Is it the Spirit?

I have been pondering and working through the things of the Holy Spirit. In the christian circle I was raised in, I was not taught much about the Spirit. I knew basics such as the fruit of the Spirit, but not much more beyond that. It seemed to me that the Spirit really didn't do much, and that most of the christian walk was simply knowing truth and applying it. Recently though I have been more interested in knowing more about the role of the Holy Spirit in my own life. There are so many references to it in scripture that it is obviously an important part of our walk. So I dove in and read all the verses I could find about the Spirit. It is very interesting to see how He works and what specifically the Spirit does in the life of the believer. I want to hear the Spirit clearly and be able to discern between the world, my flesh, and the Holy Spirit.

I found some amazing truths about what the Spirit does for the believer. First of all, the Spirit gives us life. When we place our faith in Christ, we are baptized or born again through the Spirit of God (John 3:6, 2 Corinthians 3:6). The Holy Spirit is what sets us apart from the world and seals us as children of God (Ephesians 1:3, 1 John 4:13, Romans 15:16, 8:15-16). It is an amazingly precious truth to know that I am an adopted child of God. I have such great hope and confidence in knowing this truth! There is such hope in our future salvation that is to be realized either in our death or when the Lord returns (Romans 8:23-24, 5:5). The Holy Spirit is my down payment before God. It is what makes me righteous before Him (2 Corinthians 5:5-10). Amazing! I am so thankful for these truths that I cannot change. These things are done and are truths I can claim. How wonderful and freeing to know that I am sealed as a child of God!

Knowing the place I have before God is wonderful, but what is the Spirit doing daily in my life? What is His role in my walk with the Lord? This is where it gets exciting! The Spirit is what frees me from my flesh and the world. As I already learned, it is what sets me apart. It frees me from the power of sin. How many people can honestly say that they don't struggle with some sort of sin? We know as fallen humans that we are not what we should be. The Spirit is the solution (2 Corinthians 3:7-18, Galatians 5:18-26, Romans 8:10, Galatians 5:17, 1 Peter 1:2). Thankfully I don't have to face the world on my own. I know I fail miserably when I try, but the Spirit can and will empower me!

I struggle with how I can experience the power of the Holy Spirit. Knowing the truth is one thing, but applying it seems much more difficult. We are told not to quench or grieve the Spirit within us. We are also told not to extinguish it. I think I might have been doing all three. So then, what next? Scripture says that the Spirit teaches us, discerns the mind of Christ, and reveals the mysteries of God ( 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, Luke 12:12, Hebrews 10:15). If then, the Spirit shows us the mind of Christ, then the obvious conclusion is that I must search out the Word...Christ to find those things. What can the Spirit use if I am not in the Word? One apart from the other is not going to be as useful. I must have both working together.

The Spirit works many things in us. It helps us to live according to the Word of God by transforming us into the image of Christ. The Spirit intercedes for us in prayer when we don't know how to pray (Romans 8:27). It always follows the will of God and intercedes according to God's will. This is a self check for me when praying. Do I pray the will of God or my own will? How do I know when I am acting in the Spirit versus my own flesh? Scripture is so clear. The Spirit very clearly is a Spirit of unity (Romans 8:8-9,2 Cor. 3:17-18). If my actions do not provoke unity and bind the body of Christ together, then they are most definitely not of the Spirit. The Spirit is gentle, peaceable, kind, compassionate, and forgiving. It is one one of humility, and selflessness. If I am spiritual then I will put others before myself. I will show patience to those in my life. Self control will be present. Love will be an overarching theme in my life. I will be bold and full of courage. Reading  Galatians 5:18-26, Romans 8:15, Ephesians 4:32, and Acts 4:8 is a good self check. If my thoughts or actions are characterized by anything else, then I am not in the Spirit. The scriptures that deal with these things give a long list of those actions that are not of the Spirit! Good check to see where I am at any given moment. If I am divisive, impatient, unkind, unloving, jealous, angry, hostile, bitter, quarreling, and gossiping...then I am most definitely not in the Spirit. Recognizing the things that are not of the Spirit really helps me to identify when I am in the Spirit.

One of the most interesting things about the Spirit is the giving of spiritual gifts to each believer. This is an aspect I am familiar with, but do not have a good grasp on. I know some of the basic gifts that are given, but there are many that I am unfamiliar with. What is clear in scripture is that all believers are given spiritual gifts and they are to be used to edify and benefit the body. I look forward to what the Lord will teach me in this area, but for now am trusting that whatever gift He has given is best. I am excited to respond to the prompting of the Spirit knowing full well that it is His power that goes before me!