One of Jesus' favorite names for the Holy Spirit was "the Helper." I love that name, don't you? That's certainly an apt description of the Holy Spirit. He helps us in more ways than we can even count.Jesus received the help of the Holy Spirit throughout His life on earth:
from His virgin birth (Luke 1:35)
to His maturing process as He grew into manhood (Luke 2:40)
to launching His public ministry when He was baptized (Luke 3:22)
to the way the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness and then filled Him to resist temptation (Luke 4:1) by anointing Him (Luke 4:18)
by empowering Him (Matt. 12:18)
by enabling the working of miracles (Matt. 12:28)
in His death on Calvary (Heb. 9:14)
in His resurrection (Rom. 8:11)
and in His post-resurrection glorification (John 16:14)
The Holy Spirit was Jesus' constant Helper - and He is ours, as well. Let's look at five principles that will help us cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He helps us live for God: [these will complete the blanks on page 43 of your workbooks]
1. The principle of MODELING CHARACTER
In Lesson 2 we talked extensively about the character of the Holy Spirit and saw that He longs to reproduce His character in us. We looked at nine of these character qualities listed in Galatians 5:22-23 - the qualities often referred to as the "fruit of the Spirit" - and agreed that when we see them evident in our life, it is because of the work of the Holy Spirit.
In this lesson we have established that the Holy Spirit always reflects - or models - the character and actions of God the Father. He longs for believers to become conformed to the image of Jesus and is ever working in our lives helping us move toward that goal.
Certainly the nine character qualities listed in Galatians 5 are not the only "fruit" the Spirit produces in our lives. The wonderful facets of God's character are limitless. Read the following scriptures just to remind yourself of a few of them:
Numbers 23:9 - His integrity
Nahum 1:2 - His zeal
Psalm 116:5 - His mercy
Psalm 73:10 - His goodness
Psalm 99:9 - His holiness
Acts 10:34 - His impartiality
1 Cor. 1:9 - His faithfulness
Heb. 6:10 - His righteousness
Numbers 14:18 - His longsuffering
1 Peter 2:3 - His graciousness
Psalm 145:8 - His compassion
[If you are using the companion workbook for this study, these scriptures are listed on p.39.]
The Holy Spirit models all these characteristics of God (and MORE) for us - and He desires to see them expressed in the outworking of our lives. Modeling the character of God for us is one of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us understand what God wants us to be like. Isn't it wonderful not to have to wonder or guess at what God wants to see in our lives? Through the Word of God and through His participating presence in our lives, the Holy Spirit models for us the very character He is calling us to display.
2. The principle of EYE-OPENING CONVICTION
Conviction is one of the most important aspects of the Holy Spirit's helping ministry. Satan loves nothing more than for us to be blind to our sin and stay just as we are. God wants us to be conformed to the image of His Son; so the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see our sin by the means of conviction.
The Latin roots for the word conviction literally mean "to cause to see." Conviction is the means by which the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see what is right (righteousness) and wrong (sin) in our lives.
When Jesus taught His disciples about the coming Helper, He noted: "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment." (John 16:8) In some translations the word that is translated convict in the NKJV (quoted above) is the word "reprove." Reprove is a legal word that means: to bring to light, to expose, to convince; it could be paraphrased "to pronounce the verdict." So - John 16:18 could be stated: The Holy Spirit pronounces the verdict on sin, righteousness and judgment.
When a lost person is under conviction, the Holy Spirit opens their eyes to see their unbelief; they will confess that they do not measure up to the righteousness of Christ, and they will realize the judgment that awaits. There can be no conversion without conviction - and there can be no conviction apart from the Spirit of God as He uses the Word of God and opens the sinner's eyes.
After conversion, the Holy Spirit continues His wonderful work of conviction in our lives as believers. We get so caught up in the cultural Christianity we see around us that we are often blind to the sin in our own life. We see some sins as more grievous than others because that's the way the society in which we live evaluates them. We fail to see that ALL sin is grievous to God. The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God as we read and hear it and brings it to bear in our spirit; opening our eyes to the truth of what GOD desires in His children - not what society accepts. It's a call to holiness.
We don't always see "conviction" as a wonderful work, do we? Many times we see it only as reproof and few of us like to be corrected. But, oh believer, when the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin in our lives, it is, indeed, a WONDERFUL work. Sin separates us from God. When we have repented and been cleansed, the intimacy of our fellowship with the Father is restored - there is nothing sweeter on the planet!
Does the Holy Spirit ever "convict" you of righteousness? When one of the young women in my SS class was doing the exercise in this lesson where she looked up all the moral characteristics of God (the same qualities listed above under principle 1), the Holy Spirit began to reveal to her how evident He had made many of those qualities in her life and communicated to her that those very qualities were why she often felt "different" from many of her friends. He affirmed to her that she is set apart as holy unto Him. How precious is that!
Praise God for the Holy Spirit's wonderful work of conviction and how it helps us stay cleansed, confessed and in fellowship with Him. And that leads us to -
3. The principle of INNER FULFILLMENT
Nothing brings inner fulfillment like doing what you were designed to do. God created you for fellowship with Him. He made us to worship Him and enjoy Him forever. The Holy Spirit unites our spirit with God. His Spirit literally dwells within us. Our union with Him is the basis of every aspect of our Christian life and ministry.
A good illustration of this is a glove. By itself, a glove cannot do anything, can it? It's just a piece of limp fabric with five fingers. But slip your hand inside that glove - fill its fingers with your fingers and see what that glove can do. In the same way, we can do nothing of lasting spiritual value apart from God - but the Holy Spirit comes in and fills our lives and makes it possible for us to have intimate fellowship with the One who created us for His pleasure. (Rev.4:11)
Girls, if you have a pen with no ink, that pen is not going to be able to write. It won't be able to do what it was designed to do. But if it is filled with ink, then it easily performs its purpose. You and I are much the same way. If we are not filled with the Holy Spirit we will not glorify God. But when we yield to His conviction and allow Him to fill us, we are able to fellowship with God. We are able to hear His voice and experience His presence. We enjoy the communion with Him that He designed us to have. Then, and only then, do we experience genuine inner fulfillment. The Holy Spirit helps make that possible.
4. The principle of AVAILABILITY
Have you ever experienced the frustration of calling some business or government office to get information, only to be put on hold or be transferred person to person until you end up talking to the wrong person in the wrong department who doesn't have a clue how to answer your question?? Most of us have "been there, done that" at one time or another. It can be exasperating, can't it?
Jesus' description of the Holy Spirit as our Helper assures us of His availability. When we turn to Him for help, we are never put on hold or transferred to someone else. He always has exactly the answer we need to resolve whatever problem we are facing.
One of the most precious characteristics of the Holy Spirit is that He is always and EVERYWHERE present at ALL times.
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
Psalm 139: 7-10
5. The principle of PERSONAL POWER
The Holy Spirit helps us by providing spiritual power to enable us in ministry. We are always most effective in ministry when we use the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us. When God calls us to do a job, he gives us the ability necessary to accomplish what He has asked us to do.
Jesus did not commission His disciples to begin the task of world evangelism before they were endued (clothed) with the power of the Holy Spirit. "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49) "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me ..." (Acts 1:8)
Sometimes children receive toys marked with three words that promise problems ahead: "batteries not included." Without batteries to energize these toys, they will not do what they were designed to do. They may look like the picture on the box; but they will fail to function like the toy our children see in the television commercial.
Like the toy without its batteries, many Christians fail to rise to their potential effectiveness because they are not energized with the power of the Holy Spirit. They may look like a Christian should look, but they fail to perform as a Christian should perform. They lack the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome sin in their lives and increase their effectiveness in ministry. ONLY as they yield more completely to God and allow the Holy Spirit to exercise greater control in their lives can they be energized by the power He offers.
Are you energized and effective in the ministry God has given you, my sister? Or do you just "look" good on the outside? Yield to the control of the Holy Spirit today. He longs to help you live for God!
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