What if someone appeared at your doorstep and announced you won a prize for paying your taxes on time this year? What prize? You won a personal assistant who would be available to you every minute of every day. Your prize person would help you remember things, help you accomplish things, could teach you new things, would guide you, and could disclose hidden things to you.
Wouldn’t that be the most amazing prize EVER?!
This Easter season, I have been leading another group of ladies through a study of the last words of Christ, just before He went to the cross. Do you know that Jesus spent a lot of time trying to get the apostles to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life?
The power of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus promised would be sent to His followers by the Father, was definitely on the heart of our Savior as He prepared those men to spread the Gospel. The way Jesus described the Holy Spirit is almost too good to be true!
In JUST these chapters we are studying right now (John 14-16), these are the words Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit:
Advocates
Speaks truth
Abides with us (forever)
Helps
Teaches
Comforts
Glorifies
Convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment
Guides
Discloses
Testifies
Remembers
Wow! If someone promised access to a person who could do all these things for you for the rest of your life, you’d laugh the messenger off your front porch! You’d quickly shut the door and tell yourself it was just another scam.
But, it’s not a scam. It’s true.
If you are a Christ-follower, you already have the power of the Holy Spirit.
Whether you take advantage of this amazing gift (you can call it a prize if you want to!) is totally up to you. Just like any prize, it can go unclaimed by the winner. It’s up to you.
In Galatians 5, Paul told us we should “walk by the Spirit.” If we use the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised to us, then others will see and experience “the fruit of the Holy Spirit” when they encounter us.
If we are living a Spirit-filled life, we have peace, love, joy, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, patience, and self-control (Galatians 5:22), overflowing and in abundance ~ ready to share with others!
What fruit is the Holy Spirit producing in your life?
If you can’t think of any, I urge you to carve out some time to dwell in the Gospel of John, Chapters 14-16, this week. Think about the fact that these words are the final message Jesus would leave on this earth before His crucifixion. Hear the “drumbeat” promises of the Holy Spirit as Jesus spends a final meal with the disciples. You’ll feel the intensity and urgency rise in His voice. Jesus told us that He would not “leave us as orphans,” but would send the Holy Spirit to be our Helper forever.
Jesus knows we need help. Jesus knows how messed up this world is today. Jesus knows exactly how much your heart is breaking. Jesus knows it all.
Jesus won’t leave you to face this broken world alone. He promised the Holy Spirit would be sent to you. Jesus always keeps His promises.
It’s up to you to claim the promise of the Holy Spirit. You can have all the “fruit” you’d like to experience.
It’s up to you to live a Spirit-filled life!