The Holy Spirit – the key to victory in your life! Have you - TopicsExpress

The Holy Spirit – the key to victory in your life! Have you ever wondered, why you fail in your decisions you have taken before? Why you miserably fail when temptations confront you? Why you still live in chains of sinful habits? The secret lies with the Holy Spirit and the need for us to be refilled daily with this Spirit of God, who empowers us. Actually that is why Jesus promised us this helper, when he left this world. “…He (God) will give you another Helper that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:6). Jesus was like a Teacher, Friend, Helper, Comforter, and Counselor for the disciples. They were saddened, when Jesus announced his departure. Who would replace Jesus? Knowing their desperate need, Christ promised to send His representative to be with them. However among 3 persons of the Godhead, Holy Spirit is the least understood, although Holy Spirit is closest to us, the Being who produces the new birth in us, and who dwells in us and transforms us. Although Bible gives us many references to the Spirit mostly in metaphoric language and ample information about the work of the Spirit, it is less explicit about the nature. Through Holy Spirit, believers experience the presence of Jesus. “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). He was announcing a permanent and intimate relationship. “I in you” (John 14:20), was going to be possible only through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In Holy Spirit lies the key to spiritual victory. How did Jesus have that victory over sin and Satan? As we know when Jesus came down to earth, He “emptied himself” (Phil.2:7). That means he did not use any of his Godly powers to overcome sin. While on this earth, Jesus was constantly under the direction of the Holy Spirit. After being anointed by the Spirit in His baptism (Matt. 3:16-17), He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness (Luke 4:1). Victorious over the tempter, He returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee to carry on His ministry (Luke 4:14). God is happy to give us the Holy Spirit abundantly. Remember Jesus words “…how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13). That means our Heavenly Father is ever ready to give us the Holy Spirit, that itself abundantly. Only we have to ask! Here Jesus is telling that Holy Spirit is the best gift our Father God can give us. Daily we should receive a fresh refilling of the Holy Spirit. In the morning itself when you get up bed, ask God for this gift of the Holy Spirit. If Holy Spirit is such an essential thing, are we daily asking for it, when our Father in Heaven is so ready to give it? Another function of the Holy Spirit in our salvation, is to convince us that we are sinners and in need of Jesus. Thus the Spirit guides us to Christ, testifying about Him (John 15:26), the only One who can save us. Since Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), by taking us to Jesus the Spirit is also taking us into all truth (John 16:13). Once we are convicted of sin and are directed to Jesus and His truth, we are ready for the Holy Spirit to do His greatest work, to be “born of the Spirit” (John 3:5-8). As Jesus told Nicodemus, we shall not enter heaven, unless we are also born of the Spirit. Those who have tried to reform their lives by themselves know how futile their efforts are. It is impossible for us, without divine intervention, to transform our deteriorated sinful lives into a new being. The regeneration of a sinner requires the kind of creative power that only the divine Holy Spirit can provide. We are saved through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). In Acts 1:5, Jesus talking about being “baptized with the Holy Spirit”. John the Baptist talked about this baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11; John 1:33). To be baptized is to be totally immersed in something, usually water. It includes the whole person. Baptism with the Holy Spirit means to be totally under the influence of the Spirit, completely filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). This is not a once and forever experience, but is something that needs to be constantly renewed. The operation of the Holy Spirit is not necessary only at the beginning of our Christian life; we need Him constantly. To foster our spiritual growth, He teaches us and reminds us of all the things that Jesus taught (John 14:26). If we allow Him, He abides with us forever as our Helper, Comforter, and Counselor (John 14:16). We should completely open our lives to be filled by the Holy Spirit. Jesus made it clear that if we fail to invite the presence of the heavenly Guest to abide in us daily, there is another kind of spirit that is eager to enter into the empty life and produce a spiritual disaster (Matt. 12:43-45). Remember that Holy Spirit is a gift from God. Like any other gift it can be rejected. We have to decide, whether we shall pray to the Father for the Holy Spirit. Once we receive the Holy Spirit, whether we are listening to the Spirit and living a life according to the Spirit’s directions? Please visit my page for more messages,like and share them https://facebook/SomeTruthsThatYouShouldNotMiss