Holy spirit fellowship

HOLY SPIRIT FELLOWSHIP
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Below are the two texts that deal with the fellowship of the Spirit.
II COR. 13:14, The grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
PHIL. 2:1-2, Therefore if there is any
encouragement in Christ, if there is any
consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the
Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my
joy complete by being of the same mind,
maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent
on one purpose.
Helen Calder writes, "Our first clue to what the
‘fellowship of the Holy Spirit’ means, comes from
the Greek word translated ‘fellowship’ in this
Scripture verse. It is ‘koinonia’, which means:
communion, partnership and participation. [1]
There is a meaning, inherent in this verse, that the
Holy Spirit is commonly shared among all
believers. On a personal level, to have fellowship
with the Holy Spirit is to commune with Him. It is
to be actively engaged in relationship with Him. It

is to partner with Him.
Following are 3 keys to help you have intimate
fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and go deeper in
your relationship with Him.
1. Fellowship with the Holy Spirit by Appreciating
Him as a Person
Have you ever noticed how many movies portray
ordinary people, who have supernatural powers?
It is interesting that science fiction writers point to
some physical, impersonal thing, like radiation or
a mutant gene, as the source of a superpower.
At Pentecost, the believers were not waiting for a
power, a radiation or an ability—they were
waiting for a Person. The power came with the
Person of the Holy Spirit—someone with Whom
they could fellowship and do life, ministry and
mission together.
‘And I will pray the Father, and He will give you
another Helper, that He may abide with you forever
— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot
receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows
Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you
and will be in you.’ (John 14:16-17, NKJV)
When Jesus said ‘another’, the Greek word ‘allos’
meant ‘another the same as’; ‘the same sort’. [2]
He went on to say, ‘I will not leave you orphans; I

will come to you.’ (John 14:18) Jesus was saying,
‘the Holy Spirit will be with you just as I have been
with you.’
Throughout the Book of Acts, we see the
Person of the Holy Spirit actively present—
leading, speaking, and manifesting.
‘And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with
whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.’
(Eph 4:30)
The Holy Spirit has a mind, will, emotions, and a
voice. The Holy Spirit is God, up close and
personal. And we can have a relationship with
Him.
2. You can Fellowship with the Holy Spirit
Because of What Jesus has Done
‘May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be
with you all.’ (2 Cor 13:14)
Here are three contexts to help us experience the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit:
A. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Spirit of God is a Holy Spirit. The reason He
can dwell in us is because Jesus has sanctified us
(made us holy) through His sacrifice on the cross.
(see 1 Cor 6:11, Heb 10:29)

This is great news! Your worthiness to
fellowship with the Holy Spirit is not because of
what you have done. Righteousness is yours
through the grace of Jesus, and what He has
accomplished.
However, your ability to enjoy the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit, will be determined by your
confidence in the power of Jesus’ sacrifice, and
His shed blood, as it relates personally to you.
We do not have to be ruled by temptation, or live
conscious of sin. We can live every day aware of,
and rejoicing in, our righteousness in Christ.
(Romans 8:1-14)
B. The love of God (the Father).
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so
that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you
received brought about your adoption to sonship.
And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Rom 8:15)
The Holy Spirit is a gift to you from your loving
Father, just as Jesus was sent from the Father
(Luke 24:49, John 3:16). As the Spirit of adoption,
the Holy Spirit is not only God’s expression of
love, He is the One who continually reveals the
Father to you.
C. Shared Experience with Others.
It is important to note that the context of this

verse is also corporate. ‘…be with you all.’ We are
not meant to live a lonely spiritual walk. The
grace, love and fellowship of God is not only a
personal experience; it is also a rich shared
experience with others in the church, the body of
Christ.
3. To Fellowship with the Holy Spirit Means to
Share with Him
As we fellowship with the Spirit, there is a
mingling of our lives with His life. Remember, the
Greek word translated ‘fellowship’, ‘koinonia,’
means communion, partnership and participation.
Among the things the Holy Spirit shares with us
are His companionship, His gifts, access to the
resources of Heaven, His guidance and help, His
anointing and power.
What does the Holy Spirit desire to give to you,
that you can can simply receive from Him right
now?
True fellowship (communion) goes both ways. We
in turn give the Holy Spirit our love and honour.
His interests become our interests. In order to
receive the Spirit’s help and comfort, we must
surrender our weakness and need to Him.
• We surrender our wills in order to receive His
guidance.

• We yield our tongues in order for Him to pray
and speak through us.
• We give Him our bodies to express the love of
the Father and grace of Jesus through us.
Is the Holy Spirit putting His finger on something,
that you need to yield to Him at this time?
Today, allow the Holy Spirit to draw you closer
into fellowship With Him. Meditate on this study,
and the Scriptures mentioned. Journal and
ask,‘Lord, how can I experience more fellowship
with You?’
Are there some practical ways that we can develop
intimacy with the Holy Spirit—whilst going about
our daily life, family, business and ministry? Here
are 7 things that I have found helpful:
1. Study what the Bible says about Intimacy with
the Holy Spirit
God’s anointing, gifts and power are not sourced
in an impersonal force or ability. They are the
manifestation of a Person—the Holy Spirit.
Being grounded in Scripture ensures that we have
a strong foundation for developing an intimate
relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Bible
reveals that the Holy Spirit has a will and

emotions. He has a voice and communicates in
many different ways. [1]
In your quest for intimacy with the Holy Spirit,
take time to study what the Bible says about the
Holy Spirit as well as how people in Scripture
lived and walked in an intimate relationship with
God.
2. Discover how you Uniquely Connect with the
Holy Spirit (and put it into Practice)
Every relationship requires communication, and
intimacy grows when we have special times
together. Our relationship with God will benefit
from learning how we personally relate best to
Him. [2]
I value walking and praying outdoors. In the
wide-open spaces of creation I have freedom to
talk to my Father and listen to the Holy Spirit
without interruptions. However, it will be
different for you.
Do you enjoy quiet times aside with God, or do
you encounter Him best in the company of others?
Do you connect with Him in an intellectual way,
or in the context of worship and music?
Your Father created you the way you are and
loves and relates to you in your individuality. In
the Bible, every person was unique in the way they

journeyed and related with God (for example,
look at Jesus and His disciples).
Give yourself permission to explore an intimate
relationship with the Holy Spirit in the way that
suits you and never be intimidated by another
person’s relationship with God.
3. Pay Attention to, and Cultivate an Awareness of
the Holy Spirit
Cultivating an awareness of God’s Presence does
not mean that we will always feel Him physically.
It begins with the revelation of His nearness—the
Bible says that the Holy Spirit is present in and
with us and so we believe it. He is our constant
Companion.
Throughout Scripture we learn of how God spoke
to people in many different times—not only when
they were waiting, but also when they were
travelling and working.
The Holy Spirit will communicate with you ‘on
the go’. He desires to be a part of your life in the
busy times, as well as in the quiet spaces and in
the night hours.

No moment of our day should be ‘off-limits’ to
the Holy Spirit. We can anticipate the
communication of the Holy Spirit and tune in.
Operating in a spiritual gift is also a powerful
opportunity to seek and lean in closer to an
intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.
There are many ways that the Holy Spirit
communicates, and He longs to share what is on
the Father’s heart for you. Primarily, this will be
through the Bible. You will also discover that
there are one or more ways that you mostly hear
from the Holy Spirit. [3]
I love the expression Bill Johnson often uses:
‘turning our affection towards God.’ All it takes is
a moment to respond. It is simple; it is about
developing an intimate love relationship with His
Spirit and Presence with us.
4. Relate to the Holy Spirit in a Natural Way
There should be nothing strange or weird about
our intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. It
should provoke others to desire what we have, not
put them off.
Our relationship with Holy Spirit should be
natural and life giving, just as our relationship
with Father and Jesus is. [4]

The Bible is our guideline for our intimate
relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Some of the ways we can intimately relate to the
Holy Spirit include:
• As Helper and Comforter—the One who
comes alongside us. (John 14:16)
• Our teacher and guide (John 16:13)
• The revealer of Father’s purpose and
everything God has made available to us
(John 16:14-15)
• The Anointing who is within and upon us (1
John 2:27, Acts 10:38, Luke 4:18)
• As our prayer partner (Rom 8:26)
• As God’s intimate Presence with us (John
15:15-18)
5. Be Real and Authentic with God
In an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit,
there is nothing to hide and no need to perform. A
helpful word-play on ‘intimacy’ is ‘in-to-me-see.’
You can be yourself, with both your strengths and
your weaknesses.

The Holy Spirit is our Comforter and Helper—
but if we are not vulnerable and authentic with
God, we cannot receive the assistance He
desires to give us.
In our leadership culture today, we tend to deny
emotions we perceive as ‘weak’, and strive to
always act in strong, faith-filled way. But Father’s
arms are waiting. He longs for us to express our
grief or distress to Him and receive His comfort.
(2 Cor 1:3-4) Faith then arises out of that
encounter with the Comforter.
Don’t hold God at arms length when you need His
love, grace and comfort. The presence of weakness
does not diminish the quality of your faith—it
enhances it and is a powerful witness to others.
6. Practice Accountability in Your Spiritual
Experiences
Intimacy with the Holy Spirit is not about having
a relationship in isolation. The New Testament
demonstrates a life with God that is lived in the
context of community, with accountability. [5]
We must never make the mistake of thinking
that we can grow past accountability in our
intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.
I regularly share descriptions of my encounters
with God with my leaders and fellow team

members. They help clarify what God is doing in
my life and provide a means of accountability and
growth. This is not always comfortable. However,
I recognise that it is one of the most beneficial
(and Biblical) things I can do. As a result, there is
no ceiling on my ministry and intimate
relationship with God.
7. Pray and ask for Greater Intimacy with the
Holy Spirit
Does the desire to have an intimate relationship
with the Holy Spirit resonate with you? Today,
take time to pray and ask God to stir up the desire
for a greater level of encounter and intimacy with
Him. (Luke 11:9-13)
Finally, remember that ‘praying in the Spirit’ is
one of the most intimate encounters you can have
with the Holy Spirit. In those moments of prayer,
you unite with the Holy Spirit to establish
Father’s purposes for your life and those who are
on His heart. (Jude 1:20, 1 Cor 14:2, Rom 8:26)"
Irene Kyriacou, I GREATLY desire MORE
Sensitivity to the HOLY SPIRIT, and to KNOW
the HEART of GOD so much MORE in DEEPER
Ways. My Prayer is “LORD JESUS Help me to be
able to SEE and HEAR with MORE CLARITY,

Help me LORD to Move in Step with YOUR
Precious HOLY SPIRIT. I Pray that I may
GROW in the EVER-INCREASING Knowledge
of my LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST,
that I may KNOW JESUS MORE and MORE,
that I may KNOW the HEART of GOD in such a
DEEPER way, that my Heart would BEAT with
the HEARTBEAT of GOD as ONE, this is my
Prayer LORD, the cry of my Heart”.
"THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY
GHOST." If God's grace in Christ is trusted, and
God's love, so broadly revealed in Christ, is hoped
in, then we receive into ourselves a life which leads
us on by progression towards all the fulness that is
in God. God, through Christ, breathes into us His
Spirit; this we receive, not alone, but conjointly
one with another. God, through Christ, begins by
imparting to our heart faith in His grace, and
hope through His grace in all His goodness; and
knowing and hoping in that; we abide in His love.
Christ gives us His gracious Spirit, and all the
onward motions of the leading Spirit are in
harmony with the "grace of God." The
communion of the Holy Ghost is, in other words,
the sharing of a common life of sacred love by
which we feel brotherhood with one another, and
by which we progress onward led by our purified

inward motives, and traversing according to our
ability the length and breadth of that kingdom of
affairs which God has given to exercise and to
enrich us. Such is the communion of the Holy
Ghost; the fellowship of love, in a hope reposed on
God, through faith created and nourished by His
grace.
(T. T. Lynch.)
H. G. Youard. " "THE COMMUNION OF THE
HOLY GHOST." By this is meant the fellowship,
the partnership, the companionship of the Holy
Ghost, or, in other words, the indwelling and
inworking of the Holy Ghost. It is by means of the
communion or indwelling and inworking of the
Holy Ghost that the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
is conveyed to us. The Holy Ghost is the Divine
Agent or Vicegerent by whom God the Father and
God the Son carry on and carry out their Work in
man. When St. Paul says to the Corinthians, "The
communion of the Holy Ghost be with you," it is
as though he said, "I pray that you Corinthians
may always have the Holy Ghost within you as
your Divine Guest and Companion, to enlighten
you, to strengthen you, to comfort you, to guide
you; to fill you with God's love, and joy, and

peace; to form in you a holy character like unto
the character of Christ; to fit you for your
admission to the heavenly glory of Christ." Such,
then, is the triune blessing of the Triune God.
Were there not a Trinity of Persons in the
Godhead, this apostolic blessing would be utterly
unintelligible, and its language utterly misleading.
Behold in this blessing the blessing of all blessings,
in comparison of which all other blessings are
absolutely worthless. Let the words of this
apostolic blessing be regarded as a reality. When
they are being pronounced, let all believe that the
blessing they set forth is verily conveyed to all who
devoutly receive it. Let them not be listened to in a
formal spirit."
(H. G. Youard.)
Communion human and Divine
Bp. Phillips Brooks.
The great benediction of the Christian Church
never grows old and never becomes monotonous.
It is like the sunshine, which rises on us every day
of our lives with a fresh beauty; or like our truest
friendships, which are for ever new. There is no
blessing more continually needed than "the

communion of the Holy Ghost." We go, then, first
to the perpetual and universal facts of human life,
for Christianity always uses them and is in
harmony with them. And one of the deepest of
these facts IS MAN'S PERPETUAL NEED OF
INTERCOURSE AND FELLOWSHIP. A life of
solitude is never satisfactory to a truly healthy
man. He needs some fellowship. And for his whole
satisfaction he needs various fellowships: with
those above him, on whom he depends; with those
beside him, who are his equals; and with those
below him, whom he helps. All three of these
relationships furnish the life of a completely
furnished man. And the essence of all these
fellowships is something internal; it is not
external. It is in spirit and sympathy, not in
outward occupations. It is communion and not
merely contact. This goes so far that, where
communion is perfect, where men are in real
sympathy with one another, contact or outward
intercourse may sometimes be absent. What a
man really needs, then, is a true understanding of
other men; community of intelligence producing
community of sentiment, interest in the same
things producing the same feelings. This is
communion. And then the second fact IS THAT
THE COMMUNIONS OR FELLOWSHIP OF
MEN ARE SELDOM DIRECT, BUT COME

ABOUT THROUGH A MEDIUM. They are not
the mere liking of men for each other for qualities
directly apprehended, but they are the result of a
common interest in something which brings the
men together and is the occasion by which their
sympathy is excited, the atmosphere or element in
which their communion lives. Is not this so? Two
children in the same family grow up in cordial
love for each other; but their love is a love of and
in the family. They did not deliberately choose
each other for friends, but their hearts were
drawn out in the same direction, towards the same
father, the same mother, the same home life, and
so they met and came to know each other. So two
scholars find their element of communion in their
common study. Two business men reach each
other and become friends through their common
business. And two reformers enter into each
other's life in the indignation or enthusiasm of a
common cause. In every case you see the union of
men is made through a third term, an element into
which both enter, and in which they find each
other as they could not without it. This is the way
in which men come to be gathered in those groups
which make the variety and picturesqueness of
human life. Now it is in the application of this
same idea that there lies, I think, the key to this
phrase, "the communion of the Holy Ghost."

Once more there is an element, an atmosphere, in
which men are brought close together — brought
together as they come under no other auspices, in
no other way. That element is God. Men meet
each other, when they meet in Him, with peculiar
confidence, dearness, frankness, and truth. Just as
there is a certain character which belongs to the
intercourse of men who are met as the pursuers of
a common business, and so are met in the
communion of that business; and as there is
another character which belongs to the
intercourse of men who are met as the disciples of
a certain study, and so are met in the communion
of that study, so there is yet another deeper and
completer character which belongs to the
fellowship of men who come to have something to
do with one another as the servants of God, and so
whose communion is the communion of God. And
now take one step farther. Who is the Holy Ghost?
He is the effectively present Deity. He is God
continually in the midst of men and touching their
daily lives. He is the God of continual contact with
mankind. The doctrine of the Holy Ghost is a
continual protest against every constantly
recurring tendency to separate God from the
current world. Wherever the fellowship and
intercourse of men has a peculiar character
because it is born of the presence of God among

men; wherever men's dealings with each other, or
men's value of each other, is coloured with the
influence of the truth that we live in a world full of
God; wherever our communion with each other
takes place through Him, the sacredness and
usefulness of what we are to each other resulting
from what He is to all of us, then our communion
is a communion of the Holy Ghost. I doubt not
there is a deeper philosophy in this than we can
understand. The Bible truth is that the Holy Ghost
is "the Lord and Giver of Life." The power of life
is the power of unity everywhere. It is the
presence of life in these bodies of ours that keeps
them from falling to pieces. The moment that life
departs dissolution comes. And so life, which is the
gift of the Holy Ghost — nay, which is the
presence of the Holy Ghost in society or in the soul
— is the power of unity in society or in the soul.
The society in which there is no presence of a
living God drops into anarchy and falls to pieces.
The soul in which there is no presence of a living
God loses harmony with itself, becomes distracted.
Again, our idea finds its illustration in the
different characters of different households. Lift
the curtain, if you will, from two homes, both of
them happy and harmonious, neither of them
stained with vice nor disturbed with quarrels. One
of them is a household of this world altogether.

The domestic relationships are strong and warm.
The loves of husband and wife, of parents and
children, of brothers and sisters, are all there.
They prove themselves in all kind offices. Each
helps the other, and there are no jealousies, no
strifes. There is the best picture of the communion
of the family affection. Now look into the other
home. All is the same, but with this difference:
that here there is an ever-live, strong, vivid, loving
sense of God. As real as father or mother, as real
as brother or sister, God is here. No act is ever
done out of His presence. He is felt in the
education of the children. The children are His
gifts. The love of each member of the household
for the rest is coloured all through with gratitude
to Him. All of that love is deepened because each
desires for each sacred and spiritual mercies. All
these loves which were there before move on still,
but they are all surrounded by and taken up into
one great comprehending love; and he who enters
in at the door of that converted house hears them
all in deepened, richened music, the same strains
still, only full of the power of the new atmosphere
in which they are played. And so it is with
friendship. Two men who have known each other
for years become together the servants of Christ.
His Spirit comes to them. They begin the new life
of which He is the centre and the soul. How their

old friendship changes! How it is all the same, and
yet how different it is! It opens depths and heights
they never dreamed of. Where they used to do so
little for each other, now they can do so much.
Where they used to touch only on the outside, now
their whole natures blend. One of the most
valuable changes which come to a human
friendship when it is thus deepened into a
communion of the Holy Ghost is the assurance of
permanence which it acquires. There is always a
lurking distrust and suspicion of instability in
friendship which has not the deepest basis. No
present certainty answers for the future. This
must be so to some degree with an affection where
each is held to each only by the continuance of
personal liking. But when friendship enters into
God, and men are bound together through their
communion with Him, all the strength of that
higher union authenticates and assures the
faithfulness and perseverance of the love that is
bound up with it. The souls that meet in God may
well believe that they shall hold each other as
eternally as He holds each and each holds Him.
And the same power which insures the perpetuity
of friendship must also secure a wider range of
sympathy and fellow-feeling among men The
more the associations of men come to consist in
what is essential, and not in what is merely formal,

the larger becomes the circle of a man's fellow-
creatures with whom he may have relations of
cordial interest. So much of our communion with
men is a communion, not of spirit, but of form.
We associate with men because we happen to be
thrown in with them in the mere circumstances of
our lives; because we live in the same circle of
society, and so our habits are the same; because
we are seeking the same ends of life in the same
kind of actions. And very often our sympathies are
bounded by the same narrow lines which limit our
associations. But the communion of the Spirit, the
communion of the Holy Ghost is something
deeper, and therefore something wider, than that.
Wherever any human soul is loving the God
whom we love, feeling His presence, trying to do
His will, though it be in forms and ways totally
different from ours, the communion of the Holy
Ghost brings us into sympathy with Him. There is
no influence of the Christian life more ennobling,
more delightful than this. It takes you out of the
low valley of formal life. It sets you upon the open
summit of spiritual sympathy, close to the sun.
Thence you look out into unguessed regions of
noble thought and living, with which you never
dreamed that you had anything to do. But
meanwhile is it not a very lofty and inspiring
ambition to offer to a man, that the more he

knows and loves God the more he shall see the
noble and the good in all his brethren? We should
like to believe in men so much more than we do!
We are almost ready to give up in despair; the
meanness, the foulness, the cruelly of humanity
crowd on us so. "If you will earnestly try by
obedience and love to enter into communion with
God, these brethren of yours, who are like sealed
books with stained covers, shall open to you, and
you shall see goodness, nobleness, truth, devotion,
all through them." Here is the difference between
religious and secular philanthropy. Secular
philanthropy loves and helps men directly, for
themselves. Religious philanthropy loves and
helps men in God.
(Bp. Phillips Brooks.)
THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
As the Father originates, and the Son executes, it
is the part of the Spirit so to communicate Himself
as to change and form His subjects. As Christ
purchased all Divine blessings, so the Spirit
dispenses the things of Christ. As Christ glorifies
the Father, so the Spirit glorifies Christ. He is the
Vicegerent and Deputy of Christ, as Christ of the
Father, Let it be remembered that a suitable walk
is required of those who would enjoy the

fellowship of the Spirit. We must be careful not,
by resistance, to grieve Him; if we sadden this
Comforter, where shall we hope to find comfort?
Conclusion:
1. In the text we have a distinct mention of three
Divine persons. None will deny that the Father
and the Son are Persons; it is reasonable to
conclude that the Spirit is also such. Here the
"grace of Jesus Christ, and the communion of the
Holy Spirit," could never have been placed in such
a close juxtaposition with the "love of God," if, as
some have supposed, there were an infinite
distance between them.
2. The doctrine of the Trinity is not a mere
speculative mystery. Each of the Divine Persons
has His office in the economy of redemption; and
this gives us an idea of the grandeur and dignity of
that redemption, in the economy of which there is
such a co-operation; the Father devising it, the
Son executing, the Spirit applying. How solemn
and august the work of preparing a soul for glory,
when each person of the Godhead has His own
peculiar part in that work to execute. What
manner of persons, then, ought we to be?
(R. Hole, M. A.)

And so the love of God becomes THE
FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. The
eternal Father has not placed His love in some
infinitely distant space, to blaze and burn like
Sirius in some field of the universe which we can
only see in the distance, which touches us with no
warmth, which enlightens us with no knowledge,
and which only reveals to us the unimaginable
vastness of His power. He does not mock us with a
panorama of sunlight, and the luxuriant growths
that come of sunlight, passing as it were like a vast
moving spectacle before our eyes. He comes close
to us; He holds communion with us; He touches us
with warmth; He enlightens us with His light.
Conclusion:
1. The sense of a gift of a Divine Sonship, of the
love of a Divine Father, of a Divine communion,
are the prismatic colours of one perfect light. If
you ask me to translate the text into the language
of philosophy; if you tell me that no ray of that
Divine light can reach my soul until I have told
you of what chemical elements it is composed, I
answer, Nay. The sun was shining in the heavens,
revealing to the world the infinite beauty of form
and colour for untold ages before its rays were
analysed by the prism. It was bringing forth
verdure by its warmth for untold ages before it

was found out that oceans of hydrogen served
upon his surface, and that heat like light is a mode
of motion. What you and I want, and have, is not
the bare truth that there is a sun, but the sense of
his warmth. What you and I want, and have, is not
an analysis of the idea of God, but the sense that
there is a Father who loves us, the sense that there
is a God who holds communion with us.
2. I will ask you thus to think of the Trinity to-day.
Let the thought of God, as He is revealed to us, be
with you not as a dogma, but as an ever present
benediction. Let each pray for himself the prayer
which the apostle prayed for himself and all the
world. It is not a selfish prayer. The benediction of
God is like the sunlight which must radiate back
again for all upon whom it shines. The love of the
Father cannot be in our hearts without shining.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ cannot be hid.
The fellowship of the Divine Spirit is a sharing in
His Divine activity in an unresting and untiring
life, always moving because motion and not rest is
the essence of His nature.
(E. Hatch, D. D.)
The communion of the Holy Spirit
A. G. Brown.

I fear that our familiarity with these words serves
in a great measure to veil their meaning. They
become more associated with the closing up of the
service than anything else, as is the case with one
of the grandest choruses in the Messiah, the
"Amen Chorus." It is the last in the whole
Oratorio, and every one takes it as a signal to
begin to depart. Paul is here pouring out his
heart's love in the very best wish that he can think
of. What do we understand by the communion of
the Holy Ghost? What is the meaning of the word
"communion"? I do not know any better way to
explain the meaning of that word than is given in
the following verses of the Bible (Galatians 2:9):
"When James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to
be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto
me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands
of fellowship." That is, they took Paul into their
communion as a sharer in the concern; they gave
him the right hand; he became partner with them
in the work. That is the meaning of the word
"communion." In Luke 5:10, we read that James
and John "were partners with Simon." You see
that it would mean part-ownership in that boat;
they would no longer speak of that boat as my
boat, but our boat. So, I think, that the best
meaning of the word "communion" is
"partnership." Thus the text will read: "The

grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of
God, and the partnership of the Holy Ghost be
with you all."
I. PARTNERSHIP WITH A GLORIOUS
PERSON. First of all we must realise the
personality of the partner; we must grasp the
personality of the Holy Ghost by practical
experience. Do we know much about this?
Hundreds of you could say, "I know what the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is." But do you
know what is partnership with the Holy Ghost?
Partnership implies a partner, and we cannot be
long in partnership without knowing the partner.
The Holy Ghost is a living personality as much as
the Father, whose love we receive; a living
personality as much as Jesus, whose grace we
delight in, and whose name we adore. It is not an
"it" we have to do with. All the attributes of a
Person are His. He has understanding, will, grief
and love; for when Paul writes to the Romans, he
says (Romans 15:30). How necessary it is we
should know His attributes, since we are living in
His dispensation. The Old Testament records
belong to the dispensation of the Father, and tell
of one coming, the Gospels are the record of the
dispensation of the Son, and Christ still points on
and says, "It is expedient that I go away, but I will

pray the Father, and He shall give you another
Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever."
The Lord Jesus Christ has ascended to the Father,
He has gone up to Heaven, and is sitting at His
Father's right hand, and it is just because He is
there that the Spirit is here. The Spirit came only
when Jesus was glorified. God is thus on earth to-
day in the Person of the Holy Ghost, and He
receives no better treatment now than the Lord
Jesus did when He was on earth. He has come to
take the same place as Jesus took, and to be as
real to you as Jesus was to His disciples. The
reason we have so many dull faces in our churches
to-day is because the Holy Ghost is not thought of
as present, and is not welcomed as a personal,
helpful Friend. But the ministry of the Spirit is
only a time ministry; this dispensation is not going
on for ever. Jesus fulfilled His mission and then
He ascended, and I believe that the Holy Spirit
will have His ascension, and then Jesus will come
to reign. There is a further beautiful meaning in
the word "communion," namely, a common
interest. Thus, you love Christ: so does the Holy
Ghost. You love prayer: the Holy Ghost maketh
intercession for us. In Romans 8:16, we read,
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit."
What beautiful partnership is that! You want to
be holy; the Spirit wants you to be holy. If you

want Jesus to come, so does the Holy Spirit, You
see you have common interests all the way
through.
II. PARTNERSHIP IN HIS GLORIOUS WORK.
All that Jesus did, He did in the power of the
Spirit. The Holy Spirit, like a dove, had sought,
for four thousand years, a heart that would be His
resting place, and sought in vain, until He rested
on Jesus by the Jordan's brink. Then Jesus went
forth to His work filled with the power of the Holy
Spirit. He cast out demons, He healed the sick, He
raised the dead, and, indeed, all that He did, He
did in the power of the Holy Spirit. Look at our
churches — north, east, south and west? They are
trying to carry on their work without the
partnership of the Holy Ghost. But it is so
difficult, you say, to realise what we cannot see.
You have never seen the wind, yet you feel and
believe it is there. You have never seen electricity,
but put your hands on the handles of the battery,
and you start with the shock. And if I am going
into partnership with the Holy Ghost, I must
believe He is here, though He is not seen by mortal
eyes. His Sovereignty I must know as well, and
fully yield myself to His direction and control. We
read in the Acts that the Holy Ghost forbade the
apostles going to Asia to preach the Word. There

are diversities of His will, and we need to be
entirely in His hands. If we have fellowship with
Him, we must be willing to let Him work in us. At
times the Holy Spirit has to uproot a man, strip
him of all his possessions, of health, wealth, and
position before He is made willing and obedient.
We must be willing to be just what He wants us to
be in this great partnership.
(A. G. Brown.).
BARNES
And the communion of the Holy Ghost - compare
note, 1 Corinthians 10:16. The word
"communion" (κοινωνια koinommon; Acts 2:42;
Romans 15:26; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Corinthians
10:16; 2 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 8:4; 2
Corinthians 9:13; Galatians 2:9; Ephesians 3:9; 1
John 1:3. This is also a wish or prayer of the
apostle Paul; and the desire is either that they
might partake of the views and feelings of the
Holy Spirit; that is, that they might have
fellowship with him; or that they might all in
common partake of the gifts and graces which the
Spirit of God imparts. He gives love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith
Galatians 5:22, as well as miraculous
endowments; and Paul prays that these things

might be imparted freely to all the church in
common, that all might participate in them; all
might share them.
Amen - This word is missing, says Clarke, in
almost every ms. of any authority. It was however
early affixed to the Epistle.
In regard to this closing verse of the Epistle, we
may make the following remarks:
(1) It is a prayer; and if it is a prayer addressed to
God, it is no less so to the Lord Jesus and to the
Holy Spirit. If so, it is right to offer worship to the
Lord Jesus and to the Holy Spirit.
(2) there is a distinction in the divine nature; or
there is the existence of what is usually termed
three persons in the Godhead. If not. why are they
mentioned in this manner? If the Lord Jesus is not
divine and equal with the Father, why is he
mentioned in this connection? How strange it
would be for Paul, an inspired man, to pray in the
same breath, "the grace of a man or an angel"
and "the love of God" be with you! And if the
"Holy Spirit" be merely an influence of God or an
attribute of God, how strange to pray that the
"love of God" and the participation or fellowship
of an "influence of God," or an "attribute of
God" might be with them!
(3) the Holy Spirit is a person, or has a distinct

personality. He is not an attribute of God, nor a
mere divine influence. How could prayer be
addressed to an attribute, or an influence? But
here, nothing can be plainer than that there were
favors which the Holy Spirit, as an intelligent and
conscious agent, was expected to bestow. And
nothing can be plainer than that they were favors
in some sense distinct from those which were
conferred by the Lord Jesus, and by the Father.
Here is a distinction of some kind as real as that
between the Lord Jesus and the Father; here are
favors expected from him distinct from those
conferred by the Father and the Son; and there is,
therefore, here all the proof that there can be, that
there is in some respects a distinction between the
persons here referred to and that the Holy Spirit
is an intelligent, conscious agent.
(4) the Lord Jesus is not inferior to the Father,
that is, he has an equality with God. If he were not
equal, how could he be mentioned, as he here is, as
bestowing favors like God, and especially why is
he mentioned first? Would Paul, in invoking
blessings, mention the name of a mere man or an
angel before that of the eternal God?
(5) the passage, therefore, furnishes a proof of the
doctrine of the Trinity that has not yet been
answered, and, it is believed, cannot be. On the

supposition that there are three persons in the
adorable Trinity, united in essence and yet distinct
in some respects, all is plain and clear. But on the
supposition that, the Lord Jesus is a mere man, an
angel, or an archangel, and that the Holy Spirit is
an attribute, or an influence from God, how
unintelligible, confused, strange does all become!
That Paul, in the solemn close of the Epistle,
should at the same time invoke blessings from a
mere creature, and from God, and from an
attribute, surpasses belief. But that he should
invoke blessings from him who was the equal with
the Father, and from the Father himself, and from
the Sacred Spirit sustaining the same rank, and in
like manner imparting important blessings, is in
accordance with all that we should expect, and
makes all harmonious and appropriate.
(6) nothing could be a more proper close of the
Epistle; nothing is a more appropriate close of
public worship, than such an invocation. It is a
prayer to the ever-blessed God, that all the rich
influences which he gives as Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, may be imparted; that all the benefits
which God confers in the interesting relations in
which he makes himself known to us may descend
and bless us. What more appropriate prayer can
be offered at the close of public worship? How

seriously should it be pronounced, as a
congregration is about to separate, perhaps to
come together no more! With what solemnity
should all join in it, and how devoutly should all
pray, as they thus separate, that these rich and
inestimable blessings may rest upon them! With
hearts uplifted to God it should be pronounced
and heard; and every worshiper should leave the
sanctuary deeply feeling that what he most needs
as he leaves the place of public worship; as he
travels on the journey of life; as he engages in its
duties or meets its trials; as he looks at the grave
and eternity, is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and the blessings which the Holy
Spirit imparts in renewing, and sanctifying, and
comforting His people. What more appropriate
prayer than this for the writer and reader of these
notes! May that blessing rest alike upon us,
though we may be strangers in the flesh, and may
those divine and heavenly influences guide us alike
to the same everlasting kingdom of glory.
GILL, "And the communion of the Holy Ghost;
either a larger communication of the gifts and
graces of the Spirit of God, called "the supply of
the Spirit", Philippians 1:19 necessary to carry on
the good work of grace, and perform it to the end;
or else that communion and fellowship which the

Spirit of God leads the saints into with the Father,
by shedding abroad his love in their hearts, and
with the Son, by taking of the things of Christ, and
showing them to them; and also that nearness
which the spirits of believers have with the Spirit
of God, when he witnesses to their spirits that they
are the children of God, becomes the earnest of
the inheritance in their hearts, and seals them up
unto the day of redemption: all which is requested
by the apostle, to
be, says he,
with you all; or "with your company", or
"congregations", as the Arabic version reads it,
with all the saints; for their interest in the love of
the Father, in the grace of the Son, and in the
favour of the Spirit, is the same, whatever
different sense and apprehensions they may have
thereof. This passage contains no inconsiderable
proof of a trinity of persons in the Godhead, to
whom distinct things are here ascribed, and of
them asked, equal objects of prayer and worship.
"Amen" is by way of assent and confirmation, and
as expressive of faith in the petitions, and of
earnest desire to have them fulfilled. According to
the subscription at the end of this epistle, it was
written by the apostle when he was at Philippi, a
city of Macedonia, and transcribed by Titus and

Lucas, and by them sent or carried to the
Corinthians; which seems to be agreeable to what
is suggested in the epistle itself, though these
subscriptions are not to he depended upon. The
Syriac version only mentions Luke; and some
copies read, by Titus, Barnabas, and Luke.
"Fellowship with the Holy Spirit means taking
pains to find out and do what pleases him. (Acts
15:28) It means avoiding the sins against the Spirit
and majoring in the character traits that reflect
the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal." UNKNOWN
ABANDONED TIMES BLOG.
Cultivating Daily Fellowship with the Holy Spirit,
part 1
in Abandoned Devotion
Cultivating a deep daily fellowship with the Holy
Spirit must be based on a firm understanding of to
whom we are relating. More than just
understanding, we will need to internalize some
key perspectives of who is the Holy Spirit and the
ministry of the Holy Spirit today which may take
changing some of the thoughts we have previously
held about the Holy Spirit. We probably know the
“Sunday school” answers for “Who is the Holy

Spirit?” But let’s take a deeper look at what the
Spirit does so we can better cultivate a deep
fellowship with the Holy Spirit in our daily lives.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Eternal life is more than being born again. It is to
know God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
(Jn. 17:4) This cannot be done except by the
revelation of the Spirit of God. (1 Cor. 2:9-11;
Jn.16:14) The third person of the Trinity does not
have the ‘flesh and bones’ we saw when Jesus
became flesh and dwelt among us. (Jn. 1:14; Lk.
24:39)
This difficulty has led to some either ignoring the
Spirit completely in their day-to-day Christian
lives or keeping him as some kind of ‘spare tire’
for emergencies only. Yet we are born of the Spirit
(Jn. 3:6) and our body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit who indwells us. (Rom. 8:9,11,14-16) His
witness gives us assurance that we are children of
God. We were baptized by one Spirit into the
body of Christ and we have access to God by this
same Spirit. (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 2:14)
The early church ensured that those who received
the Lord and were water-baptized also received
the baptism of the Spirit. (Acts 2:4, 38; 8:14-17;
9:15-16; 10:44-47; 19:1-7) We are the habitation
of God through the Spirit. (Eph. 2:20) What broke

through the clouds for me was when I had to do a
bible study on the personality of the Holy Spirit.
We say someone has personality when he/she
speaks and hears; thinks and reasons; feel and has
emotions; and decides, has a will, and self-
determination. Let us take a quick look at the
Holy Spirit in the scriptures to assure ourselves
that he is a personality, not a ‘power’ or a ‘force’
like electricity.
In John 16:13, we read that he both hears and
speaks. (e.g. Rev. 2:7; Acts 10:19, 20; Matt. 10:20)
His actions include helping us, interceding for us
with a mind and will (Rom. 8:26, 27); leading us
and giving us commands (Matt. 4:1; Rom. 8:14;
Acts 8:29); guiding and comforting us (Jn 16:12,
13; Acts 9:31); appoints people for God’s work
(Acts 13:2, 4, 20:28); testifies of Jesus (Jn.51:26;
Acts 5:32; Heb. 2:4, 10:15; Rom. 8:16, 9:1; 1 Jn.
5:6-8); teaches believers and reveals things to
them (Jn. 14:26; Lk. 12:12; 1 Cor. 1:10); being
insulted or blasphemed (Matt. 12:31-32; Heb.
10:29); being lied to, tempted, and resisted (Acts
5:3-4, 9, 7:51); and giving power (Acts 1:8; Lk.
4:14; Matt. 12:28).
The Holy Spirit also has emotions, can be grieved,
vexed, or pleased. (Is. 63:10; Eph. 4:30; Acts
15:28) In seeing all of these qualities, we can now

understand the Holy Spirit to have personality of
His own, not just a power or force.
The last major hurdle to be cleared in the
fellowship with the Holy Spirit is how to relate to
him. Mainline evangelical Christianity has no
problem with the doctrine of the Trinity. Our
challenge is relating personally to the Holy Spirit
as the third person of the Godhead, co-equal with
God the Father and God the Son. Until this is
resolved, fellowship with him is bound to be
uneven and we cannot give him the place he
deserves in our lives. We do not even think it is
worth the effort to cultivate any special daily
fellowship with him.
The Divinity of the Holy Spirit
The major attributes of divinity are: eternality,
sovereignty, omnipresence, omniscience and
omnipotence. What do the scriptures say of the
Holy Spirit? The Scriptures refer to the Holy
Spirit as God, stating in Acts that lying to the Holy
Spirit is lying to God, and Paul writes in 1
Corinthians that the temple of God is the temple
of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 5:3-4, 1 Cor. 3:16) He is
coupled in equality with names of God in Christ,
as Matthew writes, “baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
(Matt. 28:19-20; e.g. 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Cor. 12:4-6)

The Holy Spirit is eternal, always existing as the
writer of Hebrews says, “who through the eternal
Spirit.” (e.g. Gen. 1:2; Rev. 22:17)
In Luke, we see that he is omnipotent, having all
power. (Lk. 1:35) He is also omniscient which Paul
tells us saying, “the Spirit knowing all things,
searching even the deep things of God.” (1 Cor.
2:10-11) In the Psalms, David speaks of the Spirit
being omnipresent because everywhere he goes
the Spirit is there. (Psalm 139:7-10) The Spirit
also is part of Creation (Creation (Gen. 1:2; Job
33:4); Regeneration (Jn. 3:5-8) and Resurrection
(Rom.8:11) and the distribution of spiritual gifts
according to his will. (1 Cor.12:4,7,11) Now that
we have settled within ourselves that the Holy
Spirit is a divine personality, it is time to explore
his ministry today.
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today
The Old Testament reports the work of the Spirit
extensively, but promises that in these last days
God will pour out of His Spirit upon all flesh,
“So he answered and said to me: “This is the word
of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by
power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of
hosts.” – Zechariah 4:6 NKJV
“And it shall come to pass afterward That I will
pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and

your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men
shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see
visions. And also on My menservants and on My
maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those
days.” – Joel 2:28-29 NKJV
We see Jesus anointed with the Holy Spirit (Acts
10:38) and led by the Spirit to be tempted by
Satan and returning in the power of the Spirit.
(Lk. 4:1-2,14) Jesus cast out evil spirits by the
Holy Spirit, Matt. 12:28. In fact, the whole
ministry of our Lord was based upon the
anointing of the Spirit. (Lk. 4:18)
Further, Jesus charged his apostles to wait in
Jerusalem until they have been clothed with
power from heaven. (Lk. 24:49) He promised that
this power will make them effective witnesses of
his to the world’s uttermost parts. (Acts 1:8)
Here is a short list of the supernatural ability that
the Spirit of God gives to the believer today.
1. He gives supernatural power to be a witness for
Jesus, Acts 1:8; Lk. 24:48; Rom. 15:13,19.
2. He gives supernatural ability to pray, Rom.
8:26,27; 1 Cor. 14:14,15; Eph. 6:18; Jude 20
3. He pours supernatural love into our hearts,
Rom. 5:5; 15:30
4. He gives supernatural anointing to recognize

truth, 1 Jn. 2:20,27; 2 Cor. 1:21
5. He is the supernatural sealing for eternal life,
Eph. 1:13; 2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 4:30
6. He gives supernatural ability to cope with life,
and endurance in trial and persecution, Matt.
10:20; Jn. 16:12,13. Acts 4:8,31; 7:55-60.
7. He is the gateway to the supernatural
(Charismatic gifts, 1 Cor. 12:7-11; Heb. 6:4; and
Revelations, 1 Cor. 2:10,11)
8. He is the supernatural Teacher and
“Remembrancer” of all things, Lk. 12:12; Jn.
14:26; 1 Cor. 2:13
9. He is the supernatural Comforter (Gk.
Parakletos – helper, intercessor, stand-by
advocate, counselor, instructor, patron, Jn.
14:16,17; Acts 9:31)
10. He is God’s supernatural pledge, earnest,
guarantee until we receive our heavenly
possession, 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13,14.
11. He gives supernatural leadership,
supernatural guidance, Lk. 4:1; Rom. 8:14,16;
9:1; Acts 16:6-10
12. He gives supernatural (physical) health, Rom.
8:11
13. He gives supernatural sanctification=making
us holy, Rom. 15:16; 1 Cor. 6:11,19; 3:16; 2 Cor.

3:18; 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1Thess. 3:16
14. He gives supernatural boldness to glorify and
exalt Jesus, Jn. 16:14; 7:39; 15:26; Acts 2:32-35
15. He is the constant abiding presence and power
of God in our lives, Jn.14:16,17; 1 Jn.2:27; Lk.
12:12
16. He gives supernatural power for preaching – 1
Pet. 1:12 and demonstration of the Holy Spirit and
power – 1 Cor. 2:1-5; 1 Thess. 1:5
17. He gives supernatural insight and
interpretation of scripture – 2 Pet. 1:20,21 and
spirit of prophecy – Rev. 19:10
18. He is instrumental in conviction of sin,
righteousness, and judgment – Jn. 16:7-10
This is by no means an exhaustive list. The Holy
Spirit does much more than all these today in the
life of the believer, the local church and the world.
By seeing that the Holy Spirit has a personality
and a role in ministry in and through the life of
the believer, we understand in a greater
dimension the third part of the Trinity. The Holy
Spirit is not a force. He is a real personality that
wants to be in fellowship with us. In the next part
of this study, we will look at the Holy Spirit’s
desire to be in fellowship with us and how we can
cultivate fellowship with the Holy Spirit in our

daily lives.
Cultivating Daily Fellowship with the Holy Spirit
– Part 2
in Abandoned Devotion
In the first part of this series, we looked at the
biblical identity of the Holy Spirit and the
ministry of the Holy Spirit for the believer today.
It is impossible to have fellowship with someone
that we don’t know anything about. This is why
knowing the Holy Spirit and how he desires to
minister in us and through us is critical to know
before we can understand fellowship with the
Holy Spirit. Now let us look into the biblical
mandate for fellowship with the Holy Spirit and
how to cultivate this fellowship in our daily lives.
What is Fellowship with the Holy Spirit?
The New Testament Greek word ‘koinonia’
basically means ‘sharing in common.’ We get our
English word ‘coin’ from here. J.H. Thayer points
out that it is ‘fellowship, association, community,
communion, joint participation, intercourse.’
Christians are partakers in common of the same
mind as God, Christ and the Holy Spirit and of
the blessings arising there from. It is also

commonly used of the intimate bond of fellowship
which binds believers together in Christ.
1 John 1:3 NKJV “that which we have seen and
heard we declare to you, that you also may have
fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is
with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom you
were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord.”
2 Cor. 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God, and the communion of the
Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”
What does fellowship with the Holy Spirit
involve?
Fellowship with the Holy Spirit involves sharing
our lives in common with him. It means opening
up the deepest parts of our personality to the
influence and direction of God’s Spirit. Our
thoughts, motives, feelings, attitudes, decisions
must be laid bare in his presence. He must have a
say in our future plans, fears, hopes, passions,
visions and choices. We should seek his counsel
and wisdom in all things and submit to his
promptings, urges and nudges. We share with him
the choice of a marriage partner, of career and
profession, the details of our relationships and
intimate friendships, and you name it.

Fellowship with the Holy Spirit means taking
pains to find out and do what pleases him. (Acts
15:28) It means avoiding the sins against the Spirit
and majoring in the character traits that reflect
the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22, 23) We cultivate
intimacy with the Spirit of God on a daily basis
when we invite him to help us in our day-to-day
decision-making.
Here is a list of the sins against the Holy Spirit we
must watch and avoid as we seek to fellowship
with him:
Grieving the Spirit (Eph. 4:30)-making him sad by
behavior contrary to the fruit of the Spirit-anger,
hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc.
Quenching the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19)-putting out
the fire of the Spirit by refusal to pray and be on
fire for the gifts and anointing of the Spirit to
work through you.
Insulting the Spirit (Heb. 10:29)-Living a life of
continual deliberate sinning after receiving the
knowledge of truth.
Resisting the Spirit (Acts 7:51)-Going in the
opposite direction to the definite guidance of the
Spirit.
Vexing the Spirit-(Is. 63:10)-Living in deliberate
rebellion against the leadership of the Spirit.

Lying to the Spirit (Acts 5:3)-Telling intentional
untruths and half-truths to anointed men/women
of God with the intention of deceiving God’s
people.
Tempting/Testing the Spirit (Acts 5:9)-Teaming
up to provoke God’s Spirit to do things he would
not normally want to do.
Blaspheming the Spirit (Matt. 12:31, 32)-
Attributing the works and words of God’s Spirit
to Satan and demons when you have a clear
witness within yourself.
Striving with the Spirit (Gen. 6:3)-Walking in the
flesh continually against the promptings of the
Spirit.
Rebelling against the Spirit (Ps. 106:33)-Refusal to
do what God’s Spirit expressly commands.
Why is it important to cultivate fellowship with
the Holy Spirit?
The Christian life is a supernatural life. Fallen
man is indwelt by a sinful nature which fights him
even after he is born again. (Gal. 5:16; Rom. 7:14-
22) Therefore the new creation in Christ Jesus
must constantly be empowered from within and
above to be able to live and walk worthy of his
calling as a child of God. This is what the
fellowship with the Holy Spirit does for us.

He is our teacher
Jesus explained that the Holy Spirit will teach us
all things and bring to our remembrance all he
has taught us. God’s Spirit knows the past (Jn.
14:26), the present (1 Cor. 2:10,11) and the future
(Jn. 16:13). Every teacher works best with
attentive students eager to learn, who have time
for him and ask the right questions for better
understanding of the subject. If we do not spend
time to cultivate fellowship with the Spirit, we
cannot understand his symbols and teaching
methods, or grasp the deeper meanings of the
lessons he desires to teach us. We frustrate him by
our dumbness.
He is our guide
Our Lord explained that the Spirit will guide us
into all truth and give us ability to cope with life
and its stresses. We need to cultivate a lifestyle of
keeping our eyes on our guide in order to avoid
the doctrinal pitfalls and wiles of the enemy. Our
invisible adversary the devil is going about as a
roaring lion seeking whom to devour and we must
keep pace with the Paraclete to outwit him. (1 Pet.
5:8; Jn.16:12-13)
He is our Helper
The Holy Spirit helps us with our weakness in
prayer (Rom. 8:26-27); he pours the love of God

into our hearts when we need it most (Rom. 5:5);
we put to death the deeds of the flesh through his
empowering (Rom. 8:13); he gives us the counsel
we need to succeed; he conforms us to the image
of Christ from one degree of glory to another. (2
Cor. 3:18)
How do we cultivate daily fellowship with the
Holy Spirit?
Our hunger for growing intimacy with the Holy
Spirit can be best seen when we commit ourselves
to building a life of daily fellowship with him. Give
yourself plenty of room to fail and make mistakes.
Just as the marriage relationship becomes more
rewarding as you work on knowing and
understanding one another more intimately, so it
is with the Holy Spirit.
1. Develop sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The dove
from heaven is so gentle and sensitive he will
never force himself on you. Moses’ face shone and
he did not know it (Ex. 34:29); the Lord left
Samson and he did not know it, Judges. 16:20. In
the same way, the Spirit comes as a dove to rest
upon us and we need to spend time in his presence
to detect what grieves or pleases him. He soothes,
he comforts, calls by name and can even give you
a pet name. Daily times of devotion, silence and
solitude are indispensable, Ps. 46:10. Practice

living in God’s presence moment by moment.
2. Cultivate fellowship with the Spirit through
conversation. Greet the Holy Spirit each morning.
Ask him questions. Invite him to help you
constantly as you face your challenges. Freely
share your joys and sorrows with him. Build a
habit of referring decisions to him. At first it may
look awkward as you seem to hear no reply.
Understandably, it will be slower for you to make
decisions, but it is just because you have not yet
learnt to identify his language and symbols. He
communicates all the same, and you grow
gradually into understanding what he is saying.
3. Grow in daily fellowship with the Spirit as you
read and react to the scriptures. Invite him to
open your understanding whenever you turn to
the scripture. (Eph. 1:17) Discipline yourself to
have a daily quiet time of meditating on the
scriptures. Satan blinds our understanding. (2
Cor. 4:4) The Holy Spirit opens it. He gives deeper
insight and conviction. Invite him to empower you
to obey the scriptures.
4. Build intimacy with the Holy Spirit through
prayer. Invite him to help your weakness during
times of prayer. He knows and prays according to
the will of God. Ask for his anointing to make two-
way praying possible. He helps to intensify your

prayer. Pray in the Spirit. (Jude 20, 1 Cor. 14:2,
13-15)
5. Increase your friendship with the Holy Spirit
through passion for him. Love God’s Spirit for
himself. Be more interested in the Spirit than in
his gifts and what you can get out of him. Tell him
you love him. Sing songs to him as you would to a
friend. Enjoy his company. Get interested in his
interests and avoid grieving and quenching him.
Commit yourself to cultivating the fruit of the
Spirit. Do not love the world.
6. Partner with the Holy Spirit in ministry. Invite
him to minister with you as you preach, teach,
witness, or lead the people of God. Ask for his
anointing and words taught by the Spirit. (1 Cor.
2:3-5, 13) Co-operate with him concerning your
fields of ministry. (Acts 16:6, 7; 8:29) Invite him to
chair your meetings. (Acts 15:28) Spend time in
the company of those filled with the Spirit. Let
spiritual songs be around you and in your heart.
Cultivating daily fellowship with the Holy Spirit is
an exciting adventure that takes time and effort
but is worth it."
What Is the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit?
Biblical Authority Devotional: Authority of the

Spirit, Part 9
by Jeremy Ham on October 6, 2010
Share:
The Bible mentions a concept known as the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Jeremy Ham
explains this concept in today's devotional.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of
God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with
you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14, ESV)
Today’s big question: what is the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit?
In today’s passage, Paul closed his letter to the
Corinthians by writing “the fellowship of Holy
Spirit be with you all.” We can have fellowship
with the Spirit because of the grace of Jesus Christ
and love of God. Fellowship of the Spirit is more
than a simple friendly relationship.
In order to fully understand what Paul meant by
the fellowship of the Spirit, we should look at
other passages with the same word. The Greek
word for “fellowship” is koinonia¸ which can also
mean communion, and the same Greek word is
used in the epistle to the Philippians:
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if
any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit,

if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being
like-minded, having the same love, being of one
accord, of one mind. (Philippians 2:1–2)
The Spirit dwelling within believers is a part of
this concept, as all believers have the same Spirit
dwelling within them. Paul wrote in Ephesians
4:4–6 that “there is one body and one Spirit, just
as you were called in one hope of your calling; one
Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Believers are
“baptized into one body” (i.e., the church of which
Christ is the head) by the one Spirit (1
Corinthians 12:13).
Just as believers have one Spirit, we should also
have one mind working toward the one goal
—“striving together for the faith of the Gospel”
(Philippians 1:27). The fellowship of the Holy
Spirit unifies believers, since we all have the one
Spirit dwelling within us. Paul concluded his
epistle with an exhortation of unity through the
Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, just as Christ loved us, we should
also walk in love (Ephesians 5:2)—not only love
for Christ but for others as well. Loving others
just as Christ loved us will help us be of one mind
(2 Corinthians 13:11). Love and fellowship of the
Spirit go hand in hand, and participating in the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit with fellow believers

is a reason to rejoice.
Today’s big idea: believers are of one body and
one Spirit.
What to pray: ask God to help us love others just
as Christ loved us."
WILL POUNDS
Fellowship of the Holy Spirit
“The fellowship of the Holy Spirit” is a blessing
for all believers in Christ (2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1).
We do not need any new baptism of the Holy
Spirit to enjoy this blessing. All things are ours in
the Christian life when we believed on Christ and
received Him. The apostle Paul tells us we are
heirs and joint-heirs with Christ. Every believer
has received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit from
the moment he believed on Christ. The baptism of
the Spirit placed us in the body of Christ. We can
now enjoy the communion of the Holy Spirit.
The only thing that can now mar this fellowship
with the Holy Spirit is unconfessed sin. We abide
in communion with the Spirit of God as we abide
in the finished work of Christ on the cross. “If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to

forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NASB 1995).
We live in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, which
is the fellowship or communion of the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit is so important
that to blaspheme Him is to suffer eternal
judgment. Every other sin can be forgiven with
the exception of speaking evil of Him (Matt. 12:31-
32). To blaspheme the LORD God was punishable
by death in the Old Testament (Lev. 24:15, 16). In
the New Testament to blaspheme the Spirit results
in eternal judgment. To blaspheme against the
Holy Spirit is to blaspheme against the very
essence of the Spirit of God. It is a sin against the
constant striving of the Holy Spirit for us to
repent and believe on Jesus Christ. It is a defiant
attitude until the very end of this life.
The fellowship with the Spirit is so important
because we are united to Christ in the bonds of the
Holy Spirit. We communicate with Him and He
with us. He is our teacher and guide. He leads us.
He is our advocate within who interprets the
desires of our heart and the will of God. He gives
us the power to do the will of God. He convicts us
of sin and exhorts us to go to the cleansing
fountain.

Our fellowship with the Spirit is of utmost
importance because He seeks partnership with us
in life and ministry. His resources are unlimited,
inexhaustible, and His power is invincible. He
longs for our intimate fellowship with us. He longs
to be admitted to the inner life of the soul.
However, there are attitudes, reservations,
interests, unbelief, prayerlessness, selfish-
ambitions, arrogant pride, anger, bitterness, etc.
that grieves and quenches His work.
When we are in agreement with Him the
personality of the believer is quickened and
sanctified. Our desire is to be in constant
fellowship with Him.
When we cooperate with Him He comes to give us
a daily life that overflows with the fruit of the
Spirit. When we are in agreement with Him there
is His power operating in and through us.
Ministry becomes a daily adventure with Him at
the helm. Our empathy for the needy are
deepened and enlightened. Our compassion for
the lost soul is strengthened and we pray with
passion that they will be saved. Ordinary
Christians become empowered when clothed with
the Spirit of God.
The fellowship, joint-participation, partnership
and communion, with the Holy Spirit is

communion with the LORD God. It should affect
everything we do in our Christian life and
ministry.
True spiritual unity comes from within; it is a
matter of the heart, and is based on this
relationship. That is why Paul in Philippians 2:1
appeals to believers on the strength of this unique
relationship with the Spirit. We could translate
“if” with “in view of the fact that,” or “since” you
enjoy this “fellowship with the Spirit” as a result
of the Spirit’s permanent indwelling ministry (1
Cor. 6:19). This may refer, however, to fellowship
that comes from the Holy Spirit, just as
encouragement comes from Christ and comfort
comes from love.
Let us not neglect the sweet fellowship of the Holy
Spirit in life and ministry.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
DEBBIE PRZYBYLSKI
Fellowship with the Holy Spirit is not complicated.
It’s all about a two-way dialogue. We learn to
share our hearts freely with the Spirit. We start
the conversation, and He speaks back to us. But

we must stay engaged. He wants our heart
connection. Out of our abiding connection with
the Holy Spirit will flow all the issues of life (love,
joy, peace, etc.) or death (Proverbs 4:23, Song of
Songs 4:12, 16; 5:1; 6:2, John 7:38).
Learn to linger in His presence without rushing.
Speak affectionately, slowly, softly, and briefly
with short phrases to Him. Pause and listen to His
still, small voice. Journal your thoughts and what
you believe He is saying to you.
One way to enhance your fellowship with the Holy
Spirit is by using these 5 practical phrases using
the acrostic T-R-U-S-T.
T - Thank you -Thank the Holy Spirit for His
indwelling presence. We approach God through
thanksgiving (Psalm 100:1-5). Pray, “Thank you
Holy Spirit for your presence in me, for your
guidance, etc. I love your leadership…”
R - Release revelation - Ask the Holy Spirit to
reveal to you His heart and open your eyes to the
realm of His glory. Ephesians 1:17-19 is a great
prayer to pray. Pray, “Holy Spirit, open my eyes
to see the realm of God’s glory. Open the eyes of
my understanding, give me the spirit of wisdom

and understanding, etc.”
U - Use me - Ask the Holy Spirit to use you more
and more. Put your sails up and expect Him to use
you every day. Pray,“Thank you Holy Spirit for
releasing your power and gifts through my life.
Use me fully for your glory…”
S - Strengthen me - Ask the Holy Spirit to
strengthen your mind, will, and emotions with His
divine might so that you may contain more of His
wisdom, fruit, and gifts. See Ephesians 3:16. Pray,
“Thank you Holy Spirit for your love, patience,
joy, etc. Increase my capacity to contain more of
your wisdom, gifts, and fruit…”
T - Teach me - Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you
about God’s Word and ways. Ask Him to manifest
His leadership in every area of your life. He will
order your steps and give you new and creative
ideas. See John 14:26 and 16:13. Pray, “Holy
Spirit let me see what you see and feel what you
feel. Release it with power through my life…”
The river that flows from the throne of God is the
Spirit. Jesus said that out of your innermost being
shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38). The

Bible describes 5 facets of the Holy Spirit’s
activity in us as light, wind, fire, wine, and a river.
In John 3:8 and Acts 2:2, the Spirit is described as
the sound of a violent, rushing wind. My husband,
Norm, is from Buffalo, New York where Niagara
Falls is located. We often visit the falls and are
always amazed at that violent, gushing waterfall.
It is powerful and sounds like the violent, rushing
wind. Look at the activity of the Holy Spirit in our
lives as we fellowship with us:
Bright Light -gives life (John 1:4; 8:12), purifies,
unifies, empowers (1 John 1:5-7), illuminates mind
with revelation, truth, and direction (Psalm 43:3;
Luke 12:35-36; John 8:32; 2 Cor. 4:4, 6), and
overcomes the works of darkness (John 1:4-5;
3:19-21; Acts 26:18; 2 Cor. 4:3-6; James 1:7).
Mighty Wind -gives divine strength, stirs hunger,
imparts desire (Phil. 2:13), releases fresh
creativity (John 3:8), and inspires, directs, and
empowers the Church (Acts 2:2-4; 8:26-40).
Consuming Fire -energizes (Acts 2:4), tenderizes
our hearts, devours that which hinders love

(Hebrews 12:29, Luke 24:32, John 5:35), and
imparts God’s jealous affection for us (Deut. 4:24;
Psalm 79:5; Song of Songs 8:6; Ezek. 23:25; 38:19;
Zeph. 1:18; 3:8).
New Wine - awakens the sleeping and revives
(Song of Songs 7:9), imparts the Father’s love
(Song of Songs 2:4-5), strengthens heart, refreshes
soul (Isa. 28:12), releases joy and thanksgiving
(Mt. 9:17; Mk. 2:22; Lk. 5:37-38; Acts 2:13; 15;
Eph. 5:18-19).
Flowing River -invigorates, rejuvenates, restores,
and satisfies the soul (John 7:37-39).
An author named Jamie Buckingham visited a
dam on the Columbia River. He thought that the
water spilling over the top gave the dam its’
power, but he was absolutely wrong. That was
only the froth. The turbines and generators deep
within transformed the power of tons and tons of
water into electricity. All of this was happening
quietly and without notice deep within.
In the same way, it is the Holy Spirit who is
working deep within each of our lives. He gives us
the power. It isn’t the flashy froth like in this dam,
but it is His deep work in our lives that gives us

real spiritual power and makes us like a river of
living water.
Without the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing. Our
life depends on it. We must know His power!
“It must be perfectly obvious to anyone that what
the whole church needs from top to bottom is a
deeper conversion, a profounder experience of the
power of the Holy Spirit.” Samuel Shoemaker
The Holy Spirit wants to fellowship with us in life
in a deeper dimension than we have ever
experienced or dreamed possible. He wants to
have His strength and power operating within us
—He wants to give us His wisdom—He wants to
participate in everything we are doing. When we
pray, He wants to pray with us and through us.
He wants to transform everything that we do with
His glorious power. We must learn to fellowship
with the Holy Spirit every day in order to go
deeper in our prayer lives. This is an absolute
necessity.
“This is more than the Spirit with a portion of
Christ’s influence and power. This is the Holy
Spirit, the Spirit of the glorified Jesus in His
exaltation and power, coming to us as the Spirit of

the indwelling Jesus, revealing the Son and the
Father within us (John 14:16-23). This Spirit
cannot simply be the Spirit of our hours of prayer.
It must be the Spirit of our whole lives and walks,
glorifying Jesus in us by revealing the
completeness of His work and making us wholly
one with Him and like Him. Then we can pray in
His name, because we are truly one with Him.
Then we have the immediate access to the Father
of which Jesus said, “I say not unto you, that I will
pray the Father for you” (John 16:26). Andrew
Murray
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT—
FELLOWSHIP
The work of the Holy Spirit is fellowship. The
characteristic of God is His love. The
characteristic of the Lord Jesus is His grace, and
the characteristic of the Holy Spirit is His
fellowship. Second Corinthians 13:14 says, "The
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you
all." God is love, and His characteristic is love.
The Lord Jesus is grace, and His characteristic is
grace. Lastly, the characteristic of the Holy Spirit
is fellowship. The Holy Spirit has nothing in
Himself. He brings the love of God and the grace

of the Lord Jesus into you by the way of
fellowship. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit has not accomplished a work of love.
He has not accomplished a work of grace. The
Holy Spirit conveys to you what God and the Lord
Jesus have accomplished. Hence, the work of the
Holy Spirit is fellowship. The Holy Spirit after the
Lord’s ascension is just filled with the work of the
Lord Jesus. He is like the light. As long as there is
a crack, He will come in. When He comes in, He
will bring the grace of the Lord Jesus and the love
of God into you. This salvation is surely complete.
Some time ago, a very famous servant of the Lord
in England died. Of course, his death was under
God’s sovereignty. None of us can say anything
about that. But humanly speaking, we can say
something about his death. He was very weak and
had been sick for years. The doctors had
prescribed a kind of medicine for him. Whenever
he inhaled that medicine, he became strong again.
He put this medicine by his chest of drawers.
Many times, when he suffered much and felt like
dying, he would breathe in the medicine and
become well. Although the medicine did not smell
good, it was very effective. The night that he died
he felt uncomfortable again. He tried to reach for
the medicine but was too weak to open the

drawer. The next morning others found him in his
bed with his hand stretching for the medicine. He
died there with half of his body outside his bed. It
was not a matter of the lack of the best and most
effective medicine. He had lived by that medicine
for eight or nine years already. Every time he was
about to die, he inhaled the medicine and became
well again. Why did he die this time? It was not
because there was no medicine, and it was not
because he did not want the medicine. It was
because the medicine did not get into his hand. In
the same way, we are those who are about to
perish. The Lord Jesus has accomplished the
work. God’s medicine has been prepared. As long
as we take it, we will be healed. But who will give
this medicine to us? There is the doctor to
prescribe the medicine. There must also be
someone to apply the medicine. The work of the
Holy Spirit is to convey the work of the Lord
Jesus to us. The love of God is in the grace of the
Lord Jesus, and the grace of the Lord Jesus is in
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Hence, all those
who have received the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit receive the grace of the Lord Jesus, and all
those who have received the grace of the Lord
Jesus have a taste of the love of God.
When the Holy Spirit comes, He gives you the

light and shows you your failures and
degradation. He shows you that you are lost. God
has worked to such an extent that once you open
your mouth and say a word and once your heart
has a place for the Lord and would invoke Him,
you will be saved. You do not have to go to a great
cathedral to be saved. You do not have to pray to
be saved. You do not have to step forward to the
altar to be saved. The Holy Spirit is poured out
upon all flesh already. Wherever you are, the Holy
Spirit is there. Hallelujah! This is a fact! Today
the Holy Spirit has already been poured out upon
all flesh. You do not need to look for Him. He is
looking for you. You can call on the street or in a
house. You can receive God’s salvation in the
sweetest place or the most unpleasant place. You
can have it in the most crowded place or the most
quiet place. The Holy Spirit has been poured out
upon all flesh. No matter where you are, as long as
you call on the name of the Savior, you will be
saved.
Romans 10 talks about the fact, and Acts 2 talks
about the reason. Romans 10 only tells us that
whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved. It does not tell us the reason. Acts 2 tells us
that the Holy Spirit is upon all men. Hence, as
long as one opens his mouth, he shall be saved.

The Holy Spirit has already entered in. When man
calls on His name, he shall be saved.
(Gospel of God, The (2 volume set), Chapter 8, by
Watchman Nee)
Prayers4reparation's Blog
POEM ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
To show how much He cares for us
to remind us of His love
God sends His Spirit to every heart
in the divine sign of the dove.
The dove is God’s holy symbol,
our emblem of serenity and hope.
Though life is a constant struggle,
the Holy Spirit gives us strength to cope.
The Spirit dwells among
the souls of all on earth;
only by praying to Him daily
can we hope for the world’s rebirth.
Lord, send forth Your Spirit
to those who need Your care –
and for all who do not know
Your truth
I offer up this prayer.

Amen.
The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit
October 17, 2013 by Pastor Dave Online Leave a
Comment
It’s funny how so many Christians are practically
anti-Trinitarian. Perhaps “funny” isn’t the right
word. While so many of us believe in the Trinity,
in our practical life we tend not to think so much
about the Holy Spirit. We know He – though we
often say “it” – is out there, but we don’t think
about His involvement in our lives very much. But
Paul wants believers to know and experience our
Trinitarian God. At the end of his second letter to
the Corinthians Paul prays that this church would
experience the “grace of the Lord Jesus Christ”
and the “love of God,” and the “fellowship of the
Holy Spirit.” Most of us know the grace of Jesus,
and the love of the Father, but it’s the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit that we are seeming most
unfamiliar with. But this is Paul’s prayer so he
must believe it is important. Believers need to
contemplate carefully what it means to experience
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
The Scriptures stress the relationship between the
believer and the Holy Spirit. To be a Christian,

then, is to be in relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus teaches that God has given to the church a
“helper” (John 14:16), and that this helper is our
teacher (v. 26). Paul, even more pointedly says
that if you don’t possess the Spirit you don’t
belong to Christ (Rom. 8:9). In Philippians 2 Paul
states that the fellowship of the Spirit is
motivation for the unity of the church (Phil. 2:1-
2), without him division in the church would
abound to its destruction. Believers have a
necessary and fundamental relationship with the
Holy Spirit. We have to, then, think carefully
about it.
We need to think about it, however, according to
Scripture. Communion with the Holy Spirit serves
a vital and varied role in the life of the believer.
The Spirit is our teacher. The Spirit confirms our
adoption in Christ. The Spirit empowers us for
ministry. The Spirit unites the body. So much can
be said about the Spirit’s role in the lives of
believers. Sadly, however, often not much is said,
or what is said is simply wrong. In the coming
weeks I want to explore both what real fellowship
with the Spirit means, and what it doesn’t. We’ll
see that there are often two extremes to
understanding our communion with the Holy
Spirit: (1) to diminish it below what Scriptures

teaches; (2) to exaggerate it beyond what
Scripture teaches. It’s important, however, that
we understand what it means to relate Biblically
to the Spirit of God.
The fellowship of the Spirit is a real and
important aspect of the Christian life. We should
pursue understanding it with great ardor. We
should also pursue it by means of God’s revealed
Word. As we come to understand it more and
more this truth will, I believe, strengthen our
Christian lives. It’s time for those of us who
believe in the Spirit to “walk in the Spirit,” it’s
time for us to truly live out our Trinitarian faith.
The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit (Part 2)
October 24, 2013 by Pastor Dave Online Leave a
Comment
Everyone needs quality friends to grow as a
believer. This is why we put such a stress on small
groups at CBC. you cannot grow well as a
follower of Christ on your own. I am grateful that
throughout my life I have had such quality friends
involved in my spiritual development. No friend,
however, is like the Holy Spirit. The fellowship of
the Holy Spirit means several important things for
your spiritual growth.
The Spirit of God does many things in our lives,

more than I can address aptly in a blog post. But
Paul prays that the Corinthians would know and
experience the “fellowship of the Holy Spirit” (2
Cor. 13:14). It is important then that we, even if
we only scratch the surface, begin to understand
what this concept means. I want to look at six
aspects of the “fellowship of the Holy Spirit” with
believers. The Holy Spirit does the following six
things in the life of a believer in communion with
Him: communicates God’s love, teaches us,
assures us of salvation, intercedes for us,
empowers us, and comforts us. We’ll take a quick
look at the first three in this post.
Paul tells the Romans about this great hope that
they now possess in Christ, and it he adds this
important phrase in Romans 5:5, “and hope does
not put us to shame, because God’s love has been
poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit
who has been given to us.” The Spirit
communicates God’s love to us. In fact this text
says the Spirit has “poured God’s love into our
hearts.” It’s a beautiful picture. John Owen said it
this way:
The Holy Spirit so persuades us that God loves us
that our souls are filled with joy and comfort. This
is his work and he does it effectively. To persuade
a poor, sinful soul that God in Jesus Christ loves

him, delights in him, is well pleased with him and
only has thoughts of kindness towards him is an
inexpressible mercy. (“The Things In Which We
Have Communion With The Holy Spirit”)
When I think about my life and the myriads of
ways in which I have rebelled against God I
wonder how on earth it is that God could love me.
Yet most days I have no fear that God will
abandon me, will reject me, or that he hates me.
Rather I grasp firmly the love of God that the
Scriptures detail. How is this possible? Only
because I have fellowship with the Spirit of God
who is pouring out this love of God in my heart.
This Spirit is called our “helper.” That’s a key
identifying noun for the Spirit of God in the New
Testament, especially Acts. Here we are told that
the God has sent His Holy Spirit into the world to
“bring to remembrance” all the things that Jesus
had taught (John 14:26). This is a promise to the
disciples as they write the Scriptures and as they
establish the church (2 Peter 1:21). But it is also a
promise that believers can rely on the Spirit of
God to teach them and to “guide [us] into all
truth” (John 16:13). Believers in communion with
the Spirit of God are led by the Spirit, and can
trust him to guide them away from sin and
destruction and into truth and life (Gal. 5:16-18).

He does this primarily through teaching us the
Scriptures. The “Helper” helps us to understand
God’s Word by illuminating our minds to perceive
the spiritual truths therein (1 Cor. 2:13-14). As we
study Scripture we pray that the Spirit would
enlighten our minds to understand the things of
God. Part of our communion with the Spirit
involves his guiding us into truth.
Part of the truth that the Spirit guides us into is
the assurance that we are children of God. So Paul
writes to the Romans saying, “The Spirit himself
bears witness with our spirit that we are children
of God” (Rom. 8:16). I have sat with many men
and women in my office lately who struggle with
their own assurance of salvation. It is a common
problem for believers. Often it arises because
people don’t rightly understand sanctification, but
sometimes it comes because they are trying to find
assurance apart from the Spirit. That is, some
believers are trying to find solid proof of their
conversion from their own lives and their own
hearts. Such a pursuit will never provide solid
footing. The depths of my own heart and my own
motivations are a bottomless of pit. It is the Spirit
of God, however, that cries out in our hearts
“Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:6). And it is with the Spirit
that we are sealed, and promised to God (Eph.

1:13, 4:30). He is given to us as a guarantee of our
inheritance to come (Eph. 1:14). We rely on the
Spirit, pray to the Spirit for confirmation, trust in
the Spirit. We do not trust in ourselves or our own
works, we look to the Spirit for confirmation that
we are God’s children. One such evidence, of
course, is the very fact that we are concerned for
our salvation. That in and of itself is a work of the
Spirit in us.
Fellowship with the Spirit of God has profound
implications for our lives. Christians cannot grow
apart from Him. Like quality friends in a
believer’s life, we need the Spirit of God to help
us. The truth is not only can we not grow apart
from the Holy Spirit, I can’t imagine who would
want to try to grow apart from Him.
November 7, 2013 by Pastor Dave Online Leave a
Comment
You need the Holy Spirit! In fact it is impossible
to have any kind of spiritual life, especially a
quality one, apart from Him. In much of modern
Evangelicalism we tend to be either obsessed with
the Holy Spirit or entirely ignorant of the Holy
Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is a part of the
Godhead and a vital part of our own spiritual

growth and development. Communion with the
Holy Spirit means many things for us. Namely, it
means that He intercedes for us, empowers us,
and comforts us.
We’ve already discussed three other elements of
communion with the Holy Spirit, and, of course,
there’s much more that we could say. These three
features for our relationship with Him, however,
are important to keep before us. They remind us
that we are not alone in our Christian walk. They
remind us that God is intimately involved in our
growth and development, and our battles with sin
and evil. They also remind us how deeply the Holy
Spirit cares for us.
The Spirit of God intercedes for the children of
God. Paul writes to the Romans:
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For
we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but
the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings
too deep for words. And he who searches hearts
knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the
Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the
will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)
I have had this experience only once in my life. I
was so overwhelmed in prayer and unable to say
anything I just sat, and before long the sounds of
groaning came out of my mouth as I listened to

my brothers pray around me. The longer we
prayed the more deep my communion with God
became, and when I did not know what to pray
the Spirit interceded on my behalf just like Paul
says here.
Of particular interest here is the fact that the
Spirit speaks to God on our behalf according to
“God’s will.” He does not speak what I want, but
what God wants. He prays for what I need
without my always recognizing what I need. He
knows what I need and cries out to God for my
sake. The Holy Spirit is like a good parent who
knows what his child needs and goes after it, even
when the child thinks that they need something
else, or even when the child is not sure what they
need. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us like a good
parent.
In light of the fact that this verse reveals our
weaknesses it is nice to know also that the Spirit
empowers us. Jesus as our role model in the
Christian life was empowered by the Holy Spirit.
He was empowered to start his ministry (Acts
10:38), empowered to fight temptation (Luke 4:1-
2), and empowered to teach (Luke 4:14), among
other things. As His followers we too should seek
the power of the Holy Spirit to live the Christian
life.

So, how do we fight sin? By the power of the Holy
Spirit. So Paul tells the Romans that they are to
put sin to death by means of the Spirit of God
(Rom. 8:13), and if we follow the direction of the
Holy Spirit we will walk in obedience and faith,
not in sin (Gal. 5:16, 25). Paul even says praying
“in the Spirit” is part of our spiritual warfare
(Eph. 6:18). The Spirit empowers us for solid
Christian living, not to mention the ways in which
the Spirit imparts gifts to us for the ministry of
the church (1 Cor. 12). Rejoice, friends, that God
gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower us
for life and ministry.
Finally, we may say that the Holy Spirit comforts
us. In fact that is one of His many names,
“Comforter” (John 14:26). Paul tells the Romans
that the Spirit causes us to “abound in hope”
(Rom. 15:13). The Holy Spirit offers comfort and
encouragement to the children of God. In many
ways all the various aspects of His ministry are a
means by which He gives us comfort. He pours
God’s love on us, He assures us of our salvation,
He intercedes for us, He helps us to fight sin. In
each case the Spirit is offering us encouragement,
hope we need to keep pressing forward. The
fellowship of the Holy Spirit in total may be said
to be our encouragement.

There’s so much more that we could say about the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit, but this will suffice
to prove it’s worth. We need the Holy Spirit and
much of the church today needs to recovery a
greater sense of this wonderful doctrine. You need
to pursue, friends, deeper communion with the
Holy Spirit. I trust, by the promises of God, that
you will not be disappointed when you do.
November 14, 2013 by Pastor Dave Online Leave
a Comment
How do you pursue what you already have? If all
Christians have the Holy Spirit, all are
empowered by the Holy Spirit, then it doesn’t
quite make sense to talk about pursuing the Holy
Spirit (Rom. 8:9). This is, of course, true, but
there is a real sense in which we as Christians
ought to be concerned with strengthening our
relationship with the Holy Spirit.
“Walk” becomes a more profound word in the
Scriptures. It is often used by Paul to refer to
something much bigger than one’s stride. Paul
uses the term to speak of the conduct of one’s life,
how you live. Routinely too, he connects our walk
with the person and power of the Holy Spirit. He
commands the Galatians to “walk by the Spirit”

(Gal. 5:16). He specifically tells them to “keep in
step with the Holy Spirit” (Gal. 5:25). Clearly,
then, this requires us to commit to working at our
relationship with the Holy Spirit. It requires us, at
one level, to “pursue” a deeper communion with
the Holy Spirit. This is important for all
Christians to realize, regardless of their views on
the Charismatic gifts.
Whether you believe in the ongoing presence of
the miraculous gifts of the Spirit or not, the Holy
Spirit does have an ongoing presence today. Dan
Wallace has written a wonderful piece for
cessationists to wrestle with, aptly titled Who’s
Afraid of the Holy Spirit? Far too many
Christians think that if the gifts died in the early
church, so did the Holy Spirit. They don’t pursue
the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 14:1), nor do they
pursue a deeper relationship with the Spirit
Himself. But regardless of your views on the
continuance of the miraculous gifts, all believers
should seek to know and grow in their fellowship
with the Holy Spirit. We all have the Spirit, but
we must strive to “keep in step with the Spirit.”
So then, how do we do this? We must first
recognize that the Spirit works in conjunction
with the Word of God. The Spirit loves to work
through the Word of God to teach us and train us.

He illuminates the Word for us (John 16:13-14; 1
Cor. 2:12). So as we dig into Scripture and pursue
understanding of God’s Word we are naturally
deepening our relationship with God. The Word is
one of the primary ways in which we can
strengthen our intimacy with the Holy Spirit.
We should also consider what it means in
Scripture to be “filled with the Holy Spirit.” To be
“filled” is distinct from what many Pentecostals
call “baptism in the Holy Spirit.” Baptism in the
Holy Spirit is, I would argue, an event that occurs
at the moment of conversion. But being “filled” is
something that we must seek and cultivate, and
something that God grants as He desires. So Paul
prays that the Romans would be filled with the
Spirit (Rom. 15:13), and he urges the Ephesians to
seek to be “filled with the Spirit.” The Ephesians
passage is particularly helpful because Paul not
only urges this filling, but gives us guidance on
how to seek it. Ephesians 5:18-20 says:
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to
debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19
speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and
songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from
your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to
God the Father for everything, in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ.

There is a command here from Paul, “be filled.”
In the Greek the word is a plural imperative, it’s a
command given to the church as a whole! The
church is to seek to be filled by the Holy Spirit.
Verses 19-20 gives us some context as to how to
foster this kind of filling: worship and
thanksgiving. As we worship God we know we are
cultivating a deeper relationship with the Spirit,
because God must be worshiped in the Spirit
(John 4:24). Seek to be filled with the Spirit of
God.
Regardless of your beliefs about the nature of the
miraculous gifts today, God’s Spirit is still at work
in our world and we are still in desperate need of
Him. We ought to pursue greater fellowship with
the Spirit of God on a daily basis. He is our helper
and comforter, he is the giver of life and joy. We
need Him, and He wants to be in deeper
communion with us. Pursue the Spirit of God."
VINE LIFE
What is the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit?
Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:14
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Paul prays that three things would be with us. We
are more familiar with the first two—“the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ... the love of God”—and
how essential those are to life itself. However, this
third phrase, “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit”,or
the King James, “communion of the Holy Ghost”,
is not as clear. We hear many sermons on the first
two phrases, not so many on the third.
Considering the company it keeps in Paul's
prayer, I suspect it must be very important to us.
Although the expression, “the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit” brings comforting thoughts to my
mind, grasping its meaning is a bit like trying to
hold onto an entire bowlful of jello...without the
bowl. Is this a warm and fuzzy feeling we get that
confirms God's love for us and the grace of
Christ? (Of course I never really would say it that
way, but is that the thought that fills the vacuum
of my lack of understanding?) For the last couple
of weeks I've been contemplating what it means to
have “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” I have
focused on one facet of it and share that here.
The Unique Nature of Our Fellowship in the
Spirit
I propose that the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is
the very thing that makes Christian fellowship

Holy spirit fellowship

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