The Spirit is given so we might live and act as Jesus. One of my favorite passages is John 14:6 where Jesus describes himself in His own words. Yes, Christianity is narrow and exclusive in the path to heaven but notice the three descriptors, the way, truth, and life.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me
The Holy Spirit Guides Us ( the Way)
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. John 16:13
For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14
The Holy Spirit guides us. How? By revealing God’s Word to us and enabling us to follow and live it. You know the Holy Spirit is guiding you if your words and your actions are in accordance with scripture. There is no great mystery to God’s will for your life. You are to become more and more like Jesus Christ by the witness and power of the Spirit in your life. He does not testify of Himself but brings glory to Jesus the Son. The gifts of the Spirit enable us to do the works of Jesus. Want to know if you are living by the Spirit? Check your life by what the Word says and by what Jesus did.
The Holy Spirit Is Our Teacher (the Truth)
John 14:16 - The Spirit of Truth
John 15:26 - The Spirit of Truth
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. I Cor.2:10-13
As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. I John 2:27
When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say. Luke 12:12
You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. Nehemiah 9:20
Clearly, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. When we were lost, it was difficult to understand the spiritual things of God. We were not able to understand God’s Word even though it is written plainly. Now, having accepted Jesus, who is "the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE", we begin to understand and grow by the power of the Spirit. He is the One who guides us into all things and teaches us all thing spiritual. Even when something is not clearly defined in scripture (the gray areas) the Spirit convicts us of the truth. John 16:7-8
The Holy Spirit Gives Life (the Life)
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. John 6:63
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodiesthrough his Spirit, who lives in you. Romans 8:11
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Cor. 3:6
The Holy Spirit enables us to live the life that we are called to live. He gives life. The "life" that these verses speak of is the life of following and obeying Jesus. By receiving Jesus we receive everlasting life. Ephesians 2:8 says the work of salvation is through Jesus alone by grace.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Once we receive this gift of salvation we are to live accordingly. We cannot do that on our own by our power. Ephesians 2:9 says "we were created to do good works" which were prepared in advance for us to do. The Spirit gives us the power to do those works as assigned.
