In the practical expression of the Christian faith, the Holy Spirit often remains the least understood member of the Holy Trinity despite His fundamental role in guiding believers in their spiritual journey. Recent studies on the state of the church reveal that many self-professed Christians either do not understand or do not know the experiential reality of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in their daily lives.
Understanding God’s Love and Grace
Our journey to understand and experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit begins with a reflection on God’s profound love and grace, made known through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This divine act offers salvation and invites us into a deeper, more intimate relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit Himself is an expression of God’s empowering presence in our lives, speaking to us through scripture and our personal circumstances. The Holy Spirit illuminates the truth of God’s Word so we can know God and his plan for our lives.
Understanding the Ministry of the Holy Spirit
The ministry Holy Spirit to the individual person can be understood in three phases:
- Pre-Salvation: Before salvation, the Holy Spirit works subtly yet powerfully, drawing individuals towards Christ. He convicts hearts of sin, righteousness, and judgment, laying the groundwork for an encounter with Jesus.
- Salvation: At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit performs the work of regeneration, causing the believer to be born again. He also baptizes the believer into the Body of Christ and indwells them, marking the beginning of a new life in spiritual union with Christ.
- Post-Salvation: The Holy Spirit’s ministry shifts towards sanctification after salvation. It is a continual process where the believer gradually conforms to Christ’s image. The Spirit empowers believers to live out their faith actively, providing the strength to resist the temptations of the flesh and the wisdom to live out the will of God.
The Ministry of the Spirit to the Believer
In the rest of this article, we want to focus on the third phase of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, which is His ministry to the believer in Jesus Christ. An important place to begin is with the pivotal passage, Galatians 5:16-26. Here, the Apostle Paul vividly describes how the flesh leads to a life mired in sin and spiritual bondage, whereas the Spirit produces a life characterized by godly virtues that bless our lives and those in our lives. In this passage we find three sections to the flow of Paul’s argument on how the believer can experience the empowering presence of the Spirit in their daily walk.
First, we see the command to walk by the Spirit (5:16-18). God commands his people to live their lives by the Spirit’s power and guidance, which is the only way to be faithful and fruitful. The Spirit and the flesh are opposed to each other. The Spirit gives us the power to overcome the flesh’s sinful desires. Second, we see the contrast between what the flesh and the Spirit will produce in the believer’s life (5:19-23). The flesh produces what the Bible calls the works of the flesh. The works of the flesh are things like sexual sins, relational sins, and religious sins (5:19-21). The Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit in the believer’s life. While the works of the flesh happen instantly as one succumbs to temptation, the fruit of the Spirit develops over time. The Spirit is growing godly character in the believer’s heart and life. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (5:22-23). They are not merely moral virtues to be admired but are active manifestations of the Spirit’s transformative power in us. And finally, we see the challenge to keep in step with the Spirit (5:24-26). Paul completes his call to walk by the Spirit by challenging us to keep in step with the Spirit as soldiers keep in step with one another as they march. Keeping in step with the Spirit means we follow the Spirit’s lead in all that we do in life. That requires attention to the Spirit’s ministry in our hearts. We keep in tune with the Spirit.
Four Timeless Truths
As we survey the teaching from Galatians 5:16-26 regarding walking by the Spirit, we notice four timeless truths that can apply to believers of every age. First, this passage alerts us that spiritual warfare rages inside every believer. There is an ongoing battle between the flesh and the Spirit which requires us to focus on and actively be committed to walking by the Spirit. Second, knowing and believing that the Spirit can defeat the flesh is important. We personally can not defeat the flesh in our own strength, but the Spirit of God can defeat the flesh as we walk by the Spirit. Third, it is important for the believer to discern the works of the flesh. The works of the flesh are often subtle. We tend to rationalize them in our own lives. The Spirit will help us to discern them as we submit to Him. Fourth, it is important to develop the fruit of the Spirit. As we walk by the Spirit in our daily lives, the Spirit is working in us to transform our lives into the image of Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit yields a blessed life.
Practical Steps for Spiritual Discipline
Living by the Spirit requires more than passive belief; it demands daily active and conscious decisions to walk by the Spirit. Here are some practical steps to help maintain spiritual discipline:
- Daily Prayer and Meditation: Start each day by praying for the Holy Spirit to fill and guide you. Meditate on the scriptures and ask God to show you how to apply His Word in your daily interactions and decisions.
- Honestly Reflect on our Lives: Constantly ask ourselves if our lives are characterized more by the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit. Be vigilant in identifying and resisting the works of the flesh. Ask the Holy Spirit to increase your awareness of these tendencies and to give you the strength to overcome them.
- Dependence and Devotion to God: Cultivate a life of dependence on God, acknowledging that you cannot defeat the flesh on your own. We need God’s help. Trust Him. Devote yourself to God daily, reaffirming your commitment to live according to His will and purpose. Jesus and His gospel are our highest priorities.
Conclusion: A Call for Revival and Commitment
By walking by the Spirit, we enhance our spiritual growth and contribute to a broader revival within the church—a revival necessary for overcoming our day’s cultural and spiritual challenges. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is central to reviving the church and individual believers. As we learn to depend more on the Spirit, we find the power to live lives that are not only personally fulfilling but also shine the light of God’s truth and love in a world in desperate need of redemption. Let us commit to this spiritual journey, trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide us every step of the way.