The Holy Spirit — A Partner Who Wants To Take Responsibility For You in This Life!
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
— 2 Corinthians 13:14
Most all of us would say we want to live a victorious Christian life. But without daily communion with the Holy Spirit, it's impossible to attain that goal. Communion with the Holy Spirit is the launching pad for a life of supernatural power and consistency.
In Second Corinthians 13:14, Paul says, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen." I want you to notice the word "communion" in this verse, because communion with the Spirit is what we are talking about today. The word "communion" is the Greek word koinonia, a word that has a whole flavor of meanings, but one primary meaning is that of partnership.
An example of koinonia conveying the idea of partnership can be found in Luke 5:7 after Jesus supplied a miraculous catch of fish. After the fishermen had fished all night and caught nothing, Jesus told them to cast their nets on the other side. When they obeyed, they caught such a massive amount of fish that the nets began to break!
Peter knew he couldn't handle this miraculous catch by himself, so he called to other fisher¬men in nearby boats to come and assist him. Luke 5:7 says, "And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink."
Do you see the word "partners" in this verse? It is a form of this word koinonia. However, in Luke 5:7 it refers to real, legitimate business partners. One scholar says that this word used in this context lets us know that Peter was no small-time fisherman. He owned an entire fishing enterprise, and those men in the other boats were his business associates or his company partners. Whether these other fishermen were co-owners or employees who worked for Peter, they were all working together on the same job and were focused on a joint venture to catch and sell fish.
Keeping this in mind, Second Corinthians 13:14 could convey the following idea:
"…and the PARTNERSHIP of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
If you stop and think about it, this really makes a lot of sense. When Jesus' earthly ministry was in operation, He and the Holy Spirit always worked together. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35); empowered by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16); and led by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 4:1). Jesus also healed people by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38); cast out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28); was resurrected from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11); and was seated at God's right hand in the heavenly places through the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:19,20).
Every time we see Jesus in the Gospels, He is working hand in hand with the Holy Spirit. In fact, Jesus even said He wouldn't initiate anything by Himself, indicating His total dependence on the Spirit of God (John 5:30). Well, if Jesus needed this kind of ongoing partnership with the Holy Spirit in order to accomplish His divine role in the earth, we certainly have to have it as well!
But there is yet another idea conveyed by the word "communion" (koinonia) — that is, the idea of taking responsibility for someone. An example of this is found in Philippians 4:14, when Paul wrote to the Philippians and commended them for the generous gift they sent for his ministry. He told them, "Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction." The word "communicate" here is another use of the word koinonia.
At the time Paul wrote the Philippian letter, he was in prison in Rome. Over the years, he had traveled and preached, raised up churches, worked with leaders, and given his life for the Church. But of all the churches Paul had poured his life into, none of them helped him financially the way they should have.
In order to cover his expenses, Paul worked as a tentmaker during the day; then he preached and trained leaders during the evenings. This wasn't the best plan, but because no one would sup¬port him, it was what he had to do. He was pouring his heart and soul into churches that were not financially helping him bear his load.
Paul was in prison in Rome when he received a special delivery letter from the Philippians. In that package, he found a sizable offering that the Philippian church had sent to support him during his time of difficulty. In other words, the Philippian church didn't just say, "We'll pray for your situation, Brother," and then forget about Paul.
Instead, they understood their responsibility to help him, so they took up an offering to support him and to communicate their love for him. In other words, they took responsibility for him. Paul uses the Greek word koinonia to convey this meaning — the same word he uses in Second Corinthians 13:14 when he writes about the "communion of the Holy Spirit."
Thus, Second Corinthians 13:14 could also be read this way:
"…and the RESPONSIBILITY of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
This means that just as the Holy Spirit wants to become your Partner, He also wants to assume great responsibility for you in this world. If you wish, He'll stand by and watch you try to do it all alone. But if you'll open your heart to the Spirit of God, He will assume a more active role in your life. He wants you to know that you are not alone — and that He will take responsibility for you!
If the cry of your heart is to know the partnership and the responsibility of the Holy Spirit — not merely as mental doctrines, but as constant, daily realities in your life — then decide today to get to know the Holy Spirit as your intimate Friend. Make Him your Partner. Allow Him to help you fulfill the responsibilities of your calling in Christ.
Begin today to develop a walk of daily communion with the Greater One within. Let Him be all He wants to be in your life — your Source of wisdom, power, and strength to launch you forth into victory!
MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Holy Spirit, I want to thank You for being my Partner in this world. I need Your partnership. I know that without You, I am so limited in what I am able to do. You see what I can't see; You know what I don't know; You have wisdom and insight that I don't have. I simply must have Your help if I am going to do what God has asked me to do. I ask You to please forgive me for all the times I have gotten in such a hurry that I didn't take time to fellowship with You. From this moment on, I promise I will do my best to consult You before I make a deci¬sion or take a single step!
I pray this in Jesus' name!
MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that I am led by the Spirit of God. I am careful not to make big decisions without consulting Him first. The Holy Spirit is my Leader, my Teacher, and my Guide; therefore, I look to Him to help me make the right decisions and take the right actions in every sphere of my life — my family, my business, and my ministry. Every day I experience more and more victory because I allow the Holy Spirit to direct all my steps.
I declare this by faith in Jesus' name!
QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER
- Have you asked the Spirit of God to be your Partner in life and to take respon¬sibility for all your cares and concerns?
- What can you do to make the Holy Spirit a closer, more active Partner in every area of life?
- Have you spent quality time in communion with the Holy Spirit today, being still and simply knowing that He is your God?
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