Jesus has shown us in John 14-16 that his abiding life is the zoe life of God given to us by the Spirit of God. He is the “Spirit of Truth” who ministers the truth of Jesus and his life to us. Remember, the Holy Spirit never glorifies himself, he glorifies the Son, who in turn glorifies the Father. The Holy Spirit will always call you to have faith in the life and work of the Son. He calls us to dependence upon the life, death, and resurrection of the Son.
Therefore, dependence upon the Spirit IS dependence upon the Son. And more specifically, dependence upon the cross. Look at how Paul emphasizes the cross in his life and ministry:
Galatians 6:14. But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
1 Corinthians 2:2. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
The Spirit’s mission is to make you more and more aware of your need for Jesus and the cross. The path to the Spirit’s power is through the weakness of the cross. The power and wisdom that he gives is the weakness of the cross and the foolishness of the cross.
The Spirit allows us to cry alongside Paul, “I want to know him” (Phil. 3:10). To be Spirit filled and Spirit led is gifted to us at salvation. There are not other requirements that have to be met or special yielding to the Spirit that needs to occur. If you have the indwelling life of Christ, then you have the Spirit in all his fullness.
Faith compels us to depend on Christ’s cross, and this faith allows the Spirit to flow out of us as the cruciform life- a life of sacrificial love and righteousness.
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