You Already Have the Spirit
The Christian life cannot be lived in your own strength, and God never asked you to try. On the night before the cross, Jesus told His disciples He was leaving them. Then He gave them a promise.
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”JOHN 14:16–17 · KJV
That promise reached every believer. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his (Romans 8:9). If you are saved, you have the Holy Spirit. If you are not saved, you do not have Him. There is no such person as a Christian still waiting for the Spirit to arrive.
The Spirit is not a force to be tapped. He is a Person, fully God (see The Personhood of the Holy Spirit), and He lives in you. He is one of the greatest gifts God has given His children. He comforts you, teaches you, reminds you of what Jesus said, convicts you of sin, helps you pray, and makes you holy.
So the question of the Christian life is not how to get more of the Spirit. You have all of Him. The question is whether He has all of you. Walking in the Spirit is the daily answer to that question, and this study shows what it means and what it does not mean.
The daily practice of yielding to the Holy Spirit through His Word, so that a believer's thoughts, words, and actions are led by Him and not by the flesh (Galatians 5:16). It is ordinary, ongoing, and open to every believer.
Loading the rest of this article
For Deeper Study
- The Holy SpiritAmazon Charles C. RyrieA clear, compact survey of the Spirit's person and work, with careful chapters on baptism, indwelling, sealing, and filling.
- The Holy SpiritAmazon John F. WalvoordA thorough study of the Spirit's work from a dispensational writer, distinguishing His baptism from His filling.
- Balancing the Christian LifeAmazon Charles C. RyriePlain, practical help on the Spirit-filled life and spiritual growth.
- Keep in Step with the SpiritAmazon J. I. PackerA thoughtful study of the Spirit's work and a fair evaluation of Holiness and Keswick teaching. Packer is Reformed and Anglican, and we differ on those points and on his openness to charismatic experience.
- Foxe's Book of MartyrsAmazon John FoxeThe classic Protestant record of those who died for the faith, from the early church to the English Reformation.
As an Amazon Associate, Theologica earns from qualifying purchases.
The Work of the Spirit
The Spirit convicts the world, regenerates the believer, baptizes him into Christ's body, indwells and seals every child of God, and fills those who yield to Him.
Open Doctrine