And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. John 16:8 NLT
This winter has been full of wild and unusual weather so far. The windstorms have been powerful and memorable. I had a flagpole in front of my house with two flags on it as November began. In three months, there have been so many powerful wind gusts that my flags tossed around and whipped each other to tatters. My granddaughter came over to help me do a little work and took them down for me – they were so torn in three months that I could no longer display them. I thought of what Jesus said. The effect of the wind was amazing! I didn’t understand it. But it was so powerful. I saw what it did, but I couldn’t control it. I couldn’t even see it.
That is the way it is with the Holy Spirit. We are not in charge … He is. We don’t understand everything, but we can see and experience His work in transforming us. He convinces us of our sin and our need for Jesus and God’s righteousness. As we respond and put our faith in Christ, He doesn’t make us perfect, but He works in us to help us know Jesus more and more. The more we know Jesus, the more we grow to be like Him.
When we have trusted in Christ and belong to God, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts forever. His presence is the guarantee or the seal of our salvation. Jesus said He would send the Spirit to us to be our Helper, Comforter, and Guide. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever” (John 14:16 HCSB). The Greek word translated here “Counselor” means “one who is called alongside.” The Holy Spirit will be our steady companion, encouraging us and helping us.
The Holy Spirit is also our Teacher. His presence within us enables us to understand and put God’s Word into practice. Jesus told His disciples that “when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13 HCSB). He is the ultimate guide, leading the way. He is the ultimate Counselor, opening our understanding, and making all things plain and clear. He teaches us the way we should go and keeps us on track. He reminds us of the words of Jesus. He comforts us. He points to Jesus in all ways (John 16:14). He gives us gifts to serve God effectively (1 Corinthians 12). He is the impetus in our transformation. The Holy Spirit is the fruit-producer in our lives. The fruit of the Spirit does not come by our own efforts to produce, but His fruit naturally begins to grow in our lives as He fills us with His presence. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) increasingly characterize us.
- There will never be a day when I do not need the Holy Spirit. Thank You, Jesus, for sending Him to be with us forever!