The Holy Spirit Is to Us All Jesus Would Be

By A.W. Tozer

  ---Be filled with the Spirit.        --- Ephesians 5:18

When we think of the Person of the Holy Spirit, we should think of Him as gracious,
loving, kind and gentle -- just like our Lord Jesus Christ Himself!

When the Scripture says, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God," it is telling us that He
loves us so much that when we insult Him, He is grieved; when we ignore Him,
He is grieved; when we resist Him, He is grieved; and when we doubt Him, He is
grieved.  Thankfully, we can please Him by obeying and believing.  When we please
Him,  He responds to us just like a pleased father or loving mother responds.  He
responds to us because He loves us!

Think of the tragedy and the woe of this hour -- that we neglect the most important
One who could possibly be in our midst!  He is the Holy Spirit of God -- yet many are
guilty of ignoring and neglecting Him!

Let me assure you that this is the most important thing in the world -- that this blessed
Holy Spirit is waiting now and can be present with you this minute.  Jesus, in His body,
is the right hand of God the Father Almighty, interceding for us.  He will be there until
He comes again.  But He said He would send another Comforter, the Holy Ghost,
His Spirit.  We cannot be all that we ought to be for God if we do not believe the
Comforter, the Holy Spirit has been sent to be to us all that Jesus would be if He were
here now!  The Holy Spirit: More Than a Poetic Yearning.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak
on his own authority. But whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you
the things that are to come.  --   1 John 5:7

In the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit is necessary.  There He works powerfully, creatively.
In popular Christianity, He is little more than a poetic yearning or at most a benign
influence. In the Scriptures He moves in majesty, with all the attributes of the Godhead;
here He is a mood, a tender feeling of good will.  Everything that men do in their own
abilities is done for time alone: only what is done through the Eternal Spirit will abide
eternally!    Spirit Led, We Will Obey the Word of God - And the Spirit is the witness,
because the  Spirit is the truth.  -- 1 John 5:7

When the Holy Spirit is in full control of our lives, He will expect our obedience to the
written Word of God.  But it is part of our human problem that we would like to be full
of the Spirit and yet go on and do as we please!

The Holy Spirit who inspired the Scriptures will expect obedience to the Scriptures,
and if we do not give that obedience, we will QUENCH Him.  This Spirit will have
obedience -- and the people MUST obey the Lord.
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Yours in Christ,
Paul N. F.