“But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!’” – Numbers 11:29
What seems like a casual statement by Moses some 3400 years ago actually describes our present-day situation! Not that we’re all prophets, of course, but God’s Spirit is indeed upon all His people. This is what took place at Pentecost after Jesus ascended to heaven. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon all who believe in Him. The Spirit seals us, guarantees our eternal future, lives within us, and empowers us to grow, change, become like Jesus, and serve the Lord.
If you’ve trusted in Jesus as your Lord, believing that God raised Him from the dead, then the Holy Spirit is upon you. Truly! He desires to bring forth fruit in your life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He gifts you to serve in a local church and build up the body of Christ there. He’ll give you the words and the power to do what Christ has commanded you to do – make disciples who believe in Him and obey Him.
The question for you, if you’re a Christian, isn’t whether you have the Holy Spirit. You do. The question is whether you’re quenching the Holy Spirit (preventing Him from doing much in your life) or allowing yourself to be filled with Him and walking in step with His leading. Quenching the Spirit is easy – it just requires ignoring Him, neglecting to read and think on God’s Word, skipping prayer and fellowship with God, minimizing worship, avoiding meaningful relationships with other Christians, sitting on the sidelines rather than serving God, keeping the good news of Jesus Christ tightly within yourself rather than sharing it, and failing to act when the Spirit calls you to do something. Most Christians seem to live lives that have effectively quenched the Holy Spirit.
Don’t quench the Holy Spirit! God has given you the Spirit, just as Moses wished for you. Fan the Spirit into flame. Live a life of worship, devotion, prayer, meditation, community, godly service, and sharing Christ. Work hard to obey all of Christ’s commands (not just the ones you like or agree with). Love God, listen to the leading of the Spirit and take the leap of faith to do what He says. #FollowJesus