Contrast

 There are undeniable differences between what the Holy Spirit is tasked with regarding those of the world and those who belong to God. There is no broad brush, no one size fits all narrative, and we can see that within the pages of Scripture.

Neither God, Christ, nor the Holy Spirit will treat those of the world in like manner as those of the household of faith. When it comes to the world, the Holy Spirit’s job is to convict it of sin, righteousness, and judgment. When it comes to the children of God, the Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer, renews the believer, leads, fills, comforts, gives gifts, and produces fruit in the believer.

Why do you think the battle to convince the children of God that the Holy Spirit is irrelevant is so heated? Why do you think the battle to convince you that the Holy Spirit is nothing more than an unused appendage within the triune God is so fierce?

When you eliminate the person of the Holy Spirit from the life of a believer and when you convince them that He no longer does what He did and what Christ promised He would do, you are stunting their spiritual growth, and come the trials, come the fire, come the testing, they will wilt and wither.

The enemy knows what he is doing and is meticulous in carrying out his plans. We have an entire generation of believers who consistently focus more on the things of this earth than the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They’ve talked themselves into believing that worldly success equates to the blessing of God in their lives, unwilling to acknowledge that as long as they’re not pressing in and desiring more of God, the devil is more than happy to give them baubles and trinkets.

The one thing the devil is trying to keep you from is what you should be pursuing most. The things the devil is offering you liberally are what you should be staying away from. He’s not your friend. But when our minds have shifted from seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness to the things of this earth and its enticements, we no longer see the devil as the enemy of our souls but as someone who’s just misunderstood and not such a bad guy after all.

The power from on high comes via the Helper or the Holy Spirit. If you eliminate the Holy Spirit and the presence thereof, you’ve eliminated the power which you, as a child of God, were promised by Christ.

If you were never endued with power, you will flinch on the day of battle. If you were never endued with power, even if you have the boldness to face the enemy, you will be doing so in your own strength. It’s one thing to have life; it’s another to have power. When you are born, you have life. What you don’t have is power. You have life, but you have no power to defend yourself, wage war, stand, fight, and overcome.

Some believers remain in that state of infancy for far too long, dependent on others for their succor, and when those they become dependent upon have no desire to see them grow, mature, and go off on their own, they feed them just enough to keep them alive and nothing more.

There is a difference between being alive and having power. Technically, a person in a coma or someone on a ventilator is alive, but they don’t have any power to animate them. Don’t be a spiritual vegetable. Desire the power of God because it is a promise He made to those who would avail themselves of it. If you do not have power, it’s not because God’s hand is short or because He rescinded His offer.

Christ’s first command to His disciples after His resurrection wasn’t to go, and do, tear down, bind up, or declare; it was to wait. He tells them all the things they would be doing, then says, “but terry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

When you put the cart before the horse, you won’t be getting anywhere fast. When you try to do for the kingdom without first having the power to do it, you’ll just be spinning your wheels, growing frustrated, and, somewhere along the way, blaming God for not succeeding in your endeavor.

The disciples waited until they were endued with power from on high, then twelve men turned the world upside down, not because of how capable they were, how convincing, or how eloquent, but because they had power. You can’t have power without life, but you can have life without power. Take a minute; that’s a deep one.

Sadly, that is the state of much of today’s contemporary church. Yes, there are signs of life, but as far as power goes, there is none to be had. What becomes of a church without power? What becomes of a congregation without the presence of the Holy Spirit?

These are questions worth pondering because the night is coming when no man can work. Some will realize it far too late that they could have had what Jesus promised if only they’d asked. They will realize they could have walked in victory rather than defeat, overcome rather than surrendered, and walked in His strength and not their own. For now, the enemy is running out the clock hoping the church doesn’t stir from its slumber. He is doing all he can to ensure that we have no power to speak of when the battle is upon us, and if we are found powerless, all we are is prey.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.