“The Holy Spirit can rejuvenate a tired Christian, captivate an indifferent believer, and empower a dry church.” (Billy Graham)
Having grown up in the Baptist denomination,
whenever I hear the phrase “Holy Spirit” of the third person of the Trinity
(with God the Father and Jesus being the other two entities), I automatically consider
its most predominate role to be tongues (or a “heavenly language” as its also
called) that people of various religions speak (without control) when they are overflowing
with the Holy Spirit.
It’s not fair of me to categorize the Holy
Spirit by one of its many roles. There is
more than just one role that makes up the unique child of God I am. (Maybe you can remember a few if you are a
regular reader of this blog.) Some of the many roles (and duties) the Holy
Spirit demonstrates in the life of a believer include:
Comforter-The Holy Spirit comforts you in your daily
life and on your faith journey. The English word “comfort” comes from the Latin
word from which you get the word “fortis” – to be courageous. When you are in
pain or need the Holy Spirit comes to you tenderly. He gives you the
courage to withstand the trials, persecutions, and difficulties you encounter
in life.
Companion-A companion is someone who serves
as a friend or partner to achieve something with you. Think of the Holy Spirit
this way as He is always there to keep you company. Believers don’t have to feel alone. Even when the
circumstances of life cause you to feel abandoned, you should remember that the
Holy Spirit is always with you every step of your life journey.
Conviction-Any action or thought in your life that is
not of God grieves the Holy Spirit who lives in you. When this happens the
Holy Spirit does not depart from you but instead speaks to you through your
conscience.
Your conscience works like an inner judge, warning you
and letting you know the sorrow of the Holy Spirit. If you learn to respond
quickly with obedience to the Holy Spirit and keep a clear conscience, He will
keep you from sin.
Empowerment-The Church (believers) needs different kind
of gifts. These are dispersed to each person differently than the other. The
gift(s) that you receive empower you for the calling God has placed in your life
and for your function within the Body of Christ. You should embrace and be
content with what God has given you so that you can benefit the rest of the
Body of Christ.
Hope-Hope is the fuel that every soul living in
the world today needs. The kind of hope that only God can give is available
through the power of the Holy Spirit. It will take you through all
kinds of trials. As you go through difficult situations in your life you
should connect with His readily available power.
Intercession-Many times when you go to pray you do not
know what to pray for (or even how to pray) but you see that the Holy Spirit
was given to you to help. The Holy Spirit prays for you according to the will
of God even when you are spiritually weak. The Holy Spirit makes intervention for the saved according to God’s will.
Sanctification-To be “sanctified” means is to be set apart
as sacred. It is being purified of self and sin to become more spiritually
mature and Christlike. This is an important process for a believer. The old nature
fades away and the new one gradually becomes more like Jesus.
It is a continuous process which takes time and will not
be complete until you get to Heaven. The Holy Spirit wants to help you in
this process of sanctification which involves dying to your old self and being
what God created you to be. It is the process of being free from the
entanglement of sin and living a victorious Christian life.
Teacher-A teacher is one who helps students to
acquire knowledge. In the process of teaching, the teacher will remind the
students what they learned before. You should depend on the Holy Spirit to
help you understand the things of God. At the appropriate moment, the Holy
Spirit will help you recall a scripture that is relevant to the particular
situation you are facing.
Humble yourself-If you want to
be filled with the Holy Spirit, you need to empty yourself first. God won’t
fill you with His Holy Spirit if you’re already full of yourself. Many
Christians will never experience the full power of the Holy Spirit because God
is actively opposing them because of their pride. God hates pride. Humbling
yourself is about submission, of emptying you of yourself so that God can fill
you with the Holy Spirit. Pray declare your dependence on God, ask for His
help, and develop humility. Living in the power of the Holy Spirit will never
come without humility. However you need to get over yourself, get over
yourself.
Obey what the Holy Spirit tells you to do- When you get before God, don’t do all the
talking. Listen. You instinctively know the sound of a friend’s voice because
you’ve spent so much time in their presence. The more time you spend in the
presence of God, the more recognizable the voice of His Spirit will be to you.
Then it’s up to you to obey, because when the Holy Spirit speaks, He’s not
giving you suggestions, He’s giving you commands. But since you’ve already
humbled and submitted yourself by this point, you’re ready to obey.
Specialize in your spiritual gifts-Spiritual gifts are vital as they are God’s way to
exercise the Holy Spirit’s power in your life. If you want to live in the power
of the Holy Spirit every day, discover and lean into your spiritual gifts. Specializing
in your spiritual gifts starts by knowing what your spiritual gifts are. There
are online tests and quizzes you can take. Be an active part of a church where
you can leverage and develop your spiritual gifts on a regular basis. When you
exercise your spiritual gifts as part of a church body, you are literally
demonstrating the Holy Spirit’s power in your life.
Test everything against the Bible-Living
in the power of the Holy Spirit does not cancel out the need for the Bible. They work together. The value of the Bible is that this is the inspired Word
of God. God has already spoken to you about His will here. That doesn’t mean
that God can’t speak to you outside of the Bible.
God wants to interact with you every day through the Holy Spirit. God will not
tell you something through the Holy Spirit that contradicts what He has already
told you through the Bible.
“Without the Spirit of God we can do
nothing. We are as ships without wind or chariots without steeds. Like branches
without sap, we are withered. Like coals without fire, we are useless. As an
offering without the sacrificial flame, we are unaccepted.” (CH Spurgeon)[i]
[i] Adapted from:
·
“10
Roles of the Holy Spirit in the Life of a Believer (Parts 1 and 2)” by Westside
Bible Chapel
·
“5 Practical Ways to Live in the Power of the Spirit Every Day” by Josh Daffern
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