God’s Timing 

There are two Greek words used to describe time in the NT. The first is chronos, which refers to ordinary or chronological time. It is measured in increments of seconds, minutes, hours, days, and so on. Calendars and clocks are tools that utilize chronos time. The other type of time is kairos, which describes some moment or event when the eternal manifests itself in chronos time. Chronos time limits us. We frequently complain there is not enough time (chronos) to do everything we want to do. But kairos transcends chronos time and human limitations, making life sacred and significant. We treasure kairos experiences when God’s love, presence, or power are manifested in ways that point us to eternity. Kairos is timeless, the eternal now. 

Kairos time is encountering that which is “holy and timeless” which in turn triggers awe and wonder. The book of Acts records many kairos moments, beginning with Pentecost. We recognize a kairos event because the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see God working in us, through us, or around us. In the book of Acts, those moments are often prefaced with the phrase, “Filled with the Holy Spirit…” followed by the story of a disciple transcending human limitations—a miraculous event. Kairos moments are sacred because the eternal is manifested in the ordinary. 

According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit played a substantial role in birthing faith in us, enabling us to go all in for Jesus. Then, as we went all in for Jesus, the Spirit entered our hearts (sometimes described as receiving a new heart) and now lives in us. He promises to never leave us. When the Spirit enters us, it is often called Spirit baptism or baptism in the Spirit. 

Having gone all in, the Spirit moves key gospel truths from our heads to our hearts, from information to confirmation. Consequently, we can know with certainty that God forgives us and loves us as much as he loves Jesus; we are his children, and he is our loving Daddy (Abba). Yet that is merely the beginning of the Spirit’s work in each of us. It’s similar to how the Spirit worked in Jesus from (even before) his birth to his baptism by John. This is the beginning, not the end of what the Spirit does in and for us. At his baptism in the Jordon River, Jesus received “the Spirit without limit” (Jn 3:34), just before launching his public ministry—preaching, teaching, and miraculous works. Note that there is no record of Jesus performing a miracle before his baptism. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to empower his disciples so they could faithfully continue his ministry (John 14:32ff). But first, they were to wait in Jerusalem until they were filled with a fuller measure of the Spirit (as Jesus was in his baptism) before they resumed his ministry (Acts 1:4-5).

Jesus’ promise was fulfilled at Pentecost. His once tentative followers were transformed into bold and fearless disciples, continuing his ministry with the power and authority of the same Holy Spirit that had empowered Jesus. The Spirit now led them on the Jesus Way. And on the very first day, the Spirit brought over three thousand men (plus women and children) to go all in for Jesus through them. These new disciples were baptized in the Spirit and empowered to start their journey on the Jesus Way. 

Shy Member of the Trinity

Frederick Dale Bruner and William Hordern co-authored a small volume with an unusual title, “The Holy Spirit: Shy Member of the Trinity” (Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2001). They called the Spirit “shy” because the Spirit does not seek the spotlight, but points us to Jesus, who is the true light of the world (Jn 1:4-5, 8:12, 9:5).

They wrote: 

If you’ve ever driven into Washington, D.C., on Interstate 395 late at night, you’ve seen the magnificent splendor of the Washington Monument, looking like a shining ivory needle illuminated against the night sky. Hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of lights shine directly on the stone pillar, memorializing the father of our country. 

Yet I doubt you have ever noticed, or maybe even thought about, those expensive, brilliant lights. That’s because they are there to illuminate something else. If they are doing their job, you’re not thinking about them; you’re thinking about the Washington Monument. 

The same is true of the Spirit of God. His purpose is to illuminate the gospel and bring glory to Jesus. 

In a similar way, J.I. Packer called the work of the Spirit a floodlight ministry, quietly turning everyone’s attention to the Savior instead of shining the light on himself. I believe these are accurate descriptions of the Spirit’s ministry and completely consistent with the Scriptures. A close friend and colleague once told me he had spoken in tongues at a conference and an Asian woman that had heard him asked him if he understood what he had said. When he replied he did not, she explained to him he had been praising and glorifying Jesus in Japanese. The Spirit had used Larry’s spiritual gift (tongues) to turn the spotlight on Jesus, not to call attention to Himself. 

We need God’s power to navigate our journey on the Jesus Way. The Paraclete (Holy Spirit) helps us stay on the straight and narrow path regardless of the inevitable distractions and temptations that make it easy to become confused, lost, or self-absorbed. The Spirit shines the spotlight on Jesus, drawing us back to him and the Jesus Way. (For a deeper dive into the term, "Paraclete" see Notes at the end of Part D)

Be Filled with the Spirit 

The Spirit is our companion and guide on our faith journey. Consequently, the apostle was emphatic, “…be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Eph 5:18). The only way forward on the Jesus Way is to “be filled with the Spirit.” But that phrase is loaded with meaning and cannot be fully appreciated without understanding the grammar of the verb “be filled.” 

• Be filled is plural, meaning it addresses all who seek to follow Jesus and embrace Kingdom living. It could be translated “You all be filled. 

• Be filled in the imperative mood, meaning it is a command, something mandatory, not simply an option.

• Be filled is in the passive voice, which is rarely used in the imperative mood. This means it is not something we can do for ourselves or by ourselves. It’s a command to allow something to be done to us or for us. We don’t fill ourselves with the Spirt but allow ourselves to be filled. The imperative makes it a requirement, but the passive says it is something we cannot do for ourselves. There is tension between the passive and imperative, much like ordering a short person to “Grow tall.” 

• Finally, be filled is in the present tense which points to continuing action. “Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit” communicates the force of the present tense. 

We receive the Spirit when we go all in for Jesus. That refers to a historical event. We also know God has promised that the Spirit will never leave us. Yet we are commanded to be continually filled the Spirit, requiring us to “keep in step with the Spirit" (Gal 5:25, NIV). We need to go deeper to understand what it means to be continually filled with the Spirit. Let’s look at the command in its original context. 

¹⁵ So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. ¹⁷ Don’t act thoughtlessly but understand what the Lord wants you to do. ¹⁸ Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit….
Ephesians 5:15-18 (NIV)

Disciples are not to “get drunk on wine” nor to “act thoughtlessly”, but to “be filled with the Spirit.” In one of Glenn McDonald’s Morning Reflections (glennsreflections.com, 12/30/23, The Spirit Reassures), he reminds us that alcoholic drinks are called spirits for a reason. “When they enter our bloodstream, they can take momentary command of our lives. Paul recommends yielding to a different Spirit.” He further explains that “Be filled with the Spirit” means “to invite the Spirit once again to rule in your heart—and choose to do this again and again.”

What does it look like when we are continually being filled with the Spirit, or “keeping in step with the Spirit”? It refers to a process. As we are continually filled with the Spirit, we are continually surrendering to Jesus, who along with the Father, sent the Spirit to live in us. Our lives increasingly reflect Jesus’ life, which prevents us from grieving the Spirit. 

Thus being “baptized” (a onetime event) in the Spirit is distinct from being “filled” with the Spirit (a continuing process). The Scriptures teach that we received the Spirit when we went all in, but it also commands us to be continually filled with Spirit after that. It is normative for all disciples to be filled with the Spirit at all times. There are no acceptable excuses to disobey this command. Disobedience is always unbelief! Yet none of us does it perfectly and so the transformation is a lifelong process. 

Abiding in Christ 

Yet, the question still remains, “how” can we continually be filled with the Spirit? Yes, we repeatedly ask the Spirit to fill our heart. But is there more to it? To the best of my knowledge, the Scriptures do not explicitly express how we are to be continually filled. Over the centuries believers have offered many answers to that question. Several years ago, I asked God this question, and God amazed me a couple of weeks later by giving me new insights into how we can be continually filled with the Spirit. 

One morning, while riding my exercise bike, I was bored and my mind was wandering, shifting from one thought to another. Then, unexpectedly, the words, “Abide in Christ!” flashed into my mind. I did not hear an audible voice, but the words came so abruptly and clearly to my mind that I knew the Spirit was speaking to me. Initially I didn’t understand why God said that to me. But moments later I realized it was God’s answer to my question. I knew those words came from the fifteenth chapter in John’s Gospel and I immediately remembered the first eight verses where Jesus taught about “The Vine and the Branches.” 

¹ “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. ³ You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. ⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. ⁷ But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! ⁸ When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
John 15:1-8 [Emphasis mine]

The phrase “remain in me” (NLT) is translated “abide in me” (NIV), the translation I had memorized. I knew long before that morning that being filled with the Holy Spirit did not depend upon obedience to the law. The OT experience of the Israelites showed the bankruptcy of that approach. Nor is being filled with the Spirit a reward for trying harder. Actually, it is the opposite. Being filled with the Spirit is God’s answer to our inability to live up to God’s standards. God sent the Spirit to soften our hard hearts. The Spirit changes our hearts, which is confirmed by our actions. Abiding or remaining in Christ is not about the law. Rather, abiding in Christ is a means of grace—a way of meeting God in a deeper way. Abiding in Christ does not focus on externals, but on relationship — “being” more than “doing.” Abiding in Christ is a precious gift, not a burdensome obligation.

Up until that morning on my exercise bike, I had thought that Jesus’ teaching on abiding in John 15 seemed out of place. It is located in the middle of Jesus’ lengthy discourse on the Paraclete (H.S.). In this extended teaching, the focus was on Jesus’ imminent departure (crucifixion) and then subsequent return to them via the Paraclete (Pentecost). The ministry of the Paraclete (H.S.) is the central theme. And right in the middle of that discussion, Jesus inserted this commentary on abiding (remaining) in him. This teaching on the vine and the branches is set in the middle of Jesus’ longer discourse on the Paraclete (H.S.) because the only way to live constantly filled with the Spirit (Paraclete) is by abiding in Christ. Abiding in Christ is a precious gift, not a burdensome obligation.

Remember the Holy Spirit seeks to glorify Christ at all times. He seeks to draw us ever closer to Jesus. He wants us to love both Jesus and the Father more and more. To abide in Christ is to cooperate with one of the chief ministries of the Spirit. It is to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal 5:25, NIV) by building our lives around Jesus. To neglect abiding in Christ is to resist the very thing the Holy Spirit wants to do in each of us. Thus, it grieves the Spirit. 

We obey the passive command “be filled with the Spirit” by intentionally and actively “abiding” or “remaining” in Christ. But almost paradoxically, we can only abide in Christ because we have previously received the Holy Spirit (Paraclete). It is the Holy Spirit who makes what was formerly impossible, abiding in Christ, possible. And abiding in Christ is the means to be continually filled by the Spirit. When we abide in Christ, we are saturated (filled) with the Holy Spirit. Our spiritual fuel gauge reveals our tank is full. The essence of abiding is building our lives around pleasing and serving Jesus. We set our hearts on nurturing a deeper love for him, seeking to honor him in everything we do, say, or think. This delights the Spirit and helps us “keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal 5:25). We become like sponges soaking up more and more of the Spirit. Abiding in Christ and being filled with the Spirit are so closely related that they are almost indistinguishable. 

Supplemental and Special Fillings 

Throughout Challenge #2, this commentary has repeatedly stated that we receive the Holy Spirit as a permanent resident in our hearts when we go all in for Jesus. That is a Kairos event and refers to “Spirit baptism” or “baptism in the Spirit.” We have also concluded that abiding in Christ is the chief way to obey the command, “be filled with the Spirit.” But there will still be times when a fuller portion of God’s Spirit and power are urgently needed. Such fillings can be repeated as God deems necessary. These supplemental fillings are not repeated Spirit baptisms nor being continually filled. They empower us to do what otherwise would be impossible. Acts records at least three different occasions when Peter was filled with the Spirit. Each filling was a kairos event. They empowered him to speak with power (resulting in people becoming disciples) and/or to perform miracles. 

They are similar to what happens when we are confronted by a life-or-death type of situation. The brain signals specific glands to begin pumping adrenaline and other hormones into our blood stream. Our hearts beat wildly, quickly sending the adrenaline to where it is most needed. Almost instantly, we are able to do things that seconds before would have been impossible. We run faster and jump higher with a surge of strength that is startling. It is the body’s game-changer that helps us survive when facing extreme danger.

The Spirit is a person, not a hormone. But the result of being filled with the Spirit at critical moments, kairos moments, may appear to be like a rush of adrenaline. We experience God’s presence, power, and love in a way that transcends normal human limitations. However, there are several factors that are always in play when we receive special fillings: 

• We are filled in this way when we are attempting to do the tasks that God calls us to do. 

• These fillings always glorify God and advance his kingdom. They are not given to make us happy or to make us look good. 

• God alone chooses when to pour these special and supplemental fillings on us. We cannot schedule them in advance. Nor can we order them like we order a meal from a restaurant menu. 

• Finally, they are given at the exact moment they are needed, never in advance. We walk by faith, not by sight (1 Corinthians 5:7, NIV). 

If we never step out in faith, we will never experience these Kairos moments. 

Jesus faced intense persecution, rejection, and cruel hatred. The Spirit continued to strengthen and empower him even as the cross loomed before him. He sweated blood but did not waiver or look for a shortcut. Jesus stayed the course in the darkest moments, and he told his disciples they would also face persecution, rejection and hatred. Yet when they encountered such persecution, Jesus promised they would be filled with a fuller measure of the Spirit.

⁹ “When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. ¹⁰ For the Good News must first be preached to all nations. ¹¹ But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
Mark 13:9-11 

“For it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” John the Baptist testified that this was what Jesus always did: “He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit” (Jn 3:34). We follow his example (Jn 3:34) and his teaching (Mk 13:11). This may require supplemental fillings with the Spirit which Jesus promised and could be described as a temporary filling of the “Spirit without limit.” For Jesus that appeared normal, but for us it is a kairos event. This type of filling can be repeated, a temporary but life-changing taste of eternity. 

Summary 

The Holy Spirit always keeps us focused on Jesus – not on the ourselves. The Spirit is pleased when Jesus is glorified and receives all the credit. The Spirit helps us to abide in Christ as the branch abides in the grapevine. When we abide in Christ, the Spirit is pleased, and we become immersed in and saturated with the Spirit. And as we abide in Christ, he also abides in us through the Spirit. Jesus is no longer just a name, but a person with whom we have a genuine relationship. Having a relationship with Jesus is elevated from religious jargon to a life-transforming truth that reshapes us and makes us more and more like Jesus. Even then, we face overwhelming challenges as we follow Jesus. Consequently, we may receive additional fillings with the Spirit that brings supernatural power. When considering the ministry of the Spirit, more is always better.

THINKING IT THROUGH

"Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power." Luke 4:14

THE TRUTH: Jesus promised his disciples he would not leave them alone when he ascended,
but they would be filled with his presence and power through the Holy Spirit after he left them.

THE CHALLENGE: Disciples live Spirit-filled and Spirit-empowered lives.

Each part of every four-part challenge concludes with a “Thinking it Through” segment which consists of a list of Scriptures related to the topic being considered, questions for group discussion and personal reflection, and notes. Each of the twelve challenges will end with an exercise to guide you through the process of naming lies, believing the truth, and clarifying the personal implications and applications of the truth to your life. Truth, if believed, must be lived, and living the truth brings personal transformation (Kingdom living). Please consider this section as a tool to help you to understand the truth, not as a test or as busy work. 

Related Scriptures

John 6:63 ⁶³ The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

John 7:38-40 ³⁸ "Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ” ³⁹ (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. ⁴⁰ But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.) 

John 14:17 ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 

John 14:26 ²⁶ But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 

John 16:13 ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 

Luke 1:15-16 ¹⁵ He [John the Baptist] will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁶ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 

Luke 4:1 ¹ Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 

Acts 1:8 ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 

Acts 4:7-9 ⁷ They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! ⁹ If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed," 

Acts 7:55 ⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 

Acts 9:31 ³¹ Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. 

Romans 7:6 ⁶ But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

1 Corinthians 2:4 ⁴ My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power….

1 Corinthians 6:19 ¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 

Galatians 5:25 (NIV) ²⁵ Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 

Ephesians 2:18 ¹⁸ Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

Ephesians 3:16 ¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:19

¹⁹ Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. (NLT)

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. (NIV)

2 Timothy 1:14 ¹⁴ Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.

Titus 3:5-6 [When God our Savior] ⁵ saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. ⁶ He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.

1 Corinthians 2:10 ¹⁰ But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.

Ephesians 4:23 ²³ Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

Hebrews 9:14b ¹⁴ᵇ For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 4:13 ¹³ And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.

Questions 

You are encouraged to use these questions for group discussion or personal reflection. Respond to the questions that are most relevant or interesting to you (I urge you to write your responses in a journal or notebook). 

1. Try to articulate the difference between being baptized in the Spirit and being continually filled with the Spirit. 

2. “Be filled with the Spirit” is an imperative. Notice that the Apostle Paul contrasted “Be filled with the Spirit” with “Don’t be drunk with wine.” In what ways is being filled with the Spirit both similar to and incompatible with “being drunk with wine.” 

3. What do you associate with being filled with the Spirit? Are your associations positive or negative? 

4. Why is being baptized in the Spirit a prerequisite to being filled with the Spirit? 

5. The Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the “shy” person in the Trinity. Why is this appropriate?

6. Part “C” claims that “abiding in Christ” (see Jn 15) is the primary means of being filled with the Spirit. If someone were to ask you, “what does it mean to abide in Christ?”, how would you answer? 

7. Jesus made no direct reference to the Spirit in his teaching on the vine and the branches (Jn 15), until verse 26. Is it possible to abide in Christ without the Spirit’s (“Paraclete” or “Advocate” in Jn chapters 14-16) assistance? 

8. Prayerfully ask for God’s assistance to determine the Spirit’s role in helping you abide in Christ. Describe as well as you can what the Spirit does that makes it possible for you to abide in Christ and Christ to abide in you.

9. The Holy Spirit confirms that God’s promises are true. Is this a factor when we abide in Christ?

10. Jesus described the Spirit’s ministry or presence as “Living Water” (Jn 4:10, 13, and 7:38) and “Wind” (Jn 3:5-8). Describe why these terms are appropriate.

Notes 

There are differing views on the proper terminology and sequence used to describe the Spirit’s work. Some disciples believe the baptism of the Spirit occurs at conversion (as stated in Challenge 2), others describe it as a second event after conversion, and still other associate it with water baptism. Likewise different terms may be used to describe the same events. I believe these differences are significant but should never become divisive. 

In the Gospel of John, chapters 14 through 16, contain Jesus’ most profound teaching on the Holy Spirit. In these chapters, Jesus literally calls the Holy Spirit the “Paraclete,” which is translated in a number of ways. 

• “Counselor “ (NIV, NLT, and RSV) 

• “Helper” (NKJV, NASU, and NAS) 

• “Comforter” (KJV, ASV, TLB, Good News) 

• “Advocate” (NRSV) 

• “Friend” (The Message) 

Eugene Peterson (Tell it Slant, Eerdmans Publishing, 2008, p. 96) provides helpful information about the word Paraclete from the last half of the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke:15:11-31): 

This is the story of another lost son. But this son is triply lost: lost to his father, lost to his brother, and lost to the celebrating community. A son who has never done conspicuously wrong, who has kept the rules, who has worked hard on the farm. And then this: the father, who has spent years waiting for the return of the younger son, immediately goes out looking for this son [older son], finds him, and urges and pleads with him, to join the celebration. The verb is parakalei. It is a coming-alongside word. A wooing, inviting, welcoming, encouraging word that draws us into the singing and feasting and congratulating community of the lost and found. This is the verb associated primarily with the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete—God coming alongside us, drawing us into the community of the lost and found.

The prefix “para” is a preposition meaning “near” or “beside.” The suffix “kalei” mean to call. The Paraclete (H.S.) is one who comes close to you and calls or encourages you, just as the Father did for older son in the “Parable of Prodigal Son.” He left the party and approached his recalcitrant and self-righteous son and pleaded with him to join the celebration. The Holy Spirit comes to us and calls us into the intimate and personal love of the Father’s and the Son.

Jesus further personalized the ministry of the Spirit promising his disciples that after his death, “I will come to you” (Jn 14:18). Jesus equated the coming of the Paraclete with his own presence. It means that to have the Spirit living in us means Jesus himself lives in us. The Holy Spirit mediates Christ’s presence in us. This is essentially the same thing Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew (28:20): “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Jesus is always present with his disciples through the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. But it’s not an abstract theological concept, like God is everywhere, but a profound truth: Jesus is Immanuel—God with us and God in us.