Before becoming a believer, the question above worried me. What would happen to me if I became a believer? Black wingtips? Pleated trousers? A tucked-in short sleeve shirt? Would I start saying “blessings” to everyone I encountered? As it turned out, none of these things happened to me. What did happen was that I wished I had become a believer sooner. Why?
First, heaven begins. We have a foretaste now, followed by a full experience in the future. The presence of the Holy Spirit within us tells us that we have been adopted into God’s Kingdom. We belong to God’s spiritual reality. Ephesians 1:13-14 states, “13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
We become connected into the Spiritual realm of the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit continues Christ’s presence after Jesus’ physical departure from earth. Recall John 14:18, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” As a result, we enjoy intimate contact with the Spirit of the Father and the Son on day one.
1 Corinthians 6:17, “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”
Second, the Spirit teaches. After Jesus’ ascension, he still had a lot to teach the disciples. That is why he sent the Spirit. The work of the Spirit in the disciples enabled them to grow and mature in their faith so that they could begin to build the Church.
When Jesus was physically manifested on earth, he was limited in time and space. The Spirit doesn’t have these restrictions. The Spirit that continued to teach the disciples after Jesus’ ascension now teaches us.
The Spirit opens up the Bible to us and teaches us in a way that we can understand. He knows where you are on your spiritual journey, and he knows what you can absorb and what you aren’t ready for yet. Early on, I would read a passage of Scripture and find meaning in it that was appropriate to my spiritual growth. Years later, I would come back to the same text and find new and deeper meaning, again, relevant to where I was on my spiritual journey.
Like the disciples, the Spirit equips us for whatever mission God has planned for us. We work to build up the Church and to serve others.
Recall 1 Corinthians 2:12-13, “12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”
The main focus of the Spirit’s teaching is Jesus. The Spirit will lead us towards Jesus. He points us towards Jesus and away from ourselves, helping us understand our Lord and his message.
Third, with a new Spiritual life, the Spirit brings spiritual gifts to the believer. Consider 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, “4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
The idea is that the Spirit will give believers different spiritual gifts. Our gifts’ purpose is to build up the church body and glorify God. For example, my spiritual gift is the ability to create art. Before becoming indwelt, I wasn’t an artist. I use this gift when I teach to help folks learn more effectively.
Here are three excellent passages that discuss spiritual gifts, Romans 12:6–8, 1 Corinthians 12:4–11, and 1 Peter 4:10–11.
Fourth, the Spirit’s most tangible effect on believers is their behavior changes. (Your friends will notice this.)
On our spiritual journey, we progressively become more holy, more Christ-like. The Holy Spirit will work within us, continually pointing us at Christ and helping us to align our will with God’s will for us. Along the way, the Spirit will convict us of sin. I feel this most commonly when I’m in discussion with someone about another person. If I begin to slip into describing the other person in less than favorable terms, the Spirit stops me. The feeling is not a still small voice. It is like a sudden burning awareness in my consciousness, reminding me that I am about to step over the line.
Consider the behavior change in Jesus’ disciples. After the Last Supper, Judas betrayed Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. The other disciples forsook Jesus and fled the scene. Next, Peter denied Jesus three times. At the crucifixion, best case, John was “nearby,” and the other disciples looked on from “a distance.”
Peter’s denial of Jesus occurred before the resurrection of Christ and before he was filled with the Holy Spirit. After Pentecost, filled with the Spirit and knowledge of the resurrected Christ, Peter preaches boldly. He heals the lame beggar. Once a common fisherman, Peter boldly stands up to the intellectual and ruling elite of the day, defying them twice despite their threats.
I will give you some clues to know if the Spirit indwells you in the next blog.