6 ways the Holy Spirit transforms our lives
The Holy Spirit empowers believers to live like Jesus and to be bold witnesses to him. Of course, there are many ways it does it, so we'll talk about the more common ones.
Jesus said in John 16: 7 that it was for our benefit that he go away to receive the Holy Ghost:
“Actually, you'd better go away, because if I don't, the lawyer won't come. If I leave, then I'll send it to you. "
If Jesus said it is better for us to leave, then it must be because there is something precious in what the Holy Spirit was about to do. Here is an instance that gives us strong clues:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, who will speak of me everywhere, in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth "(Acts 1: 8).
From this Scripture, we can gather the fundamental concept of what the Holy Spirit does in the life of a Christian. He sends us as witnesses and empowers us to do this effectively.
We will find out more what the Holy Spirit does in the lives of Christians, so grab your favorite cup of coffee and let's dive in!
How does the Holy Spirit work?
As I said before, there are many ways in which the Holy Spirit works in the life of Christians, but all share a common goal: to make us more like Jesus Christ.
Work in believers by renewing our minds to be like the mind of Christ. It does so by condemning us for sin and leading us to repentance.
Through repentance, it erases what was dirty in us and allows us to bear good fruit. When we allow him to continue feeding that fruit, we grow to look more like Jesus.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, sweetness, self-control; against such things there is no law ”(Galatians 5: 22-23).
The Holy Spirit also works in us through the word of God. He uses the power of Scripture to condemn us and influence our way of thinking. He does it to mold us into divine people.
2 Timothy 3: 16-17 says that “All Scripture is inspired of God and is helpful in teaching us what is true and in making us understand what is wrong with our lives. He corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good job ”.
As we build a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit, it will also distance us from the things we have in our life that he doesn't like. This can be as simple as inappropriate music that becomes tacky for us because of the negative messages it brings, for example.
The point is that when it's at work in your life, everything around you is evident.
1. It makes us more like Christ
We already know that the goal of the Holy Spirit's work is to make us more like Jesus, but how does it do that? It is a process known as sanctification. And no, it's not as complicated as it sounds!
Sanctification is the process of the Holy Spirit who eliminates our sinful habits and leads us to holiness. Think about how to peel an onion. There are layers.
Colossians 2:11 explains that “when you came unto Christ, you were“ circumcised, ”but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision - the cutting of your sinful nature. "
The Holy Spirit works in us by removing our sinful characteristics and replacing them with divine characteristics. His work in us makes us more and more like Jesus.
2. It empowers us to testify
Just as Acts 1: 8 mentions, the Holy Ghost empowers Christians to be effective witnesses to Jesus Christ. It gives us the audacity to testify of the Lord Jesus Christ in situations where we would normally be fearful or timid.
"For God has given us not a spirit of fear and shyness, but of power, love and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1: 7).
The power that the Holy Spirit gives us is something that is reflected in both the natural and the supernatural. It gives us power, love and self-discipline.
Power can be many things backed by the Holy Spirit, such as the audacity to preach the gospel and the power to perform healing miracles.
The love given by the Holy Spirit is evident when we have the heart to love others as Jesus would.
The self-discipline that is given by the Holy Spirit allows a person to follow God's will and have wisdom throughout his life.
3. The Holy Spirit guides us in all truth
A beautiful title that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit is "the spirit of truth". Take John 16:13 for example:
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He won't speak for himself, but he will tell you what he heard. He will tell you about the future. "
What Jesus is telling us here is that when we have the Holy Spirit in our lives, it will guide us in the direction we need to go. The Holy Spirit will not leave us confused but will reveal the truth to us. Light up the dark areas of our lives to give us a clear vision of God's purpose for us.
“Because God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints "(1 Corinthians 14:33).
Needless to say, the Holy Spirit is our leader and those who follow him are his sons and daughters.
Romans 8: 14-17 says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received the Spirit of God when he adopted you as his children. "
4. The Holy Spirit convinces us of sin
Since the Holy Spirit is working to make us like Jesus, he condemns us for our sin.
Sin is something that always offends God and holds us back. If we have sin, which we do, it will bring these sins to our attention.
I will echo this statement: "belief is your best friend". If we stop feeling conviction, then we have bigger problems. As John 16: 8 says, "And when he comes, he will condemn the world in respect of sin, righteousness and judgment."
Conviction comes even before sin happens. The Holy Spirit will begin to touch your heart when temptation comes.
It is our responsibility to respond to this belief.
Temptation in itself is not a sin. Jesus was tempted and did not sin. Giving in to temptation is what leads to sin. The Holy Spirit will push your heart before making the move. Listen to it.
5. He reveals the Word of God to us
When Jesus walked this earth, he taught everywhere he went.
Since he is not physically here, the Holy Spirit has now taken on that role. It does so by revealing the word of God to us through the Bible.
The Bible itself is complete and trustworthy, but impossible to understand without the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that “All scriptures are inspired of God and it is helpful in teaching us what is true and in making us understand what is wrong in our lives. He corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right “.
The Holy Spirit teaches and reveals to Christians the meaning of Scripture as Jesus would have done.
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will bring to your remembrance all that I have told you" (John 14:26).
6. It brings us closer to other believers
The last thing I want to touch is the unity brought by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 4:32 says “All believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not theirs, so they shared everything they owned. ”The book of Acts describes the early church after receiving the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit of God who brought about this kind of unity. This is the unity we need in the body of Christ today.
If we get close to the Holy Spirit. He will put love in our hearts for our brothers and sisters and we will be forced to unite.
Have you ever heard the saying "There is power in numbers"? The Holy Spirit knows this and tries to realize that power in the church. We Christians need to spend more time understanding the scriptures on unity and applying them to everyday life.
Try to get to know him more fully
When we have learned what the Holy Spirit does in the lives of believers, my prayer is that your heart will be open to him. Take what you have learned and share it with a friend who needs the Holy Ghost more. We can always use more of him.
Now is the time for us to get to know the Holy Spirit better. Explore its other features and discover the gifts of the holy spirit.