Life with the Holy Spirit
Living with the Holy Spirit will lead to peace, abundance, and joy.
God has chosen us to be a home for His Holy Spirit, and we can cooperate with the Spirit of the Lord within us or ignore Him.
Ignoring or not paying attention to the Holy Spirit equals disobedience to God.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
To live a life with the Holy Spirit, first, we need to understand who he is.
The Holy Spirit is a person not a feeling or a sensation. However, you can certainly feel his presence.
Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as “He.”
John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
John 16:13 -15 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.”
He helped to create the world -
Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
He helped to create man -
Psalms 104:30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the ground
Job 33:4 “The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
He witnesses Christ -
Acts 5:31 - 32 “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
He convicts us -
John 16:8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
He is the person who gives us inner conviction when we have done wrong, need to make a change, or need to take a particular course of action.
He helps us to know God -
A natural person does not know the Holy Spirit -
1 Cor 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
He teaches us –
Luke 12:12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
He puts God’s word in us –
Jeremiah31:33 -34 - “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God,
He prays for us –
Rom 8:26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
He gives us power –
Acts 1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you
1 Cor 2:4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
He speaks to us –
Mark 4:23 “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The only way to follow Jesus is to hear what God is saying, and you cannot do that unless you can discern the Holy Spirit.
John 10:4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
Multiple voices attempt to communicate with us. These include our natural thoughts, potential demonic interference, and the Holy Spirit. Living with the Holy Spirit requires the ability to discern which spirit is speaking.
Many Christians are too busy and occupied or distracted to hear His voice.
God can communicate with us through other people and circumstances.
After hearing his voice, we have a choice to obey or disobey.
The Holy Spirit will stretch us and ask us to do things we cannot do in our natural strength.
But be assured, he will always lead you into victory, and he will always give glory to Jesus Christ –
John 16:14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you
He leads us -
Rom 8:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Discernment
To discern - to recognize or identify as separate and distinct (Mirriam Webster)
It takes discernment to know what is of God and what is not.
Discernment is a gift that can be received, imparted, and activated. –
1 Cor 12:7 -10 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
Your Mind
Life with the Holy Spirit requires daily discipline. A disciplined mind will focus not on natural things but on the Holy Spirit instead.
Rom 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
What you focus on will control you!
We can exercise and practice mental control.
A Christian should not be double-minded.
James 1:8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Advantages of a Living with the Holy Spirit
Peace –
Phillipians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Know God’s will –
Mat 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter
Victory over the devil –
James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you
2 Sam 5:25 Then David did so, just as the LORD had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.
Healing –
Mat 10:8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.
Problem solving –
James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Abundant life –
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
The Three Keys to Finding God’s Direction
1. The Word
2. Your Circumstance
3. Your heart (The Holy Spirit)
Final note –
Life with the holy spirit will lead to an abundant personal life. However, this abundant life is often misunderstood. It means having inner peace, joy, and fulfillment that cannot be taken away. While money can be a part of it, we all know it does not guarantee happiness. Abundance involves love in relationships, understanding your purpose, having hopeful expectations, and knowing that the Holy Spirit is always with you.
Living abundantly does not mean life will be perfect, as there will still be problems, but it gives you an inner confidence that God will work it out in the end. It encompasses your family, job, health, church, and community. To live abundantly, you need to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and live according to His leading, knowing He gives us the power for victory in everything.