By pastor Matt Parra 

“And God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being”. Genesis 2:7 

Adam was fully formed before God breathed life into him, but he wasn’t aware, he wasn’t conscious, he wasn’t alive! He couldn’t think, act, or function. As amazing as he was, all he could do was just lie there. And really, he wasn’t even doing that because he wasn’t a living being, he was just a machine without power, an arrangement of cells, an inanimate mass of flesh and blood. All the systems were in place. He possessed a circulatory system, a nervous system, an immune system, and all other functioning systems necessary for life but he wasn’t alive, and because of that his body, brain, and various systems were useless. But once God breathed on him, he awoke to his purpose, his powers were awakened, and he became a “living being/ soul”. The image of God was carved in flesh, but that flesh wasn’t a free moral being who could operate and function in harmony with the divine purpose and plan until it received the breath of life from the Creator. At that point he was given power to function as a bearer of the image of God, to fulfill the purpose of his design.  

“So, Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” 

Just like the breath of life animated Adam the breath of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, animates His followers. Jesus had fashioned and formed the disciples by spending three years with them. They heard His teaching, witnessed His miracles, watched Him interacting with the world, and lived day to day in His presence. They themselves had done mighty works in His name, but now He was commissioning them to take His place in the world as the emissaries of heaven. But He knew they needed supernatural strength and energy. Although they were trained well and, in some ways, formed in His image through contact with Him, they could not do the work He ordained the Church to do without the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit we are like Adam when he was just lying there on the ground, fearfully and wonderfully made, but useless and incapable of doing anything or being anything. Without the Spirit of God, we cannot be the body of Christ, moving, functioning, and operating in harmony with Him. The Spirit gives us power, conviction, comfort, gifts, fruit, new hearts, death to our old selves, and resurrection power. He guides us, He teaches us, and He testifies to us of Jesus. He is our constant companion and friend, the One who Jesus promised would be sent to us to replace his personal presence. He is the true vicar of Christ, the representative of God who is given to all those who ask for him in word and deed.  All the wonderful abilities that God has endowed us with, all the organised functions we might perform, and all the amazing powers we have can’t be enabled until we receive the Spirit and learn to walk in Him. Without the Spirit we are as effective at being the “body of Christ”, “ambassadors for Christ”, and “lights of the world”, as Adam was at gardening before he received the breath of life. Jesus says, “It’s the Spirit that gives life, the flesh can do nothing, the words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life” John 6:63. The Holy Spirit empowers us through the Scriptures. 1 Peter 1:23 The Holy Spirit speaks through the Scriptures. 2 Peter 1:21 When we receive, accept, hear, and obey the Word we are receiving the Holy Spirit. I’ll leave you with these verses. “If you continue in my word, you will be my disciples in deed, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free”. John 8:32 “And the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty”. 2 Corinthians 3:17 “The Father is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask as a father is willing to give good gifts to his children”. Luke 11:13 

If we continue in His word, if we choose to be guided and directed as He prompts and teaches us through the Word He inspired, we will be given the power, gifts, and fruit of the Spirit. He is on offer if we want Him. As a church family let’s commit together to receive the Holy Spirit. To come to life through Him. Let’s be the image bearers we were designed to be and through the indwelling Spirit fulfill the purpose of our design.