Come, Holy Spirit

I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Joel 2:28

Just before the Passover, Jesus warned His disciples that He wouldn’t be with them forever. That His teaching would soon be over, but that the Father would send a Helper to remind them of what He said.

These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 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 said to you. John 14: 25-26

Not long after, Jesus was crucified. It’s hard to imagine what it was like for Jesus’ disciples to have witnessed that, and then His triumphant rising from the dead. I’m sure they were just getting used to having Him with them again when He broke the news to them that He would be leaving for heaven. And then He promises the Holy Spirit to them once again: that through the power of the Holy Spirit, they would be His witnesses throughout the whole earth.

He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Acts 1:7-8

Soon after, that promise came true. The Holy Spirit came upon the believers gathered together. I love reading the account of the day of Pentecost!

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Acts 2:1-4

As believers, we have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us! Although we likely won’t experience the tongues of fire or the noise like a violent rushing wind, we do have the privilege of being filled with the Holy Spirit. We are sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit, given to us as a pledge of our inheritance.

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14

Paul reminds us in several of His letters that the Holy Spirit dwells in us.

Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. II Timothy 1:13-14

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? I Cor. 6:19

The Holy Spirit dwells in us! God is in us! That’s a great reassurance, knowing that we are not on our own – God has provided His Spirit to lead and guide us. The Holy Spirit is within us to be our teacher, convict us of sin, renew us and keep us on the path of righteousness. Isn’t it a relief that we don’t have to rely on ourselves? I am so grateful for God’s provision of His Spirit, and for His work in my life.

I echo David’s sentiments from Psalm 51:10-11:

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Come, Holy Spirit
Author unknown, circa 11th century
Translated from Latin to German by Martin Luther
and to English by Catherine Winkworth

Come, Holy Spirit, God and Lord!
Let all your graces be outpoured
On each believer’s mind and heart;
Your fervent love to us impart.

Lord, by the brightness of Your light,
You in the faith do men unite
Of every land and every tongue;
This to Your praise, O Lord, be sung.

From every error keep us free;
Let none but Christ our Master be,
That we in living faith abide,
In Him with all our might confide.

Lord, by Your power prepare each heart
And to the weakness strength impart,
That bravely here we may contend,
Through life and death to You ascend.