The Holy Spirit Helps Us
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June 20, 2010 |
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 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever." (John 14:16)
'Helper' in this Scripture refers to the Holy Spirit who protects, guides, and helps the believers in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit first came down onto 120 believers when they gathered and prayed at the upper room of Mark in Jerusalem after Jesus' ascension. After the descent of the Holy Spirit, many believers as well as the apostles in the early church times were empowered with His power and boldly spread the gospel of the Lord (Acts 2:46-47). What should we do to lead a fervent Christian life in the help of the Holy Spirit?
1. We have to believe the Holy Spirit dwells in us and rely on Him.
If anyone repents of his sins and is baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, God sends the Holy Spirit into his heart as a gift (Acts 2:38). God demonstrates many proofs of indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When the apostles preached the messages filled with the Holy Spirit, thousands of people repented and accepted the Lord on the spot. They also manifested amazing miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit including letting a lame get up and walk.
Even if our spiritual eyes are not opened, we can believe the Holy Spirit dwells in us. Because the Holy Spirit dwelling in us gives us faith, we can call Jesus Christ 'Lord,' and God 'Father,' worship God at the service, and praise and pray to Him. Some believers doubt with fleshly thought, 'Is the Holy Spirit really dwelling in me? Maybe He has departed from me, such a person as has committed these sins." Anyone can receive the Holy Spirit unless his heart-field is like the field along the path in which he doubts the Word of God and judges and condemns it.
Even though we have committed sins, if we repent of our sins and try our best to live by the Word, we can be forgiven. Accordingly, the Holy Spirit is not easily taken away from believers. Therefore, we believers have to believe the Holy Spirit lives in us and trust Him. We should also believe He is our Helper and rely on Him in everything we do. We should throw away all manners of the old person and live by the will of God. We meet with the things that we cannot understand and solve for ourselves. Then, we have to believe the Holy Spirit enables us to do what we cannot do and helps us understand what we cannot understand, and rely on Him.
2. We should not ignore the Word of Goodness given by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit helps us understand the Word of goodness through the messages preached or through His voice. But if we close the door to our heart thinking, 'This word doesn't apply to me' we cannot have the knowledge of goodness, accomplish goodness in heart, and raise our faith. Suppose you have listened to the message about spiritual love, goodness, or the fruit of the Spirit. Then, the Holy Spirit helps you fathom the way to reach the highest level of goodness and the full measure of faith, and guides you to walk the path to New Jerusalem, the best dwelling place of Heaven.
Some say that they cannot accomplish the highest level of goodness and their faith is not worthy to show the deeds of the highest level of faith. But God looks at us with faith and tells us we can accomplish the highest level of goodness and possess the same level of faith as the fathers of faith did. The Holy Spirit helps us understand what we have to know and do at our current level of faith, and guides us to practice it in a gentle and delicate manner.
Despite awakening works of the Holy Spirit, some believers defy His works. For example, the Holy Spirit lets them understand how great the love of God is, but they turn their face from the Word of God, saying, "I have not felt or experienced the love of God, so I cannot love God." This is the deed of getting involved in fleshly thoughts and defying the Word of goodness. If we keep on defying the awakening word of the Holy Spirit, we cannot be guided to good thoughts and cannot dwell in the love and grace of God, either.
3. We should try our best to live according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the will of God.
Since the Holy Spirit always leads God's children to live by the will of God, they should also make all efforts to live by His will with his willpower. We should not attribute all responsibilities to the Holy Spirit saying, "The Holy Spirit will do everything." We should try our best to put into action the Word of God given by the Holy Spirit.
He who really believes the Holy Spirit dwells in him longs to listen to the Word of God and prays to Him in order to be guided by the Holy Spirit, and continually beats and makes himself obedient to Him in order to practice the Word given by the Holy Spirit. Even when he feels it difficult to practice the Word given by the Holy Spirit, he who believes the Holy Spirit helps the believers confesses "I can do it because the Holy Spirit abides in me" and tries his best to practice it relying on Him. At first he has to cost those efforts, while as time passes and deeds are built up, it becomes easier to listen to the Holy Spirit and be guided and supervised by Him. Then, he can always lead a successful life in the help of the Holy Spirit.
Dear brothers and sisters, may you dwell in the love and power of God through the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, lead a happy life every day and confess it is easy to live a Christian life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray!
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