Joy in the Holy Spirit

2 kings 5

"I know there is no God in all the earth but in Israel"

This is the response of Naman to Elisha when he was cured of leoprosy. Naman had experienced the power of YHWY and he knew it was far different than anything he had previously known.

When you experience the power of God it cannot be explained by anything other than His supernatural work. There are times in one's life when God stretches His hand in extraordinary ways. In those moments it is less the effect of His hand but rather the feeling of His presence when He moves. An example of this would be the miracle of salvation. When the miracle of salvation happens the individual involved experiences many changes. First is the forgiveness of sins that releases the burden of guilt and shame that individual had carried all of his life. Second is the new direction in the believer's life as they are called to exhibit outwardly what God has done internally. The fellowship of the saints is introduced. A new passion for obeying God is present. These first two events create a great deal of change within the life of the new believer. These changes are so evident that Jesus Himself tells us in John 15 that anyone who does not have this fruit does not actually know Him.

There is something deeper yet that goes on in the life of a new believer. Sins are gone and a new course is set. However, it is why that new course is set because of the eradication of sin that works the greatest amount of power in the life of a believer. Salvation is not just the forgiveness of sins. Salvation is the presence of God in the absence of those sins. The greatest gift of salvation is not an entrance into heaven but the presence of heaven's greatest attribute immediately on earth...the very presence of God through the Holy Spirit.

The Christian does not just celebrate the eradication of sin. The Christian celebrates the positive antithesis of sin which is the presence of God Himself. He takes root within us when the miracle of salvation happens. The power that flung the stars into space lives within the confines of our earthly flesh. We experience more than the flittering glimpses of God's miracles around us. No, we have the heart pounding presence of the everlasting God within our bones that drives us to do things no man would ever try and in turn no man could ever accomplish without His presence. His word is living and active. His presence is living and active in our bones at all times.

What difference should this make in the life of the believer? I short, it should make every difference in every facet. Our song should be a song similar to the newly cured Naman, "there is no other god in all the earth except the One who lives within my bones."