“For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 ESV
Reflection: how can we experience the nearness of the kingdom of heaven?
Across the world, many Christians are commemorating the events of Pentecost. At the same time, we might wonder about the Holy Spirit, who He is and what His role is. And the teaching about the Holy Spirit seems to depend on your church affiliation and pastor. While we don’t physically see the Spirit as we did Jesus, the Bible talks a lot about Him, and we can know about His presence. We can experience the presence of the Spirit of God, experience a “taste of heaven”, even in this broken and fallen world, which is quite amazing when you think about it. But how? As Jesus started His ministry, He said to the people “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”” Matthew 4:17 ESV.
In Jesus words, we see this correlation between repentance and the proximity of the kingdom of heaven. He says to repent, for, or because, the kingdom of heaven is near. The presence of Jesus caused the demons to flee, all sickness to be healed. Even the wind and the waves obeyed Him. What cannot stand when the kingdom is close, is sin. Jesus told people to repent of their sins, and to sin no more. Why? So they could experience, get a taste of the kingdom of heaven. Image, the nearness of Jesus, bringing the
nearness of the kingdom of heaven.
As a Christian in our age, we long for this. To be closer to the Lord, to experience the presence of His kingdom. You know, the amazing thing is that we can. Jesus said that the Father would send the Holy Spirit so that we could have this same joy that we read about in the Bible. He said “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 14:15-17 ESV And, “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:25-26 ESV. And, a bit later, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” John 15:26 ESV. We see some clear characteristics here of the Holy Spirit.
- He is our “Helper”
- Will be with us forever
- He is the Spirit of truth
- Dwells in and among God’s people
- Teaches all things
- The world cannot receive Him
- Proceeds from the Father
- Bears witness of Jesus
So if any of these are not present, the Spirit of God is not present. And, we can also look at the presence of the Holy Spirit from the characteristics of those who actually have received and live by the Spirit of God. Jesus said you will know that by the “fruit”, meaning the “tree” (person) will bear good fruit if the Holy Spirit is present, because it is not them doing it but the Holy Spirit in them. And, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”Galatians 5:22-23 ESV. “Bad” fruit cannot come from a good tree, as we all know. If there is no good fruit, how can the Holy Spirit be present?
In our focus verses today, we see Paul explaining this presence of the Holy Spirit, the presence of the kingdom of heaven. He says “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 ESV. We see here that, choosing to live a pure life, in holiness, in a way invites the Holy Spirit. It is from a desire and an effort to follow Jesus Christ, as He said “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39 ESV.
Do we desire to experience more of the kingdom of heaven?
What He has given us is His Spirit. Let’s end with the thought, that Paul started this chapter with, saying “Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.” 1 Thessalonians 4:1 ESV. To please God in our daily walk, more and more.
