Saturday, 5 August 2023
THE BIBLE: AN EPIC OF THE SPIRIT
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
When you study the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, you’ll come to the realization that indeed, the whole Bible is an epic of the Spirit. Moses, by the Spirit, wrote, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth… And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2). This extraordinary person of the Godhead — the Holy Spirit — is introduced to us in the very beginning.
In the book of Proverbs, we read about His intent which was to dwell in us and have fellowship with us. The writer, by the Spirit, pens that the Spirit’s desire wasn’t to live in heaven without us, but to be with us, and in us (Proverbs 8:30-31).
In the four gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John — the Lord Jesus gives us an even greater light to tell us who the Holy Spirit is, and in Matthew 12:32, He warns against offending the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings the presence of God to us and communicates the love of God to us. You can't read the Bible and miss who the Holy Spirit is. Over in the Epistles, Paul also highlights, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).
Those who haven’t received the Holy Spirit often find the epistles confusing. If only they knew that the epistles are an effusion of an extravagant discourse of the Christ; they’re a compendium of extraordinary truths for today. In other words, they have a message of the now, not by way of the timelessness of the message, but by way of the timelessness of the man of whom He speaks.
And the only way to have a full grasp of this discourse is by the Spirit. How important it is to recognize and be fully yielded to the ministry of the Spirit!
PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, I acknowledge your ministry and presence in my life, as you guide me to know and walk in the realities of the Kingdom of God. I thank you for your presence in me, for you’re the captain of my life. I follow as you lead me to fulfil my destiny in Christ. Through your ministry, dear Holy Spirit, I’m demonstrating the glory, wisdom and excellence of divinity, bearing fruits of righteousness, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Matthew 12:32; Proverbs 8:30-31; Acts 5:32
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 8:18-39 & Psalms 70-73
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 13:10-21 & Judges 11