by Pastor Mark Cowart
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.”
1 Corinthians 12:1
The Lord is telling us concerning the supernatural, concerning the realm of the Spirit, we should not be ignorant, which means to ignore that realm or lack information on it. The gifts of the spirit described in 1 Corinthians 12 (insert sidebar of those gifts) are active and available today. Part of my testimony is that I grew up in the Lutheran Church which focuses strongly on the word of God– which I am thankful for. It wasn’t until later in my early adulthood that I learned about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and as I grew spiritually I began to hunger for those gifts.
“The Holy Spirit is not merely a doctrine or force, but the third person of the Godhead sent by Jesus to dwell within believers.”
In John chapter 16 is where the Lord is preparing his disciples for his crucifixion and departure. The disciples traveled with him. They slept in close proximity to him. They ministered to him. They saw him do miracles. But verse 7 Jesus says, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you.”
Jesus emphasized the importance of His departure by prefacing his statement with “I tell you the truth.” In the greek, the word expedient means it’s to your benefit. So you might ask, how in the world could it be better that the Lord goes away than being right in front of us? The answer is, the Holy Spirit.
The disciples hearing this news didn’t know at the time that the Holy Spirit would come on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and be in the earth and they would literally be born again, born from above their spirit. Man would be brand new and the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead would literally move on the inside of them. What does that mean? That means you don’t have to get in line to see the Lord anymore. You don’t have to take a number, so to speak. The Holy Spirit is within you and he’s there as a strengthener. He’s there as a comforter. He’s there to bring counsel.
The Holy Spirit is with you now, but if you invite him in– he’s going to be in you. That is the infilling and the baptism in the Holy Spirit.The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is inside of you right now. The same power that the apostle Paul had in him, is in you. Great men and women of God in history– we all have the same spirit. That is the person and the power of the Holy Spirit.
DIG DEEPER
- 1 Corinthians 12:1
- Matthew 5:6
- John 16:1–7
- John 17
- Romans 8
- Acts 2 (Day of Pentecost)
- 2 Corinthians 5:17–21
- Luke 11:9–10
- Philippians 2:13
PRAY
- Pray for a greater hunger for God and understanding of His word, the Holy Bible.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and reveal Himself to you.
- Ask God for sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
- Pray for the activation of spiritual gifts according to God’s will.
- Pray for discernment to recognize truth from counterfeit spiritual experiences.
REFLECT
- Am I spiritually hungry for a deeper relationship with God?
- Have I limited the Holy Spirit in any way?
- Do I regularly spend time cultivating intimacy with the Lord?
- Am I open to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in my life?
