He Has You

We sing “Holy Spirit, You are welcome here,” but do we live it?

We all have that sense of those places where we are welcomed and those other places where we are not. We gravitate to those places where we are welcomed, and it is those places we go back to time and time again. So it is with the Holy Spirit.

You cannot be joined to darkness and also walk in the light. “And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them” (Mark 6:11 NIV).

The Holy Spirit has infinitely better senses than we do. Not only can He sense how you feel toward Him, but He can look right into your heart to confirm it. The Holy Spirit never comes to conquer you but to be received by you with a willing heart.

Beware those who reject the Holy Spirit, for God might reject them. “But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them” (Isaiah 63:10 NKJV).

The degree that the Holy Spirit will come into your life and reign in you is the same degree that you are welcoming Him to do so. If we are honest with ourselves, we do not welcome the Holy Spirit to have His way with us in every area of our lives.

To the degree you operate apart from the Holy Spirit, you’re on your own. “…Seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom…And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit…And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:3,5,8 NKJV).

If you want to grow spiritually, then it must be by the power of the Holy Spirit within you. As you learn to humble yourself and give up the right to yourself, it is there that you will be able to welcome the Holy Spirit to dominate your life.

You do not grow spiritually by your natural efforts, but by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit alone who is qualified to do this work. Your only job is to let Him have His way in you. “This is the word of the LORD…’ Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit’…” (Zechariah 4:6 NKJV).

Individually, we can welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives. The same is true collectively as we gather with other believers. The greater the percentage of believers in a group that welcome the Holy Spirit, the greater His presence will be among them.

Minister to the masses, but only be joined to the remnant. “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV).

Most churches acknowledge the Holy Spirit, but only some sincerely welcome Him into their services, where He alone will reign. Too many churches want a tamed and bridled Holy Spirit that falls in line with their programs and their schedules.

Stop organizing the Holy Spirit out of your services. If you never leave room for Him, don’t be surprised when He doesn’t show up. “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. …And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…” (Acts 2:2,4 NKJV).

The problem we have individually and in our gatherings is the reluctance to give up the right to ourselves. It is this very reluctance that is the greatest reason why we do not welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives. It’s either your way or His way, and the choice is up to you.

The more you hold onto your rights over yourself, the more you violate His rights over you. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV).

As we give up the right to ourselves and welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives and into our gatherings, we will experience a greater move of the Holy Spirit in everything we are doing. He will only dominate where we let Him dominate.

You’ll overcome sin when you let the Holy Spirit overcome you. “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace” (Romans 8:5-6 NLT).

In whatever way it rubs you the wrong way the thought of the Holy Spirit dominating over you proves you have yet to surrender that part of yourself to God. Yet, if you are honest with yourself, in whatever way you reign in your life, you are in rebellion against God.

We’re not meant to only be filled with the Holy Spirit; we’re meant to be changed by the Holy Spirit. “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy” (Ephesians 4:23-24 CEV).

Ask the Holy Spirit to dominate your life. Be genuinely welcoming to Him so that He would do so. Ask the Lord to show you in whatever way you are not welcoming the Holy Spirit, and then pray that He will help you to overcome that obstacle.

You’d be surprised what God can change in you if you’d just let Him. “I will also put a new spirit in you to change your way of thinking. I will take out the heart of stone from your body and give you a tender, human heart. I will put my Spirit inside you and change you so that you will obey my laws. You will carefully obey my commands” (Ezekiel 36:26-27 ERV).

What if you could have that supernatural Spirit-filled life? You can. What if you could experience the ongoing presence, guidance, comfort, and teaching from the Holy Spirit? You can. Welcome the Holy Spirit to change your life starting today.

Sing out loud, “Holy Spirit, You are welcome here!”

Blessings to you always,

Paul Balius