The Gift of the Holy Spirit Part 2 of 2

by John Lowe
(Laurens SC, USA)

The Holy Spirit may be a gift of unknown value at first, but it is also a gift of unsuspected value to everyone. Not a single person who receives this gift from God has any idea before receiving it of its significance to them. We may not even be aware that we have received this gift. There isn’t much preaching about the Holy Spirit in our main-stream churches today. Christians may know that He is the third person of the Trinity, but that’s all. And unless they read their Bible, they may never know. But for the child of God, who cooperates with the Holy Spirit, we will receive from Him abundantly more than we could believe is possible.

Paul wrote this to the church at Ephesus, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever” (Ephesians 3:20-22). Why should we hesitate to ask God anything? The verse says He is able. We can be confident that through the Holy Spirit, that He is very able to help us, even above and beyond all that we might ask. David said, “My cup runneth over” (Ps 23:5), and we can say, “He brought me to a place of joy, and He put a banner above my head on which He has written love. Our greatest desires are not beyond God’s power to grant. The same power that raised Christ from the dead has saved us and is now present in us.

The next point is that the Holy Spirit is a gift of undiscovered value to most believers. Have you ever received a gift, and you didn’t understand its value or know its significance? This is true in every instance concerning the gift of the Holy Spirit. God said, “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so, the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). What this means is that we can’t know the truth of God through human understanding. The Holy Spirit must illuminate our minds for us to truly understand it.

Next, I want to say that the Holy Spirit is a gift of unappreciated value to most believers. How long has it been since you have expressed sincere gratitude and thanksgiving to God for His gift of the living presence of the Holy Spirit? There are 6 ways in which this precious gift is valuable to the believer.
1. This gift is of great practical value. For example, the Spirit helps us when we are sick. The great comfort that we have during this period of waiting for the Lord’s return is the presence of the Holy Spirit. He is the One who helps us when we have physical, spiritual or emotional problems. He also makes intercession for us. God the Son, who sits at the right hand of God the Father intercedes for us and so does God the Spirit who dwells within the believer.
2. This gift can have great sentimental value. Those who are led by God’s Spirit are indeed God’s children. Believers are God’s children and they are His heirs because they have been adopted into the family of God. God’s children also enjoy security through their relationship with Him. And they enjoy intimacy with Him through their position of son’s and daughters.
3. This gift can have great emotional value. James 4:5 says, “The Spirit that dwells in us lusts jealously.” James is speaking of divine jealousy. He indwells us or has made His residence in us, so His presence is not temporary. And He increases our love for God as He works the process of sanctification in our lives.
4. This gift can have great spiritual value. Some of the last words that Jesus spoke, as He was taken back up into heaven were, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” The power to which He referred was not political, but spiritual. When the Holy Ghost came upon the disciples they would be clothed with heavenly power. Just as Jesus had been anointed at His baptism with the Holy Spirit and power, so now His disciples (you and I) will share in that anointing.
5. This gift has great teaching value. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us wisdom and revelation. The Ephesians were the recipients of God’s revelation, and they had knowledge of spiritual truths. The Holy Spirit knows the deep things of God, and He is our teacher. Man needs much more than reason and research; he needs a revelation from God, and we all need a fuller knowledge of Christ.
6. This gift has great permanent value. The Holy Spirit is always indwelling the believer. He never leaves us until we leave this world to go into the presence of Christ. However, we are warned not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is a very sensitive person. Paul said, “Stop having the habit of offending the Holy Spirit by rebellious deeds and grievous words.” Paul also added, “Whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” We are sealed with God’s stamp, marking you as God’s purchased possession.

The third and last statement is this, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE GOD’S GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The Holy Spirit is God’s gift. God doesn’t give us this gift because of our hard work. And He is not a prize that can be won. Rather, God places His Spirit inside us, when we believe the gospel of salvation. The Holy Spirit is not a property that can be purchased. If He was, then He would only be available to the wealthy, because the price would be very high. And we cannot steal the Holy Spirit like we could some great treasure. No! The Holy Spirit is given to the believer, and this gift cannot be obtained by anything we do. But the sad thing is that some Christians put this gift away in the closet. They never mention it and they never take it out and use it. So they waste God’s gift. They never accomplish much for the Lord, and there is not the joy in their life that they ought to have.

Friends, the Holy Spirit is a gift from God to every believer. First, it is a gift for the present. It is not something that we must look forward to getting after years of living the Christian life. I am thankful that God gives the Holy Spirit to all His children.

Second, the Holy Spirit is given to us for a purpose. He is here to instruct, guide and to give us power from on high. Everything we do for God must be done by the power of His Spirit, because those things that we do in the flesh are not accepted by God.

Third, the Holy Spirit is a powerful gift. He was God’s agent in creation. The same Spirit that created all things is in us. That’s the type of power that is available to every believer. No wonder Paul could say, “I can do all things through Christ.”

Forth, the Holy Spirit is a precious gift. He is so precious, because we know that God doesn’t hate us, He is not angry at us. If He can give us anything, we know that He loves us. But He has given us the very best. He gave us Himself. He has done that twice. He gave us His only begotten Son, and He has given us His Holy Spirit. Does He need to give us any more in order to show how much He loves us?

Fifth, the Holy Spirit is a personal gift. He is given directly to you by God Himself. Everything that takes place when you are saved happens between God and you; no one else is involved. Oh, there may have been those who prayed for you, and you may have heard the gospel from the lips of a preacher. But, it comes down to just you and Jesus. Both salvation and the Holy Spirit are a personal gift.

It is interesting to see all the ways in which the gift of the Holy Spirit is described in the various Bible translations. Listen to John 14:16 as I read the verse from the King James Bible, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever.” The way in which this verse has been translated is a key to understanding the significance of this great gift that God has given us. In the King James, the Holy Spirit is called the “Comforter.” He is called “Advocate” in the North American Bible, “Helper” in the New Century Bible and the New King James, and “Counselor” in the Revised Standard Version. The Holy Spirit is all of these.

Conclusion

God gave the gift of His Son, who came to die for us. He has also given us the gift of His Spirit to live within us and to work the works of God so that we might be delivered from the power of sin. If you are not yet a believer in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit invites you to come to Him, so that you might receive the gift of forgiveness, and the gift of eternal life. If you have already received Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit is a gift you should recognize, appreciate, and respond to fully.