The work of the Holy Spirit is so important that Jesus said in Matthew 12:32 “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
The Holy Spirit is the part of God who lives inside us. We see references to the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament times occasionally indwelling people for as long as needed to accomplish a task on earth through them. Then Jesus came on the scene and said “it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate (Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you”. After Jesus died, was resurrected, and departed from the earth again, we have been blessed with the ability to have a direct and personal relationship with God through .
Therefore it is clearly important that we get to know the Holy Spirit. Let’s see what the scriptures have to say about it.
Ephesians 5:18 – Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
To be drunk is to get a temporary high, which degrades the body. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to get eternally high, and it builds up the soul.
Acts 4:31 – After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we become empowered to do the Lord’s work, and without our faith we can not please God, no matter what we do. Notice this mighty power came after the men prayed. When we experience the Holy Spirit, we may not see the room shake, but I assure you your life will be shaken undeniably.
Ephesians 1:13 – And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
We receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of rebirth. When we become saved, in that moment, we receive the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 1:7 – for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
The Holy Spirit gives us strength, but also love. Because what is power if it is not founded on love and self control?
Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives will be plain to see. There will be evidence of a Holy God residing inside me, and it will be undeniable. Do these characteristics describe you?
2 Corinthians 3:18 – And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
The longer we walk with God, the more like Him we become. If we feel intimidated by how Holy God is, and how sinful we are, we need only concern ourselves with walking in His presence. In doing so, He conforms us to His image by doing the heavy lifting work. We can come to Him just as we are, and He will clean us by the blood of Christ and baptize us with His Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:25 – Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Romans 8:5-6 – Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
When we live by the leading of the Holy Spirit, we are set free from the flesh that enslaves us to sin, and are set apart by God for higher things, which offer life and peace.
Let us take this time now to invite the Holy Spirit to come into our lives, because we know that our lives are better governed by the God whose ways are so far above our own ways. And that whatever God desires to do with us is in our best interest. However God leads or equips us, it will be through His Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord for His provision of Himself in our hearts!
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