No Lock on the Holy Spirit

[Peter explains his actions to his critics:]  “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’  So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” (Acts 11:15-17 NIV).

I wear a necklace in honor of all who may not call themselves Christian but who exemplify the fruit of the Spirit.  (But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.... Galatians 5:22-23 NIV.) I wear this mainly as a personal reminder that I do not have a lock on the Holy Spirit, but that acts of God regularly (even typically) exceed human understanding.  Therefore it would be at the jeopardy of my own soul should I attempt to closely apply any legalistic stipulations and limitations on the Holy Spirit.

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