Unique role of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers
Some years ago I read about a servant girl who was very adamant and very lazy. She also had the habit of losing her temper often. One day she attended a gospel meeting and committed her life to the Lord. She was completely changed. She worked in an office where a non-Christian was her boss. He was a strict task master and easily found fault with others and shouted at them. Mary being a girl like him, used to shout back at him when he found fault with her. But when she became a Christian, she did not respond as she used to respond harshly in the past. She did not even murmur at him but silently prayed for him in her heart. Looking at the changed life of the girl, one of her friends asked, “How is it that you do not respond harshly to the rough boss even when he finds fault with you and shouts at you?” She replied calmly, “In the past I used to shout back at him and murmur. But recently I gave my life to Jesus Christ. I am completely changed. This is because of the Holy Spirit who is helping me to change my behavior and my attitude to others.” All believers have received the Holy Spirit at salvation. It is one of the greatest blessing of a believer.
The Holy Spirit plays the following roles in the lives of the believers.
- Convicts people of their sins: “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” John 16:8-11.
- Converts people by regeneration: Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5
- Confirms salvation and seals him: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” Rom.8:16. “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” Eph. 1:13.
- Comforts the believers and the church in times of need: “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” Acts 9:31
- Comes to the rescue at critical moment: “Then the Spirit said to Phillip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” Rom. 8:29
- Constantly indwells in believers: “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Rom. 8:11.
- Crowns believers with victorious Christian lives: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemns sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Rom. 8:2-4.
- Continually guides believers: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” John 16:
- Creates us anew to bear fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law.” Gal. 5:22,23
- Confers power for the ministry: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8.
(Dr. C Barnabas, Translated from True Discipleship November 1999)