This study was first taught on April 9, 2013

Topic: The Essence of the Holy Spirit In Our Lives (1)

(use the audio to study)

---

Background
Last week, we saw that when the Holy Spirit comes to indwell a believer in Christ, He gives testimony about the Lord Jesus Christ, and so He transforms the believer into an effective witness of Jesus to the world; both in word and by his lifestyle. Hence, when the Holy Spirit indwells you, He tells, teaches, or testifies to you, about the Lord Jesus’ pre-incarnate Person, His incarnation, His earthly life and ministry, His death, resurrection, and ascension, and the significance of all these to you as a believer in Christ. This is what the bible refers to as the testimony of Jesus, which is aptly documented in the bible, and taught directly by the Holy Spirit to the believer. The testimony of Jesus is indeed the vital essence of prophecy; hence, any prophetic utterance that is given by the Holy Spirit always testifies of Jesus Christ.

When the Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus to us, either directly or through the word of God, it is not for academic purposes, neither is it for merely developing a knowledge base for its own sake; rather, it is so that He (the Holy Spirit) may speak to those who do not know the truth about Jesus and the kingdom of God, through us. In this way, the Christian is made a channel for communicating the truth about Jesus to the world. The truth or witness about Jesus, is declared to the unbelieving world through the believer, as he gives voice to what the Holy Spirit is saying through him, and as he allows the Holy Spirit to live out the life of Christ through him. Furthermore, we noted that in times of persecution, the Christian need not be troubled, afraid, nor take thought of what he will say in his own defence because, the Holy Spirit will speak through him.

Indeed, the Holy Spirit’s communication through the believer in Christ is manifested through spiritual gifts of tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy; which results in conviction that leads a sinner to the foot of the cross for redemption, and brings true revival in the land. We therefore said that our prayers should include a request to God for utterance or boldness, so that we can be verbal and visible channels for communicating the truth about Jesus; the mysteries of the gospel; and, the kingdom of God!

Scripture Text(s)
Romans 8:1-9
Tonight, we shall begin to see the essence of the Holy Spirit’s operation in the believer who chooses to yield to the Holy Spirit. We pray that as we are totally yielded to the Holy Spirit, we shall experience the result of such yieldedness, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
After we are born again, we still have the option of living as we wish, or, be subject to God, through the Holy Spirit. The option we choose to live by will determine whether or not we qualify as God’s children on earth, and will be found with Him in eternity.
Romans 7:1-25; Colossians 3:1ff; John 15:1-6, 7, 8, 9-14, 15, 16; Psalm 126:5-6; Luke 13:6-9; Matthew 7:15-20; Galatians 6:7-9.

Conclusion
Even though you have been born again of the Spirit of God, you still have the choice of how you want to live. The choices available to you are, either to live in the flesh or to live in the Spirit. To live in the flesh is to permit the old sinful nature to continue to exercise its influence in the way and manner you conduct yourself; whereas, to live in the Spirit, is to yield yourself to the influence of the Holy Spirit, and so be led by Him.

If a person chooses to live or walk in the flesh, he would be mindful of earthly, fleshly, or carnal things. His entire focus will be on how to gratify himself, how he can be accepted by people, and he will be unable to obey God’s word, no matter how hard he may try. But if a person chooses to live or walk in the Spirit, he would be mindful of heavenly, godly, or spiritual things. A person whose disposition is towards the Spirit of God will seek only how to gratify the Spirit; how he can please God, and as such, be willing and able to obey God without reservation.

More importantly, however, when a person chooses to live for God, that is, to walk in the Spirit, he will be able to fulfil the demands of the Law of God, because the Holy Spirit will enable him to live for God, and, to live as God wants him to, which is what the Law demands. So, he is not only justified by faith in Christ Jesus, but also by works through his faith in Christ Jesus (James 2:14-26). In his union with Christ, the believer receives the life of God (1 John 5:12), and will live in a manner that is pleasing to God, as Christ did while He was here on earth in the flesh.

Also, as the believer allows the Holy Spirit to rule over his life, godly fruitfulness will be the result, which will manifest as answered prayers, love for other believers, and he will be entrusted with the mysteries of the gospel and of the kingdom of God. Indeed, godly fruitfulness is the essence of the operation of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life, because God wants to answer the believer’s prayers, and show him off as His very own (1 Peter 2:9-10)! There is indeed, a kind of fruit which accompanies the person who chooses to live for himself—such fruit is full of corruption and decadence, and, leads to death; whereas, a person who lives for God as influenced by the Holy Spirit bears fruit which is godly and which leads to eternal life. Therefore, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, and who choose not to live as the flesh or sinful nature in them dictates, but who rather choose to live as the Holy Spirit dictates. For such people, everlasting life is guaranteed and certain!

Fruitfulness is God’s way of approving of His own children, and also of showing an unbelieving world what He is able to do in the life of anyone who truly commits to Him, and yields to His Spirit. Next week, we shall examine the kind of fruit God produces in us and through us, when we yield to His Spirit; but for now, let us ask that God will keep us in Christ, and that Christ will also remain in us, so that we can truly be fruitful after a godly sort.

---

Back to all Bible Study Outline List