What The Spirit Does

 Acts 2:38-39


38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the [a]remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”


We all fail. Many of us don’t always live as Scripture teaches—and we miss out on the joy and peace that Jesus promised. The reason? We don’t recognize the need to live in the Spirit, so we try to live each day in our own strength. On Pentecost, God’s Spirit came to indwell believers. He is a gift, blessing us in many ways. Let’s consider some of the work He does. The Holy Spirit ...


• Convicts us of sin so that we can repent (John 16:8).


• Regenerates us. As believers, we’re new beings, alive in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).


• Seals us forever as a child of the Almighty (Ephesians 1:13). 


• Teaches, guides, and empowers us for the rest of our life (John 14:26). 


• Gifts and enables us to do the work God has planned for us (Ephesians 2:10; for a list of spiritual gifts, see also 1 Cor. 12:1-31).


• Bears fruit through us (Galatians 5:22-23).


As we are obedient to what God calls us to do, we get to watch Him work in mighty ways. All these benefits are available to everyone who follows Jesus, but we can miss out by attempting to live in our own meager strength. 


Remember, the Christian life is this: Christ living His life in and through us by the power of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit.







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