“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:13 NIV
Does God give the Holy Spirit on request or in response to faith in Jesus? We have already shown that the gift of the Spirit is for all believers. He comes to indwell those who have been born again into God’s kingdom, to administer grace and truth to every child of God.
If we put the two statements in Matthew and Luke under discussion side by side, it seems that Luke’s version explains Matthew’s version.
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give GOOD GIFTS to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:11 NIV
“Good gifts” in Greek, means beneficial gifts.
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give HOLY SPIRIT to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:13
Luke links “good gifts” and “holy spirit” together, that is good gifts are holy spirit. So, what does “holy spirit” without “the” mean since “the” is not in the original text?
Since we get the meaning from the context and, as we have already seen, it cannot mean “the Holy Spirit”…so, in the variety of meanings, we look for the most appropriate one.
“Holy” here can mean “sacred,” “morally blameless” or ”pure”. Now, hold that thought.
“Spirit” is, in essence, “breath” or “wind”. It can also mean “vital principle” or “mental disposition”, that is, the way the mind thinks.
Now, let’s put these ideas together. If Jesus was not teaching His disciples to ask for the Holy Spirit, what was their request to be in the context of His promise? If human fathers give good things to their children on request, what “good things” can our heavenly Father give us in keeping with His goodness, if we ask Him? “A mental disposition” that is “morally blameless” and “pure” seems to be the most logical answer. Expressed in another way, can we say that God will give us thought and a mindset that are holy and pure, in keeping with His own nature, if we ask Him?
Is this not exactly what Paul encouraged?
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9 NIV
The promise is that, when ask the Father helps us to think the way He thinks, He guarantees that His presence will be with us to support us in every situation in life. His peace will be our mind’s guardian in every circumstance , good or bad.
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
Isaiah 26:3 NIV
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
Colossians 3:1-3 NIV
Let us learn to think and pray according to God’s word rather than focus on the events around us or follow the false notions of preachers and teachers who will lead us astray.
What better prayer can we pray than David’s prayer…
“Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”
Psalms 86:11 NIV
To be continued…