Moving from Resistance to Embracement of the Holy Spirit
Stephen makes a bold speech in the face of opposition in Acts 7. Stephen publicly calls out the High Priest and the religious elite of the Sanhedrin, and implicates them of resisting the Holy Spirit.
Stephen calls them a "stiff necked people". Not exactly an endearing description.
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you." -Acts 7:51
The religious establishment is built by power and control, and a desire to consolidate that power in human hands rather than God's hands. There isn't room for the Holy Spirit or His power in a leadership community that relies on their strength and understanding over the Spirits strength and understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
When Christians resist the Holy Spirit, it is because we want to maintain control, rather than yielding control to the Holy Spirit.
What can we do today to ensure we never become like the Sanhedrin in Acts 7?
We must confess Jesus as Lord and welcome His Holy Spirit fully into our lives.
The first thing we must do is reject the notion that the Holy Spirit is an influential force, an attitude, an experience, or some other mystical energy that proceeds from God. It is vital to agree with the scriptures that teach us that the Holy Spirit is a person, the third member of the trinitarian God, fully God, yet an individual member of the Godhead. (Genesis 1:26)
Just look at the list of scriptures that describe the Holy Spirits personhood and personality!
He has a mind. (Romans 8:27)
He has a will. (1 Cor. 12:11)
He has emotions. (Romans 15:30; Galatians 5:22)
He comforts. (Acts 9:31)
He speaks. (Hebrews 3:7; 1 Tim. 4:1)
He teaches. (1 Cor. 2:13)
He can be grieved. (Eph. 4:30)
He can be insulted. (Hebrews 10:29)
He can be resisted. (Acts 7:51)
He can be lied to. (Acts 5:1-11)
Don't let the picture of the dove above mislead you...there are a number of symbols throughout scripture that signal the Holy Spirit's manifestation: oil, water, wind, fire, and a dove. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus at His baptism like a dove, not as a dove. (Mat. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32)
Why are we so quick to accept and embrace the person of Jesus and so slow to accept and embrace the person of the Holy Spirit?
I think it's because we view the Holy Spirit as an "it" rather than a "Him." When we view the Holy Spirit as an "it", we experience the Spirit as an impersonal commodity. As long as we view the Holy Spirit this way, our future faith remains weak:
Life without the Holy Spirit:
Without the Holy Spirit, the faith is dry and empty.
Without the Holy Spirit, Christian labor is depleting instead of fullfilling.
Without the Holy Spirit, fellowship with God is seemingly impossible.
Without the Holy Spirit, there is no vision.
Without the Holy Spirit, there is no joy.
Without the Holy Spirit, there is no freedom.
Without the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures make little sense. Actually, the scriptures can become lethal without the Holy Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:6)
Without the Holy Spirit in the Church:
Church becomes a social club.
Church becomes a religious institution.
Church becomes a following of the most gifted individuals.
Church becomes a Sanhedrin that consolidates power in human hands over God's hands.
Don't resist the Holy Spirit like the religious elite did. Accept and embrace Him like a child.
Yielding to the person of the Holy Spirit worships Jesus because when you do you have accepted and embraced the Holy Spirit as the comforter, counselor, intercessor, advocate, strengthener that came as God, a promise made by Jesus. (John 14:26)
He is the agent on earth for the Church age.
Jesus will always be the subject of our faith and worship, and when Christ departed to the right hand of God the Father who reigns for all eternity, the Holy Spirit was sent to us and became the member of the Godhead who fills us, and desires to be our closest friend!
Praise God! Unlike the Old Testament, God dwells not in a tent, but in a temple! That temple is you and me! ( 1 Cor. 6:19)
Think of this: The Holy Spirit won't return to heaven until the end of the Church age, and after Christ's final return. Mind blowing! The Holy Spirit is so old, yet he has never aged. He has existed eternally from everlasting to everlasting! And He has been sent by Christ to live in the temples of believers for the rest of the Church age! Let's be careful not to resist Him, which offends Him!
Want freedom from the tyranny of disordered desires?
Want freedom from a dry and empty faith?
Want freedom from fear and anxiety?
Yield.
In Christ, God has already emptied Himself entirely at the Cross. (Philippians 2:6-8)
God has poured Himself out fully on the Church at Pentecost. (Acts 2)
God cannot give any more of Himself. He has given everything.
It is now our turn to empty ourselves and pour ourselves out entirely in response.
Accept.
Accept that yielding to the Holy Spirit is giving up control. Something the corrupt religious leaders could not do because they resisted the Holy Spirit.
Embrace.
Embrace the Holy Spirit and see Him as scripture reveals Him - a person!
Yielding, accepting, and embracing leads to freedom!
For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor. 3:17)
Today, yield to the person of the Holy Spirit. Talk about Him, pray to Him, sing to Him, ask Him to manifest Himself! James 4:8 says that when we draw near to Him, He draws near to us!
stay salty. be bright.
Pastor Luke
Stephen calls them a "stiff necked people". Not exactly an endearing description.
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you." -Acts 7:51
The religious establishment is built by power and control, and a desire to consolidate that power in human hands rather than God's hands. There isn't room for the Holy Spirit or His power in a leadership community that relies on their strength and understanding over the Spirits strength and understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
When Christians resist the Holy Spirit, it is because we want to maintain control, rather than yielding control to the Holy Spirit.
What can we do today to ensure we never become like the Sanhedrin in Acts 7?
We must confess Jesus as Lord and welcome His Holy Spirit fully into our lives.
The first thing we must do is reject the notion that the Holy Spirit is an influential force, an attitude, an experience, or some other mystical energy that proceeds from God. It is vital to agree with the scriptures that teach us that the Holy Spirit is a person, the third member of the trinitarian God, fully God, yet an individual member of the Godhead. (Genesis 1:26)
Just look at the list of scriptures that describe the Holy Spirits personhood and personality!
He has a mind. (Romans 8:27)
He has a will. (1 Cor. 12:11)
He has emotions. (Romans 15:30; Galatians 5:22)
He comforts. (Acts 9:31)
He speaks. (Hebrews 3:7; 1 Tim. 4:1)
He teaches. (1 Cor. 2:13)
He can be grieved. (Eph. 4:30)
He can be insulted. (Hebrews 10:29)
He can be resisted. (Acts 7:51)
He can be lied to. (Acts 5:1-11)
Don't let the picture of the dove above mislead you...there are a number of symbols throughout scripture that signal the Holy Spirit's manifestation: oil, water, wind, fire, and a dove. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus at His baptism like a dove, not as a dove. (Mat. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32)
Why are we so quick to accept and embrace the person of Jesus and so slow to accept and embrace the person of the Holy Spirit?
I think it's because we view the Holy Spirit as an "it" rather than a "Him." When we view the Holy Spirit as an "it", we experience the Spirit as an impersonal commodity. As long as we view the Holy Spirit this way, our future faith remains weak:
Life without the Holy Spirit:
Without the Holy Spirit, the faith is dry and empty.
Without the Holy Spirit, Christian labor is depleting instead of fullfilling.
Without the Holy Spirit, fellowship with God is seemingly impossible.
Without the Holy Spirit, there is no vision.
Without the Holy Spirit, there is no joy.
Without the Holy Spirit, there is no freedom.
Without the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures make little sense. Actually, the scriptures can become lethal without the Holy Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:6)
Without the Holy Spirit in the Church:
Church becomes a social club.
Church becomes a religious institution.
Church becomes a following of the most gifted individuals.
Church becomes a Sanhedrin that consolidates power in human hands over God's hands.
Don't resist the Holy Spirit like the religious elite did. Accept and embrace Him like a child.
Yielding to the person of the Holy Spirit worships Jesus because when you do you have accepted and embraced the Holy Spirit as the comforter, counselor, intercessor, advocate, strengthener that came as God, a promise made by Jesus. (John 14:26)
He is the agent on earth for the Church age.
Jesus will always be the subject of our faith and worship, and when Christ departed to the right hand of God the Father who reigns for all eternity, the Holy Spirit was sent to us and became the member of the Godhead who fills us, and desires to be our closest friend!
Praise God! Unlike the Old Testament, God dwells not in a tent, but in a temple! That temple is you and me! ( 1 Cor. 6:19)
Think of this: The Holy Spirit won't return to heaven until the end of the Church age, and after Christ's final return. Mind blowing! The Holy Spirit is so old, yet he has never aged. He has existed eternally from everlasting to everlasting! And He has been sent by Christ to live in the temples of believers for the rest of the Church age! Let's be careful not to resist Him, which offends Him!
Want freedom from the tyranny of disordered desires?
Want freedom from a dry and empty faith?
Want freedom from fear and anxiety?
Yield.
In Christ, God has already emptied Himself entirely at the Cross. (Philippians 2:6-8)
God has poured Himself out fully on the Church at Pentecost. (Acts 2)
God cannot give any more of Himself. He has given everything.
It is now our turn to empty ourselves and pour ourselves out entirely in response.
Accept.
Accept that yielding to the Holy Spirit is giving up control. Something the corrupt religious leaders could not do because they resisted the Holy Spirit.
Embrace.
Embrace the Holy Spirit and see Him as scripture reveals Him - a person!
Yielding, accepting, and embracing leads to freedom!
For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor. 3:17)
Today, yield to the person of the Holy Spirit. Talk about Him, pray to Him, sing to Him, ask Him to manifest Himself! James 4:8 says that when we draw near to Him, He draws near to us!
stay salty. be bright.
Pastor Luke
2 Comments
So good. Going to really focus on the person of the Holy Spirit instead of an IT.
Yes! Amen!