Acts 18:25 English Standard Version (ESV)  He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

Fervent here is the Greek word zeo. It has a primary definition elated to boiling water. Water as we have learned in spiritual terms is a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit, that the water is moved by the Spirit. In this case the Holy Spirit is the heat source.

How can one tell if the source of this zeo is the spirit of man or the Holy Spirit? The sign is stated above in the words “he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus.”

Now comes the more important part. How do we know that another is accurate about those things which concern Jesus?

Look closely to the end of the verse above. He only knew of the baptism of John. He had not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The issue here is the working of the Holy Spirit. This man was accurate in as far as what John brought to him, teaching him about Jesus. He can only go so far without the Holy Spirit abiding within teaching him “all things”.

We read for ourselves and are taught by preachers and teachers. That will only take us so far. It will not teach us “all things” which Jesus has to say. That is the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Jesus told Nicodemus that we need to be born of the Spirit to enter the Kingdom. We need the Holy Spirit to dwell in us in order to be Kingdom dwellers. All external relationships with the bible and preachers and teachers will not get us into the Kingdom.

How do we become citizens of this heavenly Kingdom? How does anyone become a citizen in a foreign country? First we have to understand the requirements, swear allegiance, accept the authority over our lives and live according to the rule of law. The law of love.

Psalm 21:5 English Standard Version (ESV) His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him.

This is a psalm written by King David. It appears that King David is speaking in the third person. If it were not written in the third person it would sound like this,

His glory is great through my salvation; splendor and majesty I bestow on him.

That doesn’t ring true to us who know the third person of the Trinity. It should sound more like this.

His glory is great through God’s salvation of His children; splendor and majesty God bestows on Christ.

From David’s point of view he is the anointed king of Israel speaking about and for the King of Glory. The third person is the only way that makes sense to David. Here we are on this side of the Cross and the third person is the Holy Spirit in us glorifying Christ.

There was another verse in this psalm that struck me as important as it ended with Selah, that musical instruction for a thoughtful pause.

Psalm 21:2 English Standard Version (ESV) You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

Knowing Christ as we do what was the desire of His heart and what did He ask?

“Select for me the bride of Your choosing Father.”

That can be a daunting task given we are God’s chosen. We have to look at what He did since choosing us. He has given us of Himself in the third person to glorify His Son through us.

Proverbs 12:4a English Standard Version (ESV) An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,

The third person indwelling in us makes it possible for us to be that excellent bride.