Why write a book about friendship with the Holy Spirit?
Paul closes 2 Corinthians with a benediction that urges communion, a close participation with the Holy Spirit. Why? The Apostle recognizes a need to establish and maintain fellowship with the Spirit. However, John R. Van Gelderen would enter full-time evangelism much later (1992) and note that many across our country were distracted by “strange fire,” entertaining excesses wrongly attributed to the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, he observed several groups that saw through this spiritual charade and refused the strange fire error—but overreacted and also abandoned Paul’s urging toward communion.
Friendship with the Holy Spirit was written in 2007, revised in 2014, and remains relevant today. In it, the author presses his readers to understand the value and absolute necessity of engaging in a vibrant relationship with the person of the Holy Spirit. There is much we can see accomplished for the cause of Christ, but gains cannot be realized without our communion with the Holy Spirit.
John Van Gelderen
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