I've got a great friend. He's always available to listen to me and give advice. In fact, He gives better advice than anyone else I've ever known. He never steers me wrong. He is a capable and compassionate advisor. He nudges me to be more like Jesus, gently pointing out sin in my life, and reminding me who God calls me to be. When I am tempted, He pulls me toward an alternative, always reminding me that Jesus is better than the things my flesh desires. When I am wobbly, He's always on the scene ready to help. He's never too busy for me. He's always available. He prays for me often. In fact, when I'm at the end of my rope and don't have a clue what to pray, He just starts praying even harder. And let me tell you, when He prays, things happen. He teaches me so much every single day. He's the best friend a girl could hope for. Want a friend like that? You can have it! Because these are the specific jobs of the Holy Spirit. (In fact, they're just the tip of the iceberg.) Here are some of the specific ways the Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers.
We can't lose our salvation. The Holy Spirit seals it. And when you doubt if you are really saved, you can know you belong to God by the evidence of the Holy Spirit in your life.
He is our counselor (John 14:16). Don't think school guidance counselor, helping you pick which math class to take; think a great conversation with the wisest person you know. He listens to us and then points us toward God's truth. He dwells with us and lives in us (John 14:17). If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives in you. Don't believe me? Check out Jesus' words:
"Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you" (emphasis added).
Remember that the Holy Spirit is God. God dwells with you and in you! That's a game changer. It means we are never alone. We are never without help. We aren't left to try to figure everything out on our own. The Holy Spirit is with us and in us. Mind blowing, right? He is our teacher (John 14:26). Have you ever been in a situation and suddenly a Bible passage just pops into your head? Have you ever learned a truth about God even without hearing your pastor preach on it? That's the Holy Spirit! It's His job to teach us about the things of God. Just like in school, the teacher can't force us to listen in class or apply what we've learned. That's our job. He makes us more like Jesus (Rom. 15:16, Gal. 5:22–23). It is the Holy Spirit's job to sanctify us. That's a churchy word that simply means to make holy. The fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Brownie points if you have them all memorized!) It is the Holy Spirit's job to make us more like Jesus. It's not something we can do for ourselves. The Holy Spirit makes the difference between a good girl and a godly girl. He convicts us of sin (John 16:8). You know that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you know you've sinned? That's from the Holy Spirit. Even though it may not feel like it, conviction is a gift because it reminds us of the holy standard God calls us to. He keeps us away from sin (Gal. 5:16).
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Listening to the Holy Spirit keeps us from getting trapped by sin. He changes our hearts (John 14:26, Rom. 8:14, 1 Cor. 2:6–14). Can't seem to forgive that girl who hurt you? Can't stop thinking about that guy who's no good for you? Can't stop thoughts of jealousy from swirling in your head? That's because it's nearly impossible for us to change our own hearts. (We can change our behavior, but that's not the same thing.) Ask the Holy Spirit to change your heart. That's His job. He prays for us (Rom. 8:26).
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
I love this promise! When you don't know what to pray, the Holy Spirit prays for you. He seals us (Eph. 1:11–14). Paul describes the Holy Spirit as a seal that guarantees the inheritance (heaven) that God has promised us. We can't lose our salvation. The Holy Spirit seals it. And when you doubt if you are really saved, you can know you belong to God by the evidence of the Holy Spirit in your life. Have you seen the Holy Spirit work in these ways in your life? Leave me a comment to tell me about it.