In the Old Testament, when people spoke of the Spirit of God, they spoke of the living, active power of God; the third person of the Trinity. While they certainly identified him as the Spirit of God, they did not have a relationship with him. However, with the coming of Jesus Christ and his redemption work, we were able to receive a clearer understanding of the person of the Holy Spirit and the relationship we can have with him.
For example, in Luke 4:1, the Bible declares that Jesus had the Spirit without measure. In essence, he lived his life and carried out his work through the expression of the unlimited power of God’s Spirit working through him. This is the same Spirit that is now at work in all Believers, enabling them to live the kind of life Jesus lived. Hence the name Christians, meaning like Christ.
Understanding the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer helps us realize that the Christian life cannot be lived without him. Just as he is the power of the Godhead, he is also the one who empowers and sustains us to live as believers.
In this message, we will take a look at who the Holy Spirit is and how he works in the life of a believer.
The Person of the Holy Spirit
There is only one God, and this God has always existed in a trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our understanding of the Holy Spirit is therefore tied to our understanding of the Trinity, and that in turn is tied to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
According to John 16:13-15, the Holy Spirit is a distinct person from the Father and Son. Yet, he is coequal with them and inseparably united to them. Although, He didn’t become flesh like the Son, he still has emotions, desires, and feelings (Ephesians 4:30). He is also not just a part of God, but God Himself (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Shortly before Jesus’ death, he spoke about the Holy Spirit and how he would comfort, teach, and bring to remembrance all the things Jesus had taught them (John 14:26). From this scripture, we understand that the Holy Spirit is the Believer’s helper.
The Working of the Holy Spirit in the Believer’s Life
According to John 14:16, we understand that Jesus continues to abide with his disciples through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He works in the life of a Believer as a Counselor, providing wisdom, counsel, and help, like he did to Jesus during his earthly Ministry. Listed below are some of the other workings of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life:
- According to Acts 1:8, the Holy Spirit empowers and equips believers for the task of spreading the Gospel of Jesus, making disciples of them and establishing the Church of Jesus on earth.
- According to John 16:13, the Holy Spirit also guides believers into all truth and glorifies Jesus in the process. He teaches us about Jesus Christ and reveals him to Believers because he is the Spirit of Christ.
- He gives life and freedom from bondage according to Romans 3:17. Through the Holy Spirit, a believers have the freedom and power to live in righteousness.
- The evidence of the Holy Spirit working in a believer’s life is the production of spiritual fruit, as explained in Galatians 5:22. This Fruit, also called Christlike character, can only be found in people who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and who obey his leading.
- True worship (John 4:24), as well as true prayer (Ephesians 6:18), are activities that Believers can carry out effortlessly and with results, only through the working of the Holy Spirit. This is because the Holy Spirit helps us pray according to the will of God, as seen in Romans 8: 27.
- He gives believers that irrefutable inner assurance that they are the Sons of God and have eternal life, according to Galatians 4:6-7.
How have you experienced the working of the Holy Spirit in your life as a believer? Leave us a comment with your thoughts below.
Also, if you have been blessed by this message, we encourage you to subscribe to our mailing list using the subscription pop-up on our website. It is free and you can unsubscribe at any time. In addition, you can submit your prayer requests, testimonies, give to the work of God’s Kingdom through this Ministry or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube using the respective links.
Have a blessed and Holy Spirit filled week in Jesus name.
