… the promised Holy Spirit,
Summary: Trying to describe the message of the Bible is a bit like a blind man trying to describe an elephant. There are a lot of parts to the book to get to know.
Have you ever heard the story about the blind men and the elephant? Or the joke about how to eat an elephant?
The story about the blind men tells about a group of blind men who had never seen an elephant before being taken to visit one. Each man “visits” a different part of the animal. One feels the trunk, another the leg, a third the tusk, the fourth the tail, and so on. Afterward, they are all asked to describe what the elephant looks like. The one who examined the tail said an elephant is like a rope. The man who examined the leg said an elephant is like a tree. Each man had a different mental picture of the elephant.
The joke about how to eat an elephant is an old one. When someone asks, “How do you eat an elephant?” the punch line is, “One bite at a time!” Both stories work because an elephant is big. Really big!
In some ways, the Bible is like an elephant. When it comes to books, the Bible is big. Really big! And the Bible has a lot of parts. If we only look at one part here or there, we are likely to get the wrong mental image of what the Bible is all about.
To understand what Paul means by “the promised Holy Spirit,” we have to know more about the Bible than just Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. When we open the Bible to the first page, we are introduced to the Holy Spirit in verse two:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2)
When David is king over the nation of Israel, we see the Holy Spirit again and again in David’s psalms to God. One of my favorites is Psalm 51. David, who had committed a horrific sin, pleads with God:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51: 10-11, ESV)
On the night before he is crucified, Jesus promises his disciples that they, too, will receive God’s Holy Spirit. He says:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14: 15-17)
All of these are the same Spirit. We could go on for hours about the different parts of the Bible that tell us about this gift from God. For this reason alone, it is worth getting to know the whole elephant!
Application: Read your Bible. Seriously, read it!
Food for Thought: What do you think of when you hear the words “Holy Spirit?” What do they mean to you?
Illustration: Illustrator unknown – From The Heath readers by grades, D.C. Heath and Company (Boston), p. 69. – Public Domain
Well I am glad that you didn’t take on too big of a topic😊. Seriously, there are volumes of books answering your question 😊. But one book stands out.
In the story of the elephant, there may be many descriptions depending on which part the blind man touches, but there is still an elephant – and in the story the one who knows the elephant is the narrator.
The Holy Spirit is described in great detail in God’s word – we know that the Holy Spirit is a He and not an it; we know He has personality and can be grieved; we know He is our Paraclete – our helper, advocate, counselor; we know He speaks to our spirit letting us know we are a child of God; we know that He seals us and secured us in our salvation; we know that He indwells the believer since Pentecost; we know that we need to be filled with His power to accomplish anything worthwhile for the Lord; we know that He illuminates the truth of God’s word; we know that He was involved in our regeneration; we know that He was involved in Creation; we know that He transforms us more into the image of Christ; we know He is Holy; we know that He is Spirit; we know that He is God; we know that He was sent by the Father and the Son; and on and on. We know these things because God’s word reveals all of this. God’s word is the narrator who gives us specifics. And, of course, the Holy Spirit Himself indwells us in relationship.
Now I may say something about the Holy Spirit that is wrong and contrary to Scripture, but that does not change Who the Holy Spirit is. So it may be less important Who the Holy Spirit is to me than knowing Who He is as He tells us Who He is in Scripture. Like with the story of the elephant, we know it is an elephant because the narrator tells us.
So the question for me is: What do the words Holy Spirit mean to God the Holy Spirit.? We can only know what He reveals of Himself. Thankfully, in God’s word, He reveals quite a bit. So to your application point – yes, let’s all seriously read what He reveals. He is the expert and He gives us a lot of information.
As soon as I got done I started of thinking everything I didn’t even mention about the Holy Spirit, such as that He convicts us of sin; He gives us gifts, He makes us fruitful, etc. The list really could be quite lengthy.
Brother Rich,
Obviously, you’ve read the book! 🙂
It is exciting to read your words about the Holy Spirit! The question is a big topic but there is a personal side to the question as well.
Thank you so much for sharing this morning!
02-26-2023, What do you think of when you hear the words “Holy Spirit?” What do they mean to you?
For a time we exist in this physical world dedicated to glorifying mankind, and satisfying the desires of our flesh.The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity; God as He is spiritually active in this world. He is the one who convicts all of our sins, reveals righteousness to all as well as Judgement coming to those who choose to reject God’s gift of righteousness through His Son Jesus Christ. He is the source of our faith, the sanity and stability in this world, and the small still voice guiding each believer in their daily walk with our Lord. The power of God to understand His truths as expressed in His word or by others being used to share His message to mankind, and alert each of us to the dangerous lies being proclaimed by the ruler of this world.
He gives each believer life with purpose as we utilize His gifts, follow His guidance and serve God as He desires.
Thank you, Ron!
It is amazing that our God is willing and able to do all the things you mention!