Dear Friends,
Having the Spirit of God in our lives is not an optional extra for some Christians, a deluxe version of Christianity for those who want it. Being a Christian is more than believing the right things and living a good life; it means being changed by God himself, having his Spirit. That becomes clear when we see what the Spirit does in a person.
All who have the Spirit:
• are made alive to God – as Jesus said, “The Spirit gives life” (John 6:63),
• are taught by Him, so they know spiritual truth; he is “The Spirit of truth” (John 16:13),
• are led to the Scriptures, which are “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17),
• are convinced of sin – Jesus said that, “he will convict the world … of sin” (John 16:8),
• are led to Christ for salvation: “he will testify about me”, said Jesus (John 15:26),
• are made holy – he is, after all, “the Spirit of holiness” (Romans 1:4),
• are spiritually-minded: “their minds [are] set on what the Spirit desires” (Romans 8:5),
• feel a conflict within, because “the sinful nature … is contrary to the Spirit” (Gal 5:17),
• love others who have the Spirit: “we love our brothers [and sisters]” (1 John 3:14),
• are taught to pray: it is “by him we cry, “Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15).
[This list is taken from Old Paths by JC Ryle, in the chapter ‘Having the Sprit’].
No doubt some of these marks will be more obvious in some Christians than in others, but we can expect to find something of each of them in all Christians. When we read this list, it becomes obvious that we cannot do without the Spirit, and we owe everything in our Christian lives to his work in us. So, “Do you have the Spirit?” is a vital question…
Yours in Christ,
Chris Hobbs