Let us take a bird’s-eye view of some of the things He does in the life of a Christian.
1. He is the SAP of the Christian’s life
How do I become a Christian? – by being born again (John 3:3,5). Whose work is it that produces the new birth? The Holy Spirit’s. We are born again when He implants this new life in us, and from that moment the life of the risen Lord begins to rise within us; we “participate in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Jesus is on the throne and He is our life. He is the Vine, we are the branches, and His life flows into us; the sap rises within us and the One who imparts this new life to us extends it within us, and transmits it by the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. He is the SEAL of the Christian’s assurance
Notice this in Ephesians 1:13; 4:30. Every Christian is sealed with the Holy Spirit. A seal is a mark of ownership and it speaks of safety and security. A slave was branded to show the name of his owner who had responsibility for him to keep him safe. God has sealed us, has marked us off as His own, and has given us the assurance that because his mark is upon us we belong to Him and are safe in His keeping – look up Romans 8:15-17.
3. He is the SECRET of the Christian’s victory
The Christian life should not be one of failure but a life of victory and triumph. The One who lives this life out in us is the Holy Spirit, so that we are able, through His empowering to be victorious over sin, self and Satan (2 Timothy 4:18). Read Romans 7, noticing the repetition of ‘I’, ‘I’, and ‘I’; then read Romans 8 and notice the references to the Holy Spirit!
4. He is the STRENGTH of the Christian’s service
We are all saved to serve, but Christian service is impossible in our own strength. In Old Testament times God called people to serve Him, giving them special anointings of the Holy Spirit to make them effective in service (Exodus 31:3; Numbers 11:29; 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Chronicles 12:18). Even the Lord Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit when He began His public ministry (Luke 3:21-22; 4:18). The disciples needed to be filled before they began to serve the Lord (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). Look up Zechariah 4:6.
5. He is the SPRING of the Christian’s joy
The Holy Spirit lives within us to produce this joy! – look up and compare Galatians 5:22 with Acts 5:41; 13:52; 16:25; Ephesians 5:18. The Holy Spirit lives within us to make us joyful, happy, radiant people.
6. He is the SOURCE of the Christian’s knowledge
See what Jesus said in John 14:26, and compare John 15:26 and 1 John 2:20. His Holy Spirit teaches us all that we need to know concerning our walk and our work, what we are and what we are to do. How wonderful to have the divine Teacher instructing and guiding us into the truth, in order to please the Lord.
7. He is SUCCOURER of the Christian’s Faith
We are to live by faith (Romans 1:17; Hebrews 11:6). Therefore the Devil attacks our faith (Luke 22:31-32). We are subject to many trials and testings, overwhelmed by sorrow, but the Holy Spirit is within us to succour us at such times. Read 1 Peter 4:14, and see it illustrated in the record of Stephen in Acts 7:54-60. Also read Galatians 5:16 and Ephesians 5:18.
