Holy Spirit

"What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?" Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit."

—John 3:4-5 NLT

Key Thought


We can begin life all over again. This new beginning is called the new birth. We can be "born of God" (John 1:12-13). While a physical rebirth is not possible, each true follower of Jesus is "born of water and the...

 

[John the Baptizer continued,] "I didn't know [Jesus] 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 1:33-34 NLT

Key Thought


John doesn't claim that he has any special knowledge of Jesus' identity because of insider information as a cousin of Jesus. No...

 

[The Gentile Christians] were pleased to [send financial support to Jewish Christians], 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 NIV

Key Thought


Through the ages, the Spirit has guided the people of God and brought God's message and his blessings. The difficult path through history for God's people and the treacherous...

 

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

—Romans 12:11 NIV

Key Thought


The phrase "keep your spiritual fervor" is the meaning of an idiom in Greek that literally says "to boil in the spirit." We are to be on fire with the Holy Spirit! That fire is 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.

Today's...

 

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

Key Thought


Paul wants to bless the believers in Rome with a spiritual gift that finds its effectiveness and grace in the Holy Spirit's power and presence. When Paul is able to gather with the Roman Christians 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."...

 

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 NIV

Key Thought


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

 

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 NIV

Key Thought


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

 

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 NIV

Key Thought


Many translations use the term "spiritual songs" and so we miss an important connection. From the viewpoint of the early believers and New Testament writers, for anything to be truly "spiritual," it had to involve the Holy Spirit...

 

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

Key Thought


Salvation is connected to two central realities — one is that we believe the truth about Jesus, placing our trust in him, and the other is that the Spirit...

 

Some of you were once [living sinful lives]. 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

Key Thought


The verses leading up to this passage give a laundry list of sins (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Then Paul makes two points using the verb "were." His first point is that some of us "were" people habitually living those sins! The second...