The Holy Spirit Is Here

There is an old gospel song we used to sing that goes like this:

Send him on down, Lord, send him on down
Lord, let the Holy Ghost come on down
We need him, Lord, send him on down!

The truth is the Holy Spirit is already here. He came down from heaven at Pentecost, and he never left!

Jesus promised, “And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that he may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17, NKJV).

Consider the phrase Jesus uses here: “But you know him.” Recently, as I read those words, I could not shake them off. I realized I really don’t know much about the Holy Spirit.

The church talks a lot about the Holy Spirit. We talk about being filled with the Spirit, living and walking in the Spirit, having the gifts of the Spirit, receiving the comfort of the Spirit. Yet it is possible to know all the doctrines of the Holy Spirit and still not know him. If I were to ask you, “Have you received the Holy Spirit?” how would you answer?

Some might say, “I received the Spirit when Jesus saved me. The Holy Spirit brought me into Christ’s kingdom.” Others would answer, “Yes, I have received the Spirit because I spoke with tongues when he came into my life. I pray in the Spirit, and tongues are evidence that I have received him.”

However, to receive the Spirit is more than a one-time experience. The word “receive” means “lay hold of that which is given.” It is to desire a greater knowledge of who the Spirit is and how he works in our lives. In fact, the Holy Spirit is not received by someone until he is allowed to take full control of that person’s temple. Pray for God to help you lay hold of his Spirit!