Dirty Bible, Clean Heart

"Were it not for the work of the Holy Spirit there would be no gospel, no faith, no church, no Christianity in the world at all."  -J.I. Packer One of my favorite books in the Bible is the book of Acts. I love reading about the power of God manifested in the daily lives of the believers as they became powerful witnesses of the love and mercy of God. Nothing excites me more than reading about miraculous healings, supernatural provision, Sauls becoming Pauls, and countless lives given to our Lord Jesus Christ. I think one of the reasons why I love the book of Acts so much is that it demonstrates to us what real Christianity looks like. The early church, despite their flaws and "growing pains" are a real life example of what God desires to do in us and through us. Though it is great to read about the miracles God performed, we must closely examine the  source behind the power seen in the early church and apostles...the Holy Spirit. The hallmark in the book of Ac...

"If we think of the Holy Spirit only as an impersonal power or influence, then our thought will constantly be, how can I get hold of and use the Holy Spirit; but if we think of Him in the biblical way as a divine Person , infinitely wise, infinitely holy, infinitely tender, then our thought will constantly be, 'How can the Holy Spirit get hold of and use me?" -R.A. Torrey After reading Part I of this series, you should be well aware that the Holy Spirit is not an it but a Person . I repeatedly stress this point because so long as we subconsciously think of the Holy Spirit as an it or gift, we will never treat Him as a Person nor seek a relationship with Him. So long as we consider Him a "lesser god" or an experience, we will use Him instead of being used by Him. But the life that Jesus lived on Earth gives us a very different picture of what our attitude towards and relationship with the Holy Spirit should look like. 1 Peter 2:21 states that Jesus is the exam...

"You might as well try to see without eyes, hear without ears, or breathe without lungs, as to try to live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit". -D.L. Moody Who is the Holy Spirit? The answer to this question has brought much confusion to the church (and even the secular world) in recent decades. Many have limited the Holy Spirit to speaking in tongues and outward manifestations of God's power. The Holy Spirit has become an  it  in some Christian circles while in others He is completely neglected and regarded as unnecessary. It is somewhat shocking how far we have strayed from God's plan for the Holy Spirit in our lives. A quick read of the book of Acts alone shows us the importance of this wonderful Person in our Christian walk. Apart from our salvation, which the Holy Spirit guarantees, there is nothing so important in our lives as knowing, loving, and yielding to the Holy Spirit. Though countless books, teachings, and sermons could be produced on Him...