THE FLOW AND MOVE OF THE SPIRIT

Today we are going to delve into the heart of Jesus's explanation of being "born of the flesh" versus being "born again". A member of the Jewish ruling council, and a Pharisee, named Nicodemus came to Jesus for some clarifications and Jesus informed him about being born again. "How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!"

Reference: John 3:5,8 New American Standard Bible (NASB) "Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God...The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit."

Jesus shared the most important principle in the Word of God with Nicodemus. Indeed no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again, which is to be born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. To Nicodemus, these were hard sayings. To be part of God's Kingdom and family, "You must be born again".

Beloved, that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6). Being "born of the Spirit" is known as the "new birth" and its the instant work of the divine in any man who places their faith in Christ. The new birth is spiritual in nature. It is birth which the Spirit of God performs in our heart and spirit. In other words, it has nothing to do with natural birth experienced by a woman. This new birth is vital for salvation because man separated from God as a result of sin. So it grants us the free gift of God, which is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (see Romans 6:23 ESV).

The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit starts with the new birth and its available to everyone that comes to Christ by faith; there are no exceptions. To be born again, one must put his or her faith in Jesus Christ by declaring His Lordship over their lives (Romans 10:9-10 NIV). And this is the only way any individual can start a personal relationship with the living God and then begin to experience the flow and move of the Spirit in their lives.

Now, to understand the flow and move of the Spirit in the life of a Christian, we must first look at the definition of a Christian. A Christian is a person in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. Romans 8:9 (NASB) reads, "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." In other words, a born again Christian has the Spirit of God living in him because God has given him a new life through the Holy Spirit. So a Christian lives by the Spirit, and without the Spirit, he cannot live the Christian life.

When Jesus answered Nicodemus, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5), the expression, "water and the Spirit" means one divine entity - the Holy Spirit. Water is the manner in which the Holy Spirit flows. This is recorded in John 7:38-39 (NKJV), where Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." This implies that the flow of the Spirit is the inner workings of the Holy Spirit in us.

Jesus also said: The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit. This means that the mark of a Christian is the move of Spirit of God that controls him. A Christian has both the flow and the move of the Holy Spirit. The flow is unstoppable and the move is unpredictable. According to John 7:38-39 (NKJV), the flow happens on the inside while John 3:8 (NASB) shows that the move is the outward manifestation. Put simply, the flow and the move are the expressions that denote the water and wind which are two symbols of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word "pneuma" is for "breath or wind", which is the manner in which the Holy Spirit moves. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Genesis 1:1-2; Romans 8:9,14; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 14:17.

Guided Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, I thank you for the flow and move of the Spirit of God in me and through me, which grant me notable encounters with divinity. I'm born of the Spirit and I'm grateful for the privilege of having absolute, direct and personal knowledge of the Spirit's guidance into all truth. I live my new life in Christ by the influence of the divine nature at work in me and I'm well directed and controlled by the Spirit. With heavenly aspirations and inspirations, I move to greater revelation of your Spirit, thereby fulfilling your purpose tenaciously and decorating my life with your glory daily, in Jesus' Name, Amen!