July 8th, 2025
Last week, we talked about the importance of treasuring the things God has given. Jesus is God’s gift to the world – the atonement for our sin. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son.” His own people rejected Him, but He wasn’t murdered. He gave His life in spite of their hatred.
Isaiah 53:3 says,
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
It was the enemy’s plan to kill Him, because the enemy didn’t understand what His atonement would allow. The veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom at the moment Jesus breathed His last breath, signifying that God could dwell with men like He never could before.
This week, I’ve been thinking about another gift of the Father – One that many don’t receive and honor. Jesus is no longer on the earth. He is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for His people (Hebrews 7:25 and 1 John 2:1-2), but He said it was better for us that He go.
John 16:7-8 says,
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”
Jesus Himself said it was to our advantage that He go so He could send the Helper. He told His disciples to do nothing until that Helper came.
Luke 24:49 says,
“Behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
The Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father, made available to us by the blood of Jesus and He Himself is a gift.
Acts 2:38 says,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The sad truth is that just as many reviled Jesus when He was on the earth, there are many – even those who love Jesus – who revile the Holy Spirit, now. They don’t understand Him; they believe lies of the enemy that lead them to view Him as a strange or unwelcome “thing.” But He is not a thing. He is not wind or fire, though those things appeared when He came (Acts 2). He is the very Spirit of God. He is the breath and power of the Father poured out on His people so we can walk the way Jesus walked. Paul said not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). We are temples of the very Spirit of God, and it is our responsibility to keep ourselves holy.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says,
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, glorify God with your body.”
We have to understand that the Holy Spirit is God’s gift to His church until Jesus returns. He is the only way we can walk in the fullness of what God has for us. We cannot take this gift for granted or disregard His significance. Jesus placed utmost importance on His coming. Look at some of the things Jesus said about the Helper – the Holy Spirit:
John 14:15-17 says,
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."
John 14:26 says,
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
John 15:26 says,
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about me.”
Paul said in Romans 8:26,
“The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
Jesus is not physically on the earth right now, but we have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us, as our Helper and our advocate, enabling us to walk in agreement with the Father, in the righteousness of Jesus on the earth. We have to understand that the world cannot receive Him. He can only be received by one who has been born again by the blood of Jesus. As we carry His presence, we will look different. Just as oil and water cannot mix – just as light can’t share space with darkness – the Holy Spirit cannot mix with the world. He is holy – set apart – just as we are when we have been washed by the blood of Jesus. You cannot carry the Holy Spirit and do whatever you want. However, when you carry the Holy Spirit, you’ll walk in truth, power, freedom, hope, joy, and love that you never could have walked in without Him. We get to choose to honor, welcome, and treasure Him. He is the Spirit of the Living God, poured out for us!
Isaiah 53:3 says,
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
It was the enemy’s plan to kill Him, because the enemy didn’t understand what His atonement would allow. The veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom at the moment Jesus breathed His last breath, signifying that God could dwell with men like He never could before.
This week, I’ve been thinking about another gift of the Father – One that many don’t receive and honor. Jesus is no longer on the earth. He is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for His people (Hebrews 7:25 and 1 John 2:1-2), but He said it was better for us that He go.
John 16:7-8 says,
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”
Jesus Himself said it was to our advantage that He go so He could send the Helper. He told His disciples to do nothing until that Helper came.
Luke 24:49 says,
“Behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
The Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father, made available to us by the blood of Jesus and He Himself is a gift.
Acts 2:38 says,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The sad truth is that just as many reviled Jesus when He was on the earth, there are many – even those who love Jesus – who revile the Holy Spirit, now. They don’t understand Him; they believe lies of the enemy that lead them to view Him as a strange or unwelcome “thing.” But He is not a thing. He is not wind or fire, though those things appeared when He came (Acts 2). He is the very Spirit of God. He is the breath and power of the Father poured out on His people so we can walk the way Jesus walked. Paul said not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). We are temples of the very Spirit of God, and it is our responsibility to keep ourselves holy.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says,
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, glorify God with your body.”
We have to understand that the Holy Spirit is God’s gift to His church until Jesus returns. He is the only way we can walk in the fullness of what God has for us. We cannot take this gift for granted or disregard His significance. Jesus placed utmost importance on His coming. Look at some of the things Jesus said about the Helper – the Holy Spirit:
John 14:15-17 says,
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."
John 14:26 says,
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
John 15:26 says,
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about me.”
Paul said in Romans 8:26,
“The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
Jesus is not physically on the earth right now, but we have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us, as our Helper and our advocate, enabling us to walk in agreement with the Father, in the righteousness of Jesus on the earth. We have to understand that the world cannot receive Him. He can only be received by one who has been born again by the blood of Jesus. As we carry His presence, we will look different. Just as oil and water cannot mix – just as light can’t share space with darkness – the Holy Spirit cannot mix with the world. He is holy – set apart – just as we are when we have been washed by the blood of Jesus. You cannot carry the Holy Spirit and do whatever you want. However, when you carry the Holy Spirit, you’ll walk in truth, power, freedom, hope, joy, and love that you never could have walked in without Him. We get to choose to honor, welcome, and treasure Him. He is the Spirit of the Living God, poured out for us!
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