3 Works of the Holy Spirit In Our Lives
I hope you love the products and resources I recommend here at A Little R & R. Just so you know, it is possible that I get a commission and collect income from the links on this page. Click here for more info.
What made a difference in Peter’s life between Luke 22 and Acts 2?
In Luke 22, he saw the horror of what was happening to Jesus, and in fear for his life, he denied he knew Jesus.
All of the confidence and bravado he had only 30 verses earlier dissipated into thin air the moment he realized what that could mean for his own life.
The cock crowed.
The realization that what he’d just done could never be undone hit him, and he wept bitterly.
Then Jesus, in His love, mercy, and grace, in John 21, restored their relationship when he urged Peter 3 times, “Feed My sheep. Feed My lambs.” One time for each time Peter denied knowing Him.
As Jesus was about to ascend into heaven, He instructed His disciples to “…tarry in Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
And that’s where we find them in Acts 2, when a mighty rushing wind blew through the house, and flames of fire sat on each one, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Peter, then, boldly stands up and preaches a sermon.
Peter, who boasted a lot, but when life came down the wire, wiggled his way out.
What made the difference?
3 Works of the Holy Spirit In Our Lives
What happened in the life of Peter that in only 50 days he went from denying he knew Jesus to boldly preaching the gospel?
The answer lies in Acts 2.
There are three works of the Holy Spirit that become evident in our lives to all who know us. There must be an evident change in our lives for there to be a legitimate work of the Holy Spirit.
You cannot say that someone has the Holy Spirit without there being evidence of that fact.
It is the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin. If a person is not convicted of their sin, or is able to continue sinning without guilt after claiming to have been saved, there is a serious problem.
True salvation and conversion will result in a change of lifestyle.
Lack of a change means lack of the work of the Holy Spirit, and therefore, a true conversion cannot be claimed by the individual.
The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives will be evident.
There are two ways the Holy Spirit impacts a believer
A person can only receive Christ by the initial work of the Holy Spirit drawing their hearts and revealing to them their need for a Savior.
Without the Holy Spirit, a person cannot be saved.
Upon salvation, the Holy Spirit comes into them.
- He instructs them in all things
- He continually convicts them of those things that displease the Lord
- He gives them the ability to understand the Word of God
- He comforts and gives peace
However, there is a second work of the Holy Spirit that is separate from salvation, which is needed in the life of the believer to experience the level of change that Peter had.
I use the illustration of a cup and a sponge.
When we receive the Holy Spirit upon salvation, it is like filling a cup with water. The cup is a non-porous object that holds the water inside.
I can carry it around my house without fear of it making a mess everywhere.
However, when we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as the disciples did on the Day of Pentecost, it is like taking a sponge and soaking it with water.
If I carry that sponge around my house, it will leave a trail of water wherever I go.
1. Boldness and Power
When a believer receives Christ into their lives, they discover that they can no longer live the way they used to live.
However, this change is amplified when they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
- Peter walked with Jesus.
- Peter saw all of the miracles Jesus did.
- Peter even walked on water.
But he did not have boldness and power until he was baptised with the Holy Spirit.
There is a great significance in this special work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that gives us a unique boldness and power that we did not have before.
This power is witnessed in our prayers, how we witness for Christ, how we minister to the body of Christ, and our ability to live and walk free from sin.
2. The Fruit of the Spirit
Recently, while teaching, my mom said something that stood out to me in a very special way. She asked, “How does God measure maturity in the life of a believer?”
She went on to say that it is not by how much they read the Bible, pray, fast, or serve in the church. These are all good things that we should do.
But nowhere in the Bible do we see God using these things to measure maturity.
In Galatians 5:22-23, we see that God measures maturity in the life of a believer by the fruit of the Spirit growing in their life.
While it is true that someone can have love, joy, peace, long-suffering, and other fruit of the Spirit growing in their life without being baptised by the Holy Spirit, after the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit is amplified much more.
There is greater power in their ability to love.
There is a greater measure of joy.
There is a greater level of peace.
3. Speaking With Other Tongues
In my series of posts and resources on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I share about its importance and how one can experience it.
One of the most visible evidences of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is speaking in tongues.
But why should we speak in tongues?
1 John 5:14 says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
How do we know what His will is?
Sometimes the Bible tells us what His will is, but many times it doesn’t.
How do we know that it is God’s will that someone is physically healed?
How do we know whether or not it is God’s will that we move or change jobs?
Many times in life, we want to pray according to the will of God, but we are not exactly sure what His will is, so we simply end up praying, “….if it is your will” and then hope that whatever happens is indeed according to His will.
But there is a greater way to pray.
When we pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit is literally praying through us according to the will of the Father. He bypasses our own desires or uncertainties and prays powerful, effectual prayers so that 1 John 5:15 can be realized.
“And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
Sometimes, while praying in tongues, God will give us divine understanding of what God’s will is for that specific situation.
Many times, He will give us divine wisdom that we need for a situation or need. This has happened to me personally many times.
There is great power and authority in praying in tongues.
In conclusion…
These three works of the Holy Spirit not only impact our lives but also the lives of those around us.
Remember my illustration of the cup and the sponge?
The difference between a cup of water and a sponge soaked with water is that one carries the water while the other leaves a trail of water wherever it goes.
While we certainly want to carry the Holy Spirit with us wherever we go, we also want to leave a trail of His presence wherever we go!
Wherever we go, we want those around us to feel the impact of His work in our lives.
We want people to ask themselves what is different about us and how they, too, can have what we have in our lives.
If you haven’t yet received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but would like to know more about it, I invite you to visit these posts or email me with your questions.
Grab the free printable set of these verses today when you click here or on the image above
Resources for Baptism in the Holy Spirit
