Have you ever wondered what Scripture means when it says in 2 Corinthians 13:14 (MEV), “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all?”
Have you ever asked what “communion of the Holy Spirit” means and what that may look like?
In order to understand what communion with the Holy Spirit is, this let’s look at the Koine Greek. This is the original language of the New Testament. Looking at the Bible verse above, the word for ‘communion’ in the Greek is koinonia, which means, “participation, communion, fellowship.”
Contextually, this is a reference to the Corinthian church having fellowship with the Spirit of God as a faith community. However, in order to know Him in community, one must also have communion with Him personally.
Before beginning communion with the Spirit, here are three scriptural principles you should know:
1. The Holy Spirit convicts us before we even know Jesus. John 16:8 says, “When He comes, He will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment.” Thus, before we even know Him, He convicts us, revealing what we are doing wrong, or speaking to our conscience. This is the work He does, one small step at a time, communicating with us and wanting us to know Jesus. So, before we believe, He is present, and we may not see it at the time, but He is communicating, wanting us to be born again.
A friend of mine from the Marine Corps shared with me how his wife was going to church and said he needed to go. He wasn’t listening and would refuse to go with her, wanting nothing to do with God since his combat service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But one day in June 2014 while he was mowing his lawn, deep inside of his heart, the Holy Spirit spoke to Him, convicting Him. He immediately knew he had to go to church, so he stopped mowing the lawn, obeying the conviction of the Spirit, and responded to the gospel message that day at church, beginning a life of fellowship with Him.
2. The Holy Spirit lives in us once we give our lives to Jesus. Ephesians 1:13 says, “In Him you also, after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and after believing in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” The moment we responded to the gospel message and accepted Jesus as Lord, we received the precious Holy Spirit. There is no greater gift given to us by God than salvation. When we hear the word of truth and commit to Jesus, it is incredible that His wonderful Spirit seals us.
During the time the apostle Paul wrote Ephesians 1:13, the Roman leaders used their signet rings to seal parchments, scrolls and letters. This was their sign on the order or directives they issued, and officially sealed the documents, showing the origin and ownership of the documents. Once we come to Christ, He places His seal on us, revealing that we belong to Him.
3. The Holy Spirit teaches us and draws us to Jesus. John 14:26 said, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” These were the words of Jesus to His disciples, yet the principle applies to each one of us who are His followers today. As the Spirit of Truth, He reveals the truth of Scripture and leads us to the truth of Jesus.
It is always encouraging when we are reading the Bible, whether it is through daily devotional plans or reading through a book, and verses seem to jump off the page to us, applying to something we may be going through, giving us peace and revelation, and making us worship Him more.
How You Can Commune With Him
Set aside time to be alone with Him, bringing your Bible and a journal. Communion and fellowship with Him begins with conversation, so if you have never done this before, simply introduce yourself to Him. Fellowship begins with an introduction that leads to wonderful conversation with Him.
Know that He lives in you. Ask Him questions, writing them down as you go or before you begin the conversation. Ask the Holy Spirit to talk to you, asking Him what He wants to teach you. Expect Him to answer and to share Scriptures with you. Listen to His whispers and write them down as well as the Bible passages that come to mind as you continue the conversation with Him. Your life will be enriched the more you do this.
He enjoys these times with you, and through them you will feel your heart swell with affection for Jesus as you draw closer to Him. As you commune with the Spirit, watch how He takes the conversation and puts it toward Jesus. I think He delights in this and is pleased to convict you, live in you and teach you about Him.
Jared Laskey is starting Destiny Open Bible Church in Virginia Beach, VA. He served in the Marine Corps from 2006-2011 and ministers living to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of His Holy Spirit. You can follow him on twitter @jaredalaskey, or contact him through his website, firebornministries.com. He has recently co-authored a book called Veronica’s Hero you can find on Amazon here. It describes how God worked in a young woman who received news that her husband paid the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
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