-He Lives Inside You!

In recent posts, we’ve talked about the ministry of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives. Perhaps the greatest benefit we enjoy, as true disciples of Christ, is the Spirit’s indwelling. If you believe God; if you trust Jesus to be your Savior, the Holy Spirit moves inside you & takes up residence! He can’t possibly get any closer to you! He lives inside you! Jesus describe the Holy Spirit to His disciples like this: “He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). At the time Jesus shared this, He was speaking prophetically.

-Events About To Take Place!

He was foretelling the events that were about to take place. He told them He would be die; that He would be raised from the dead; He would ascend to the Father; and He would send the Holy Spirit as a gift, Who would indwell them. The Apostle Paul wrote, in his letter to the Church of Rome, that, “…the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so.  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:7-9). The Spirit of God “…lives in you…” Paul said; and you are “…in the Spirit…”

-He Is Our Internal Counselor!

The Holy Spirit is in you & you are in the Holy Spirit! And anyone who does not have the Spirit, Paul says, does not belong to Jesus. And, then, Jesus also taught His disciples that God, the Holy Spirit, is our internal Counselor. “I will not leave you as orphans” Jesus tells them at the end of John 14, v.18; and, then v.25, “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.”  Two chapters later, in John 16, Jesus continues to teach His disciples about the Holy Spirit’s ministry in them: “…if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment.”

-He Is Our Internal Compass!

The Spirit is our internal spiritual compass! He “...convicts the world of sin, righteousness & judgment…” It is the Spirit’s ministry to bring us to the point of conviction over our sin; and our need for Jesus to be our Savior. Additionally, the Holy Spirit helps us pray: “…the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings…. He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).

-Ask The Spirit’s Help To Pray!

If you struggle to pray, ask God to help you know how to pray; and with what to pray for! The Spirit intercedes for us in our prayer life. He works in us, from within! By the Holy Spirit’s work, God changes us; and produces spiritual fruit in our lives. Paul reminded the Church of Galatia of this: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit “ (Galatians 5:22-25). That’s the fruit; or the evidence that the Holy Spirit indwells you! He will produce His fruit in you! And, remember that Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “…Spirit of Truth…” And, because Jesus also said, “…I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” that means the Spirit is the Spirit of Christ! Contrary to what the world says, there is absolute Truth in Jesus!