Accepted
As we wrap up a week reflecting on the Holy Spirit, let’s hear what Jesus said: "The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:17 NIV11)
The World's Blindness to the Spirit
The world cannot accept Him for they don't see or know Him. So true. Many people out there would reject everything I've said this week. They'd say I'm speaking nonsense, it's all just idealism.
If you aren't open to seeing Him, you will never get to know Him, and you'll never accept Him. But if you'll believe and accept, you'll see.
If you'll take Jesus at His word and accept what He says about the Spirit to be true, if you'll believe today that there is a Holy Spirit who longs to be your advocate and to attend or live within you, you’ll see how true it is. But you've got to accept His invitation and not reject Him. You've got to open your heart and say come live within Lord! You've got to surrender your life and not hold back any longer!
I was always a bit skeptical about the baptism of the Spirit. I didn't really believe in or accept the Spirit's true indwelling because I'd never felt it. To be sure, I was saved. I believed in Jesus as my Saviour, my Lord. I believed that my sins were washed away not because of my own worth but because Jesus paid my price. I gave my life to working for Him and sharing Him.
Then for a long season I felt God was calling me to something more. I read much about the baptism of the Spirit, and how in that moment the Spirit would cleanse me and become a true source of help and comfort as He came to live within me.
Overcoming Barriers to Spirit Baptism
One of the books I was reading at the time was Helps to Holiness by Samuel Brengle, the great Salvation Army author. He wrote that there are two main hindrances to the blessing of Spirit baptism and cleansing: imperfect consecration (not truly giving your all to God), and imperfect faith (not truly believing He can and will transform you).
This really hit me! Because I think I’d never truly consecrated my all to God. I’d held back some aspects of my life that I wanted to still live without Him. And I think I also never truly believed in His power to cleanse and make me holy. I never really believed in the baptism of the Holy Spirit in this way.
So, reading Brengle’s words, I decided to change this. I made a full consecration of all aspects of my life. And I decided to take God at His word and believe that when I asked for His baptising Spirit, I would receive Him in that moment.
I decided to keep this total consecration and total faith in the Spirit’s work, all day and every day. And this is what changed my life. Like I think it did for the disciples. I believe you can experience something similar.
The Holy Spirit is a personal being, who took Jesus' place as our Advocate and Attending Comforter. Will you open yourself to Him today and hold nothing back? Will you accept by faith His ability to cleanse and sanctify you completely now and every moment?
I pray you will. May God cleanse and sanctify you by His Spirit, now in Jesus’ name.
