Awakening to the Presence of the Holy Spirit

This is the second post in a four-part series adapted from Kurt Nelson's book, “Awakening to the Holy Spirit.” Download a free chapter from the book or purchase a copy today.

Here’s a rhetorical question: if you had a chance to spend an hour a day face-to-face with Jesus Christ, or an hour a day completely filled and empowered and controlled by the Holy Spirit, which would you choose? Well, Jesus actually answers this question for us when He makes this rather shocking statement.

“'But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go away, for if I may not go away, the Comforter will not come unto you, and if I go on, I will send Him unto you ... .'” -John 16:7, YLT

The Apostle John follows with a wonderful promise about the Holy Spirit when he recorded, “‘And [the Lord] will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever (John 14:16b, clarification added).’”

Consider the entire 33 years that Jesus served the Father on Earth. Did Jesus ever live inside Peter, James, or John? Did Jesus ever indwell Bartholomew or any of the other Twelve, or anybody else for that matter? The answer is an obvious, “No.” Jesus never lived inside of anybody while He lived on this Earth.

But in John 16:7, Jesus says that, after He departs, He will send the Holy Spirit to indwell His followers, including you and me—nonstop, forever. Jesus said it is better for us to be filled with the Holy Spirit than it was for His disciples to be with Him in person. The Holy Spirit, according to these verses, indwelt you the moment you first believed in Jesus.

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” -2 Corinthians 1:21-22

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” -Ephesians 1:13-14

“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” -Romans 8:9

He has never left you, and He will never leave you (John 14:16). What an incredible promise! Jesus said it is better that He ascend to the Father and send His Holy Spirit to live in us and to be with us forever.

“The baptism of the Spirit is God’s ultimate purpose for His people. He didn’t save us so we could go to Heaven. He saved us so He could fill us so full of Himself we could have intimacy with Him, we could become more like Him, and we could change the world with Him.” -Rob Reimer