Jesus said this about the Holy Spirit, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you ANOTHER HELPER (paraklétos: one called, or sent to assist another), that HE (not it) may abide with you FOREVER— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but YOU KNOW HIM, for He dwells WITH YOU and will be IN YOU.” (John 14:15-17) The Holy Spirit is ordained to take the place of the bodily presence of Christ in the life of His followers (after His ascension to the Father), to lead us to a DEEPER KNOWLEDGE OF GOSPEL TRUTH, and to give us the DIVINE STRENGTH NEEDED TO ENABLE US TO ENDURE TRIALS and persecutions on behalf of the kingdom of God.
Just as Satan lied to Adam and Eve about God and His purpose in their lives, saying, “Did God really say…” (Gen. 3:1) Look what THE DEVIL HAS DONE TODAY, 38% of Christians strongly agree and 20% more agree somewhat that the Holy Spirit is “A SYMBOL of God’s power or presence but is NOT A LIVING ENTITY. The Barna Group, did two surveys among people who described themselves as “Christian.” With interviews conducted in January and February, 2008.
Without the Holy Spirit, what happens to the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit and most importantly the Power of the Holy Spirit. We have been given, “…the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY, and NOTHING SHALL by any means HURT YOU. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN.“ (Luke 10:19-20)
-Bill Stockham