1 in 18 young adults in the US - gender fluid?

 The title above comes from J M Twenges excellent book 'Generations' The full quote ... 

"... 1 out of 18 young adults identified as something other than male or female in 2021 and 2022. With 39 million 18-26 year-olds in the U.S., about 2 million American young adults identified as trans or nonbinary, more tan the population of Phoenix, the fifth largest city in the country." (p.352)

That one fact signals the rapid and bewildering rate of change in our world. It feels like, just as we land, we are tossed back up into the air, not knowing where or when we will land again. There was the recession, Trump troubles, Brexit troubles, the pandemic, the death of the Queen, now war in Europe, escalating troubles in the middle east. 

Stephen Fry gave an alternative to the King's speech 

"I am Stephen Fry, and I am a Jew, ... The great Irish thinker and writer Conor Cruise-O'Brien once said that anti-semetism is a light sleeper. Well, it seems to have woken up of late ... whatever our opinions of what is happening (Israel v Palestine) there can be no excuse for the behaviour of some of our citizens. Since October 7th there have been 50 reported incidence of anti-semitism every single day in London alone, an increase of 1357% ... there is real fear stalking the Jewish neighbourhoods of Britain. ... So what is my message this Christmas? That we are all brothers and sisters ..."

Fry's message was met with much anger, outrage and hatred - showing just how sensitive, fractious and even dangerous our world is.

To many of us of the older generations, for good or bad it all seems a bit of a blurr. 

We may wonder, "where is it all going?" and "What next?" 

We may feel like singin the song of Wonka's Pleasure boat ride ... 

There's no earthly way of knowing

Which direction we are going

There's no knowing where we're rowing

Or which way the river's flowing

Is it raining, is it snowing?

Is a hurricane a-blowing?

Not a speck of light is showing

So the danger must be growing

Are the fires of Hell a-glowing?

Is the grisly Reaper mowing?

Yes! The danger must be growing

For the rowers keep on rowing

And they're certainly not showing

Any signs that they are slowing

However, unlike Stephen Fry, I am a Christian. If you too are a Christian, then you, like me, know where all things are heading. We can see the light and so we are not gripped by panic or fear. 

If you are not a Christian, if you don't yet know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, then you may well feel anxiety, an impending sense of doom in the face of so much uncertainty. Jesus is called "The Rock". Whatever you may think of Jesus, I have found Him to be the one solid rock, entirely dependable, trustworthy and in full, sovereign control, He is working in and through all things to bring them all to their inevitible end, that is His Kingdom and rule. Thankfully, as crazy as it so often seems, this world is not out of control.

None of us knows exactly what 2024 holds. There will be surpsises, good and bad. But why not make 2024 the year you settled the question 'Who really is Jesus? And what difference does he really make?"

Suffering 

Last Sunday I preached for the first time using Zoom - it was a strange experience for me. I am used to preaching - but to live and present congregations which tend to be a mixture of people of different kinds and at different places in their lives. I can lock eyes with them and speak to them.

I must admit that during preaching I struggled, it was intense and mentally exhausting. By the end I was not sure how I did - I was not concerned about the delivery etc - but rather the content - I was not confident I communicated what I intended. I listened to the message after and I was right - I miscommunicated on some important points. I think it was the challenge of the situation which meant that I did not choose my words and phrases well and so inadvertently miscommunited. I have been preaching for over 25 years and never felt the need to correct myself - this is a first, but I felt it was necessary. I do not want to misrepresent my Lord nor the Christian faith. 

Here’s what I think I may have inadvertently and implicitly communicated…

1) That Jesus is only interested in His people and is indifferent towards unbelievers.

I think I may have communicated that notion by saying things positively and negatively in an unhelpful way. Eg, “If you trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour He is committed to always working good through your suffering, if you’re an unbeliever your suffering is just tragic.”

It communicates, as noted above, an indifference towards unbelievers. This could not be further from the truth of scripture and the Christian faith. 

“For God so loved the world He gave His only son …” (John 3:16). ‘The world’ means all people. God loves believers and unbelievers! That is crystal clear in scripture but it was not communicated through my message. In fact, God loves all people so much that He has done something about it - He has sent His Son Jesus who suffered “not only for our sins (Christians), but for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

It is true that God does not love believer and unbeleiver in the same way, and the differences are significant. But it is also true that God's love for an unbeliever is greater than any parent's love for their children.

God arms are now wide open to all people. God makes His appeal through His people as they  proclaim the gospel. Ino pther words, the proclamation iof the gospel is an expression of God's love to unbelievers. The gospel is a command and an invitation to everyone to come to God through Jesus for the total forgiveness of all sins made possible through Jesus death on the cross! Forgiveness is entirely free to all who believe because God Himself paid for it with the blood of His Son Jesus. God’s arms are wide open to all people so that whoever responds by turning back to Him via Jesus, Jesus will never drive away (John 6:37). 

Although it was not my intention to communicate those specifics, (I was preaching on another subject) what I did preach undermined those specifics because I was careless in my use of words. 

Careless communication

2) As noted above, I think I communicated something like, all suffering of unbelievers is only tragic whereas all suffering for believers counts for something worthwhile.  

The truth of scripture is that there is an enormous amount of what theologians call ‘common grace’. That is, man, being made in God’s image, despite the fall, still reflect aspects of God’s image in countless good (though corrupted) ways. The upshot being, that unbelievers can suffer in such a way that is worth while, in a way that means something of great value. I certainly failed to communicate this. For example, the scriptures teach, “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly die.’ (Romans 5:7). Paul is saying, such nobility is rare - but it does exist - of course Paul goes on to speak of how Jesus died for his enemies, his point is that Jesus love is greater than man’s greatest love, but the latter does not negate the former. People suffer and make sacrifices for others and there is great value and nobility in that and great good can come out of it.

There were two points I attempted to make … 

1. The unbeliever has no certainty, while she is suffering that her suffering is of value or worth. Often suffering seems pointless. Particularly at those times there is no reason to believe there was any point, purpose or good to come of it. This is tragic.

2. Ultimately, all suffering for the unbeliever as an individual is futile. By ‘ultimately,’ I mean, in the final analysis. According to the scriptures, the unbeliever will finally be cut off from God, the source of all good forever. Their final and permenant state will be 'lost'. This is a terrible truth. There is no comfort in this, nor softening of the terrible blow. It is not that God sends people to what the Bible calls hell, but that people are heading there. That is why God sent Jesus, to pay the price and open the way back to God.

The difference, ultimately between a believer and an unbeliever is that the believer has turned back to God entered into a covenant with God Himself - what Jesus called, ‘The New Covenant’. That covenant contains a vast host of promises to all that are within that covenant. It is a covenant that anyone can enter into, but it is by faith. 

Luke 22:20

Essential Aspects for Faith: Life under the board 2.

Coming to Faith

So we all start out living life under the board. But then some seem to crawl out from under the board. This blog continues the metaphor to explain the experience of coming to faith in Jesus. 

Coming to faith begins with an encounter with someone who has somehow, already crawled out  from under the board and discovered a whole new world. They start to tell us about this whole new world they have discovered. We are often a bit bewildered by them.  

They tell us about life outside of being under the board, metaphorical hills and mountains and sunshine and sunsets and warmth and beauty and colour and light. They talk about finding God, forgiveness, joy, peace, security, purpose and to quote Jesus himself, "Life in all its fullness" (John 10:10). 

But we think, “but I see all the real colour and light and beauty there is in my own life - under the board”. But they say, “No, your eyes have just adjusted to the darkness under the board - there is so much more to it and you can see it for your self if you are willing”. 

They tell us about things we cannot really understand. It’s as though we have never seen a waterfall but they have seen Niagra falls and they sketch a picture of it with a dull pencil on scrappy paper - and they’re no artist. They’re trying to show us something that they are excited about, but what we see doesn’t look that impressive. They urge us to believe and crawl out from under the board ourselves, but though we can perhaps see a glimmer of the reality they speak of, and we cannot deny the impact of it on their own life, yet still, life under the board is all we know. 

To crawl out from under the board is to leave behind all we know - and that’s the problem. All our security is right here under the board. As miserable as much of it is - most of the time we are able to cocoon ourselves from the worst of life’s horrors and live our little lives avoiding the worst of it -  and as unsafe and insecure as we are, it is because of our insecurity we cannot let go of the meagre security life under the board offers us. 

Not only that, but the moment we tell other people that we are interested in this life outside (Christianity) - they laugh at us and mock us and tell us that it is losers that crawl out from under the board. They tell us it is boring and rubbish and life under the board is better. They would never crawl out from under the board themselves and they don’t want you to either. They want to keep you under the board with them. They can see, just like you that those who do crawl out from under the board seem to have found something - but they don’t have the courage to crawl out themselves, or there’s just too much under the board they love and want to keep (because it is all they know), so they try to deter you from leaving. 

But there are other reasons why it’s easier to stay under the board. You see, as we begin to move toward the light outside, it begins to shine upon us - and we begin to see not only the good things outside - but we also see in ourselves what we could never see in the darkness under the board, we begin to see our own dirt. Embarrassment and shame and pride drive us back into hiding under the board - therefore many choose to remain under the board.

But thankfully not all. Some feel compelled. They know they have to do this - they have to get out into the light, into the technicolored, 3D, vibrant, wonderful world outside the board. As they begin to climb out, for the first time they begin to see for themselves what their friends were telling them. They look at the black and white pencil sketches their friends sketched for them of Niagra falls, and at last they can see the actual Niagra falls and they can now see exactly how those poor sketches relate. Their hearts burst with excitement as they begin to discover wonder after wonder in the new world.

There is so much more to life than all we know. 

Essential Aspects for faith

Life under the board 1

Christianity, once a common part of community life in the UK is now very alien, so in order to help understand aspects of the faith I am using a metaphor - I hope it does help. 

Metaphor: Life under the board

When I was a small boy I used to love playing in our garden. It was a big garden, a neglected garden, it had a particular area which was overgrown and had various bits of wood, boards and panels trodden into the ground. This was my favourite area. I loved lifting the boards to see what lurked beneath. All kinds of creepy crawlies! The grass would be yellow and it was all slimily from the damp and lack of sunlight. White slugs, centipedes, wood louse, ants, beetle lava, many strange creatures all living their whole lives under the board. 

It was like an alternative world under those boards. But outside of those boards was a big, wide, bright, colourful, warm and buzzing world outside. 

When I came to faith I realised - it was as though I was like those creepy crawlies living under a board right up to the point of coming to faith. 

What we call life, with all its ups and downs, dramas, highs and lows - all the wonderful discoveries of science, advances in technologies, marriages, babies being born, deaths, wars,  famines, art - all of it - it is all like life lived under the board once you come to faith in Christ. 

This life under the board is all natural to us. We’re at home there - or as at home as we can be - this life is all we know - it is just 'life - until we cone to know Jesus - then we look back as see, all along it was like life under the board.

Tell-tale signs

And yet as we live this life under the board, we know this is not really our home. That is - in our own world, we feel a sense of lostness. We instinctively know that home should be a place of comfort, security, safety, warmth, a safe place for family - a rock. But we feel unsettled. We look around at this completely normal world and we know - we have no real home here. There is no security. We are wanderers  looking for shelter and safety, clutching at whatever we can get. This world of ours that should be home, is not the home it should be - something is wrong.

If we’re honest with ourselves we have to admit, something is very, very wrong. It’s bad enough that there are, what we might call ‘natural’ tragedies and disasters such as diseases and tsunamis etc - but it’s far worse than that - there is also inexplicable evil in the world and at every conceivable level. 

Our fellow men

At a global international level. 

Consider that the richest 1% in the world own just over half the world’s wealth. To quote the Guardian “0.7% of the world’s adult population – control 46% of total global wealth …” At the same time, 70% of the world’s population (the poor) have to share 2.7% of the world’s wealth.

To break this down it means if there was just 200 people in the world, and all the world’s wealth equalled £100. Then one person has about £48 for their self. 59 people would have £0.77 each and 70 people would have £0.04 or 4p each. That is how the world’s wealth is distributed. If that 1% shared all their wealth equally with everyone in the world, we would all be upper middle class having £2 each! Literally, 99% of people in the world would be a lot better off! Only the 1% would be worse off - they would no longer be super-rich - just upper middle class like everyone else. This reality is wicked - it is an evil that well over 1 billion people live in absolute poverty.

Or consider this, one national ruler can command troops to launch missiles at another country and utterly devastate millions of people’s lives. Bt this is our world.

At a local individual level

From the big global international level right down to the individual there is terrible evil. Consider this; the most vile of atrocities you can possibly imagine - it’s probably happening somewhere right now. Rape, gang rape, mutilation, butchery, unimaginable abuse against babies and children - it’s all happening somewhere right now in our world.

But there is more ‘domesticated’ evil too. Consider the wreckage caused by an unfaithful husband. I don’t just mean the dead-beat excuse of a man who cheats on his wife (or wife who cheats on her husband) but the pathetic excuse of a man who does not care for and look after and love his wife and children. That is an act of wickedness.  It causes untold hurt and pain. But it all just seems normal and acceptable - except when we experience it, when we feel the pain of it and see the damage it does we realise - it is wicked. 

But none of us like to use terms like 'wicked' and 'evil' because it’s all a bit too close to home. How many men and women do you know who have abandoned their children or partners? There’s a good chance you the reader are guilty of it. How many of us have stuck the emotional knife into the people we are supposed to love? The problem with all this is, in the end we must all put our hands up and admit we are all part of the problem of evil, and if you think you are not part of the problem of evil, I guarantee you someone somewhere thinks you are.

Tragically, evil is rampant and normal, just watch the news.

It's all just nature?

Now let’s be straight about it all - If there is no God as many assert - it is all just ‘natural’ because ‘natural’ is all there is. There is no wrong or right - it’s all just natural. Everything that everyone does - it’s all just natural - nothing more, nothing less, because there is only nature. This is the view of Secular Humanists (Philosophical Naturalism). But we all know deep down - it is not just ‘natural’ - something is profoundly wrong - we just know it.

Evidence for God

But we can only say that if there is God. Why? Because if there is a God, if there is an intelligent creator, then ‘natural’ is whatever He created us to do. So if we act in ways we were not created to act - then we act unnaturally. We are acting in ways we are not made for. If there is a God - only then can we say certain things are unnatural.

But what about evil? If there is a God some things are unnatural for sure - but how do we explain evil? Evil is the end of unnatural - it’s where it leads if left unchecked.  Evil is the ‘natural’ but twisted and made perverse - that is evil. It is the opposite of what God created us for. 

Thank God for goodness!

But that’s not the whole story. There are also the heights of human nobility. People everywhere express love and selflessness in a million ways. We all take things for granted, but every now and then we see the beauty of the so-called ‘milk of human kindness’. I think of Tyson Fury the boxer, he has many critics and haters - perhaps deservedly so - but after fighting his latest bout donated all his £7m winnings to charity! Then there are all the men and women that selflessly work hard to provide for their families. The response of millions to a sudden world disaster in giving aid. The person who stops in the street to talk to the homeless and buy them a hot chocolate. In the midst of evil and war - people giving their lives to protect those they love. As well as the depths of depravity - our hearts are warmed by the heights of human nobility. What conflicted creatures we are!

This is all 'life under the board.' But there is more...

The Holy Spirit

(1) The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. (2) He is freely given to every true believer according to the promise of God the Father. (3) The Holy is given to every believer (4) to give them full assurance of faith, so that they can know they are truly forgiven, saved and belong to God as a child of God, and (5) to equip them with gifts and power to preach the gospel, build up the church and overcome sin. Most importantly, (6) the Holy Spirit reveals to our understanding the glory and wonder of Jesus.

(1) The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity.

The word trinity was invented to sum up the teaching of the Bible about God. It teaches that there is only One true God, but that God is also Three distinct persons.

This diagram illustrates the teaching of the Bible, the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit is not a mere power or force, He is not an 'it'.He is a person. 

The Holy Spirit is given personal pronouns like ‘He’ just as is Jesus and the Father

John 14:15-17

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. 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.

The Holy Spirit is alive - He lives

John 14:15-17

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. 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.

We can have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, we can know Him.

John 14:15-17

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. 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.

The Holy Spirit has a ‘will’ and makes choices and He is a giver of gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:4,11

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. …

11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

The Holy Spirit has emotions like a person and so can be grieved (and is referred to as ‘whom’).

Ephesians 4:30

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

The Holy Spirit can be lied to

Acts 5:3

3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?

The Holy Spirit speaks

Acts 13:2

2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

So the Holy Spirit is clearly a person and not just God’s powerful force or energy as the cults claim. We have seen he has all the traits of an intelligent person. We have seen that …

1. The Bible uses personal pronouns such as He, Him, His and He is a ‘Whom. You would not say that about nuclear or electrical energy etc. He is not just a powerful force. 
2. The Holy Spirit gives gifts - machines and energy and power does not give gifts. and makes decisions about who gets what gift. 
3. The Holy Spirit has emotions and can be grieved
4. Can be known
5. Is alive
6. He can be lied to 
7. He speaks.

The seven points above show us that the Holy Spirit is alive, can be known, is a ‘He’, has intelligence and power of will (to make decisions), has feelings, can be lied to, and speaks. The Holy Spirit is clearly a person and not an ‘it’.

The Holy Spirit is not the Father

The Holy Spirit is the gift that was promised by the Father and so cannot be the Father.

Luke 24

49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Acts 1

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit is not the Son

In the Luke 24:49 above Jesus says “I am going to send you what the Father promised” - He is talking about the Holy Spirit so Jesus is not the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is God

In the verses below Annanias pretends (lies) that he is giving all the money but is really keeping back some for himself. Peter confronts him and accuses him of lying to the Holy Spirit. Then he tells Annaias that he has not lied to men but to God. To lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God Himself. So The Holy Spirit, like the Father and the Son is God.

Acts 5

3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

The Bible also teaches clearly that the Father is God and the Son is God. But it also teaches emphatically there is only one God. So God is three distinct persons, each persons relates to the other, each equally God, yet there is only One God. This is a mystery in that we know it is what the Bible teaches but it is also beyond our understanding. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised since this is God!

(2) The Holy Spirit is freely given.

It is very important to understand that the Holy Spirit is freely given. Something that is feely given is called a gift. It is different to a payment since a payment is owed, a payment has been earned. A payment rightfully belongs to the person who earned it. It is their right. However, a gift is not earned, not even deserved. It is given freely. It is not given as a payment, nor is it deserved. It is a fee gift. 

Acts 1

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 2

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

God the Father gives the gift of the Holy Spirit entirely freely - just because He wants to.

(3) The Holy Spirit is guaranteed to every true believer

The Holy Spirit is the promise of the father for every true believe. Since the Holy Spirit is the promise of the father, the Holy Spirit is guaranteed because the Father will never, ever break a promise - NEVER! 

Acts 1

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 2

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

In the verse, Peter was speaking to literally thousands of hearers. About three thousand people became Christians that day so there must have been a lot more than three thousand there.  

Peter tells this massive crowd - the vast majority of whom he could not have known, he tells them that if they repent and are baptised, and then next comes the key statement “EVERY ONE OF YOU” - he goes on to say “And you will receive the gift of there Holy Spirit.” But who is the “you” that Peter is speaking about? It is everyone who repents and gets baptised. 

The great Apostle Peter is telling us, assuring us that every single person who believes and is baptised will receive this amazing gift. That is the gift of God the Holy Spirit. Peter layers on the assurance calling it “The Promise” and He also assures us that this promise applies to all who are called - that is all who believe. There is no question, no doubt - every true believer is given the Holy Spirit.

(4) The Holy Spirit gives full assurance of faith

The Holy Spirit is given to true believers so that they can be assured they are truly God’s children, loved and accepted by Him, part of His amazing new family.

When a person repents and believes they are both born again into God’s family as Children of God and full heirs with an inheritance, but they are also adopted by God into His family. As a a guarantee so that we never need doubt, He gives us His Holy Spirit. So we are both born into the family and adopted. This means we are more secure than any other child in any other family. 

Adopted children are often told by their adoptive parents “parents who have children naturally get what they get, but we chose you”. Well, in God’s family we are chosen for adoption and born into the family! How cool is that!

John 1

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Ephesians 1

In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. … 

13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Romans 8

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 

(5) The Holy Spirit equips true believers with gifts and power to preach the gospel, build up the church and and overcome sin in our lives.

Preach the Gospel

The last time Jesus saw the disciples before returning to heaven he gave them their marching orders … 

Matthew 28

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

With all His power and authority He sent those first disciples out into the world that crucified Him. And He sent them out to tell people that they are sinners and need to repent and obey all Jesus commands so that they too become followers of Jesus.

This was a daunting task. They saw what happened to Jesus. Peter denied ever knowing Jesus three times to a girl! Now they are to go out without Jesus and publicly call people to repentance and faith in Jesus! This was their mission and it is the mission of every true believer. 

If we are to teach people to obey everything Jesus commanded, then we must teach them to obey the command to go and make disciples! 

That is one reason we are given the Holy Spirit. To empower and embolden us where we would otherwise be timid and fearful.

2 Timothy 1

7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Luke 24

49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Acts 1

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit is poured out upon all the believers, about 120 in all (Acts 1:15). Peter was chief among them. Before the Spirit was given, Peter talked the talk, on the night of Jesus betrayal Jesus warned Peter that Satan was going to try to “sift” him and that Peter’s faith would fail but not completely - that Peter would turn back. It is also clear from Jesus words that Peter’s turning back to Jesus was because Jesus prayed for Him. These verses are taken from Luke 22 

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

However, Peter is having none of it. He is so sure of himself. 

33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

But Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself … 

34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

It was later than night - or the early hours of the next morning that Peter denied all knowledge of Jesus to a mere slave girl. While Jesus was being accused, Peter was far too scared to speak up. 

But in Acts 2 the Holy Spirit falls upon Peter - see the totally transformed Peter … 

Acts 2

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Peter was among that number, and this happened in front of thousands of people. They’re all wondering what’s going on, then the previously timid Peter … 

14 … stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say … 

Now he is speaking to the very crowd that 49 days earlier crucified Jesus. Here are some of the things he says … 

22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. … 

32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. … 

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

The Holy Spirit totally transformed Peter! The Holy Spirit empowers all believers for the mission Jesus has given us all.

Build up the Church

1 Corinthians 12

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

1 Corinthians 14

1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified. … 

12 So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.

Ephesians 4

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Overcome Sin

A true believer has been born of God. That means God’s spirit of new life now lives in us. It is like a new heart. Before, like everyone else, we were spiritually dead.

Ephesians 2

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

But God made us alive by putting His life in us.

Ezekiel 26

26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 

Before we were born again we didn’t want to please God - we wanted to please other people or our self or probably both. Now we have this new heart and spirit we really love the Lord and want to please Him. So now we can live to please Him which means saying ‘no’ to our sinful self and following God’s Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

(6) The Holy reveals to us the glory and wonder of Jesus

Before 

The Holy Spirit does so much more that covered in this study. He gives spiritual discernment and understanding that we could not possible see or understand without His Spirit. 

1 Corinthians 2

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord
    so as to instruct him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.

John 16

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

These last verses tell us that the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus - or brings glory to Jesus. He does this by revealing Jesus and His amazing truths to us. 

When it says that he brings glory to Jesus, it means that as the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see Jesus and to know him, our response is one of worship. This is when we are humans are our most fulfilled. To worship Jesus is to find our greatest joy and pleasure in Him. Greater than any joy a spouse of child or parent can give, greater joy than any beautiful landscape or anything else. All these other things are creature - created by God or mad by men from God's creation - but Jesus is above all of that and supremely more glorious and satisfying - and so that is why we worship Him.