Right.
Throughout Scripture,
GOD ALMIGHTY seeks our INVITATION—our SEEKING HIM—our COOPERATING WITH HIM.
It is demonic forces which strong arm, force themselves, force individuals they are in possession of, etc.
Holy Spirit is entirely otherwise.
IT IS A MUTUAL DANCE.
YES, in a VERY REAL sense, HE LEADS. But if and when the human individual wants to sit down, pause, catch a breath . . . Holy Spirit waits.
Virtually always, He is gentle in a list of ways.
Occasionally, He can be quite forceful and dramatic if the human in the dance is so cooperative and Holy Spirit’s wisdom decrees it.
I really get a kick out of Believers who are characteristically cautious, meek, quiet, etc. and on occasion, Holy Spirit will flow through them with such force that they are suddenly like Richard the Lion Hearted chasing evil spirits or cruddy human stuff for removal with great fierceness and boldness IN THE LORD’s SPIRIT.
Or, vice versa, some brash, bold, cowpie kicking cowboy becomes super gentle in ministering to a child or elderly lady.
Holy Spirit is the ULTIMATE TRANSFORMER yet He respects the personality God created in each individual and seeks to enhance and multiply what God is birthing with each individual.
As Scripture says, it is not yet evident what we shall be. Yet Holy Spirit knows and is working toward that awesome goal in each dance in this boot camp world.
And, as in Scripture’s scribes, the human’s personality involved can show through.
Pentecostals are exceedingly human as TV obviously shows. And sometimes they use intemperate inaccurate language that implies or even says that they were controlled in some heavy handed fashion. And they may personally even feel that was the case in a given situation. It’s just not true. Holy Spirit just doesn’t operate that way.
He LEADS the dance. He’s not the gestapo.