Consolation Communication Confirmation Conformation

Be Blessed by Embracing God’s Values and Relating with Him through the Lord’s Appointed Times of Pentecost

TRUTH AND PURPOSE

Shavuot (Pentecost) was prescribed to celebrate the glory of God. Initially it served as a reminder of the time God’s law was given to Moses. As the disciples were celebrating this time, the Holy Spirit gave them a huge wake-up call by falling upon them, just as the LORD had promised! It marked a time of transition, and revealed God’s plan to inhabit His people and display the manifold virtues of His Holy Spirit.

RELEVANCE

The LORD called the Holy Spirit the Comforter, promising He “will guide you into all truth.” The disciples learned quickly that it was by the power and comfort of the Holy Spirit that the community of believers grew and maintained its vitality. It is by the working of the Holy Spirit that God works His transformation process, renewing our mind and changing our character to conform to Christ’s as we yield to Him. Peter, having experienced real transformation, referred to this as being “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

In appreciating the value of the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit, Paul encouraged believers to understand the nature of the Holy Spirit, and how He works and communicates with us.

It is to us, however, that God has revealed these things. How? Through the Spirit. For the Spirit probes all things, even the profoundest depths of God. 11 For who knows the inner workings of a person except the person’s own spirit inside him? So too no one knows the inner workings of God except God’s Spirit. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, so that we might understand the things God has so freely given us.     (1 Corinthians 2:10-12 JNT)

Real transformation happens in time through God’s process as we submit and surrender to Christ, and allow ourselves to be conformed to His nature. It entails allowing Him to increase and the self nature to decrease. For most of us, that's more easily said than done! As we do, though, the Holy Spirit establishes and confirms our alignment with Christ by manifesting the sweet peace of God. That peace gives us the confidence of God’s presence and assurance of His favor.

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV) 

The result of God’s process yields good fruits.  The more we submit to the Spirit, the more we reflect His character and the fruit of the Spirit. “Since it is through the Spirit that we have Life, let it also be through the Spirit that we order our lives day by day.”  (Galatians 5:25 JNT) 

FOCUS ON VALUES, VISION AND VIRTUES

The Holy Spirit imparts insight that strengthens our vision, bringing what was obscure to clarity, and what seemed so complex to simplicity. In order to do so God brings our values into alignment with His. When our values are congruent with God’s, we see things we never saw before! The Holy Spirit imparts new and greater measures of the virtue of Christ; His love, character and power, producing the fruit of the Spirit. Through grace, God’s works His process of transformation within us.

What new values has God impressed you to embrace this season?

What new vision has God imparted in you to give you greater insights?

What virtues of Christ have you received to walk in the new life in Him?  

REFLECTION, REALITY AND RESPONSE

In what ways can you value the ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life?

How do you think you can recognize the working of the Holy Spirit?

How does He speak to you?

How might you confirm what the Holy Spirit is doing?

In what ways has God been transforming you, growing greater measures of His nature in you?

REFERENCES

John 14-16; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16; 12-14; 2 Corinthians 3:4-18; Galatians 5; Romans 14; 1 Peter 1:2-11

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Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked JNT taken from the Jewish New Testament. Copyright © 1979 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. Scriptures marked NLT are taken from New Living Translation Holy Bible, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.