Do you desire a deeper relationship with the Lord? Do you long to have the Holy Spirit more active in your life?If you do, it is because the Holy Spirit is working in your life to draw you closer to Him. It is exciting to think about how much the Lord loves us and desires to help us grow in faith. Jesus, through power of the Holy Spirit, is continually working in our lives.
Nicodemus and the Holy Spirit
As Nicodemus encountered Jesus, he was given insight into the work of the Holy Spirit.
John 3:3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” [1]
God has revealed Himself in three persons that make up the Trinity. We call these persons the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has always existed because He is God. Jesus taught Nicodemus about the Holy Spirit in our story and we get to learn about the Holy Spirit along with him.
What does our story tell us about the work of the Holy Spirit?
- Unless the Lord opens our hearts and we become a believer in Jesus, God’s Kingdom does not make any sense and we can’t understand or experience it.
- When we are born again, which means placing our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we have a new beginning. We are born again spiritually and become spiritually alive.
- Only God has the power to give spiritual life.
- God’s Spirit, like the wind, has free movement and, like reviving breath, has power. Jesus used this illustration to show that the reality of the Spirit living in a person is evidenced by the effect of the Spirit on that person’s life.[2]
The Spirit is more than just an abstract concept. He is a person, as fully God as the Father and the Son. The Spirit of God comes to dwell in believers and gives a new level of intimacy between God and His people.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you so much for sending the Holy Spirit into the world. Open my heart so I can better hear Your voice and have a willing heart to obey what your Holy Spirit is telling me. Amen.
Listen here to learn more about Nicodemus and his encounter with Jesus: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/encountering-jesus-with-nicodemus
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jn 3:3–8). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Barton, B. B. (1993). John (p. 58). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.