Ashamed of the Holy Spirit
Fictitious Story
Acme Advertising Agency is a large company in New York. It has a branch office in another city. This branch office has a number of employees with a strange history. Every morning the parking lot begins to fill up with office workers. Almost every one of them comes into the office building with a paper sack over their heads. Why? They are ashamed of their employer. What could cause this bizarre behavior? A few years ago, a group from a news agency was touring the facility. When the group passed by the employee lunch room, they stopped cold. An employee of Acme had taken his lunch meat out of his sandwich. He took the slice of bologna and bit little holes in it. Using it as a mask, he went over to the table where the secretaries where and almost started a riot with his behavior. At that precise instant someone from the tour group caught it all on video. It aired on the local news that night.
From that very next day no one would answer an outside phone call without mumbling unintelligibly so as to not say, “Acme”. No one wanted it to be known they were an employee of Acme and were careful to never let their picture be taken again.
Real Story
There are also many Church people who are ashamed of their employer. They are ashamed of the tool set God has given them to do their task on earth. They do not like the gifts, power, or the distinctives they have available to them.
Some would say, “Well, now, Brother, it's not that. It's that...well, we are embarrassed by some of the things that people do or say, claiming the Holy Spirit caused them to say it”. Despite all of the excuses, it remains that many of us are ashamed of the Holy Spirit. God did not give us a fad. He gave us a controversy. The cross has a built-in offense to the unsaved because it is God's way. The Holy Spirit is an offense to many “believers” because He does not do things our way. We throw away our tool box. We throw away our blueprints. We throw away our dynamite. We throw away our power generator. In so doing we also throw away our Helper. We throw away God's plans. We throw away our best Friend in this life (though He is much more than that). We stand naked in a desert and wonder why we are powerless. Why is our “christian life” of no more practical use than that of a heathen?
Scriptural Story
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (Heb 11:16)
But this passage is talking about the Heroes of the faith. Certainly God is proud of their performance, right? He is pleased with faith, the proper response to the message of His grace.
For the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers, (Heb 2:11 HCSB)
It is because of faith (and that we all have the same Father) that Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers. So, Jesus is not ashamed of the Heroes of the faith that have done exploits. He also is not ashamed of us who are in right standing with God. What about those in sin or foolishness?
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, … (Rev1:13)
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. (Rev 1:20)
Why is Jesus even associated with churches that have such problems, such as the seven churches?
Because He is not ashamed.
Be aware, He is not going to allow the sins and faults of the churches to remain unaddressed. He rebukes and corrects those whom he loves (Rev 3:19).
(Denying Him is a completely different thing entirely.)
Let us not be ashamed of Him who loved us more than His own life. It was while we were sinners that Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). While we are in foolishness and error, He is not ashamed of us. Obviously, He cannot be proud of our disobedience. He is looking forward to the time when we will be in His presence and totally free from the very presence of sin, no matter what that takes. Let us do things His way and with His Holy Spirit.
Nov 13, 2024