The Holy Spirit’s Role in Our Lives

Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God. He is a member of the Trinity and has a will and a distinct personality. The Holy Spirit also has a purpose and specific work that He wants to do in our lives.

Before we became Christians, the Holy Spirit convicted us of our sin and drew us to Christ. And once we believed in Christ, the Holy Spirit sealed us. Now the Holy Spirit leads us, empowers us, and fill us each day.

In fact, Ephesians 5 says, “Be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts” (verses 18–19 NLT).

The Holy Spirit’s filling has nothing to do with our emotions, by the way. Sadly, I think some people have taken the work of the Spirit and made it appear very strange. They’re wild–eyed as they speak strangely about how the Holy Spirit has filled them. That, however, has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit.

When we’re filled with the Holy Spirit, it simply means the Spirit controls us. When we ask God to fill us with His Spirit, we are asking Him to control our lives. In fact, the word the apostle Paul used in Ephesians 5:18 to describe the filling of the Holy Spirit also means “to permeate.”

In other words, the Holy Spirit wants to be part of every aspect of our lives, including our marriages or our singleness. He wants to permeate our careers and our ministries. He wants to be a part of everything.

So let the Holy Spirit permeate every area of your life. Let the Holy Spirit fill you and control you. It isn’t about trying harder; it’s about realizing there is power available to help us live the Christian life.