He Helps Us

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of Holy Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to Holy Spirit. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with Holy Spirit have their minds set on what Holy Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by Holy Spirit is life and peace.  Romans 8:1-6 NIV

We come into God’s family full of sin, full of hurt, and full of baggage. So from the moment we are saved to the day Jesus returns, God teaches us the values of this new family we’ve been adopted into. He doesn’t do this by giving a list of rules to follow, but by giving us Holy Spirit as a guide.  

Acts 2:38 ESV And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit stirred my heart to repentance over several sleepless nights …. my heart was so convicted by Him that I crawled into bed, overwhelmed with certainty of my need for deliverance- Seven days later I knew I wanted to put my trust in Jesus and accept Him as my Savior. By grace I was saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). 

And something else happens in that moment when receive eternal life. Something we don’t often talk about. Something that most of us, including me, had no knowledge or understanding of. 

And that’s this: When we put our trust in Jesus, God puts His Spirit in us! It’s an extravagant exchange, all to our advantage and all for God’s glory (Romans 8:9–11).

Hallelujah! 

When we ask Jesus into our lives, our spirit is made perfect. And while our body and soul — what we do, and what we think and feel — are still far from perfect we get to listen to Holy Spirit and follow His lead, new behaviours displace our old ones -

Romans 8:16 TPT For Holy Spirit makes God’s fatherhood real to us as He whispers into our innermost being, “You are God’s beloved child!”

As crazy as it might sound, true freedom comes from submission to God. We spent our lives before Jesus chasing what feels good and doing what we thought was right. And in the end, we were never fulfilled. 

Each time we follow Holy Spirit, we become a little more like Jesus and a little less like who we used to be. Confidence that we are God’s children replaces the knowledge that we are God’s children. And that’s where the real adventure begins. 

Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is His love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God! Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of His love will become the very source and root of your life.  Ephesians 3:17-19 TPT

Holy Spirit’s presence is the manifestation of the Trinity among us today, and though He carries the same authority and shares the same attributes as God, Jesus Christ, He does specific works in us that differ. 

What will make a dramatic difference in how we live is knowing that God Almighty dwells inside us by His Spirit, and then believing that everything that is His is ours. His power. His wisdom. His strength and joy. His peace and comfort. His love. 

God manifests all of Himself, in His people, through Holy Spirit.

John 14:16-17 TPT And I will ask the Father and He will give you an advocate, Holy Spirit of Truth, who will be to you a friend just like Me—and He will never leave you. The world won’t receive Him because they can’t see Him or know Him. But you know Him intimately because He remains with you and will live inside you.

If you’re struggling to love an unlovable person, or forgive an offense that the world tells you is unforgivable, or heal from a devastating heartbreak, Holy Spirit wants to help you. He is able to help you. How do we know? Because Holy Spirit’s role is to make us more like Jesus, and this is who Jesus is. 

He loves His enemies, forgives His accusers and killers, and brings wholeness and healing to brokenness.

Where there are strongholds of sin that need to be broken. Where there is spiritual warfare that needs to be won. Where there is toxic thinking that needs breakthrough. This is where the Spirit of God is desperately needed and more than capable.

Do we have faith in this? Yes! Read the Bible ! We can be assured by God’s promises. Everything we need is available—all and only—because Holy Spirit inside us is all-sufficient. 

Philippians 2:13 CSB For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to His good purpose.

This doesn’t mean we don’t need community or friendships - It means we can have confidence because God inside us wholly equips us for what’s before us.

And think on this too my friends! We never have to fear letting God down so deeply that Holy Spirit will flee!

This may go against much of what we’ve  heard or been taught about God. Maybe you’ve heard the narrative that God will stop loving you if your behavior isn’t godly enough or your performance isn’t perfect enough.  

But this is not the Gospel. God’s presence, through His indwelling Spirit, is permanent. Holy Spirit is the most loyal companion we will ever have. Even in our loneliest moments, we are never truly alone. 

And I’m certain We’ve never needed to know this like we do today. 

Even on our most rebellious days, He stays, lovingly convicting us and wooing us back to the heart of Jesus. And here’s the other thing: He helps us stay. 

When the day feels too hard to face and we want to quit showing up, or when we want to run from relationships or make ourselves numb to our hard realities, He helps us stay, because He stays too! Amazing grace!  

And there isn’t anything we can’t face when we know we have the power of Holy Spirit inside us as we walk with Jesus.  Oh, we can grieve Him but we cannot lose Him. This is God’s Pentecost promise! 

We need to know that He is still closer than our breath—even when it feels like God has ceased to uphold His promise to never abandon us because the pain runs so deep and the silence feels so deafening and life feels so disappointing.

I might not know what valleys you’re walking through—or have come through—but I do know this: Not only will He NOT abandon you, but His desire is to comfort you.  

His comfort is the assurance that Jesus knows  pain, enters into our pain, and won’t waste our pain. His comfort provides supernatural hope. Not the kind of hope like when we say, “I hope this thing happens” or “I hope I can heal from this pain.”  

It is the hope of salvation that “will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us…

Romans 5:5 NIV And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 

His abiding presence is internal and eternal. 

He is the faithful friend you long for, taking your hand and leading you toward your hope of wholeness.

Seek Holy Spirit, sing with Him, pray with Him, invite Him into your everyday moments, share joy, frustration, hope, shame, with all things laid before Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit comes alongside us to unravel unwrinkle the tangled mess of our thoughts and fill us with faith, growing in wisdom that can only come from God. 

Romans 15:13 TPT Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in Him. And may the power of Holy Spirit continually surround your life with His abundance until you radiate with hope!