The Holy Spirit is one of the Holy Trinity, but equal in power. We need the grace of God to receive the Holy Spirit. Luke 1: 28,30:28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
We can observe four things here.
1.Obedience and Submission: Luke 1:35-38, 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Virgin Mary submitted herself completely into the hands of the Lord on hearing the words of Angel Gabriel. She was not deterred or afraid of the consequences she would have to face as an unwed girl who became pregnant. 2000 years ago if a girl became pregnant before marriage she was stoned to death. Mary did not get disturbed or flustered by the thought of having the family name tarnished by being pregnant. She accepted the word of God as it was. She was filled with the Holy Spirit and the virgin mother gave birth to our Saviour, Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 24:48-49, 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” The apostles followed the instructions given by Jesus and returned to Jerusalem. They prayed in a room together constantly. Hence as implied by Jesus they followed what the Lord had said and prayed together for the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1, When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
1 Samuel 15:22, 22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
2.The Holy Spirit comes when in a congregation: The angel of the Lord comes to Mary and informs her that her cousin Elizabeth is with child. Hearing this Mary goes to visit her cousin. Luke 1:36, 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.
Hearing the voice of Mary, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and the child in her womb jumped with joy(only six month old). Even before Mary tells her cousin about the visit of Gabriel and what blessing she has been bestowed with. Elizabeth praises her as if she knows all beforehand. Luke 1:41-42, 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
Mother Mary had visited Elizabeth to look after her and to be a part of the joys of the motherhood. Mother Mary here comes as a ray of relief and hope for Elizabeth while she was alone with her husband Zechariah who had been made mute by God.
1 Peter 4:10, 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Mother Mary here is an example of how to serve other in times of need and care.
Ephesians 1:13, 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,…We are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
The word of God teaches us to be filled with fear, but one that is filled with love and compassion. 2 Timothy 1:7, 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. The Lord taught us that all who seek the Holy Spirit will find it. Luke 11:13, 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
3 Live a Holy life: Judges 16:4, 4 Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. Here we read about Samson who fell in love with Delilah a woman from Philistine. This relationship led him to ruin as it was not in favour of Lord’s eyes. The Holy Spirit left Samson and he was defeated. Those who live a pure and holy life are blessed with the grace of the Holy Spirit. In today’s time it is the body that controls the mind and not vice versa. To be able to control the mind one should have a pure heart and soul. Matthew 5:8, 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Romans 12:1–2, Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17,16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
1 Samuel 16:14, 14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. When the Holy Spirit leaves you, the evil spirit begins to take its place.
Galatians 5:16, 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
For the Holy Spirit to reside in us, our bodies , souls and hearts should be pure. Eg: Saul and Judas.
4. Be steadfast: Matthew 7:24, 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. If after receiving the Holy Spirit you continue to live a life immersed in sins and immorality, the Holy Spirit will leave you.
2 Peter 2:20-22, 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”
Jeremiah 3:12, “‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will not be angry forever.
The believers of Christ believe that we receive the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of Baptism. By the time man becomes aware, he /she starts to commit sin.
Jeremiah 2:28, 28 “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Psalms 51:11,11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
St. Peter went into withdrawal several times. He was able to perform miracles in the name of Christ. He was able to heal many people, even the place where his shadow fell healed people. Why?? How?? The reason is he was filled by the power of the Holy Spirit. Being filled and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, one who was a coward handed himself over to the Romans to be persecuted. He was just like us an ordinary man, a fisherman. Think from where did he get this strength and power. Just as the Lord called Peter, He is calling each one of us to make us “Fishers of men”.
For this we need: Obedience, submission. congregation and purity.
1 John 1: 8-10, 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Jehovah Roi 