The Work of the Spirit: A Changed Heart

April 22, 2025

In Ezekiel chapter 36, God reminds His people how they had strayed very far from Him.  The house of Israel had defiled the land by their ways (36:17).  They had shed blood in the land and worshiped idols (36:18).  They had profaned the name of God (36:20).  In short, the nation of Israel was rebellious and disobedient to God, and He punished them severely (36:18-19).

But despite all of their disobedience, we also see the grace and mercy of God toward His people.  Later in the same chapter we read, “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” (Ezekiel 36:24–27 NASB95)

What a wonderful promise that there was coming a time when God would cleanse His people, give them a new heart, and put His Spirit within them.  They had hearts of stone—hearts that were stubborn, unresponsive, and unrepentant.  But He would give them a heart of flesh—hearts that were tender, humble, and open to hearing His voice.  God promised to put His Spirit within them.  While the Holy Spirit was always around in Old Testament times (and from all eternity), this was something new!  This was something powerful!  For through His Spirit, God would cause His people to walk in His ways.  He was going to change their hearts and empower their obedience!

Of course, you and I live in that promised time.  God has placed His Spirit within us.  God has given us new hearts.  God is molding and shaping us within our inner being.  That means you and I can obey God from the heart.  Our obedience to Him goes far beyond a mere code of rules and regulations.  Our obedience comes from a changed heart and is empowered by the Spirit of God.

And this means that there is hope for you and me if we are struggling with sin.  We must be diligent to hear and obey the voice of God, but as we do so, let’s realize that we have divine help!  Let us trust in God’s promise to change our hearts, and let us rely on God’s power that works within us through His Spirit.   

—Scott Colvin

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What is the Gift of the Holy Spirit?

January 9, 2024

There is a very important promise given to those who were baptized in Acts chapter two, where we read, “Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38 NAS95)But what is meant by “the gift of the Holy Spirit”?

Some have said that the gift of the Holy Spirit is a gift that the Spirit gives to the one who is baptized.  Earlier in Acts 2, the apostles, by the power of the Spirit, spoke in tongues so that all of those gathered in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost could hear the message of the gospel in their own language.  And so, it is concluded by some, that “the gift of the Holy Spirit” is the gift of tongue speaking. This gift, it is claimed, was bestowed upon those who were baptized that day by the laying on of the apostle’s hands after they were baptized. 

Others have said that the gift of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit Himself.  In other words, God gave the Spirit as a gift to indwell the believer at the moment of their baptism.

Which of these is the correct interpretation?  Let’s look at some related passages and strive to let the Bible interpret itself.  Paul wrote to the church at Rome, “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” (Romans 8:9 NAS95) Note carefully from this passage that the Spirit’s indwelling makes us children of God.  If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ (the Holy Spirit) he is not a child of God.  Or consider this verse, “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:6 NAS95)Do you see here that the Spirit’s indwelling and sonship go together?  Because we are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts.  If we did not have His Spirit in our heart, it would mean that we are not His son or daughter.

Because of this, we must conclude that “the gift of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 2:38 is the Spirit Himself coming into our hearts.  If that is not the case, then those who were baptized on that day did not become children of God at the moment they were baptized.  Why?  Because no indwelling equals no sonship.  Could it be that they received the indwelling of the Spirit before they were baptized?  No, because that would indicate that they became children of God before they were baptized, and that the Spirit came to indwell them before their sins were forgiven. 

The gift of the Holy Spirit’s is the Spirit Himself who was given to dwell in our hearts.  Each one of us received Him at the moment we were baptized into Christ.  Praise God for His wonderful gift!

—Scott Colvin

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The Personal Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

December 19, 2023

One of the most amazing facts about the Christian life is that the Holy Spirit dwells within each one of us individually.  The scriptures are very clear about this.  For example, consider what Paul wrote to the Corinthian church: “But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.  Flee immorality.  Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:17-19 NAS95) This passage shows us that, for those who are in Christ, our bodies have become a dwelling place—a temple—of the Holy Spirit. What an amazing thought!  Just as God filled the temple with His presence in Old Testament times, so now God dwells in each one of us.  Each one of us are a temple of the living God!

These words of scripture are not figurative language, but a spiritual reality.  It is a reality that some of the members of the church at Corinth did not understand, and their lack of understanding had a terribly harmful impact on their walk with the Lord.  Some at Corinth had been practicing sexual immorality.  They didn’t realize that in so doing they were being joined in one body to prostitutes.  Paul had to rebuke them and remind them of who they were.  How could they sinfully join themselves in one body with another when they were one spirit with the Lord?  The spirit of God was living within them!  How then could they so casually engage in sin?

You see, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a powerful incentive for holy living.  It is something that you and I need to understand about ourselves today.  An understanding of this reality will completely change the way we look at ourselves.  It will change the way that we live.  It will cause us to strive for holiness.  It will strengthen our walk with the Lord.

Brothers and sisters, have you come to realize that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within you?  You are not your own.  Let us glorify God with our bodies.

—Scott Colvin

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The Dangers of Dismissing the Holy Spirit

December 1, 2023

There is a lot of confusion in the church about the Holy Spirit.  Many questions arise, such as:  Is the Spirit a personal being or just some impersonal force?  Is the Spirit divine?  Does the Spirit help us in some way today?  What is His function, exactly?  What about miraculous gifts?  Does the Spirit actually dwell within us?  These are all important questions that should be asked, and answers should be sought. 

The scriptures make it clear that a reliance on the Spirit is critical to the spiritual health of both the church as a whole and of each individual Christian.  Despite this fact, there are some in the church today who downplay the role of the Spirit.  Some have claimed that the Spirit is not really doing anything today.  Some have claimed that the Spirit of God does not actually dwell in us today in any real sense.  We must carefully search the word of God to form our understanding of the Spirit.  Some are not forming their views of the Spirit on a careful study of the word, but on a counterreaction to certain misguided views held by the Pentecostal/charismatic movements.  Forming our views of scripture on a reaction to what others are teaching is no way to go about finding truth!   We must let the word of God speak for itself and let it shape our thinking.  Some who downplay the role of the Spirit do so because of their desire for simple, black and white teachings that can be easily understood.  But the fact is, there are some things in scripture that are difficult to understand (2 Peter 3:15-16), and there are many, many things in the scriptures that will far exceed our ability to fully comprehend.  Afterall, we are dealing with God.  His ways are far above our ways.  Why should we think that we could ever fully understand nature of God and His Spirit?  And yet, we sometimes try to put God in a box of our own making.

The effects of downplaying the role of the Holy Spirit are devastating.  Some minimize the work of the Spirit and then wonder why there is so much spiritual weakness in the church.  But it is the Spirit who brings power into our lives (Ephesians 3:16).  It is the Spirit who brings transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18).  Some minimize the work of the Spirit and then wonder why we’re not reaching the lost like we should.  But it is the Spirit who will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement (John 16:8).  Some have done their best to remove the Spirit’s presence from the church and then wonder why so many congregations are dying out and closing their doors.  But when the Spirit is pushed out of the temple of God (the church), what should we expect to happen?

May we always strive to hold fast to a biblical view of the Holy Spirit.  May the Lord continue to bless us, transform us, and impart life to us through the Spirit whom He has given.

—Scott Colvin

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The Spirit of God in the Heart

May 24, 2022

Do you remember the day that you were baptized into Jesus?  That was the singular most important day of our lives.  Magnificent changes took place on that day.  All our sins were washed away by the blood of Jesus, we received a new life, and we were freed from the reign of sin over our lives.  And one of the most amazing things that happened is this: God Himself came to live in your heart on that day.

God Himself came to live within you!  Think of the enormity of that statement!  If that statement is true (and it is), then there must be enormous consequences that stem from this fact.  What changes are being brought about in your life because of the indwelling of the Spirit of God?  Is He making a difference in you?  Are you allowing Him to make a difference in you?

The Spirit who lives within us gives us the power to overcome sin and to put to death our sinful passions and desires!  As Paul writes, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” (Galatians 5:16-17, NASB)

The Spirit who lives within us changes us from the inside!  He causes wonderful things to be produced in our lives.  Paul continues, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB).

What effect is the Holy Spirit having in your life?  Is He changing you?  Are you growing in holiness in your day-to-day life?  Shouldn’t God Himself dwelling within us make a great difference in our lives?  God wants to make a great difference in your life.  He wants to help you overcome sin.  He wants to cause us to produce fruit for Him.  But we must choose to walk by the Spirit.  If we will, God will work amazing things in our lives!  He will take us to a new plane!  He will abide with us!  May we all renew our commitment to walk by His Spirit today.

—Scott Colvin

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