[The Voice of the Holy Spirit]
Acts 22:1-8
Whenever I see Paul using the language of salvation to get permission from the Holy Spirit, I am amazed. When we realize our sins, our eyes open and a new world opens up in our life. The experience being so fantastic, we ask for a chance to speak about it even for once. This is the voice of the Holy spirit, the testimony, and the life of mission. Today, let us think about the voice of the Holy Spirit.
First, it is not about pride but a story that represents us. Paul gave a testimony with his personal history, not with any doctrines. He introduced himself in five ways: first, he was a Jewish although many saw him as a traitor. Second, he was from Tarsus, a wealthy and educational city, as a diaspora Jew, the scattered Jew. Third, he had Jewish identity since he grew up in Jerusalem. Fourth, he was taught by Gamaliel who, as a teacher of the Law, was well respected by the Jews. This meant that Paul was also professional in the Law. Fifth, he was zealous for the Lord even with this spectacular background. He was emphasizing that he was like any of the crowd. If we give the testimony to boast about ourselves, we make a mistake by separating ourselves from the audience. But if we give the testimony in the voice of the Holy Spirit, we will be putting ourselves in the same shoes of the audience because we confess our sin. Nevertheless, because of our sinful nature, we easily tend to boast even our sins. We always have to think where the purpose of the testimony lies and pray for it.
Second, the voice of the Holy Spirit gives a confession that ones sin is bigger than the suffering. If Paul had thought his suffering to be graver than his own sin, he would not have bore the sufferings. However, after his conversion, he realized that everything he had done for the goodness for the Lord actually was sin and he confessed this in front of the crowd. This is the voice of the Holy Spirit, the testimony of the Holy Spirit. The more we realize the severity of our sins, the more we speak in the voice of the Holy Spirit. Without thorough repentance and everyday spiritual battles, we cannot rely on Jesus or walk the path of salvation. God made us in His image and He made us seek Him. When we seek and rely on God, we can live our lives in the most perfect way. For that, God leads us by waking us up, disciplining us, and stopping us.
Third, the voice of the Holy Spirit starts from falling to the ground and hearing the voice. Let us look how the persecutor began to see his sin. The passage indicates that the time was around noon. The sunlight at noon in Israel actually shines like a furnace that blinds people who directly look at it. But even brighter light shone upon Paul. It was the light of life, but anyone who sees it might have died. In this situation, Paul could not back down or go forward. He could not do anything. But as he fell down to the ground, he realized that he was a sinner. As our thoughts fall to the ground, God finally speaks through our lips. And by calling Pauls name twice, God gave him a mission with full grace. The express Nazareth Jesus appears only in the book of Acts. Nazareth collectively referred to the abandoned, the poor, the alienated, and the cursed. It was the land of Kabul which Solomon thought to be useless. But in this useless and cursed land, Jesus was born. We can have the voice of the Holy Spirit when we meet Nazareth Jesus in humble situations. Abraham sold his wife. Isaac was chosen, not Ishmael who was stronger. Jacob was chosen even though he was a liar. Judah who slept with his daughter-in-law was chosen over Joseph. David who committed adultery and murder was chosen. From this humble genealogy, Jesus came. Meeting this humble Jesus is the peak of salvation history. Those who know how to speak the voice of the Holy Spirit see the severity of their sin and understand the Word. Whoever knows that he is a sinner cannot spoil any relationships. Mission is about change in ourselves and family.
