Thursday: The Life-Transforming Power of the Holy Spirit
A careful study of the book of Acts reveals God through His Spirit working miracles in human lives. Acts is a case study on the gospel’s triumphing over cultural biases, transforming lifelong, deeply ingrained habits, and teaching all humanity Christ’s grace and truth. The Holy Spirit meets people where they are, but He does not leave them there. In His presence, they are changed. Their lives are transformed.
Read Acts 16:11-15, Acts 16:23-34; Acts 17:33-34; and Acts 18:8. These are just a few of the conversion stories in the Bible. What do the various accounts teach us about the power of God to change the lives of all sorts of people from various backgrounds?
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What an amazing variety of people. Lydia was a prosperous Jewish businesswoman, and the Philippian jailer was a middle-class Roman civil servant. The Holy Spirit can reach all spectrums of society. His power to transform reaches both men and women, rich and poor, educated and uneducated.
The last two characters on our list are equally as remarkable. Acts 17:34 refers to the conversion of Dionysius the Areopagite. The Athenian Areopagites were part of the legal counsel of judges who tried court cases. They were prominent, well-respected members of Greek society.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the apostle Paul reached even the upper echelon of society. Crispus (Acts 18:8) was a ruler of the Jewish synagogue. He was a religious leader steeped in Jewish Old Testament thought, and the Holy Spirit broke through and changed his life. These case histories reveal that as we witness for Christ and share His Word with others, the Holy Spirit will do remarkable things in the lives of all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds, cultures, education, and beliefs. We cannot and must not make assumptions about who can or cannot be reached. Our job is to witness to anyone and everyone brought into our lives. The Lord will do the rest.
| Christ’s death was universal; that is, it was for every human being, ever. What should this crucial truth teach us about how we should never assume that anyone is beyond the hope of salvation? |
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One of the groups that intrigues me are those who were already worshipping the LORD but who had not yet heard of or accepted Jesus as the Messiah, as their personal Saviour.
I believe now there are many sincere devout people who are worshipping the LORD based on the light they have received that need to hear the present truth of the three angels message.
Those whom Christ commends in the judgment may have known little of theology, but they have cherished His principles. Through the influence of the divine Spirit they have been a blessing to those about them. Even among the heathen are those who have cherished the spirit of kindness; before the words of life had fallen upon their ears, they have befriended the missionaries, even ministering to them at the peril of their own lives. Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God. DA638.2
As I have said previously, I have not had many opportunities to present Christianity to the leaders of this world. My sphere of influence has been largely but not exclusively limited to students attending my classes. Having been involved in Christian education all my life I am acutely aware of the business of changing lives. It would be nice if I could sit back now that I am retired and say that the Holy Spirit has worked through me and these students have all made their decision to follow the Lord. I have failed enough times to keep me humble. Teaching computer programming and information technology in a Christian environment sets a double challenge. Not only are you trying to influence young people to accept Jesus, you have to teaching then computing skills that they can use in the workplace. And you have to do a good job of the second, otherwise they won't believe you about the first,
I reiterate that it is easy to quote Bible texts to one another about the work and power of the Holy Spirit in a forum such as this, but you have to take those promises with you into the workplace and put them into practice. What do you say to a young man who is not completing their assignments? How do you encourage a young woman who is failing their assessment examinations? What do you do with a student who turns up to class on Monday morning with a hangover?
Does that apply when you are teaching Algorithms and Data Structures?
How does it apply when you are repairing a car, consulting a business, or selling a hot beverage and cookie?
In Christian Education we talk about "Integrated Faith and Learning" where one of the big questions is how to let the Holy Spirit work through you when you are teaching vocational skills. My thesis is that if you are guided by the Holy Spirit, it comes down to how you teach. And in that area I confess I was still learning until the day I switched off my data projector for the last time.
"The Holy Spirit meets people where they are, but He does not leave them there. In His presence, they are changed. Their lives are transformed." I am so much in love with this quote,this is now where we fully understand the precious lovely work of the GODHEAD.The Holy Spirit is the one who meets us deep in sin,convict us and show us Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ washes us with His precious blood and present us purely to the heavenly Father who He gladly forgives us. I praise God for this indescribable love, Amen!
While writing to the church in Rome, Paul exclaimed that "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes"(Rom 1:16). How is the power of God manifested in one's life? The prophet tells us: "not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts"(Zech 4:6). The apostle agrees when writing: "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit"(Titus 3:5). No one less than the 3rd person of the Godhead is our Helper in this fallen world if we believe, and act in faith. It is no wonder that Jesus called Him "the Comforter". Jesus lived His life on earth by this same Spirit/Comforter, and what better Gift could He have given the people of God than this(Acts 1:8)? Elisha asked Elijah for a "double portion" of this same Spirit, due to the great need that he felt. Do we feel such a need today?
The two hymnals prior to our present hymnal both included that lovely hymn: "Holy Spirit, Faithful Guide", which remains a favorite to this day.
Transformation...a conversion to different state of being, why would someone want it? Because her/his present state is not comfortable, nobody like failures so we go on in the hope that there’s more to life, we wear the facade of being happy until we hack happiness. When one encouraged another, that person is trying to convert a person that failed and point them to Jesus who can make one happy. But why do we get unhappy again? It’s when we entertain thoughts about the past failures and wallow over the mistakes, which is basically the work of the enemy. The enemy like to pull us down and telling us that there’s no hope, when we ruminate over failures we let the enemy win. Transformation then is forgetting what’s in the past, accepting ones failures, forgiving oneself, a change behavior and striving for happiness with God as your allies ... as a child we learn it early thru song “ Happiness is to know the savior living a life within his favor having a change in my behavior happiness is the lord. Real joy is mine no matter if the teardrops start, I found a secret it’s Jesus in my heart, happiness is a new creation Jesus and me in good relation having a chance for his salvation happiness is the lord” Growing up in a Christian family one also need transformation, we are all subject of the enemies temptation and with trajectory to fail, but if one received encouragement from others, that encourager is being use by the Holy Spirit to convert one’s despondent situation to a state of being happy. May we encourage one another till Jesus come.
Christ alone can offer us eternal life. "There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved". Acts 4:12
'The Life transforming power of the Holy Spirit' has opened our eyes! We can now, and therefor should, see the people we encounter through spiritual eyes - not to judge, but with compassion. The reason why we treat everyone as we want to be treated is not self-serving, it is spiritually motivated. Matt.22:37-40.
1Cor.2:12-16 - We have accepted the commission to live our life based on our new, spiritual nature - governed, maintained, and supported by the Holy Spirit living in us. We are called upon to submit all that we are to His Authority; also receiving understanding from the Holy Spirit about those areas that we struggle to submit.
Yes, 'we cannot and must not make assumptions about who can or cannot be reached. Our 'job' is to witness to anyone and everyone brought into our lives. The Lord will do the rest'.
James1:17 - 'Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights'.. . All the talents, gifts, spiritual gifts, skills and abilities in a surrendered soul are now made available to be employed by the Holy Spirit for witnessing to the Glory and Grace of the Father in Heaven.
Gal.5:22,23 - When using them, we wrap them in the 'Fruit of the Spirit' as their precious 'mode of delivery' - love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. The verse ends: 'against such there is no law'.
If this is how our talents, gifts, spiritual gifts, skills and abilities are delivered/shared, we will not offend anyone who receives them. These spiritually empowered expressions of the Holy Spirit cannot NOT be responded to. If the response is favorable, we rejoice with them and continue in the hope that the receiver eventually accepts the Heavenly 'Giver of the Gifts'; if the receiver is not open to the spiritual aspect of the Gift, we continue in the relationship as the Spirit leads.
The Holy Spirit will talk to everyone - He is no respecter of persons. If we make ourselves available, He will direct us and use us where He finds us. Our new perspective is/can/should be that we give the Holy Spirit access to call on us 24 hours a day and 7 days a week!
1Peter4:8-10 - 'And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall(will) cover the multitude of sins'. (10) 'As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God'. When acting as ambassadors of Christ, everyone we meet is included.
We have accepted the commission to live our life based on our new, spiritual nature - governed, maintained, and supported by the Holy Spirit living in us. We are called upon to submit all that we are to His Authority; also receiving understanding from the Holy Spirit about those areas that we struggle to submit.
Being a follower of Jesus means much more than going to church or trying to live a good life. It means letting the Holy Spirit change you. Here’s one verse in which Paul wrote about God transforming us:
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Here are three more verses that illustrate God’s desire for you to be transformed and renewed:
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:9-10)