LIVE A HOLY SPIRIT-EMPOWERED LIFE

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I have found many Christians do not fully understand what Jesus Christ provided for them when He died on their behalf. They understand that Jesus made it possible for them to receive eternal life but only in the next life hence they continue to live on in this life as they did before. Whilst they may have read that Jesus said, I must go so that our Heavenly Father can send the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit to indwell our Spirit and enable us to live the Christian life, they are quenching His work in their life (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and grieving Him (Ephesians 4:30).

“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” Proverbs 20:27

Note that the spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord. A lamp requires oil/Holy Spirit to function as God intended. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the Holy Spirit departed their spirit immediately. They died spiritually then and died physically 900+ years later.

Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to empower us and to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness, and self-control. The Holy Spirit also provides the gifts of the Spirit for ministry:

The Hope we have and the Power we have does not disappoint, why?

“Not only that (having the peace of God), but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans: 5:3-5

The Holy Spirit assures us of the Future Glory – Romans 8:18-30

“And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Romans 8:23

“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. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

The Holy Spirit assures us of Final Victory – Romans 8:31-39

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

WE NEED COURAGE FOR OUTRAGEOUS OBEDIENCE?

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Courage is the mental or moral strength to venture forward, persevere, and withstand danger or difficulty. Courageous faith rarely feels safe. It’s what Ed McCully, a classmate of Jim Elliot, described as living “a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it.” Truly, it’s a risk. I want to encourage you to have the courage that’s born out of a Spirit-filled life. Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell all believers so it is imperative we allow Him to be our counsellor, our teacher, and our comforter and to use all of the nine ministry gifts He provides.

Listen to what Rachelle Starr, author of the new book, Outrageous Obedience says, What does courage that’s guided by faith involve? I’ll tell you that when you head into the clubs, you must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Yes, I need the Spirit every second of every day. But in the clubs, I am constantly praying, Jesus, give me words to speak to this dancer. Give me the wisdom to interact with this club manager. Help the awkwardness our team feels to not show on our faces. Help us to show your love instead.

1. The Spirit is consistent with his messaging. The Holy Spirit’s voice never says anything contrary to God’s revealed Word. In fact, the Bible teaches us that one of the Spirit’s jobs is to remind us of the things we’ve learned from God’s Word (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit is never going to tell you to hurt or gossip about someone. No, he’s going to prompt you to confess your sins, obey him, show love to someone who is difficult, or stop talking and listen to a friend who’s in pain. What he tells you will always agree with what God has already told you in the Bible.

2. The Spirit often speaks most clearly in the dark. We want to experience intimacy with God and clearly hear his voice, and I’ve found that we typically feel closest to him and hear him the loudest when we are in the darkest of places, in times of desperation. In those moments when I’m ministering in a dingy dressing room, I am intensely aware of how desperate I am for God’s help. The Spirit gives us words when we need them to bear witness (Mark 13:11). He is the Helper and Comforter who goes with us when it seems like everything is against us.

3. We must walk with the Spirit to know his voice. To hear the voice and promptings of the Spirit, you’ve got to know Him. You won’t hear His voice if you don’t recognize it from spending time with His Word. For me, this involves learning to quiet my soul; I can’t hear the Spirit if my life is too loud. The amazing thing is God wants to have a vibrant relationship with you, and the more you read God’s Word, the more he’ll speak to you. Yes, he speaks through the Bible, but having heard his voice in the Word will help you identify the Holy Spirit’s quiet promptings in your heart as well.

4. The Spirit moves us to action. The Holy Spirit brings you to a place where you need to express your faith. The Spirit leads you to active obedience to God’s commission, which requires making real adjustments in your life (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 13:2, 15:28; 2 Corinthians 3:17–18). The adjustment may be small—like choosing to call a hurting friend—or it may be big—like moving your family across an ocean. But Spirit-empowered obedience almost always involves a courageous adjustment.