TUESDAY February 9, 2021

The Work of the Holy Spirit

This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Galatians 3:2

Paul expressed to the believers in Galatia the evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. As the Holy Spirit convicted them, they had taken a step of faith toward salvation. They believed the Word of God and accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. The evidence of salvation is described in Romans 8:9: But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

There are three prepositions of the Holy Spirit working in a person’s life: “with” “in” and “upon.” First, the Holy Spirit is “with” you. He comes alongside to convict you of sin. When you accept Christ and confess Him as Lord, the Holy Spirit is invited into your heart. Now that you are saved, you need His power to live the Christian life.

It is important to pray and ask for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The “epi” or “upon” experience is known as the “dunmis” power of God. As you are filled with God’s Spirit, He will enable you to overcome the flesh and reckon the old man to be dead (Romans 6:7-8). The Holy Spirit will assist you in your Christian walk.

Even the gifts of the Holy Spirit are exercised by faith. The true evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life is love. It is found in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God. Paul describes this truth to the Ephesian believers who trusted in Jesus for salvation:

In Him [Jesus] you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise… (Ephesians 1:13).

Have you trusted in the Word of truth, the Gospel, for your salvation?

If there be ground for you to trust in your own righteousness, then all that Christ did to purchase salvation, and all that God did to prepare the way for it, is in vain.
~Jonathan Edwards~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!