The Reviving Roles of the Holy Spirit
Isa 57:15
"I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite."
Too many believers succumb to discouragement because they have not learned to appropriate the fact that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. The Holy Spirit has a way of infusing renewing strength, energy and exhiliration into us during the most difficult times of life. Paul wrote, "The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." (Rom. 8:6-8) Let us examine ten ways that the Spirit of God enlivens us when we need a fresh recharging of our spiritual batteries:
1. REVIVES - The Spirit revives our hearts when we humble ourselves before God. Humble yourself before the mighty hand of God and He will lift you up. (I Pet 5:5,6) Allow the Lord to buoy you emotionally, physically and spiritually when you spend time alone with the Lord in His word and prayer every morning for at least fifteen minutes. This is the single biggest reason why many Christians allow themselves to be overcome by discouragement.
2. REMINDS - The Spirit helps us remember the greatness of God as enabling us to overcome any problem that we will face. The Holy Spirit is a God who helps us remember Jesus Christ as one whom we must consider when we get weary in well doing. "For consider Him who endured such sufferings of sinners against Himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. For you have not resisted to the point of shedding blood in your fight against sin." (Heb 12:1-4)
3. REINVIGORATES - The Spirit recharges us emotionally, physically and spiritually with a new sense of His empowerment when we call upon Him for help. Paul wrote, "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline. (2 Tim. 1:7)
4. REASON GIVER - The Spirit helps us in our weakness for we do not know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings and travailings to deep for words. (Rom 8:26,27) The Spirit of God helps us pray in alignment with will of God so that our will becomes more in conformity with the will of the Father.
5. REPROGRAMMER - The Spirit of God teaches us how to reconfigure our mind, heart and spiritual perception to have more of the mind of Christ. (I Cor. 2:14-16) The Spirit teaches us with His word by teaching, rebuking, correcting and training us in righteousness for His greater purposes, maturing and Christ-likeness.
6. REVEALER - The Spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness and judgment. The Spirit of God exposes areas of our life that are not pleasing to the Lord. He provokes feelings of guilt and shame that produce godly sorrow leading us to repentance. Allow the Spirit to draw you nearer to the Lord as you confess sins of commission, omission, wrong disposition or faulty assumptions.
7. RECONSTRUCTOR - The Spirit of God rebuilds the broken areas of our lives with greater love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Allow the Spirit to work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13,14) Stop resisting His constructing work.
8. RETRAINER - The Spirit of God retrains us in ways that gives us greater spiritual, mental and emotional perception of truth. Paul prayed, "I pray that your love would abound in real knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be pure and blameless. Having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ to the glory of God." (Phil. 1:9-11)
9. REVERENCE - The Spirit teaches us how to worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness. Allow the Spirit of God to teach you how to worship the Lord in all of His marvelous attributes. There are hundreds of characteristics of God that we should praise Him for. This allows us to preclude disobedience and to fill with the knowledge of His with all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that we can walk in a way that pleases the Lord in all respects and bear fruit in every good as we increase in the knowledge of God. (Col. 1:9-11)
10. REJOICES - The Spirit joyfully fills us up with the positive enthusiasm that is ours in Christ. We can make our joy complete by being of the same mind with other godly believers. The Spirit infuses us with a supernatural joy that is greater than all our problems. Our joy does not rest in circumstances or in the approval of others. Our joy is found in making a joyful noise to the Lord and serving the Lord with gladness and coming before Him with joyful singing. The Spirit buoys our hearts with the joy of the Lord that is our strength, health and fulfillment. (Col. 1:10,11)
Conclusion: Then we will be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might for the obtaining of all steadfastness, patience with joy.
