One of God’s most profound promises is found in the second chapter of Joel.
“It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
“Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” (Joel 2.28-29)
On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the gathering, Peter quoted from Joel and noted that the promise was being fulfilled.
In today’s YouTube video, Rudy Ross expands on this passage and talks about another time when the Spirit will be poured out as the world reaches the goal God has in store for humanity.
A Brief History of the Spirit
In today’s blog article, I would like to present a brief survey of the Holy Spirit and His activity before the day of Pentecost.
We meet the Holy Spirit in the second verse of the Bible, and there we find that He is hovering with creative energy over a void and formless world.
The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters (Genesis 1.2).
The first spiritual gift is mentioned in the Book of Exodus, as a man is given the wisdom of the Spirit to complete the construction of the Tabernacle in the wilderness.
And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship (Exodus 35:31).
The Book of Judges is an account of how the Holy Spirit came upon both men and women to serve as God’s instruments in leading the nation of Israel.
What God said to the first king of Israel, that the Spirit would come upon him and he would become a new person, is true for humans today. When we meet the Holy Spirit, He makes us new creations.
Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man (1 Samuel 10:6).
Isaiah prophesied that Jesus, the Servant of the Lord, would complete His ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;
My chosen one in whom My soul delights.
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the nations.” (Isaiah 42:1)
The Old Testament is filled with numerous of instances when the Holy Spirit came upon God’s people for a specific purpose.
The good news of Joel’s prophecy, and its fulfillment on the Day of Pentecost, is that the Holy Spirit is now available to everyone.
Romans 8 and the Holy Spirit
Let’s examine Paul’s treatment of the Holy Spirit in the 8th chapter of Romans.
Paul recognized that in his efforts to serve God, he often failed and ended up serving his lower earthly nature, which he referred to as ‘the flesh’.
He cried out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7.24).
Paul also understood that the Holy Spirit acts as a powerful agent in bringing victory to a person’s life.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. . .
So that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Romans 8.2 and 4).
Paul explains that the mind focused on the Spirit produces a quality of life that only God can give us.
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8.6).
Not only does the Holy Spirit produce divine life in us, but the presence of the Spirit in us assures us that we will be living continually with God once this life is over.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8.11 and 16-17).
I often turn to Romans 8:26 during my time of prayer and tell the Lord that I don’t know how to pray and I don’t know what to pray for, but I know He does. This is another great gift of the Holy Spirit.
In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8.26).
Activated, Captivated, and Motivated
God has poured out His Spirit on all humanity. It is our privilege and responsibility to be filled with this wonderful gift from God.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
Years ago, I heard a South African preacher speak on this verse. He asked the question: what does alcohol do to a drunk? He answered that it activates, captivates, and motivates that person.
Then, he suggested that this is what we should have with the Holy Spirit.
When we are filled with the Spirit, we should be activated, captivated, and motivated by Him.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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