What Does the Holy Spirit Do?
The Helper Who Transforms: Understanding the Work of the Holy Spirit
Have you ever stopped to wonder what the Holy Spirit actually does? It's a question that puzzles many people, both inside and outside the church. While we're comfortable talking about God the Father and Jesus the Son, the third person of the Trinity often remains mysterious, even to long-time believers.
The truth is, without the Holy Spirit, our faith would be impossible. Not difficult—impossible. And understanding this reality changes everything about how we approach our spiritual lives.
The Spirit Who Reveals Truth
Here's something that might surprise you: without the Holy Spirit speaking to you, you would never know truth. That's not an exaggeration. It's a fundamental reality of our spiritual condition.
Martin Luther captured this beautifully when he wrote, "I believe that I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith."
The apostle Paul makes this even clearer in Romans 8:7-9, explaining that our flesh is hostile to God. Without the Spirit of God living in us, we will never desire God. We will never seek to be in harmony with Him. Our natural inclination is entirely self-focused, and that path leads only to death.
This is why the Spirit's first work in our lives is so crucial. The Spirit reveals uncomfortable truths about ourselves—truths our flesh desperately wants to hide. Sin is a masterful liar, always telling us what we want to hear, always justifying our choices. But the Spirit cuts through those lies with truth, convicting us of our rebellion and drawing us toward the One who died to save us.
When the Spirit helps us truly understand that we are sinners incapable of saving ourselves, something remarkable happens. We're filled with awe, gratitude, and a sense of indebtedness for what Christ has done. Not because we earned it or deserved it, but because of His great love for us.
The Spirit Who Transforms
Once we know the truth about our condition and Christ's salvation, the next phase begins: growth. And this is where things get challenging.
It doesn't make sense to thank Jesus for saving us from sin and then continue living in it. True faith transforms. The Holy Spirit convicts us to begin the process of sanctification—becoming more like Christ. This is what Scripture means when it talks about no longer being children but maturing in faith.
The fruit of the Spirit outlined in Galatians 5 reveals what this transformation looks like: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Notice that every single one of these represents internal transformation. This is the hard work of faith—teaching the old dog new tricks, as it were.
Take love, for example. We think love is easy until Jesus challenges us in Luke 6:32: "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them." He calls us instead to "love your enemies and do good and lend, expecting nothing in return." That's a whole different level of love—one that requires the Spirit's power.
Or consider joy. Many Christians confuse joy with happiness, allowing their emotional state to be dictated by circumstances. But true joy comes from the Spirit's constant reminder that this world is not our hope—Christ is our hope. No matter what happens here, He will never let us down.
Peace seems almost impossible in our current cultural moment. Yet one of the most beautiful aspects of the Holy Spirit is the peace found through a life lived in step with Him. If you're not feeling peace in your life, you're not listening to the Holy Spirit.
Self-control might be the most liberating fruit of all. Christianity isn't a bunch of rules restricting how you live. Rather, self-control in the Spirit frees you from your true master—your flesh—which is working toward your destruction. Unless you learn to govern yourself, someone or something else will govern you. You can be ruled by your flesh, or you can rule over your flesh.
The Spirit Who Sends
But knowing more about God and growing internally aren't the end goals. They're preparation for the ultimate purpose: going into the world as Christ's representative.
Think of it like a seed. First, the seed of God's word is planted in your heart—that's the knowing stage. Then the seed grows into a plant, changing and maturing over time—that's the growing stage. But a plant exists for a purpose: to produce fruit. And the fruit we're called to produce is the outward impact we make on others for the kingdom of God.
Jesus once cursed a healthy fig tree that wasn't bearing fruit. It was big and beautiful, but it wasn't fulfilling its purpose. He used this as an object lesson about faith that knows much and perhaps even grows, but never produces fruit for God's kingdom.
So how do we bear fruit? In two primary ways.
First, we use our spiritual gifts to serve within the body of Christ. Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4 all describe gifts meant to build up believers. When we serve one another, using the unique abilities the Spirit has given us, we strengthen the entire church. This concept of being one body is so foreign to the world that early Romans actually charged Christians with strange practices because they couldn't comprehend our unity.
Every believer has been gifted by the Holy Spirit with abilities like wisdom, faith, teaching, encouragement, generosity, leadership, mercy, or administration. When we all serve together in our areas of giftedness, the church becomes a powerful force for transformation in the world.
Second, we're called to evangelism. Before you tense up, understand that this doesn't mean selling everything to move to a remote island or walking the streets calling people to repentance. For most of us, evangelism simply means talking to a neighbor who never goes to church, a family member with questions about God, or a coworker wavering in their faith.
What if each of us committed to bringing just one person who doesn't know Christ to church this year? The exponential impact would be staggering. And here's the beautiful truth: the Holy Spirit will not only reveal that person to you but will give you the words to speak. Jesus promised in Luke 12:12, "The Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."
The Helper Is Here
The Holy Spirit is called the Helper for a reason. God will not leave you hanging as you navigate your faith journey. But all of this is only possible if you follow the process: daily knowing God more, continually growing in the Spirit, all for the sake of going for Jesus Christ.
The question isn't really "What does the Holy Spirit do?" The real question is: "What will you allow the Holy Spirit to do in your life?"
The Helper is here, ready to reveal truth, transform your heart, and send you out with power. The only question remaining is whether you'll cooperate with His work.
Have you ever stopped to wonder what the Holy Spirit actually does? It's a question that puzzles many people, both inside and outside the church. While we're comfortable talking about God the Father and Jesus the Son, the third person of the Trinity often remains mysterious, even to long-time believers.
The truth is, without the Holy Spirit, our faith would be impossible. Not difficult—impossible. And understanding this reality changes everything about how we approach our spiritual lives.
The Spirit Who Reveals Truth
Here's something that might surprise you: without the Holy Spirit speaking to you, you would never know truth. That's not an exaggeration. It's a fundamental reality of our spiritual condition.
Martin Luther captured this beautifully when he wrote, "I believe that I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith."
The apostle Paul makes this even clearer in Romans 8:7-9, explaining that our flesh is hostile to God. Without the Spirit of God living in us, we will never desire God. We will never seek to be in harmony with Him. Our natural inclination is entirely self-focused, and that path leads only to death.
This is why the Spirit's first work in our lives is so crucial. The Spirit reveals uncomfortable truths about ourselves—truths our flesh desperately wants to hide. Sin is a masterful liar, always telling us what we want to hear, always justifying our choices. But the Spirit cuts through those lies with truth, convicting us of our rebellion and drawing us toward the One who died to save us.
When the Spirit helps us truly understand that we are sinners incapable of saving ourselves, something remarkable happens. We're filled with awe, gratitude, and a sense of indebtedness for what Christ has done. Not because we earned it or deserved it, but because of His great love for us.
The Spirit Who Transforms
Once we know the truth about our condition and Christ's salvation, the next phase begins: growth. And this is where things get challenging.
It doesn't make sense to thank Jesus for saving us from sin and then continue living in it. True faith transforms. The Holy Spirit convicts us to begin the process of sanctification—becoming more like Christ. This is what Scripture means when it talks about no longer being children but maturing in faith.
The fruit of the Spirit outlined in Galatians 5 reveals what this transformation looks like: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Notice that every single one of these represents internal transformation. This is the hard work of faith—teaching the old dog new tricks, as it were.
Take love, for example. We think love is easy until Jesus challenges us in Luke 6:32: "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them." He calls us instead to "love your enemies and do good and lend, expecting nothing in return." That's a whole different level of love—one that requires the Spirit's power.
Or consider joy. Many Christians confuse joy with happiness, allowing their emotional state to be dictated by circumstances. But true joy comes from the Spirit's constant reminder that this world is not our hope—Christ is our hope. No matter what happens here, He will never let us down.
Peace seems almost impossible in our current cultural moment. Yet one of the most beautiful aspects of the Holy Spirit is the peace found through a life lived in step with Him. If you're not feeling peace in your life, you're not listening to the Holy Spirit.
Self-control might be the most liberating fruit of all. Christianity isn't a bunch of rules restricting how you live. Rather, self-control in the Spirit frees you from your true master—your flesh—which is working toward your destruction. Unless you learn to govern yourself, someone or something else will govern you. You can be ruled by your flesh, or you can rule over your flesh.
The Spirit Who Sends
But knowing more about God and growing internally aren't the end goals. They're preparation for the ultimate purpose: going into the world as Christ's representative.
Think of it like a seed. First, the seed of God's word is planted in your heart—that's the knowing stage. Then the seed grows into a plant, changing and maturing over time—that's the growing stage. But a plant exists for a purpose: to produce fruit. And the fruit we're called to produce is the outward impact we make on others for the kingdom of God.
Jesus once cursed a healthy fig tree that wasn't bearing fruit. It was big and beautiful, but it wasn't fulfilling its purpose. He used this as an object lesson about faith that knows much and perhaps even grows, but never produces fruit for God's kingdom.
So how do we bear fruit? In two primary ways.
First, we use our spiritual gifts to serve within the body of Christ. Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4 all describe gifts meant to build up believers. When we serve one another, using the unique abilities the Spirit has given us, we strengthen the entire church. This concept of being one body is so foreign to the world that early Romans actually charged Christians with strange practices because they couldn't comprehend our unity.
Every believer has been gifted by the Holy Spirit with abilities like wisdom, faith, teaching, encouragement, generosity, leadership, mercy, or administration. When we all serve together in our areas of giftedness, the church becomes a powerful force for transformation in the world.
Second, we're called to evangelism. Before you tense up, understand that this doesn't mean selling everything to move to a remote island or walking the streets calling people to repentance. For most of us, evangelism simply means talking to a neighbor who never goes to church, a family member with questions about God, or a coworker wavering in their faith.
What if each of us committed to bringing just one person who doesn't know Christ to church this year? The exponential impact would be staggering. And here's the beautiful truth: the Holy Spirit will not only reveal that person to you but will give you the words to speak. Jesus promised in Luke 12:12, "The Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."
The Helper Is Here
The Holy Spirit is called the Helper for a reason. God will not leave you hanging as you navigate your faith journey. But all of this is only possible if you follow the process: daily knowing God more, continually growing in the Spirit, all for the sake of going for Jesus Christ.
The question isn't really "What does the Holy Spirit do?" The real question is: "What will you allow the Holy Spirit to do in your life?"
The Helper is here, ready to reveal truth, transform your heart, and send you out with power. The only question remaining is whether you'll cooperate with His work.
In Christ,
Pastor Dave
Pastor Dave
Posted in Bible, Care, Discipleship, God, Jesus, Scripture, Worship
Posted in God, Jesus, Scriptures, Bible, Holy, Faith, Holy Spirit, Love, Transformation
Posted in God, Jesus, Scriptures, Bible, Holy, Faith, Holy Spirit, Love, Transformation
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