About Jesus  -  Steve Sweetman

Another Euphoric Spiritual High

One thing I have noticed over the decades among some Charismatic/Pentecostal Christians is their compulsion to run from one meeting to another in search of another euphoric spiritual high.  There is no doubt that experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit can be dramatically euphoric, but, a hallucinating stuyle spiritual high is not why He exists in our lives.   

If the presence of the Holy Spirit is not meant to provide the believer with an emotional ecstatic high, then why does God pour Him into, and upon, the believer?  A quick survey of the book of Acts answers this question.  They Holy Spirit is poured out, and into, the believer so he can:    

- receive power to be Jesus' witnesses   (Acts 1:8)

- like Peter, effectively preach the gospel (Acts 2:14 - 41)

- speak boldly (Acts 4:8, 4:31)

- do acts of service (Acts 6:3)

- endure persecution (Acts 7:55, 13:52)

- lead people to Jesus (Acts 8:15, 9:17, 10:44, 19:6)

- be commissioned into his ministry (Acts 13:2)

From the book of Acts, where we read about the Holy Spirit in relation to the believer, the outpouring of the Spirit of God into and upon our lives has nothing to do with experiencing a euphoric, drug-like induced, spiritual high.  It has everything to do with God's Spirit working through us to accomplish His will in our lives