The release of the spirit
1Thes. 5:12-24
Intro: What happened on the Day of Pentecost
A continuation of Pentecost happens whenever anyone is filled with the Holy Spirit like the testimony we heard today from Janet.
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St Paul’s understanding of how the Holy Spirit works with us is shown in 1 Cor. 14: 14 -15 He says that we have a spiritual part of us which is our spirit. That function is subject to our will like our mind is. Paul says, “I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind”
But what is the human spirit and how does it work in relation to the other parts of our being?
1 Thes 5:23 gives us a Biblical insight into the way we function in 3 parts: spirit, soul and body. The order is important because for a Christian the spirit is primary.
These 3 functions can be depicted as 3 concentric circles with
-the outside the body functioning through the 5 senses: sight, sound, taste, smell and touch
- the soul as the natural personality of a person functioning as mind, emotions and will
-the innermost part is the spirit that functions in the areas of conscience, intuition and communion or worship.
We’ll consider these functions in more depth and how they work together as we go through this talk.
SPIRIT, SOUL, BODY
Spirit - conscience, intuition, communion
Soul - mind, emotions, will
Body - seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching
The unregenerate person: Ephesians 2:1-3 says is spiritually dead, dominated by soul and body. The spirit is darkened by sin and only awakened by Jesus cleansing blood and the coming in of his Spirit.
Example: me trying to find truth and God through my soul, religious, interlectual, cultural, proud and depressed.
When we are born again our spirit is awakened and we can experience God and His Word. The Holy Spirit comes into our spirit. John 3:, 5-6. We are born again of the Spirit. Spirit gives birth to spirit ( Romans 8.15)
When the Holy Spirit comes upon us and we are filled with the Holy Spirit then is fulfilled what Jesus promised in John 7:38. ”out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water”
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THE BODY OF THE BELIEVER: is a temple of the Holy Spirit; a place for God to dwell in like the Temple in Jerusalem.
The temple had 3 parts: the outer court; the inner court and the Holy of Holies where God’s presence dwelt. So we believers have an outer body, an inner soul and an innermost spirit where God’s presence is experienced.
Romans 12: 1-3 tells us to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice and be transformed by the renewal of our minds so we may discern the good and acceptable and perfect will if God. This implies that if we submit our body and mind to God we will discern the will of God i.e. what the Spirit is saying and doing. Discerning is a function of the spirit because through our spirit we receive revelation from God.(see 1 Cor. 12: 8-11) Also remember the revelation from God to Peter in Math. 16:16-17 about Jesus as the Christ.
The Bible says bodily exercise profitteth a little but spiritual exercise profitteth much. The idolization of sport and the human body is clearly not God’s priority. What are your priorities? Physical or spiritual?
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THE SOUL OF THE BELIEVER: consists of the mind, emotions and will. In the world outside of the Spirit these functions are idolized like the body. Before I came to Christ I thought that if I could just build up my brain and my cultural education and discernment of the fine things of life that I was drawing near to God. But there are many very educated and cultural atheists who reject God and face a Christless eternity.
For the believer we are to train our minds in the things of God in His Word and His Spirit so we know Him and can serve Him effectively.
Jesus emotions were subject to his spirit. He was moved with compassion for the lost; he rejoiced in his spirit when the 70 returned with success from their mission.
Dr Bob Pierce an evangelist in China prayed a very dangerous prayer:”Lord, let my heart by broken over the things that break your heart.” Soon he was handed an orphan child to look after and he knew this was from God. So he started World Vision and now millions of children have been sponsored to help them and their impoverished communities around the world.
Nicky Gumbel was overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit so powerfully when John Wimber prayed for him that he was so drunk in the Spirit that he had to be assisted home. As he left the meeting John Wimber prophecied “That man has a gift to communicate the gospel” Now over 14 mil. People around the world have listened to Nicky on Alpha.
When people let The Holy Spirit move their emotions wonderful things can happen to advance the Kingdom of God.
The believer is to submit his mind and emotions and will to be subject to the Holy Spirit working through his or her spirit.
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HOW CAN WE GROW STRONG IN THE SPIRIT? By sensitising our spirit within to the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell in us.
Train ourselves to intuitively sense what God would have us say and do.
Example: Bill Subritzky being mentored by another man in his housemeeting how to pray for people. Eventually he took a leap of faith and spoke out what he thought God was showing him and so now he has been used widely to help many people connect with God for salvation and healing. The healing gifts of the Spirit are available to us if we will seek them.
CONSCIENCE: Likewise by taking the Bible seriously and sensitising our consciences to how God judges things particularly in the eternal things of sin, righteousness and judgement our spiritual inner person can grow. Romans 14:15 says ’The Kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.’
COMMUNION with God in the Spirit is another function of the human spirit.
Jesus said ‘the Father seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth’. We are to pray in the spirit; sing in the spirit and enjoy the presence of God in the Spirit. The New Testament uses the same word for the Spirit of God as for the human spirit and in fact when a believer is moving in the Holy Spirit his own spirit becomes one with the Holy Spirit.
St Paul urged Timothy to ‘stir up the Spirit that is within you by the laying on of hands because have not received a spirit of fear to fall back but theSpirit of power, love and a sound mind’(2 Tim 1:7) By the Spirit we have the mind of Christ(1 Cor. 2:14-16)
2 ways we are warned not to block the Spirit:
‘Do not greive the Spirit’ by not forgiving and hardening our hearts to others and to God. Ephesians 4:30-32
‘Do not quench the Spirit’ by despising those who seek to bring you the word of God.
Finally 2 Cor. 3: 16-18 says ’when we turn to the Lord who is the Spirit the veil over our spiritual eyes is removed. All of us can see the glory of the Lord and be transformed to be like Jesus who is the glory of God’ So let’s do that.
