Let's Learn The Basics
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is God’s power in action, his active force (Luke 1:35). The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God. God’s holy spirit operates only as he directs (Luke 11:13).
How are we filled with the Spirit?
The Holy Spirit entered you when you decided to give your life to Christ, to become a follower of Christ. But we need to continually ask the Holy Spirit to lead us, to guide us, to help us do the things God wants us to do. When we're growing as Christians, we should allow the Spirit to take control over more and more areas of our lives.
What does the Holy Spirit do?
The Holy Spirit teaches us all things and reminds us of God’s words. He also gives us the peace of God, according to John 14: 26,27, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins, according to John 16:8. God wants us to get rid of the things that displease him, and the only way to identify those things is to be convicted by the Spirit. The Spirit works through our conscience to make us aware of sin in our lives. Romans 8 tells us that the Spirit will help us stop sinning and do the things that please God. A verse later in that chapter also tells us that the Spirit helps us pray (Romans 8:26). We've all gone to God and said, "Lord, I don’t know how to pray or what to say." The Holy Spirit helps us in those times, and actually intercedes for us, saying the prayers for us. Now, the Holy Spirit can't do all the work for us. We're still responsible to do our part—especially to consistently read our Bibles and pray, asking the Holy Spirit to show us the truth and teach us how to live. The Holy Spirit will not mislead us but only point us to God.
Why do we need the Holy Spirit?
It's impossible to follow God unless we are led by the Spirit. And the only way to be led by the Spirit is to follow God's command to be filled by the Spirit. When we are filled with the Spirit, he guides us and teaches us each day as to what we should do, say and how to live. The Spirit is the one that fills our heart with his compassion to pray and help the ones in need. The Spirit is the one that strengthens us when we are weak (2 Corinthians 12:9), helps us remember the word of God in times of trouble and prays for us, when we aren’t able to.
How to be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit?
Obedience to God is how the filling of the Spirit is maintained. Our obedience to God's commands allows the Spirit to work within us. When we are infected with sin, it is impossible to be filled with the Spirit. When we sin, we should immediately confess it to God and renew our commitment to being Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. When we ask for forgiveness for those sins, Jesus forgives us and covers us with his grace. But remember, “Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 8:39).