The Spiritual Man's Obstacle CourseSample

9. Breaching Barriers (part 2)

Taking the Plunge

“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”
– John 3:5

Into the Spirit

Now, receiving the Holy Spirit is not necessarily simultaneous with baptism in water. And there’s no rule about whether the Spirit or the water should be first. To each one Christ deals personally. What matters though, is that we believe and obey Him through the water and be willing to be filled and driven by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is our counsellor, our helper, and the indwelling presence of Christ in our lives (John 16:5-15). The Spirit convinces us to believe in Christ, and when we are filled with the Holy Spirit we are empowered to live like Christ. The Holy Spirit empowers Christ’s followers with certain gifts to support His church and build His Kingdom on earth (1 Corinthians 12:1-11). Throughout the book of Acts, the most prominent indication of someone being filled with the Holy Spirit were usually that they prophesied or spoke in tongues (be it foreign or heavenly languages).

Most important though, is that someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit can function in Christ’s presence and power, as well as reflect His character:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…”
– Galatians 5:22-23

For us to be effective as men of God, we need to be born again of water and spirit as Jesus said. If we are to breach the enemy’s barriers, whether in our personal lives or collectively as a church, we need to take the plunge—take the plunge into the water of baptism in faith and obedience if you haven’t already and take the plunge deeper and deeper into God’s presence and bear the image of Christ’s character through the power of the Holy Spirit who wants to fill your life.

Read John 16:5-15 & 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and reflect on the following:

• What’s your observation(s) from this reading?
• What’s your understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life?
• What’s your biggest obstacle to let the Holy Spirit fill your life?
• What should you pray about after today’s reading?