“The Holy Spirit is like your conscience,” I overheard a young lady patiently explaining to her presumably younger brother.
In his wisdom of about eight years, he answered, “Then I’m not sure I want Him.”
While his response brought a smile to my face, I had to admit, that boy spoke what many of us would think but never say.
Do we enjoy the prodding and poking of the Holy Spirit? Do we appreciate His way of trying to keep us on the straight and narrow? Do we want to live, feeling our lives are under constant attention and inspection, and that, well, we are often coming up short?
Maybe we misunderstand the Holy Spirit and His purpose.
Here are a few things He does:
He communicates God’s Truth. (John 14:26) Scripture promises us the Holy Spirit can only convey what God has told Him. So we can be confident that what He is promoting is the truth. If we wonder if something is morally correct and keep returning to that question, we probably need to take a hard look at the scenario through the lens of Scripture.
He does convict us of sin. (John 16:7-8) Why would He do that? Not to condemn. That’s not His job! He convicts our hearts because He knows sin drives a wedge between God and us. And ultimately as a Christian, we don’t want that wedge there anymore than God Himself desires to be apart from His children. That conviction is actually a saving grace to help us on the road back toward God. It thwarts us going too far the wrong way, if we listen to Him.
He confirms our identity as a child of God. (Ephesians 1:13-14) He is reminding us that we are sealed in Christ. This means no other spirit can try to claim us. Just like you may pay a deposit on an apartment or house to ensure you can live there, the Holy Spirit makes that deposit with a seal, claiming us for Christ. That seal has Christ’s name on it. We are identified as His.
When considering the Truth of who the Holy Spirit is and what He does, maybe the next time we feel a prick in the heart or a prod in Spirit, we will consider it a gift. Because if we heed His admonition, we’re on our way back to God. Right where His children belong.
It can be challenging to keep that attitude, but He will help us if we ask. Let’s ask Him for just that.
Prayer: Dear Lord, Conviction is a long, fancy word, for “I messed up.” Yet, I thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gift of His conviction. I thank You that He communicates the truth I need to live and He does it without condemnation. Thank You for having Him confirm my identity in You. Help me to align my heart with Yours and become receptive to Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.