Practical Benefits of the Holy Spirit

I wonder how many people have read the old story entitled "Daddy Long Legs". It told the story of a little orphaned girl and her mysterious, anonymous benefactor. Only once had she ever seen the man who provided her with gifts and little luxuries, and then she saw only his shadow, distorted by the light so that he appeared long, thin and spidery - hence her for him, "Daddy Long Legs".

Sadly, and incredibly, that is a picture of the relationship many Christians have with the Holy Spirit. They know He exists because they receive blessings and gifts from Him from time to time. But He remains a mysterious, anonymous benefactor - a shadowy figure with whom they have no direct personal contact at all.

One reason for this is that so much of the Holy Spirit's work is done anonymously. We are aware of the results, but not the origin. This is especially true in three areas -what Jesus said concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit:

"And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8, NKJV).

In the matter of the conviction of sin, the Holy Spirit makes us inwardly aware of sin, righteousness and judgment - but we may not and probably will not, be aware of Him as a Person at that time.

However any truly Spirit baptized Christian knows that the Holy Spirit can be known and experienced personally and consciously. He can have an unceasing direct and personal contact with the Holy Spirit in his Christian walk.

I believe there are four practical benefits (or privileges) of the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer - these are the birthright of every Christian.

Personal introduction to the Holy Spirit

I have already mentioned in my recent messages that each believer should enter into a consious relationship with each Person of the Godhead (Members of the Trinity) - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The full Christian experience involves repenting towards God (Acts 20:21), believing in Jesus (Acts 16:31) and 'receiving' the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15, 17). In the New Testament these three steps (together with water baptism) in Christian initiation are clearly set out.

Unfortunately some believers tended to run the second and third experiences into one - they have equated receiving the Holy Spirit with 'receiving' Jesus. But clearly these two experience are not identical. The New Testament calls us to believe in Jesus and receive the Ho;y Spirit.

The Bible does mention 'receiving' Jesus, but we cannot equate this as believing in Jesus. The only references to 'receiving' Jesus are in John 1:12 and Colossians 2:6.

"He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His Name" (John 1:11, 12, NKJV).

The above verses clearly have an historical reference - He came to His fellow Jews. Furthermore it refers to Jesus in the flesh. It was then literally possible to 'receive' Him or invite Him into their homes. To 'receive' Him into their homes does not mean that they believed in Him. But to those who believed, He gave them the right to become children of God.

Paul said, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him" (Col. 2:6).

Paul was writing to believers already in the Church. The Greek word translated 'received' is a compound one which includes 'introduced to' as well as 'taught about'.

On every other occasions when God is spoken of as entering the life of the believer, it is in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Various verbs and terms describe this experience - He comes upon, He falls on, He is poured out upon; believers are filled with, baptized in, anointed or sealed by the Holy Spirit.

However one describes it, this personal introduction to the Holy Spirit is the privilege of everyone who believes in Jesus.

Spiritual ability

When we come to Christ, we come complete with our natural aptitudes and abilities and we give them to Him. He may use some, and He may not use others. What is certain is that any gift of ours which He does use will be 'anointed' by the Holy Spirit. Without it, whatever we do brings glory to us. But when our gifts are anointed by the Holy Spirit, they bring glory to God.

The fact is, not many of us are hightly gifted by nature. God's family is not natably more gifted than the rest of the human race. Most Local Churches are run by those who bring their natural gifts and aptitudes - music, administration, or manual skill - and give them to Christ. But how limited our concept of 'gifts' is, if we stop there. And how impoverished the Church is, too! It is our privilege to receive supernatural gifts from the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the great Giver. He Himself is a gift - the Gift of God. For the most part, these gifts are given for the benefits of others, but this does not mean they are not gifts to us.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul listed some of these gifts. These are not natural gifts enhanced, but supernatural gifs freely conveyed to believers. Notice that these gifts regularly used and developed become ministry - Ephesians 4:11 lists some of them. Teaching regularly used, produces teachers. Prophecy developed and employed produces prophets. It is not the other way round. The gifts make the office, not the office the gifts. Most of these gifts are connected with the natural gift of speech. That is especially true of tongues and prophecy. Let us consider them briefly.


Gift of tongue


Contrary to most Christians believed, it is the gift for beginners. It gives help where at that stage is most needed, in praise and prayer, where the novice may find himself tongue-tied and hesitant. It is not the highest gift, but neither is it, as some seem to imply, senseless hysterical babbling. Unfortunately many Christians equate speaking in tongues as a measure of spirituality and maturity.


Paul used it as much as anyone and approved of it, even though God gave it to the infant Church (like the Church in Corinth).


Gift of prophecy


Prophecy is a more advanced gift (1 Cor. 14:4) and as Paul said, "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church" (1 Cor. 14:4). Prophecy is not inspiring preaching, though like preaching, it exists to serve and help others.


Prophecy is the uttering of a message in your own language, directly inspired by the Holy Spirit. The 'prophet' is simply a messenger. He has something to pass on, exactly as it was given.


These gifts of speech are important. Our God is a God who speaks. Words are at the very heart of Christianity. But more than that - the mouth (tongue) is so powerful an organ that it can create or destroy (James 3:6). Yet this same faculty of speach, redeemed and anointed, can be the means of extraordinary blessing to others. You can say things from God that will minister to others - things that you could never speak in your own power.


Growing maturity


Growing maturity is not the result of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as many seem to think. The gifts do not necessarily make you a better or more mature Christian. Look at the Church at Corinth with its squabbles and sins and unsound doctrine! Paul said that they were enriched in everything and they have no shortage of gifts (1 Cor. 1:5 - 7). The gifts are to help others, not ourselves. And it is tragically possible to have all the gifts of the Holy Spirit and remain a carnal, selfish Christian.


But the Holy Spirit does want to make us holy. He is concerned with our sanctification. But it is not, and cannot be, a single, sudden gift. Holiness is the product of growth in the Holy Spirit. Holiness is God's will for His people, but it is achieved, not through receiving His gifts but through walking in the Spirit. There is no short cut. As we walk in the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit grows (Galatians 5:16 - 25). Also read Romans 7 and 8, where Paul shows us why and how we need to grow in Christian maturity.


Unfortunately many Christians have never moved from Romans 7 to Romans 8. Romans 7 describes a common Christian experience, in which the inside wishes to please God but the outside constantly fails. This is a kind of spiritual spastic condition in which a believer is the captive of his own bad habits, torn between what he knows he should be and what he knows he is.


A Christian is meant to go on into the experience described in Roman 8 in order to live a normal Christian life, expected of our Lord.


Paul said, "There is therefore no condemnation to those who are Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1, 2, NKJV).


This experience is meant to be ours. It is one of the benefits of the life in the Holy Spirit.


Transformation of soul and body


You may refer to my earlier message - "The Spirit, Soul, and Body of Man", which gives quite a detailed study.


If someone is to ask - "Where is the soul in the body?" I will ask him - "Where do you think is the music in the organ?" If you can answer the second question you can also answer the first! You could dismantle the organ, but you would never find its music. Similarly you could ask a surgeon to cut open your body, but he would never find your 'soul'.


The Bible says: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7, KJV, emphasis added).


In other words, the 'soul' of man is the life of his body. You cannot see his 'soul' but without it he is dead!


Paul said, "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by hi Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:11, KJV).


In other words, the Holy Spirit who raised up Jesus physically from the dead will quicken our mortal bodies.


The word 'quicken' in Greek means 'make alive' or 'give live'. And so the Holy Spirit is the live giver to our bodies.


In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul tells us how your mortal physical body is going to be transformed to a spiritual body at the Second Coming of Christ, or more precisely, when Christ comes for His true Church - His Bride. Here he lists out a series of specific changes that will take place.


1. The present body is corruptible, subject to corruption - to sickness, decay and old age. The new body will be incorruptible (Verse 42).


2. The present body is mortal - subject to death. The new body will be immortal - incapable of death (verse 44).


3. The present body is of dishonor. In Philippians 3:21, Paul called it "our lowly body" with frailty, insufficiency, weaknesses and limitations. However, the new resurrection body will be a body of beauty and glory, free from all of man's present limitations (Verse 43)


4. The present body is a natural body - literally, a 'soulish' (from the Greek word 'psuchikos') body. However, the new resurrection body will be 'spiritual'. Clothed in the new body, the whole personality of the resurrected believer will function in harmony and perfection under his spirit's control (Verse 44). The harmony of the spirit controlled soul and body was lost after the Fall. The Holy Spirit will restore it as we are clothed in the new spiritual body.