Anna von Reitz
Article (blog edition)
Anna’s wording and the source notices are reproduced in full below. The views expressed are the author’s.
Reading overview
TASA summary of Anna’s article
Anna reflects on the Holy Spirit as a source of truth, comfort and guidance available to people of every background. Drawing on biblical passages and everyday experience, she connects spiritual growth with honest speech, self-examination and a willingness to correct mistakes. Her reflection centres on the peace and discernment that she associates with a sustained relationship with truth. She encourages readers to practise those qualities in ordinary life and to recognise the value of small, faithful actions.
Key points
- Anna presents spiritual guidance as open to people across religions and cultures.
- She connects growth with honesty, self-examination and correcting mistakes.
- Her emphasis is on a daily practice of truthfulness, peace and discernment.
Prepared by TASA from the research, conclusions and reflections Anna presents in her article. Her original wording follows below.
Read Anna’s original article ↓Anna’s original article
By Anna Von Reitz
The Holy Spirit comes to us all, all races, all religions, all kinds and cultures. The Counselor is the same to all, at all times and places, waiting patiently to be called into each life. This means that a Hindu or a Muslim may just as easily be "sealed" in the Holy Spirit as a Christian, though many Christians don't want to believe this, and persist in thinking that "only" Christians are blessed.
Here's the secret.
Just as we have a Spirit of Falsehood roaming the Earth and spawning generations of Liars and Thieves and Murderers, we have the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, also roaming the Earth and giving rise to generations of the Righteous Ones, devoted to Truth and Life and Love.
The Righteous have no denomination, just as the Unjust are not limited to one kind, one religion, one color, or culture. Both the Righteous and the Unjust exist across the whole spectrum of religions and philosophies.
The entire difference is --- which spirit do you harbor in your own mind and heart? Who do you invite in? The Spirit of Truth or the Spirit of Falsehood?
You get to choose which one enters your life, and which one gets to pound sand.
This choice starts in a very small, very mundane way -- something so trivial in appearance that, as young people, you might not even notice it.
It begins with this: do you tell the truth?
Do you make the effort to discern what is true and what is false?
Having discerned the truth, do you tell yourself the truth even when it is scary? Do you tell others the truth, even when it is uncomfortable?
When you do this, it's like putting out a big Welcome sign, "Hello! Holy Spirit! Welcome Home!"
Nothing changes right away, except that you are making the effort to discern what is true, and making the effort to express what is true.
Even if you mess up in the early days and catch yourself telling "Little Lies" of the "dog ate my homework" kind, lies that don't appear to do any particular harm at the time, or which even appear to do some good --- the so-called "Noble Lies" we sometimes tell in an effort to avoid conflict or avoid hurting someone's feelings --- just keep going. Keep trying. Keep noticing when you fall short, and correct yourself as you go.
After a while, by disciplining yourself to seek and speak the truth, you notice that your perception of the world around you changes. Your decision to seek the truth, no matter what, has the odd effect of sensitizing you toward falsehoods of all kinds. It also sets you free in a way that is hard to describe. Peace begins to show up in your life.
One day, though you are still not thinking about it quite in this way, you sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. Your simple devotion to truth, whatever the truth may be, has acted like a seed in your heart and the Holy Spirit comes to tend and prune your little sprout, guiding you, nudging you, keeping you company. You begin to breathe deeply and sleep deeply.
You begin to experience moments of clarity that just appear out of nowhere, rising above your emotions and fears and worries, and these moments of clarity show you some aspect of truth that you probably didn't consciously recognize all by yourself.
All you can do is nod and say, "Thank you!" --- but by now the Holy Spirit has moved in and made himself comfortable.
Look at Ephesians 1:13 --- "the word of truth" (truth in general) "is the gospel of your salvation" (through truth you learn and receive all the rest) and become "sealed with the Holy Spirit" (because the love of truth resides in you) which is the "guarantee" (the sign and promise) of "our inheritance" (the wealth and peace of righteousness and daily salvation).
We don't have to go through our lives alone and unsupported, unguided and confused. Simply by choosing the truth in every situation, by seeking the truth, and speaking the truth, the Spirit of Truth enters our lives. This Holy Spirit guides and comforts us and becomes our constant companion, day by day, week by week, year by year.
Christians tend to think of salvation as something big and singular, an event that is going to happen in the future, when they can retire, count their race as run, lay down the torch and relax.
Long acquaintance with the Holy Spirit teaches us that we experience salvation in quiet ways every day that we live, even on the humblest of days, with miracles we don't even see as miracles when they are happening, with silent inner guidance that comes to us, by moments of clarity, moments of intuition, flashes of insight, and "simply knowing" and these gifts of the spirit are our salvation day by day, playing out over the course of a lifetime.
So, how can you sense the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, in your life? How can you invite this mysterious Comforter and Counselor to become your lifelong companion and ally in every fight?
The Holy Spirit responds to seeing your struggle and your need; when he sees you struggling to know the truth, to find your way, to do the right thing on a consistent basis --- when you hang out that "Welcome" sign, that's when the Spirit of Truth shows up.
Look at Matthew 5:6.
When you hunger and thirst after righteousness, when you get down and really try to know the truth, and try to choose and do what's right, that's when you will find the Holy Spirit at your elbow, and as long as you are putting in the effort, he will stay by your side, and you will begin to feel the peace that passes all understanding.
For another sign, look at Luke 21:28.
As you tune into the Truth and align with it, and you see the morass of Lies and Liars and Evil more clearly, you will begin to yearn for a home that you've never seen ---a deep, wide sense of longing for this other, better, different world that somehow lives in your heart, will come to you, and you won't be able to explain it. This can make you feel melancholy and a bit confused. You may tell yourself this is not rational, but this is natural. You are yearning for your home in Heaven and for the One Who Loves You. When you feel this, know that the Holy Spirit is with you to comfort you.
A third reliable sign is reflected in Psalm 97:10. "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil." This is "hate" in the sense of an oil and water reaction. You can't "do" evil anymore. It becomes foreign and unnatural, and a barrier stands between evil and you. Like an ugly sweater you grew out of, it doesn't fit you anymore. Nothing about it attracts you. There is no mystery to it, no allure. No temptation. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in you, claiming you, changing you, and enabling you to discern evil for what it is.
Of all the gifts and teachings, no gift is greater than the gift of the Holy Spirit --- and now you know how to invite this mysterious spiritual ally into your life. You also know some of the signs of his presence, so you don't have to wonder if you are imagining things early on.
As you go forward in your life and face the many challenges that will be placed before you, you won't need to look for these signs anymore. You will become aware of the Holy Spirit at a far deeper than intellectual level. You will feel his hand on your shoulder and feel his presence in a room, and you will understand why Yashua called him both the Counselor and the Comforter.
With much love,
Granna
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