"We are praying for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit."
"We want The Spirit to fill this place."
"May The Spirit energize our community."
"We want to be a Spiritual church."
"We want to be Spiritual people."
What does all this mean? Full of energy? Joy? Passion? Purpose? Godly commitment? General optimism? Mission-driven focus? Evangelism? Worship? Prayer? Holiness? Truth-seeking? Forgiveness? Power?
The "power of the Holy Spirit?"
The "Spirit" and "Spiritual" language can seem awfully non-specific. We know it is good, and right, and that we are supposed to pray for it. But what does it mean exactly? I've struggled with this over the years--ESPECIALLY BECAUSE ONLY CERTAINLY PERSONALITY TYPES--the outgoing, the energetic, the loud, the passionate, the hyper-holy ... these seem to be in line with "it."
But here is how this language no longer confuses (and even discourages) me.
It is the Spirit of JESUS. It is a very specific Spirit. Jesus.
The person of Jesus. The love of Jesus. The values of Jesus. The impulses of Jesus. The way of Jesus. The truth of Jesus. The life of Jesus.
We are asking for Jesus when we pray for the Spirit.
Jesus came to reveal to us The Father. Jesus defines for us who God the Father is, what he is like, what he values. We cannot know the Father in any better or more accurate way except by Jesus. He is "the image of the invisible God."
Likewise, Jesus reveals to us the nature of The Spirit. Jesus defines for us who The Spirit is, what he is like, what he values. We cannot know The Spirit except by Jesus.
Jesus came to reveal The Trinity. And so we come to know Father, Son, and Spirit ... through Jesus.
And so when we pray for the outpouring of the Spirit of Jesus or that we might become spiritual people (like Jesus) we now have a clear, wonderful, tender, challenging, fully relational understanding:
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit allows us to live like, and experience ...
JESUS.
