A church can have a pastor, a full calendar and a familiar name on the building while ignoring the Holy Spirit who should direct its life.
Pastor Jack Hibbs confronts that danger directly. His warning reaches into congregations and the daily lives of Christians who acknowledge the Holy Spirit but give little attention to His correction and direction.
“The missing link is not missing. The missing link is ignored,” Hibbs said.
The problem demands more than another religious activity. Christians must recognize who the Holy Spirit is and surrender to His work.
“The missing link is not an it, a thing. The missing link is the person of the Holy Spirit.”
A Church Name Cannot Replace Obedience
Religious credentials cannot establish spiritual health.
“A 501c3 does not make a church an actual church,” Hibbs said.
A congregation’s leadership structure and denominational affiliation cannot settle the matter, either. Scripture defines the church, and its doctrine and conduct must reflect God’s Word.
“The church was created by Jesus Christ. He bought it. He owns it. It’s his.”
That ownership should become visible in the congregation. Hibbs describes Jesus being exalted, Christians rejoicing in righteousness and the fruit of the Spirit shaping how people welcome and minister to others.
Even a disruption should receive a Spirit-filled response. What happens when someone creates difficulty can expose whether the church practices what it professes.
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The Holy Spirit Is Holy
Ignoring the Holy Spirit reaches beyond Sunday worship. It affects what Christians tolerate in their own lives.
“The Bible says he is the Holy Spirit. Immediately separating the Holy Spirit of God apart from all other spirits,” Hibbs said.
Citing Isaiah 63:10 and Ephesians 4:30, he warns that rebellion and disobedience grieve the Holy Spirit. Bad teaching and neglect of Scripture also distort our understanding of Him.
His presence cannot become something we acknowledge at church and disregard throughout the week.
“The Holy Spirit dwells within every true believer,” Hibbs said.
That truth brings comfort, but it also demands obedience. Our private conduct, our conversations and the decisions no one else sees matter to God.
Spiritual Weakness Requires Surrender
“This is why so many people are anemic in their spiritual life.”
Hibbs identifies neglect of the Holy Spirit as a source of that weakness. Christians need His sanctifying work to change their thinking and bring their desires into submission to God.
Opening the Bible should involve a willingness to receive correction. Hibbs encourages Christians to seek the Holy Spirit’s help in understanding Scripture and putting it into practice.
The same dependence must govern how we respond to someone else’s sin.
“You and I are supposed to spend more time in prayer for them than we ever would speaking about them,” Hibbs said.
Criticism cannot accomplish the inward work of conviction.
“Because only the Holy Spirit can convict them. You can’t. I cannot.”
Prayer requires us to entrust people to God while remaining faithful to His truth.
Get Into the World With the Gospel
The Holy Spirit does not sanctify Christians so they can retreat from the people who need Jesus.
“Don’t hide from the world, get into it,” Hibbs said.
He urges Christians to recognize ordinary workplaces as places to carry the gospel. Following Jesus should change how we live among people, equipping us to share His truth and make disciples.
That leaves little room for complacency. We need to examine where we have resisted the Holy Spirit’s correction and pray for the courage to obey. The people we encounter at work and in our neighborhoods need the gospel. Are we yielding to the Holy Spirit who equips us to share it?
“Make absolutely certain in your life that there is no missing link.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
