Day 121: How Do We See The Glory of the Lord Through The Spirit?
The Holy Spirit has been given to us so that we can become like Jesus. This is the main goal of the growth ministries of the Spirit. He is here to help us focus on Christ so that we can be transformed to be like Him.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
In the Big Picture, the main role of the Holy Spirit is to help us see, understand and receive the Truth about Jesus and the Truth that IS Jesus. Living in this Truth leads to our freedom. In John 8:31-32, Jesus said, “If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Paul says something very important in the 2 Corinthians passage above: The Lord (Jesus) IS the Spirit. Notice he says this twice, in verse 17 and at the end of verse 18. In a real sense, the Holy Spirit IS the Spirit of the Lord Jesus. This touches on that incomprehensible mystery of the Trinity. If you remember, Jesus said several times that He and the Father are One, and “If you have seen me you have seen the Father.” Jesus is the very expression of the Father (see Hebrews 1:3). The Holy Spirit, in a similar manner, is the very expression of the Lord Jesus. Where the Spirit is, the presence of Jesus is also represented. Jesus wanted His disciples to know the truth and to be free; The Holy Spirit leads us to the Truth in Jesus to set us free.
As The Spirit does His work in us—illuminating our hearts and minds to live according to the truth—we are being transformed, step by step, to reflect more of the glory of Christ. This is the real goal of the growth ministries of the Holy Spirit.
An important principle that we see in Scripture is that we become like what we worship—focus on, make central, direct our lives toward. In the Hebrew Scriptures, those who worship useless, worthless idols become like them:
Psalm 115:4–8
115:4 [The Nations’] idols are made of silver and gold
— they are man-made.
115:5 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see,
115:6 ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell,
115:7 hands, but cannot touch, feet, but cannot walk.
They cannot even clear their throats.
115:8 Those who make them will end up like them,
as will everyone who trusts in them.
As we focus on Christ—worship Him as the One worthy of our time, adoration, and praise—we will become more and more like Him!
As you think about these growth ministries of the Holy Spirit, reflect on the following passages:
John 15:26-27
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – He will testify about me, 27 and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
John 16:13-14
He (The Holy Spirit) will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you.
The main ministry of the Holy Spirit is to lead people to Christ, to testify about Him and glorify Him, which means to show why Jesus is worthy of praise and adoration. For all of us who are IN Christ, the Holy Spirit enables us to focus on Christ so that we become more and more like Him.
In our times, there are many who glorify the Holy Spirit—they focus on the Holy Spirit. We must be very careful about this. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to glorify Christ. He is not here to glorify us or Himself by His work in us. As we follow Him, He will lead us to Christ, to see His glory more clearly.
As you think on these things, consider the following questions:
Based on what we have studied in these last couple of lessons, how do you think the Holy Spirit works in your heart and mind as you read the Bible? What is He seeking to do?
What is the Holy Spirit seeking to with your 1) thoughts and 2) desires and 3) emotions? How do you think He is seeking to shape you, spiritually speaking?
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
