Don't Quench the Spirit
“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. ”
In 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, the Apostle Paul beautifully expresses the unity and diversity within the body of Christ. Just as the human body is comprised of many parts, each serving a unique role, the body of Christ is made up of diverse individuals from different backgrounds and experiences. There are Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free people, but we are united as one body by the power of the Holy Spirit. This unity transcends our differences and unites us in our faith and our shared experience of the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives. It reminds us that despite our diversity, we are called to embrace and love one another as members of the same body, with a common purpose of serving and glorifying God.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is essential to the body of Christ. Through this baptism we are made one and empowered to do our Father's will. Over the centuries, Christians allowed rationalism and ignorance to quench the flow of the Holy Spirit, our life's blood. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:19 AMP, Paul gave the following advice to believers:
Do not quench [subdue, or be unresponsive to the working and guidance of] the [Holy] Spirit.
Today, His unifying presence has been sorely missed across the body of Christ, weakening our testimony as a whole as we fight amongst ourselves. I’ve seen the difference between churches that have ignored or caged the Holy Spirit and those who have surrendered to His anointing and leadership. Open yourself to Him, and let the Holy Spirit transform and empower you to become a productive part of a healing Church making a difference in the world.
