The failure of the church to relate with the Holy Spirit as Lord has tremendous consequences for the body of Christ and the world.
A lot of believers can relate with the Holy Spirit doctrinally but lack the revelation of his Lordship. There are many beliefs that are demonic because of the extent they go to shut out the Holy Spirit from our lives. It is the Holy Spirit that will help us gain liberty and reject religious beliefs that hinder us from walking and living in the Spirit.
In most part of the Bible, the Holy Spirit is silent about himself because he testifies primarily about Jesus Christ. When we read the letters of Paul we can see the depth of insight about the personality of the Holy Spirit. Through the intimacy that Paul had with the Holy Spirit he was able to deliver revelations and instructions that can help the body of Christ to grow, and the believer to become effective.
Behold, We are in the New
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
We’ve passed from death to life, because we’ve received the spirit of his son. Now we have a recreated human spirit and a companion in the person of the Holy Spirit who helps our Spirit man to live the life.
A lot of believers lose their spirit consciousness, which is why they are separated from the realities that God has made available in the person of the Holy Spirit. It’s become a norm for the majority of believers to go through religious sacraments but lack the essence of a genuine and sincere relationship with God born out of fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The realities or experiences of the early church aren’t obvious in the this present church because , most believers haven’t been taught how to relate spiritually.
Our primary existence is spiritual, our spirit got born again not the body or the soul. The same Holy Spirit who quickened Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in us. Without the Holy Spirit our walk is merely religious and full of frustrations.
The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV
We are supposed to engage life with the participation of the Holy Spirit. We are born of the Spirit so, we are to engage life spiritually. We can only engage the kingdom of God through fellowship with the Holy Spirit. If we engage with the confidence of the flesh we will be lost.
“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. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:16-18 ESV
The Holy Spirit dwells in me and he is with me, there’s no way you can journey as a believe without the Holy Spirit. This spiritual walk is defined by Lordship of the Holy Spirit .
“But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 NLT
We’ve been made spiritual to receive truth from God’s Spirit. Unless you are spiritual, you can’t understand what the Holy Spirit is saying. The world can’t relate with the Holy Spirit, that is the reason they mock at every spiritual expression that Christ said we would have. They say “It doesn’t make sense”, “it’s merely foolishness”.
If you can’t relate to these truths, you need to pray that God may deliver you from the carnal mindset. We are spiritual beings created to enjoy a spiritual walk with our father.
Omnipresence and Manifest Presence of God
Gods presence is everywhere. He owns all things. However his manifest presence is not accessed by many believers because they don’t know how to relate with his presence and as such are bankrupt from the expressions of the Kingdom of God.
The omnipresence of God is everywhere wether we choose to acknowledge it or not. This is a general attribute of God which is present everywhere at all times.
The Psalmist wrote
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” Psalm 139:7-8 ESV
God’s manifest presence is not everywhere though, however it is possible for a child of God to partake and encounter this presence.
The Bible is filled with examples of God’s manifest presence, here is an example:
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." He answered and said, "But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods."” Daniel 3:24-25 ESV
Three men were cast into the fire, but there was a fourth man in the fire. God’s manifest presence was there!. God has made provision for us to access his manifest presence, however our ignorance robs us from experiencing this reality. Many believers are ignorant of the manifest presence of God. It is not a surprise that the majority never walk in this reality. The lack of emphasis in our teachings on building our walk with the Holy Spirit cripples a lot of believers and they are alienated from the life of God.
Consciousness of the Manifest Presence
The consciousness of the manifest presence of God, helps you to relate and walk with the Holy Spirit consistently. We bear the fruit of the Spirit by responding in obedience to the inner workings of the Holy Spirit.
The inner workings of the Holy Spirit causes the nature of Christ to overcome the carnal nature that you’ve learnt overtime. By fellowship with the Holy Spirit we begin to learn the ways of the kingdom and bear the fruit of the Spirit.
The manifestation of the Holy Spirit is not an occasion to be celebrated, or a reality reserved for a few ministers. God has removed the walls of separation so we can have unhindered access to him or have fellowship with him. As a result of ignorance of the provision of God, the elects are in darkness and suffer oppressions of the wicked one. Some believers are even possessed which happens when you don’t allow the Holy Spirit to dominate your existence.
When we ignore the Holy Spirit we can’t express the divine nature. He helps us to comply with the nature of God, without his participation this reality is mere wishful thinking. A believer who lives without the Holy Spirit will ultimately lose his desire for God and fall off , because he has not been taught and cultured to live by the spirit.
Experiencing the Manifest Presence of the Holy Spirit
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:8 ESV
There is no way you can enjoy the fellowship of the Holy Spirit if you don’t recognize and draw near to him. If you live without acknowledging his existence you will only be religious and your life will be void of the spiritual experiences that Christ has promised us as believers. Many are deceived simply because they ignore the Holy Spirit, who can teach us all things and culture us to walk the walk.
Examples of the Manifest Presence of the Holy Spirit
“And it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord ), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever," the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.” 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 ESV
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:1-2 ESV
The Holy Spirit always fills the house, there is an infilling of the Holy Spirit. When you fill a place there isn’t any space for anything else. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. When he (the Holy Spirit)takes over people experience liberty.
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:4 ESV
The Holy Spirit gave them the utterance, and in the course of this series we will receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit filled them up and gave them utterance, this is what happens when we don’t give room to the flesh.
“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:12 ESV
The Holy Spirit helps us to discern by comparing spiritual things with spiritual things. When you have fellowship with the Holy Spirit you will not idolize any spiritual gift allow anyone to intimidate you with their gifts. All the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are available to you.
When you have fellowship with the Holy Spirit, you will not get tired of seeking him, the Holy Spirit helps us to enjoy the presence of God.
“Likewise 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.” Romans 8:26 ESV
The Holy Spirit is in you helping you to please God and to live the life.
You are not a slave of the world but a child of God born of the Spirit to express the kingdom of God.
The scripture says your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you confirming the word of Jesus that the Holy Spirit will be in you and with you, not as a guest but as the one in charge. The Holy Spirit helps you to live the divine life.
The more attention you give the Holy Spirit the more God-results you will produce.
Repeat these confession as often as you can:
“I am born of the Spirit”
“I am spirit having a body experience”
“That which is born of God overcomes the world”
When you source your existence from God it becomes easier to participate in the spiritual realm, and you won’t be carnally minded being tossed to and fro by every attack and lie of the enemy. Practicing the manifest presence of God begins with a consciousness of his existence.
The early church apostles did exploits by submitting to the Holy Spirit and relating to him as Lord.
Hindrances to the Manifestations of the Holy Spirit
1. We live in a sinful world
2. Busy and distracted world
All the busyness and carnality of the world tends to cloud our perception of the Holy Spirit. Each time you resist the flesh your spirit man gains dominance.
In this kingdom , our engagement is spiritual . It’s a shame that believers settle for a life void of the Holy Spirit. As children of God we are born of God, we therefore should have a spiritual relationship with him not governed by the flesh but by the Holy Spirit.
Anyone that is born of God does not make a practice of sin, because his seed remains in us. We become slaves of whom we submit to, we live in sin when we become subservient to the flesh . If we don’t renew our minds consciously and deliberately we won’t experience the life of God.
The material world is always in opposition to the word of God. The realities that God has given can never be engaged in the flesh because it is foolishness to the natural man.
God is hungry for your affection and attention, he wants you to turn your affections and attention to him. This is the missing link in most of our experiences with God. If you are not spiritually conscious you can’t engage this life successfully. God has brought us into a relationship with the Holy Spirit so that we can be intimate with him and have a face to face enchantment with him.
To be continued!
