[Just some starting thoughts to connect the Holy Spirit up with communion.]
The Holy Spirit is that which is not seen, the substance of things hoped for. The world cannot see the Holy Spirit, but God’s faithful people know the Holy Spirit. This is the dividing line between the wheat and the tares, between the world and the elect of God. The Holy Spirit is God’s mystery made known to those who see Him. It is the power of the Holy Spirit alone that can transform us and make us reborn.
Our spiritual eyes are opened when we acknowledge our sinfulness and utter wretchedness. Pride and a sense of self will prevent people from fully acknowledging our unworthiness. This divides those who see and those who do not see. Self is the blinding agent that if not overcome will prevent us from seeing or receiving the Holy Spirit.
The story of Cain and Able provides one of the earliest demonstrations of mankind seeking self vs. seeing God’s Holy Spirit. Able’s sacrifice was more acceptable to God because Able was humble and trusted God enough to do things how God directed. Cain resisted submission to God by doing things his own way and was therefore not able to receive God’s blessing, the Holy Spirit which alone can transform our hearts.
Jesus came to divide people with a sword, to overcome sin. A notable occasion when Jesus offended His disciples with a teaching was when He said that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood. This imagery was calculated to divide those with ears to hear and those who could not hear. Many of His disciples left Him over this saying. The world cannot see the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is perceived by faith. This faith is called the faith of Jesus. It is this faith that enables God’s people to keep His commandments. This is righteousness by faith in verity. This is the third angel’s message. Eating Christ’s flesh and drinking His blood describes internalizing Christ genuinely making Him a part of oneself, Christ in us. This is the greatest gift God could give man, His Holy Spirit, transformed life, through Christ in us.
Christ is our hope of glory, our ONLY hope of glory. There’s no other way to come to the Father, and this is done by faith in the righteousness of Christ in us, our Comforter. The Holy Spirit is Christ Himself in His divine capacity bringing all the power of God to those who believe in Him. If we believe in Him, we will not perish.
The ordinance of communion was given to illustrate and remind us of the mystery of God, Christ in us. We partake of Christ’s righteousness by symbolically eating His flesh and drinking His blood. The truth of Christ, His Holy Spirit and grace, must be internalized to have any effect. Merely professing the name of Jesus does not convert anyone. Communion teaches us who and what the Holy Spirit is and what we must do to have the Holy Spirit of Christ in us. Communion is all about acknowledging the Holy Spirit in us, Christ in us.
The whole idea of atonement is about being one with Christ, of having His Holy Spirit in us, the mystery of God. This is the third angel’s message, to keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. It is only by the faith of Jesus, seeing the Holy Spirit and choosing to let Him into our hearts, that we are able to obey God’s commandments.
God the Father is a destroying fire to any and all sin. We are separated from the Father by sin. Only by completely overcoming sin can we be restored to the Father. Our only chance of overcoming sin is to accept Christ’s righteousness by His Spirt, the Holy Spirit. The world will be judged and then God will be revealed which will cause all sin to be destroyed.
Christ’s Holy Spirit was not given to the early church until a particular moment when they all stood in unity. This moment is called Pentecost. At this moment, Christ breathed from within Himself the breath of the Holy Spirit which empowered the early church. A unified body of believers will once again be the condition upon which the Holy Spirit will be poured out in great measure to finish the gospel work. We must individually repent and invite Christ into our hearts, but the latter rain will be manifested on a group of people united in their minds and hearts regarding the truth of God and the genuine choice to live faithfully to His truth. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
Hebrews 11:1-4 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
John 14: 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 6:54-56 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
John 6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
1 Corinthians 11:24-25 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.