Can you "Activate" the Holy Spirit?

Recently on the game show Family Feud, something interesting and apparently spiritual occured. In the final round of the game a contestant was brought forward to do their best to score more points than their opponent, and they were down by a fair number of points. Before the contestant got ready to answer the final round of questions, she told the game's host, "Hold on," and then began singing an impromptu song. The lyrics; "Holy Spirit, Activate. Holy Spirit, Activate. Holy Spirit, Activate. Activate. Activate." After she sang her song, she went into the final round, and she won. In response to her singing, the game show host said, "In 11 years this has never happened before," and he makes a valid point. On many game shows people have prayed for a win or lifted up their hands and asked God for financial victory, but now someone in a mainstream game show has directly called on the Holy Spirit to "activate" His power for them.

This moment on mainstream TV raises some intriguing questions: Was this a good way to introduce mainstream audiences to the power of the Holy Spirit? Was this image of the Holy Spirit popular and flattering? Should people call on God in this way?

In taking a look at the second question; that little impromptu song was certainly popular. It became a major trend on the social media platform Tik Tok; with hundreds of people making videos featuring that song. The videos all fit a similar frame of someone dancing and singing along to the song, while above them is text describing a situation that can be considered unpleasant, tricky or controversial. Examples include, "All your roommates have guys over, and you just want to be loved, "When your kids are testing your inner gangsta but you swore on gentle parenting," and "When your husband gets mad about the pregnancy test you just bought even though he's half responsible." This popular trend went on for several months, and spawned the creation of several t-shirts, hoodies and stickers featuring those repetitive song lyrics. After a while the contestant who started this trend was so flattered by how her song was being used, that she introduced herself in a Tik Tok video as the "Holy Spirit Activate Girl." Certainly this song and how it was used by the world was seen as popular and flattering. Biblically speaking, though, something being popular has little to do with its alignment with God. Jesus says to His followers that they are in a dangerous situation when many people speak well of them and consider them popular, for that is how previous unbelievers treated the false prophets, (Luke 6:26).

Do not be mistaken. Simply because someone uses the name of the
Lord, does not mean that they are His child (Matthew 7:21-23).

What happened concerning this impromptu song was certainly popular and flattering for the world, but it was definitely not so for God and His children, those who believe in Him and have received Him (John 1:12). The origins of this song were founded on someone desiring the supernatural so they could receive money. Paul writes that those who seek God for money are "robbed of the truth and think that godliness is a means to financial gain," (1 Timothy 6:5). One's connection with God should never be used to gain earthly blessings. More so, one does not need to be a child of God in order to have such possessions. Jesus said that His Father, "causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous," (Matthew 5:45). Receiving a win on a game show is not a sign of Godliness. True Godliness is like that of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Before these three men were to be killed by their king for not worshiping him and worshiping God alone, they said, "the God we serve is able to deliver us...But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up," (Daniel 3:17-18). These three brave children of God knew that to truly serve the Lord they would have to reject their king's favor. They rejected the wealth that would come with serving someone who has so much gold, he can make a whole statue of himself. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego knew that a Child of God's true treasures are not anything they can receive from this earth. Jesus says in Matthew chapter 6 from verses 19 to 21:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

For perspective on the true worth of treasures in Heaven, remember that they
come from a place where the lowly roads upon where all people walk
are made of the finest gold (Revelation 21:21). 

So, the game show contestant's intent behind calling for the Holy Spirit to "activate" was not founded on true Godliness, but does that mean that people should not call on the Holy Spirit in this way? 

God tells His children, "Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know," (Jeremiah 33:3). The Biblical context behind calling out to God, though, is not as the Tik Tok trend for the contestant's song implies (calling out for a quick burst of patience or for attention one believes they deserve). In the Bible those who call on the Lord are almost always calling on Him for rescue; from destruction, their enemies or death. Calling on God to rescue one from those situations requires great faith in God (certainly more faith than it takes to ask for power to win a game show). God ensures His people that He is worthy of their faith, when He says, "Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me," (Psalm 50:14-15). The God of the Most High is indeed a God who keeps His promises (Lamentations 2:17), rescues His people (Psalm 35:10) and has made a way for all people to be saved through Him (Romans 5:17).

Waymaker, Miracle Worker

Promise Keeper, Light in the darkness

My God, that is who You are

- Michael W. Smith

With all of this in mind, it is now time to answer the first question this internet trend poses: Was this trendy moment a good way to introduce mainstream audiences to the power of the Holy Spirit?

No. 

What happened with this trend was nothing short of blasphemy. No one can call on God and make Him "activate" for them. To say that we can "activate" God's power implies that God's power is only active sometimes, but God's power in our lives is active at all times. God, Himself, says that without Him we can do absolutely nothing (John 15:5). We cannot eat, we cannot breathe and we cannot live (Isaiah 42:5). God holds the whole of creation together at all times (Colossians 1:17). He blesses those He wishes, according to His will and His desires alone (Psalm 115:3). He is not moved to bless people, simply by their showing of dance or singing unto His name. In fact, people who do these things showingly to God seeking His blessings aggravate the Lord. He says of these people in the first chapter of Isaiah from verse 12 to 15:

"When you come to appear before Me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of My courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide My eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!"

This is a stark reality indeed for those who are not God's children and yet come before Him, pray to Him and even offer things to Him (such as earthly popularity and a name drop on national television). Such people have not been washed clean by the power of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 1:16). The cleansing of our sins, the revealing of truth, and the bringing of life is truly the power of the Holy Spirit (John 6:63). This power could never be "activated" by anyone on earth, because it comes to us by God's love. No one could ever do anything to earn such a glorious gift (Ephesians 2:8). Those who say they could earn this gift, claim this power on their own accord, or sing such promises into existence by their own words commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

When anyone claims that the Holy Spirit follows their commands, even though we all are such wretched sinners (Romans 7:24), they claim that the Holy Spirit is following the ways and powers of those who are evil. When the Pharisees made such a claim to Jesus (saying that Jesus drove out demons by the power of God but was also in league with the devil), Jesus rebuked them and said what they said was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:24-32). Jesus says, "every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven," (Matthew 12:31). This perfectly aligns with God's holy commands that He gave to His people through Moses, when He says, "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name," (Exodus 20:7). Those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit and do not repent of this sin, shall never be forgiven. They will never be saved from sin and death.

What must sinful people like us do to be saved? We must be born again (John 3:3), but it is not possible for anyone to make themself a new creation. The answer to how we can be born again is revealed through what Jesus says, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit," (John 3:5). This rebirth from death as a sinner to life as a child of God is the power of the Holy Spirit that exists in the lives of all who call upon the Lord, for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” (Romans 10:13).

"You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God," (1 Corinthians 6:11)

Sources

• The Bible (New International Version)
• JustinPetersMinistries: Holy Spirit Activate
• OpenBibleInfo: Call Upon God
• Michael W. Smith: Waymaker
• WWUTT: Modern Worship