Pentecostal Theology

The Holy Spirit transforms Our Fundamental Attitudes

By Dr. Samhwan Kim
Vice President, International Theological Institute
Yoido Full Gospel Church

Pentecostal theology greatly emphasizes the Holy Spirit. It is also called Holy Spirit theology. What is this theology and what is emphasized about the Holy Spirit? The transforming power of the Holy Spirit is emphasized. Dreams and visions that are of the Holy Spirit transform our fundamental attitudes. What is this transformation of our elementary attitudes?

First, it is not transforming the very contents of what we perceive but our frame of mind that determines how we are to interpret ideas, thoughts, or circumstances perceived. The reason we all have completely different opinions and viewpoints about the exact same things perceived, such as knowledge and information, consists in a principle that we have different frames of mind with which we interpret and understand what we perceive. Let's take the story of the 12 men who were sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan. Having perceived the exact same scene, 10 of the 12 men gave a negative report to the Israelites on what they saw while Caleb and Joshua gave a very different and positive report. These two reports coexisted because of the two different fundamental attitudes, in other words, different mind sets.

A mind set is much more fundamental than what is actually happening. The Holy Spirit transforms our mind set from negative to positive, from destructive to productive, from stereotyped to creative, from ideological to unconditionally loving and from past-oriented to future-oriented.

Secondly, the transforming of one's fundamental attitude implies the re-defining of his or her interests. There is no use transforming one's mind set if his or her interests are not re-defined. So to speak, even if you have a positive mental attitude you still remain the same unless you re-define your interests. There is an unseparable connection between our interests and our faith. In other words, our interests often overrule our faith. The former manipulates the latter. Fundamental changes have not occurred in our lives if our faith becomes stronger but our interests, especially if displeasing God, are not re-defined and changed.

Many believers want their faith to become stronger but are not aware of the changes from their ungodly, worldly interests. We believers should not let our interests drawn from secular values, such as selfishness, manipulate our faith, but the other way around. If we start showing interest in godly matters we become transformed inside out, truly and completely. Dreams and visions that do not turn people around to show godly interests and productively things are only worldly people. Dreams and visions that the Holy Spirit gives us will, however, eventually transform not only our attitude but also give us new kinds of interests that please God. Pentecostal theology should show an indication of pursuing dreams and visions that are of the Holy Spirit to transform our mind sets and to change our interests.