The Holy Spirit and The Believer

A. THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS THE BELIEVER

Salvation (being born again) is the first work of the Spirit in our lives. Power for holy living and service is the Spirit's second purpose for being in us.

1. He Brings Conviction (John 16:8-11). An important aspect of the

Holy Spirit's work is to convict, reprove and convince unconverted people about sin, righteousness and judgment. Without the Spirit's work of conviction, we would remain ignorant of our sinful and lost condition.

He makes us aware of the sinfulness of sin, of how far short we come of God's standard of righteousness, and of the awful judgment which awaits every sinner.

2. He Produces Conversion and Regeneration. Regeneration means

spiritual rebirth, spiritual renovation and restoration.

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5).

"And you hath he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph 2:1).

"It is the Spirit that makes alive" (John 6:63).

3. He Liberates Us from The Power of Sin and Death, So We Can Be

Holy. "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom 8:2).

4. He Gives Us an Inward Assurance of Salvation. "The Spirit itself

beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Rom 8:16).

"And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth" (I Jn 5:6).

"For there are three that bear witness... The Spirit, and the water, and the blood:and these three agree in one" (I Jn 5:8).

5. He Guides Us into Truth. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he

will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself: but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come " (John 16:13).

6. He Teaches Us All Things. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you'' (John 14:26).

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him" (I Jn2:27).

7.He Gives Life to Our Physical Bodies. "But if the Spirit of him that raised up

Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also give life to your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you'' (Rom 8:11).

The word "mortal" means "bound to die" and refers to our physical bodies. The Spirit imparts life. Therefore, the promise of this Scripture is this: When the Spirit dwells within us. He will impart life, strength, health and vigor to our bodies. Living in the Spirit is a health-promoting exercise. It will increase our physical strength and our life-span.

8. He Gives Us Power for Service. "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me..." (Acts 1:8).

Jesus used the Greek word "dunamis" (translated "power"), from which we derive our word "dynamo." A dynamo is a machine which generates a consistent and continuing supply of power.

Thus the power of the Spirit within us generates power to enable us to be

witnesses (martyrs) for Christ. Not only are we enabled to bear witness of Jesus, we actually become witnesses unto Him.

9. He Empowers Our Prayers. "Praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20).

"Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (Eph 6:18).

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" (Rom8:26,27niv).

10. He Inspires Praise and Worship to God. "We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God" (Acts 2:11).

"For we heard them speak with tongues and magnify God"'(Acts 10:46).

"We who worship God, by the Spirit of God" (Phil 3:3 niv).

"Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and

spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord'' (Eph 5:18,19).

“God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in

truth" (John 4:24).

11. He Produces the Fruit of The Spirit in The Believer's Life. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law" (Gal 5:22,23).

The Fruit of the Spirit cannot be produced by the natural man— no matter how refined or educated he may be. God's character is seen in us, only when God the Holy Spirit lives in us who believe.