Have you ever read an Old Testament Bible story and pictured yourself in it? As a child, everything seemed to be looking up. I imagined looking up at the walls of Jericho, up at Goliath, or up at the ark. It didn’t matter what, but the stories of the Old Testament always seemed so large and grand. God the Father did BIG things, in a BIG way, to show He was a BIG God.
Then comes along the New Testament. For me, the New Testament showed a personable God. Jesus lived with humanity as one of us. I imagined walking with him on the water of the Sea of Galilee. I wondered what made Him laugh, what was his favorite food, and how he survived childhood with little siblings and NOT sin. My image of God became touchable, yet no less a miracle to me.
As an adult, I must confess I have not lost the wonder of the God of the Old Testament or my curiosity about Jesus from the New Testament. However, I often feel at a loss to even imagine the God of the “church age” in my mind when I read. God IN us is so much harder for me to wrap my mind around. No less grand, no less powerful, the Holy Spirit IN Christians seems like the grand finale to this overactive imagination. He started above, then He came beside, and finally, He dwelt within us. Of all the options He had, I still wonder why IN? I can’t help but hear the Genie from Aladdin, “Little bitty living space.”
What exactly IS the power of the Holy Spirit? If God the Father displayed his power through Earth-moving protection and providence, Jesus proved his deity with healing miracles, how does the Holy Spirit interact with humanity? What does it mean for us that He is IN us?
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” John 14:17
My study led me to one solid conclusion. The works of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all have one purpose: turning hearts towards Him. Every powerful display of deity, miraculous healing, and transformation ushers humanity to one goal, offering our hearts to follow Him. I call the church age the finale because I have come to believe that the greatest miracle God can perform is the change within us. The church age doesn’t just know of God’s power; we don’t just experience God’s power; we can personally display it.
We can live the love of God. We can withstand the Devil by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christians today should read to the world like walking talking miracles. Our ability to overcome the world and the flesh sets us apart. What does it mean that God is IN us? It means when they look at us, they should see Him, His power, His mercy, His wisdom, His truth, and most importantly, His love.
May we live not with moments of miracles but rather miraculous lives. Faith, the size of a mustard seed, opens the door for the Holy Spirit to do miracles in and through you the world can’t explain. Do you feel the Holy Spirit working in you today? When was the last time you knew and saw the Holy Spirit working through you?
Don’t wait for a miracle. Be the Miracle.
Comments