Christ.  Jesus said in John 3:3:  

" . . . unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Also, in Acts 1:4:  " . . . for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit."  To be born again and to be baptized with the Holy Spirit is accomplished by any person who believes the following statements:

• I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
• I truly repent of all my sins.
• I believe by His death at Calvary, Christ paid my sins in full.
• I accept Jesus Christ, by faith, as my personal savior and pray to by filled with the Holy Spirit.  In keeping with the teachings  of Christ, a Christian should also experience a water baptism.

The second question:  "Why should we want to be a Christian?"  The main reason is to be able to love God and prepare ourselves to spend eternity with Him.  

In the beginning, God created the universe as well as the earth.  The first human beings were Adam and Eve.  They lived in the Garden of Eden, given dominion over the world and had fellowship with God.  God gave them one commandment:  "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."  (Genesis 2:16-17 NKJV).  Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived them into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  As a result, the relationship between them and God was broken and they were cast out of the Garden of Eden.  

They did not physically die, but rather spiritually died.  The spirit inside them was fractured and inactivated.  That spiritual death was passed down to all of their descendants.  To understand this more thoroughly, it is important to point out that we are composed of three separated but interweaving parts referred to as body, soul, and spirit.  (I Thessalonians 5:23).  The first part of us is our body and refers to the physical structure.  The soul is the psychological part of us and has to do with our mind which involves intellect, emotions, and behavior.  The spirit is the innermost part of us which allows us to have fellowship with God.  This is what was fractured or even died due to the disobedience of Adam and Eve.

Since God is holy and cannot tolerate sin, we couldn't possibly stand in His presence or have fellowship with Him anymore.  However, God still loved us and wanted us to return that love.  This was seen in the Old Covenant which we also call the Old Testament and is commemorated by the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Covenant Code at Mt. Sinai.  The Old Covenant was basically an agreement that He would be our God and we would be His people.  The Old Covenant could not save us from our sins nor could it place us into a personal relationship with God.  It was basically a guide until Christ came.  When the time came, God sent His Son into the world to preach the Gospel, which is the Good News:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16  NKJV).  When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead, the New Covenant came into effect and eternal life with God was now made possible.  By believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, our spirit is reactivated and is no longer dead as we become one with the Spirit of God.  By the shed blood of Christ our sins are washed away.  His Spirit joins our spirit for new life and we are born again.  By believing that Jesus is Lord we can have a personal relationship with God by faith in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hopefully, what you have read so far makes sense.  However, it is made incredibly difficult for many people to understand.  The reason is because, " . . . the god of this world had blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God."  (II Corinthians 4:4  RSV).  Thus, many people are blinded by an evil presence in the world referred to as Satan who does not want people to receive salvation.  In other words, Satan, who was formerly an angel and cast out of heaven, is going to take as many people as he can with him to hell.

The amazing thing about God is that we really don't have to get our life in order first before accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior.  None of us is sinless and as a result we will never be worthy to be in communion with a Holy God.  When we are saved by the grace of God and given new life, the power of the Holy Spirit will begin the process of helping us to get our life together.  The bottom line is that everyone who receives Jesus Christ as their personal savior will receive the gift of eternal life.

Many people are concerned about the Jewish people; however, according to the Bible they will be converted to the Lord through the intervention of Christ before the end of history.  (Romans 11:25-36.)  The next blog will be the second of three parts "In Search of the Holy Spirit."