We have allowed secularism to dominate pulpits to remove the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If we do not give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to work, then we remove the very source that brings people to salvation and righteousness in God! It is time we embrace the person, identity and character of the Holy Spirit once again so that Jesus Christ can be glorified His rightful place! Without Jesus in the flesh the Holy Spirit allows us to know He is here with us! The Holy Spirit is not optional in serving the LORD, but He is necessary!

Although the Spirit of Truth convicts us, people will condemn us, which is a huge difference. Condemnation comes as a result of traditional fundamentalism, which makes the Word of God of no effect. It is one thing to be fundamental on inherited traditions, and then it is a whole different matter to be fundamental in the scriptures. When someone bases their whole judgment on personal opinions, they possess a form of self righteousness, walking as a modern-day Pharisee who hopes that somebody else recognizes all of their glorious successes and intellect. They build themselves up by bringing down others. It would be a horrible thing to receive the applause of men and not God’s! Stephen was not a Pharisee who was exalted by people. In fact, he was stoned to death by the religious sect, but when he lifted his eyes to heaven, Jesus was not sitting, but standing at the right hand of the Father. You may not have a friend in the world, or feel like Elijah, isolated to a place where it is you all by yourself, but if God is for you, what can ever stand against you?

Once you have received the spirit, now you have the authority to guide, comfort, convict and empower others. You can give sound counseling, encouragement and wisdom by the Spirit. You can speak the Word of God, which is seasoned with conviction insomuch that it draws others to repentance. You can impart into others spiritual gifts so that they can abide in an anointing to destroy yokes off of others. However, we must be careful how we empower others because if you do not guard a gift in humility and with character, your gift will lift you up in pride, which in turn causes you to fall! That is why many will say in that day, “Did we not prophecy in your name and cast out devils,” but yet He will say, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” Being filled with the Spirit indicates you know God because you have a river flowing through you of constant communication and relationship. If people seek to be like Simon the sorcerer and manipulate the gifts of the Spirit to build themselves up, then they are on the most dangerous ground! We have to start pursuing the Giver more than the gift, the Rewarder than the reward!