John 14:17
The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
If we really want to worship the Father in Spirit and Truth, we must stop taking the Holy Spirit for granted! Observe here that Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit using personal pronouns. A poor understanding of the personal nature of the Holy Spirit adversely affects your relationship with Him. Think about how you treat someone you know personally as opposed to some stranger.
Have you noticed that people tend to behave differently on social media than in person? It’s because social media gives people an illusion of anonymity. But a face-to-face interaction makes us aware of each other’s sensitivity. Sadly, many believers treat the Holy Spirit like a stranger, like some imaginary or virtual “person”. Beloved, the Holy Spirit is REAL!
Like any real person, the Holy Spirit can be grieved, disappointed and hurt by our words, deeds and attitudes. Of course it is true that God is not a man. But we must remember that man was created in God’s image. So our personal traits are derived from God. Recognising the personal nature of the Spirit is not reducing Him to human nature but acknowledging the truth.
Let us treat the Holy Spirit with the genuine respect befitting His divine personality. He speaks, hears, sees, feels and thinks. He is infinitely wise, knowledgeable and powerful. Let us not insult His intelligence through pretence, drama and formalism. Let us not take Him for granted!
Pastor Josh