Holy Spirit

Verse
[John the Baptizer continued,] "I didn't know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God."

— John 1:33 nlt

Thought
John doesn't claim that he has any special knowledge of Jesus' identity because of insider information as a cousin of Jesus. No, John's recognition was based...

 

Verse
[John the Baptizer said,] "I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel." Then John testified, "I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him."

— John 1:31-32 nlt

Thought
Even though John the Baptizer and Jesus were relatives, John didn't immediately recognize him until God made clear that Jesus was the Messiah. The Holy Spirit revealed the truth about Jesus. That was true at...

 

Verse
They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.

— Romans 15:27 tniv

Thought
The Spirit guided the people of God and brought God's message and God's blessings. This difficult path through history and the treacherous times of human failings was completed because of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God's leaders and his...

 

Verse
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

— Romans 12:11 tniv

Thought
The phrase, "keep your spiritual fervor" is an idiom that literally means "to boil in the spirit." We are to be on fire with the Holy Spirit! That's the key to "never be lacking in zeal" and "serving the Lord." Inspired, empowered, and filled with the Holy Spirit, we can be passionate for Jesus.

Prayer
O God, I want to honor you in all I do. I want Jesus to be seen in my...

 

Verse
For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord.

— Romans 1:11 nlt

Thought
Paul wants to bless the believers in Rome with a gift that finds its effectiveness and grace in the Holy Spirit's power and presence. As he gathers with them in the name of Jesus, he is confident that he can bring them encouragement and blessing that can help them "grow strong in the Lord." This is the gift of Christian fellowship and worship...

 

Verse
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

— Ephesians 1:3 tniv

Thought
Go back and read that verse again and instead of reading "every spiritual blessing" read it "every blessing the Spirit gives"! Does it change the meaning? Does it refine your focus? Spiritual means "of the Spirit" — from the Spirit or involving the Spirit. The root of the word "spiritual" in the original is...

 

Verse
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

— Colossians 3:16 tniv

Thought
Many translations use the term "spiritual songs" and so we miss the connection. From the point of view of the early believers, for anything to truly be "spiritual" they have involved the Holy Spirit. Worship, and in particular singing, offers the Holy...

 

Verse
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives....

— Colossians 1:9 tniv

Thought
There are simply some things that no one, not even the smartest among us, can understand without the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:12-14). One of the greatest blessings we can ask God to send to our brothers and sisters in Christ is what...

 

Verse
As for us, we can't help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation — a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth.

— 2 Thessalonians 2:13 nlt

Thought
Salvation is connected to two central realities — first, we trust the truth about Jesus, and second, the Spirit of God comes into our lives, making us holy and making...

 

Verse
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

— 1 Corinthians 6:11 nlt

Thought
The verses leading up to this passage give a laundry list of sins. Then Paul makes two points using the word, "were." Some of us "were" those sins! Now, however, we live with a new reality: we "were" cleansed and made right with God. We can call this "the grace of...