Get the Whole Package – John 16:12-15
There’s a story about a missionary that was provided with a car at the mission that wouldn’t start without a push. After considering his problem, he came up with a plan. He went to a school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them give his car push to get it started. As he traveled around the area, he’d either leave the engine running or park on a hill.
The missionary used this ingenious procedure for two years. But at the end of that time he needed to return to the states because of health problems, so a new missionary came to replace him. The car, however, was going to stay with the new missionary.
When it came time for the missionary to turn over the keys, he explained his car starting technique to his replacement. But while he was explaining the problem, the new man began looking under the hood. After a quick assessment, he said, “I think the only trouble is this loose cable.” He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, turned the key and to the old missionary’s astonishment, the engine roared to life!
For two years, the only trouble with that car had been a loose connection. The power was there all the time, it’s just that the missionary didn’t know how to access it. There’s a power source for the church, too. That power source is the Spirit of God.
In Romans 15:13 Paul prayed for the assembled Christians that they would “…overflow with hope by the POWER of the Holy Spirit.” We see him pray for essentially the same thing for the Christians in Ephesians 3:16: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with POWER through his Spirit in your inner being.” He also encouraged Timothy in 2nd Timothy 1:7 by telling him “…God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of POWER.”
We’ve received a powerful life changing gift. God gives us His power through His Spirit that dwells inside of each of us. It comes when we focus on Jesus and what He did for us and open our hearts to receive God’s Spirit. That’s part of the reason that on Pentecost Peter told the crowd “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
Our baptism is like our signature on an eternal contract. It defines Jesus as our savior. And when we obey His command, we become His for eternity and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit: three in one. Through baptism we get the whole package.