Learning to Know the Holy Spirit

When you give your life to Jesus, God himself comes to you and lives in you, right in you.
‘God in you!’

If this is just a theological term for you and not an overwhelming experience, then something has gone terribly wrong.

For many Christians, the Holy Spirit is just a theological doctrine.

But in the Bible, the Holy Spirit was audible, tangible and sometimes even visible.
In the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit came upon 120 disciples, both men and women.

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. Acts 2:2–3 NIV

God is unchanging. He is still God and the Holy Spirit has never changed.

I was in a prayer meeting with my wife. Our little son was also there. We felt the presence of God. Later, our little boy told me that he saw blue flames on our heads.

About ten years ago, I was in a meeting with my wife and about 25 other Christians from Germany, the UK, Australia and Sweden. We all felt the glorious presence of God. Some saw a white cloud in the middle of the room, but I didn't. Later I saw digital photos where the white cloud was visible.

Jesus promised that his disciples would be filled with the Holy Spirit after his resurrection and ascension, and that happened right in Acts chapter 2.

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. Jn 7:37–39 NIV

How can ‘rivers of living water’ be just a theological term?

Some Christians want to hold on to a dry, sober religious tradition. They hear rumours of charismatic gatherings where some people go a bit crazy. They warn that we should avoid all dramatic phenomena.

But if we avoid all dramatic experiences, we will no longer have a biblically based Christian life. In the New Testament, Christian discipleship was characterised by dramatic manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

Paul was also familiar with dramatic revelations and miracles. Jesus and Paul never said that God's glory was only a special offer for a limited time.

Paul said that we should test everything. Some Christians have not learnt this.

Some are excited by every dramatic experience. Others don't want to immerse themselves in the streams of the Holy Spirit at all.

What did Paul teach?

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, Eph 5:18 NIV

Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies,
but test all things. Hold on to what is good. 1 Th 5:19–21 CSB

Paul did not say we must avoid everything that seems dramatic.

He said we must not avoid or reject, but test. You can't do that with Bible knowledge alone.

We must learn to recognise the Holy Spirit with our spirit.

It is sad that many Christians throw the baby out with the bathwater.