In Acts 10:38 we learn following about Christ, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” The Holy Spirit is the power with which God was with Christ and through that power Christ performed amazing miracles.
The Holy Spirit, in the Bible, isn’t mentioned as a separate being. It’s the essence of God – how He works and uses His power to accomplish His will. In our Bible Study aid “The Power of the Holy Spirit” we read, “The Holy Spirit is the very presence of God’s power actively working in His servants. God’s Holy Spirit is the catalyst in a transformed Christian life.”
Through the Holy Spirit we can gain spiritual understanding. Acts 8:9 says clearly, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” God’s Spirit motivates us, empowering us and leading and guiding us in specific ways.
Let’s consider a few specific ways God’s Spirit leads us.
- God’s Spirit inspires deeper understanding of spiritual truths. When we have God’s Spirit the way we think is changed and we gain a different perspective.
- The Holy Spirit makes overcoming possible and empowers us to develop holy righteous character, resisting temptation and the pulls to sin. Romans 12:2 instructs us “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” What the Apostle Paul is talking about here is a spiritual metamorphosis, brought about by the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism.
- God’s Spirit comforts us and encourages us. When we read our Bibles and learn about the stories of those God has called in past ages, we realise they hurt like us, feel like us and thought like us. We ask ourselves, what was it that made the difference? The answer is God’s Spirit within them. It was by the power of God’s Spirit giving them a different perspective and a totally different view on life.
The inspiring conclusion to this is we have been offered the same opportunity when we turn to God and receive His Spirit.
» Click below to read, listen or watch Beyond Today TV, “Are You Led By God’s Spirit?”.
