I am re-reading a book called The Way to Pentecost. Author Samuel Chadwick opens this way: “The Apostles’ Creed contains 10 articles on the Person and Work of Christ and only 1 on the Holy Spirit. The proportion of 10 to 1 about represents the interest in the doctrine of the Spirit in the history of Christian thought. No doctrine of the Christian Faith has been so neglected.” (p. 13) Why is the Holy Spirit rarely mentioned in so many churches?
The Apostle Paul wrote some dramatic words about the Spirit. He said, “…if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:9b)
Read that again
“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ (another name for Holy Spirit), they DO NOT belong to Christ.” Given that text, church members are imperiled when leaders sidestep leading their people to the Holy Spirit.
Are you in a Spirit-neglecting church? Think about it.
A big bonfire…
Samuel Chadwick lived from 1860 to 1932. Raised in a family of devout Methodists, he became a pastor at the age of 21.
Apparently, Samuel’s first congregation was smug and self-satisfied. In spite of that, he still wanted their approval desperately. Laboring over his sermons, Samuel worked to make them perfect so as to be seen as a very learned young man. Sadly, his congregation remained unchanged. And as a result, God’s presence and power felt absent.
Samuel despaired. One night he took those “lovely” sermons outside and lit them with a match creating a huge bonfire. Not only was paper consumed, but his pride, self-sufficiency, and spiritual weakness also “went up in smoke.”
What the Spirit did next…
The Holy Spirit filled him with tremendous power.
Samuel wrote: “The tide turned. At my next sermon seven souls were converted (“one for each of my barren years”) and I called the whole congregation to a week of prayer. The following weekend most of the church was baptized in the Holy Spirit and revival began to spread through the valley. In the space of a few months, hundreds were converted to Jesus, among them some of the most notorious sinners in the area.” (p. 9)
The central topic of this blog comes from these words by Samuel Chadwick: “The Christian religion is hopeless without the Holy Ghost.” (p. 16) Truly, we cannot grow into real disciples of Jesus Christ without a relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Why is the Spirit necessary?
The Holy Spirit is God. He’s not an idea, a topic, or an impersonal force. He is God. Therefore, the Spirit should be worshiped and honored along with the Father and the Son. He does not belong just to Pentecostal churches. All Christians NEED the Holy Spirit.
Scripture tells us that Jesus’ disciples often lacked understanding. They were bumbling, competitive, etc. Jesus was frequently a mystery to them, although they lived and traveled with Him for three years. They couldn’t do a lot of the things He did.
Occasionally acting in Jesus’ name
It is true that they did receive the Spirit and could heal and deliver people at times. Luke describes the disciples going out in Jesus’ name and returning with great joy in his gospel. They reported to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” (Luke 10:17) But their power was temporary.
After Jesus died and was resurrected, He appeared to the disciples. Some of His very last words, as recorded by Luke, were, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) The Holy Spirit was “the Promise.”
Losing our shyness, finding our tongue
Believe it or not, speaking openly about Jesus is one of the hardest actions we are called to take as disciples. Many who believe in Christ will do kind deeds, or attend church regularly. But, to truly speak about Jesus as Savior and Lord to others, especially to resistant people, challenges us. Without the Holy Spirit, people rarely have courage to do this.
Think again about the disciples of Christ. What did they do in the immediate days after His crucifixion? The gospel writer John tells us that, “On the evening of that first day of the week [after the crucifixion] when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them…” (John 20:19)
Authority comes from the Spirit
The disciples were cowering in fear after Jesus’ death.
But, He came among them and spent time with them. Then, Jesus ascended into heaven. Ten days later, the disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Links to some of my articles about the baptism of the Holy Spirit can be found at the end of this article.
The men and women who hid in an upper room in Jerusalem suddenly became preachers, healers, exorcists, teachers, etc. In one episode in the Book of Acts, Peter and John were prisoners before the very same Jewish Council that had condemned Jesus to death. Their crime was healing a beggar and preaching about Jesus.
The Holy Spirit removes all fear
Fearlessly, Peter spoke of Jesus before these powerful Jewish leaders. He said, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Peter preached Jesus to them – to people who could crucify Peter! A mantle of authority and fearlessness had come over him by the power of the Holy Spirit. The next verse, 13, says this:
“When they [the leaders] saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)
Wisdom and Power come from the Spirit
A classic education, a job title, or their own grit is not what made them powerful preachers and healers. The Holy Spirit endowed them with divine power. Jesus had promised, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Healing, Deliverance, and Love
The healing of Jesus continued. The reason? The Holy Spirit had come upon the disciples. Now, they could minister unceasingly just like Jesus. The gospel books of the Bible are filled with stories of Jesus’ healing. But, the Book of Acts, the letters of Paul – these tell of the healings that went on and only increased. In fact, there are two verses that are an example of the increase, not the decrease of healing power from the Spirit:
“God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” (Acts 19:11-12)
Why is the Holy Spirit needed today?
Paul was not the only one who performed miracles. Healing was practiced throughout the Christian community. It is still possible today – but only with the Holy Spirit’s manifestation through us.
Just like Samuel Chadwick, we’re useless without the Holy Spirit. We can appear “religious,” say religious words, do religious acts, but without the Spirit there is no power.
And, the greatest of these is love
Finally, great love for others comes from the Holy Spirit’s work in us.
Forgiving unforgiveable people, bearing with offenses, doing ministry in “dark” places – the capacity for these acts comes from the Spirit alone. Jesus showed the “no greater love than this” (John 15:13) which allowed Him to lay down His life for others. We can have that level of love, but it is only possible when the Holy Spirit is with us and in us too.
Who is the Holy Spirit and what does He do?
The baptism of the Holy Spirit | Part I
The baptism of the Holy Spirit | Part II
Why Did Jesus Die? Understanding the Gospel
The ABCs of discipleship began September 7, 2023. I intended to publish new articles regularly. Unfortunately, I stopped writing for many months due to an illness in the family. All is well now, so I will begin again to publish regular articles on how to become devoted, passionate followers of Christ.
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