When Christ was living on earth, He was not fully available to the disciples. When He was in Galilee, He could not be in Jerusalem. He was limited by time and space. He could not be present with all the people all the time. But after Christ was resurrected, He became a Spirit. As the Spirit, He can now be with His disciples all the time. This is why after His resurrection He could say that He would be with His disciples "all the days until the consummation of the age" (Matt. 28:20). Today, our Christ is not limited by time and space. He can dwell within all those who believe in Him.

There is nothing more simple than breathing. A person may not understand many deep mysteries, but as long as he is a human being, he can breathe. Breathing is the most universal ability; any living creature can breathe. Christ has made Himself so available that anyone can receive Him and experience Him.

Human beings are like a rubber tire, and the Spirit is like the air. Many people live with "flat tires" in their lives; they are depressed and plod along life's journey in a bumpy way. What we need is the heavenly air—the life-giving Spirit of Christ. When we have Him, our ride will be smooth, and we will be filled with the heavenly pneuma!

The Spirit can also be illustrated by electricity. In modern civilization nearly every home has electricity installed in it. We need electricity to drive the fan, the clock, the refrigerator, the telephone, the doorbell, the television, and many other appliances. Without electricity our lives would nearly come to a standstill. Although electricity is so applicable, the source of electricity is far away from us in the hydroelectric power plant. God is like the awesome power plant up at the head of the river; He is most powerful. In order for that mighty power to be applied to us, there is the need of power lines to convey the current of electricity to us. The incarnated Christ as a man with His humanity is like the power line; He came from God the Father to us to bring God to us in our human situation. The resurrected Christ as the life-giving Spirit is like the electrical current that carries the mighty hydroelectric power from the power plant into our homes. The electrical current applies the power and turns it into sound, light, heat, and other useful forms in our homes. In the same way the Spirit as the current of the heavenly electricity applies all that God is to us. Through the Spirit we have love, light, truth, joy, power, and all the attributes of God. If we do not have the Spirit in us, our lives will be full of darkness, weakness, and suffocation. But the Spirit applies the Triune God to us and makes our life meaningful and full.

Many people think that to be a Christian is merely to improve their behavior or to be religious. They even build large cathedrals in which to worship God. Yet the most necessary thing is not to be outwardly good or religious. It is foolish for anyone to clean his lamps or adorn his television set without applying electricity to them. The only thing that matters is to apply electricity to the appliances. What man needs is not bigger buildings or more religious ceremonies; none of these will give him the inward power. What man needs is the Spirit, because the Spirit is the application of God Himself to man.