Introduction
Now the Bible says this “…” and I choose to believe it. So I believe, and keep believing, and then believe again. Yet at times nothing seems to happen. It can appear as though the power that activates His Word is absent. Why is that?
Remember what Jesus said:
“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” — John 3:8 (ESV)
In my words: The Lord works according to His will, not mine. I may hear His voice, yet I do not always understand what He is doing or where He is leading. Such is the nature of those who are born of the Spirit. Those without the Spirit, the first born, cannot comprehend spiritual realities, for it is the Spirit who speaks to the human spirit.
Scripture is clear that God is true and cannot lie (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2). Therefore, when He speaks in His Word, what He says is absolutely true. The issue is never the reliability of God’s Word; it is our understanding, our timing, and often our natural and spiritual condition.
The Word of God is given to mankind, and mankind must receive it in faith and walk in obedience. In the beginning, humanity rebelled. Through Adam’s disobedience, sin entered the world, and with it came corruption, decay, and death—not only to mankind but to creation itself. That rupture still affects us. We long for restoration—for a return to what was lost.
“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:20-24 ESV
Some have discovered, and rightly so, that such restoration is impossible without supernatural intervention. Others attempt, through moral effort or human resolve, to repair what sin has broken. But redemption is not achieved by human striving; it is accomplished by divine grace.
As believers, we live in the tension of the “already” and the “not yet.” We are saved, yet being sanctified – a process. We are reconciled, yet awaiting full glorification. We live in this present world while belonging to another kingdom. We believe His Word, submit to His will, and yet we struggle. We wrestle with promises we do not immediately see fulfilled. We question when heaven seems silent.
So, where is the power we have been promised?
We have seen it—but not always when we want it. We have witnessed answers to prayer—but not always in the form or timing we expect. We always pray with foresight, believing His Word. Often, we recognize His faithfulness only in hindsight. We proclaim His Word as truth, yet when we attempt to “claim” it, in the now (already happened), and visible results seem absent.
Why? Because God’s power is not mechanical. His Word is not a formula to be activated by repetition. Faith is not incantation. The Lord acts according to His sovereign will, perfect wisdom, and eternal purposes—not our immediate comfort or schedule.
The Spirit moves like the wind—real, powerful, undeniable—but not controllable.
We are not to command Him; we are to trust Him.
The power has not diminished. The promise has not failed. The delay is not denial. God is at work—even when unseen—conforming us to Christ, deepening our faith, purifying our motives, and teaching us to walk not by sight but by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7).
The question, then, is not whether God’s power is present. The deeper question is whether we are willing to trust Him when it is not immediately visible.
This paper is written for believers who are led by the Holy Spirit and who trust, act, and obey God’s Word, yet who are unsettled when we do not see the power behind the Will and the Word. This is when we often become discouraged. Many backslide, others simply give up.
Let’s start at the beginning.
Who Is The Holy Spirit and What Does He Do
- The Holy Spirit is Fully God (Ontological Deity)
We must remember that the Holy Spirit is not a force or influence or some kind of impersonal power, nor is He an accessory to the Christian life. He is its source, sustainer, and seal.
- He is a Person (Personal Agency)
His name is Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is not an it. He is a person in every sense of the word. He speaks Acts 13:2). He teaches and reminds (John 14:26). He intercedes (Romans 8:26). He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). He distributes gifts “as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11).
- His Primary Role is to Exalt Christ
His mission is Christ-centered. “He will glorify Me”. (John 16:14) Where the Holy Spirit is at work, He will magnify Christ. This is not emotionalism or a spectacle, nor is it personality. His mission is Christocentric.
- He is the Agent of Regeneration/Transformation
Herein, conversion of a nonbeliever, by the Holy Spirit, is not merely intellectual assent or moral reform. It is Sovereign, a rebirth. The firstborn must be Born Again. Born of the Spirit (John 3:5-8) and Renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5)
- He Indwells Every Believer
He does not belong to an elite class of Christians; however, He is the defining mark of a true Christian.
“Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” Romans 8:9 ESV
- He Produces Holiness Before He Produces Power
Many seek the power of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, in Acts it says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” Acts 1:8 However, the scriptures emphasize sanctification, not power. The Holy Spirit’s chief evidence is not gifts but the transformation of character. The greatest power lies with the Holy Spirit and in the His ability to transform and sanctify you.
“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV
- He Authors and Illuminates Scripture
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” 2 Timothy 3:16 ESV
“For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” 2 Peter 1:21 ESV
“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 ESV
- He Convicts the World of Sin, Righteousness, and Judgement.
The role of the Holy Spirit extends way beyond the Church. Any evangelism without the Holy Spirit is purely persuasion.
“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;” John 16:8-9 ESV
- He Seals and Guarantees Final Redemption
The Holy Spirit is God’s pledge that salvation will be completed. The Holy Spirit is both God’s guarantee and seal.
“…and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 1:22 ESV
“…the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption, Ephesians 4:30 ESV
- He Empowers for Witness
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV
- He Can Be Resisted and Quenched
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” Acts 7:51 ESV
“Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19 ESV
These scriptures do not speak of defeating the Holy Spirit but of hindering His sanctifying influence. An example of this would be to call the works of Jesus the works of the Devil. Calling someone who operates in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12) as one who operates under the influence of demonic power would quench the Holy Spirit.
Where’s the Power
This is What We Know
No question, the Power lies with the Holy Spirit who resides within us.
Jesus told His apostles in the book of John, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Later, when He was with the apostles He said,
“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; or John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit…. Acts 1:4-5 ESV
In John chapter 20 the apostles received the Holy Spirit. Those who were “firstborn” became born again. Then they were told to wait to receive a “Helper”. They did, and Jesus ascended into heaven. Later, while celebrating Pentecost, He sends this helper – the Holy Spirit.
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.” Acts 2:1-3 ESV
We Are One
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.” — John 17:20–21 (ESV)
In this prayer, our Lord extends His intercession beyond the immediate disciples to all future believers. He prays not merely for preservation, but for participation—participation in the very communion that exists between the Father and the Son.
After His resurrection and ascension, that prayer found tangible expression at Pentecost. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, believers were given the power necessary to continue in Christ’s mission, even in His physical absence. As He promised, they were not left as orphans (John 14:18). The Spirit now dwells within them. In fulfillment of John 17, they are brought into that divine fellowship—“that they also may be in Us.”
This is no shallow metaphor. The language of Scripture conveys depth and totality. We are immersed, baptized, plunged into, and enveloped by the Holy Spirit. At the same time, He dwells within us. Union with Christ is not a symbolic sentiment; it is a spiritual reality.
What an astonishing prayer from our Lord, recorded by the apostle John. Can this truly be so—that I am in Him and He is in me? Yes. This is the mystery and glory of redemption and glorification. The fullness of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is actively engaged in our restoration. The Father purposes it, the Son accomplishes it, and the Spirit applies it.
Such unity is not merely mystical; it is missional. “So that the world may believe.” Our union with God and with one another is itself a testimony that the Son was sent by the Father.
Study John 17 well. Use different translations. I believe the key here is “…may be…” meaning not yet. The TPT translation says “…will me…” We have work to do if we are to meet this standard. The work is to OBEY.
This is What Few Don’t Know and/or Understand
Many of the misunderstandings of the Holy Spirit do not come from denial but from reducing Him to less than what He is. When I was growing up as a Catholic, aside from our Confirmation where we were told we would become “…Soldiers of Christ”, little else was said about the Holy Spirit. Few know what He did or His purpose among mankind. Fewer still understood his role in redemptive history. Still, to this day, many churches do not believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. They are quick to say, “We have the Holy Spirit”. True, but there is more.
When the Charismatic and Jesus movements came into history in the 60’s and 70’s, they were quite sensational events within Christian communities, not much different than the Pentecostal movement of the early 1900’s. What many failed to realize then and today is that although He empowers, His central role is to glorify Christ. He does this through sanctification and transformation – conforming believers to Christ.
I always turn to the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5 when I speak of this sanctifying/transformation process. It is love, joy, peace, etc that we must exhibit and what will draw all men to Him. When our focus on the Holy Spirit shifts to subjective issues such as: healing, prosperity, wisdom, prophecy, etc. (yes, these can be subjective when it involves the will of man above the will of God.), we lose ground, and He is misrepresented. Through the transformation process, He convicts us of our sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). This conviction is not judgment but illumination, calling us to repent. We as believers must submit to His convicting work before looking for His gifts (subjective). Regeneration, not outward display, should be our focus. How often we get this wrong. It shows up in our witnessing and our prayers both for ourselves and for others. His guidance is always consistent with His revealed word. All subjective impressions must be tested. Even the good ones.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world”. 1 John 4:1-2
How often do we believe first then think about testing?
How do you test? First you search the scriptures for confirmation and then you ask the spirit, “Has Jesus Christ come in the flesh and is He of God?” If you do not get a resounding YES, do not believe. This is not silly, it is scripture. (1 John 4:1)
The Seventh of Romans
“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Romans 7:14-15 ESV
We are quick to read this and say, “That’s just like me. I understand that.”. But we do not. This is true of many scriptures. We are so bombarded with Christian media, preaching, books and uninformed friends, that understanding scriptural truths are often turn scripture into a cliche. We seldom study what we have received. In these instances we must force ourselves to sit down study and listen to the Holy Spirit.
The above scripture represents a conflict that can only be awakened by the Holy Spirit. It is He who sheds light on to our resolve. “We must never get out of the 7th of Romans.” OC*. The conflict that Paul writes of resides in those who are without the Spirit of God. It is the acknowledgment of someone who is a saint and recognizes the terrible conflict he faced as a sinner without the Holy Spirit. Sin destroys our ability to recognize what it really is. We must recognize that the Holy Spirit’s work is one of transformation.
Conclusion
When it comes to the Holy Spirit remember:
- He is God, treat Him as God.
- He is a person just as God the Father and Jesus are persons.
- His work of transformation comes before experience.
- Do not separate His work from Christ.
The Spirit’s essential ministry is to Glorify Christ through: regenerate, indwell, sanctify, illuminate scripture, empower and obedience. Where Christ is exalted, Scripture is honored, sin is confronted and holiness grows, the Spirit is at work.
Enough Said
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16 ESV
* OC Oswald Chambers
A puzzle for you to study.
There is a question that concerns the apparent conflict between Hebrews 9:27, 1 Corinthians 15:51, and First Thessalonians 4:16–18—specifically, how the statement “it is appointed for man to die once” harmonizes with the doctrine commonly called the Rapture, in which some believers are “caught up” without experiencing physical death.
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…” Hebrews 9:27 ESV
“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51).
“And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 ESV
(I know the answer. Read my next blog.)
