A DYNAMIC DUO
(Communion of the Holy Spirit)
Note from Mike Dugas: This teaching is a combination of what the Holy Spirit gave me, Dake's Teaching Bible & the book Dynamic Duo.
Before the New Testament was written, the early church relied totally on the Holy Spirit for guidance, direction and answers.
Today we have the blessing and privilege of the written Word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16 - confirms that the Holy Spirit is the One who inspired the writers of the Bible. The word inspire is "theopnuestos" in Greek which means God breathed.
2 Corinthians 13:14 - "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
We are familiar with God's grace and God's love. They are emphasized in most Christian churches today. Every Christian has a relationship with God throught Jesus at their new birth (salvation). But communion with the Holy Spirit, a real living relationship with Him is somewhat overlooked and may be foreign to some.
The word communion is mostly related to the Lord's Supper for most people, but the Greek word for communion here is "koinonia" and is translated intimacy, partnership, relationship, in comon with and fellowship. If you have been dissatisfied with your spiritual life, THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE NEW EXPERIENCES WITH GOD BEGIN.
Matthew 5:6 - "Blessed (happy) are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."
Hungering and Thirsting will lead to a new path and a new experience with God. Most of us are led to hunger and thirst after God when we are in misery. Then God can reveal Himself in a more meaningful and personal way.
John 1:3 - There was a desire in the apostles for us to have fellowship with the Father and the Son. If we can have fellowship with the Father and the Son, surely we can have fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
We usually relate the Holy Spirit's work to salvation in convicting us of our need to repent. In some churches the Holy Spirit is invited to minister. We also are taught about the fruit of the Holy Spirit. If this is all, then we are limiting His work.
Acts 1:8 - The Holy Spirit will give the power to be witnesses. We need to seek this power.
These are the steps of spiritual development or stages of growth.
Ephesians 2:8 - "For by grace are you saved." This is the first step. Then we move into the second step, "the Love of God.". You start to experience His Love.
You begin to understand that you are forgiven, an heir to heaven and partaker of His many blessings and gifts.
We often try to reproduce the feeling of the wonderful sense of love and overwhelming realease from guilt and sin that is so life-changing. WE MUST NEVER LOSE THE WONDER OF IT ALL, but we should not SEEK to relive our past experiences over and over again. THIS WILL STOP YOUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH.
It is time to step into that third phase, the "communion of the Holy Spirit." Here you will get new power, strength, discernment and also new and more mature spirutal emotions.
This new spiritual maturity is what we should be "hungering and thirsting" for. In this new third phase you will 1) Learn how to walk in the Spirit, 2) Move in the power of God, 3) Know the voice of God, 4) Have the mind of Christ, 5) Pray effectively, 6) Receive direction for your life, 7) Become more sensitive to God and much, much more.
It begins with the grace of God. God's Love is the foundation for everything we do. The communion with the Holy Spirit is the beginning of a life of supernatural power and of a consistency of a godly lifestyle.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LIVE A VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIFE WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT.
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