A Life Of GlorySample

Why is the Holy Spirit Called Holy? So far, we have learned that we are to manifest the glory (character) of God by conforming to His holy character. However, sin made us failures at holiness and placed us under God’s righteous judgment. Grace, through Jesus Christ, brought us back to a holy standing before God and the pursuit of a holy life possible. Our lives then are lived in triumph because we have been “graced” by God. But when we allow sin to control us it defeats the triumphant work of Christ. God therefore sets us free in Christ from the penalty of sin and when we practice “Know-Consider-Present” we break sin’s attempts to control us. Though free from the penalty of sin we can still choose the flesh (me, myself, my), which will enslave us to sin. God again offers freedom from the power of sin in the flesh through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. So, how does the Holy Spirit work in our lives? The Holy Spirit works in our lives in three very distinct ways. Let’s look at those three ways. The gospel writer John tells us about the Indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is an act of Holy Spirit that occurs in all believers at the moment of belief and is an eternal gift from God. The Holy Spirit makes the believer His permanent dwelling place forever. The second ministry is seen in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Here Paul talks about the Filling ministry of the Holy Spirit. He says that the issue of filling is control – your control or His. His filling serves to affect our sanctification and when we yield to Him he fills us. The ultimate effect of this filling is that we are empowered for service to God. The more we yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit, the more He fills and empowers us to serve. Finally, in Galatians, Paul speaks of Walking in the Spirit. When we walk in the Spirit we rely on the Spirit’s resources to obey God, defeat the flesh and produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. As we yield to Him He frees us from the flesh and helps produce fruit (God’s character) in us. When we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit He makes us what we were created to be… a holy people serving a holy God. That’s the Holy Spirit! Two Questions: Do you know you are indwell by the Holy Spirit? Do you see the evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life?