There is no scriptural support of which I am aware for our praying to the Spirit, invoking the Spirit, worshiping the Spirit, attempting to direct the Spirit, exalting the Spirit in any manner. We should not even be singing hymns to the Spirit.

God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him. The Spirit always exalts the Son, Jesus, never Himself. The Spirit is as faithful Eliezer of Damascus who is seeking a bride for the Son of God.

Learning to live by the Spirit of God requires many years of experience, on the part of most of us. There are so many traps along the way! And how our sinful flesh has to die!

We may make many mistakes. We may be deceived on some occasions. But if we are willing to repent, to confess our deception and sins, to make amends where necessary, and then pick ourselves up, accept our forgiveness, and set out again, the day will come when we are able to more accurately follow the Spirit of God.

As we keep on seeking to be more and more in the Spirit, by strictly obeying the Lord Jesus and by putting to death through the Spirit the sinful lusts of our flesh, the fruit of the Spirit becomes increasingly evident. Love, joy, and peace are the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of the Christian.

We in Pentecost say that the sign someone is filled with the Spirit is that he or she speaks in tongues. It is a great help to be able to pray in tongues, and maybe in the near future the gift of languages will be restored to us so we can preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to every nation on earth.

Without in any manner minimizing the value to our prayer life and worship of speaking in tongues, let us point out that the surest sign someone is filled with the Spirit is the ninefold aspects of personality and behavior known as the fruit of the Spirit.

Sad to say, multitudes of Christian people who speak in tongues show more of the fruit of Satan in their life than they do the fruit of the Spirit of God.

Gifts are given in a moment. Fruit is grown over a lifetime. The gifts and ministries given by the Holy Spirit, if properly used, contribute much to the fruit of the Spirit.

Love

[That you] may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, And to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:18,19—NIV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22,23—NIV)

I know love is greater than faith and hope. I understand God is love. I realize we can have all the gifts of the Spirit and if we do not have love we are a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

I know all this!

Yet I do not look forward to dealing with this subject.

To be continued.