July 8 Daily Devotional

I Believe in the Holy Spirit

Peter G. Feenstra

“While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” Acts 5:4

Bible Reading

Acts 5:1–11

Devotional

What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit? Believing in the Spirit we are brought into fellowship and communion with the only true God. On the day of Pentecost the Spirit was sent to be with us and to dwell in the church. The Spirit is with us even though we do not see Him in physical form. Since we do not see Him, we can be in danger of fabricating images of what we think the Spirit should do and should be.

The Spirit is true and co-eternal God with the Father and the Son. This is verified throughout Scripture. Do you recall what took place shortly after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost? Two individuals lied to the apostles—first Ananias, and then in a separate incident, his wife Sapphira. Lying to God’s servants proved to be deadly. Both of them dropped dead before the apostles! Peter confronted Ananias with his sin, saying to him, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit...?” In being deceitful, Ananias and Sapphira were lying to the Holy Spirit! “You have not lied to men but to God.” Acts 5 could not say it any clearer; the Holy Spirit is true God and must be worshipped and honoured as God.

Since the Holy Spirit is God He has the power to convert, change and renew our lives, enabling us to live to God’s glory and praise. The Holy Spirit is the God of our life, who has revealed Himself graciously to us. The Spirit never contradicts the work of the Father or the Son but complements and finishes what they have initiated. The Holy Spirit is a member of the Godhead, living in perfect communion with the Father and the Son. If we strip Him of that glory then God is dead and our world is drifting off to eternal nothingness and meaninglessness.

Knowing that the Holy Spirit is God makes it all the more amazing that He resides in the church! His workshop is not the church building as such but He dwells with His people. Let us rejoice in the Spirit’s work as the one, only, true God. He cannot be seen with the naked eye but the footprints of His work are clearly evident in the church.

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