HOW TO WALK WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

How to walk with the Holy Spirit



The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity. Three persons of the Godhead with different functions but they are One. 1 John 5:7 states, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one.”

Many Christians do not know much about the Holy Spirit because we usually hear about God the Father in heaven. Jesus Christ is mentioned many times but the Holy Spirit plays a crucial and vital role in our lives. We could never live a life for Jesus Christ without the help of the Holy Spirit because He is the one that guides and instructs us in our spirit.

The Apostles of the Lord were with Him and they were being taught from Jesus Christ Himself. They were still not equipped to go out into the world and teach the gospel until they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit is God just like the Father and Jesus Christ. Have you ever been at a church where the gospel was taught and yet the Holy Spirit was not present? This is just the opposite of what God desires for a body of believers who gather together because this is how they are joined in fellowship and love.

The role of the Holy Spirit is to interpret the Word of God and point us to Jesus Christ. If we pick up a Bible and read a portion of Scripture that we did not understand this may be reversed because it is not our comprehension but the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

When we became a Christian we were sealed by the Holy Spirit. "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." Ephesians 1:13.

Romans 8:5-9

(5) “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”

(6) “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

(7) “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

(8) “ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

(9) “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

We need to have a mindset because our life will either reflect flesh or Spirit. We need to set our hearts toward spiritual things as opposed to carnal things.

It is what we put in our minds and the choices we make that will infiltrate our spirit and permeate our being for the filling of the Holy Spirit or some sort of sin and darkness in our life.

This is something to think about because if we are prompted by the Holy Spirit to do something that would give glory to God the Father through Jesus Christ and don't listen we are committing a sin.

Hopefully if a Christian is doing this he or she will be convicted that it is a transgression against God. It would be a good idea if we all prayed that we would be more sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Three things come to my mind on how we can walk in the Spirit. The first is total dependence on Him. We must live everyday depending on the Holy Spirit because He knows what is best for us.

The second is to walk with the Holy Spirit and be more sensitive to Him. We need to hear what He is telling us and follow Him so we can be more blessed in our heart and life.

The third is complete submission to Him because the Holy Spirit knows what is best for us even if the result is some sort of pain. If we do all three then abundant life in Jesus Christ will be our lifestyle but that does not necessarily mean earthly riches. It could but being rich in Jesus Christ has nothing to do with money.

The Holy Spirit has many spiritual gifts and He gives them to the people of God to carry out the work of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 12 has a little something to say about this subject. The question we need to ask ourselves is are we using the gifts God has given us to help other people and point them to Jesus Christ?

(7) “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”

(8) “For to one is given the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.”

Verse 9, “To another faith by the same Spirit: to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit.”

(10) “To another prophency; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.”

(11) “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”

Since we are still in the flesh and trying to walk in the Spirit the devil is going to do everything he can to discourage us and make us fall into sin. (16) “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (17) For the flesh lusted against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye can not do the things that ye would. "Galatians 5:16-17.

There is a battle of spiritual warfare going on and it is very difficult to live the Christian life. It can be done with the help of the Holy Spirit. When He assists us He empowers us with His strength.

Sometimes we succumb to the flesh and forget that the Holy Spirit should be guiding our life. The Holy Spirit is our teacher. When we got the job we desired training took place to learn the business. When we went to school we were taught by a teacher. When it comes to spiritual matters our teacher is the Holy Spirit.

The difference between the Holy Spirit and a teacher in this world is God is never wrong. The Holy Spirit teaches us spiritual truths but He will guide us in the world.

We have to know our enemy before we do battle. Believers in Jesus Christ can become very distraught in life. We battle against the flesh, the world and the devil. These are our three enemies and we have to know how to fight them.

The flesh is pretty obvious and the devil is evil to the core. The world is an ungodly system for the most part but I am not saying dislike, harbor or hate people. I am saying if something contrary to the Bible comes into our life from the world system our spirit should be vexed. This is not our home. We should resist in a non violent way because we belong to Jesus Christ. Pray to God for discernment on all three issues.

If somebody approached us and expressed their concerns for our well being and desired us to have the best of everything we would at the very least be comforted. If we sensed they were earnest we might even feel more than that but this is what the Holy Spirit wants to do in our life. The real question is are we willing to pay the price through our faith and obedience in Him?

Most of us are afraid to surrender our lives to the Holy Spirit because we will have to give up some things very close to us. People tend to like self will but I have learned the hard way that our life has to be in the will of God. Do you feel God fighting all self will in your life? I do.

What we sometimes do not understand is God knows our needs and desires but we have to let the Holy Spirit open our spiritual eyes. There will be a change in our life but it is only through our submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

God has never been big on forcing a person's will but He sometimes throws a trial in our life to make us think about our choices. We can harden our heart or become soft to Jesus Christ.

We have to be willing to take that first step and trust God for the outcome. This is hard and please don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The Holy Spirit desires to help us live for Jesus Christ. We will be rewarded for our obedience to Him. When we accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts the Holy Spirit started chipping away the garbage in our life and will continue to do so until we go home to heaven.

Look at the life of the Apostles and some of the other servants of Jesus Christ. It was hard but we are only here for a short time. I hear unbelievers say all the time, "Life is short" but I always chime in and say, "Life is short but eternity is long. You are forgetting the second part."

I usually don't get a response because their minds are so fixed on this world but if they thought about my chiming they would allow Jesus Christ to change their life. One of the things I want is for Jesus to say to me ... "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Matthew 25:21. This verse involves our life and eternity. Life is short but eternity is long.

If we want to know Jesus Christ then we have to depend on the Holy Spirit to teach us about Him. I know many Christians do not think the Holy Spirit has an important role in their life but without Him there is no guidance or teaching to point to the Person of Jesus Christ.

The following verses will give us an idea of His (the Holy Spirit) role in the Triune Godhead. If you are an unbeliever just allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to a saving knowledge in Jesus Christ. Your heart will be redeemed from the bondage of sin. If you made that decision let the Holy Spirit guide your life. This is an eternal decision you will never regret.

Romans 8:14-16.
14” For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

15”For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

16 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your very own personal Savior and Lord now may be a good time to repent of all your sins and invite the Son of the Living God into your life. If you made that all important eternal decision remember the Holy Spirit wants to guide and comfort your mind and heart. Why go through life alone when the Bible clearly says a helper desires to be with your spirit?

God Bless you,
Bob D.