Seeking the Knowledge of the Holy Spirit

 

 

"There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do signs that You do unless God is with Him."

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God....Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"

Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you a master of Israel , and do not know these things?"                                     Excerpt from Jn. 3:1-10

 

It is inferred that because Nicodemus, whose name means "Victorious among his people", came to Jesus by night, he wanted to keep his association with Jesus hidden. He was of important stature among the Jews.

However, he was seeking something from Jesus. He knew that he was missing the knowledge and understanding of something so important, that he would risk his position to seek the answer from Jesus. Jesus, knowing what understanding Nicodemus sought, began to teach him about the truth of  rebirth in the Spirit. It is so important, that the kingdom of God cannot be entered without it. Nicodemus was completely ignorant of this truth, which amazed Jesus. It is one of the most awesome truths of scripture- the Holy Spirit dwelling within men to create them anew- and yet this learned man did not know it, and could not understand it. It was written of in the Prophets. It was written of in the Psalms, and in the Chronicles of the kings. Yet, Israel did not walk in this hope. 
Jesus would be equally amazed today knowing that a large portion of the people who consider themselves people of God, also do not understand, nor have they experienced, the infilling of the Holy Spirit sent from God.
The Apostle Paul wrote chapters of the New testament instructing the Church of the importance of the Baptism and Gifts of the Holy Spirit. At one point, he wrote that he would not have those to whom he was writing "ignorant" regarding these things (1 Cor. 12:1). Yet, so many remain so.
However, this spiritual baptism in a believer's life is not just relegated to history. It is still the Promise of the Father to all who believe, even to whole households. It is the power of the Gospel, and it is the unity of the Body of Christ with Jesus and the Father. The disunity found in the Church today may be the direct result of the lack of understanding of the infilling of the Holy Spirit that Jesus instructed for Nicodemus, and for all of us:
"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body- whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit."            1 Cor. 12:12-13
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."       Eph. 4:4-6



Those of us who are not ignorant of the baptism and spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit, and have experiential knowledge of Him, need to resolve and re-dedicate ourselves to walking in the Spirit. The infilling of the Holy Spirit in a believer, and the gifts given, are supposed to lead to a change in the believer's life from the carnal to the spiritual, from death to life, giving evidence of that baptism. The law is even fulfilled by those who will walk according to the Holy Spirit:
"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."        Ezek. 36:27
"...that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."         Rom. 8:4
"I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh...If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."        Gal. 5:16, 25

We are adopted as sons of God by allowing ourselves not just to be filled by the Holy Spirit, but to be led by the Holy Spirit, and this spiritual baptism is to transform not only us, but all of creation:
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God...For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God." 
                                                                  Rom. 8:14, 19
It is one thing to accept the anointing, calling, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, but sons accept the rulership of the Holy Spirit over thoughts, emotions, decisions, choices, as we allow Him to lead us..
Perhaps if we, who have the knowledge of the Holy Spirit, become the living demonstration of this precious infilling, and are willing to walk with, and be led by, the Holy Spirit, we will be able to see many more receive Him as well.