Twelve Ways The Holy Spirit Benefits You

Twelve Ways the Holy Spirit Benefits You

(Rom 8:26,27) - "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

Illustration: Henry Bosch tells a humorous story about a little girl who was making angry faces at a bulldog. Her mother noticed and asked her to stop. The girl said, "But Mom, he started it!"

In one sense, the girl was right. A bulldog naturally looks tough and mean. But the girl gained nothing by competing with him in making faces.

So too, the person who thinks he must return every angry look he sees, or repay any hurtful deed that is directed toward him, will have a never-ending and profitless job. In fact, in the end he is the one who will suffer the most.

As heirs of the grace of God, we should be gracious in our attitude toward others. The spirit of the world says, "Get even with those who mistreat you." The Spirit of Christ says, "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you" (Mt. 5:44).

If you want to know how spiritual you are, ask yourself, "What is my attitude toward those who mistreat me? Am I kind, considerate, and loving in my words and actions toward them?"

To live like Christ is not natural; it’s supernatural. Only as we yield to the Holy Spirit can we ever hope to exhibit the life of Christ. --Henry G. Bosch

O let God’s Spirit fill your soul

And cast out every sin,

Then shall you love both friend and foe

And know His peace within. --Bosch (Our Daily Bread)

The following are twelve benefits that the Holy Spirit brings to those who are submitted to His control:

1. The Holy Spirit seeks to bring greater glory to the Lord through every believer. Jesus said, "He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you." (John 16:14) Ask the Lord to help you give God greater glory through the Holy Spirit working to illuminate, manifest and clarify all of God’s will and blessings for your life.

2. The Holy Spirit intercedes for believers in ways that He pleads our concerns to the heavenly Father. Paul wrote, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (Rom. 8:26) Ask the Lord to help you gain greater reliance on the Spirit to plead your case to the heavenly Father for all of your needs, goals and problems.

3. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of guilt. Jesus said, "When he comes, the Spirit will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me." (John 16:8,9) Ask the Lord to help you become more reliant on the Spirit to bring conviction to yourself and those around you so that you are less judgmental.

4. The Holy Spirit guides believers into truth. Jesus said, "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." (John 16:13) Ask the Lord to help you be given all spiritual wisdom, knowledge and understanding of truth that will enable you to bear fruit in every good work while increasing in the knowledge of God. Remember, all truth is God’s truth.

5. The Holy Spirit comforts us in times of affliction and hardship. Paul wrote, "Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." (2 Cor. 1:4) Thank the Lord for ALL of the comfort He provides you with in terms of His encouragement, affection and blessings.

6. The Holy Spirit cleanses, sanctifies and justifies us. Paul wrote, "And that is what some of your were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (I Cor. 6:11) Thank the Lord for the way that He washed you from all the penalties of sin. Praise the Lord for setting you apart from the world and its corrupting influence in the power of sin. Honor the Lord for making you right in the eyes of God so that you can have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:1,2)

7. The Holy Spirit restrains evil. Moses wrote, "Then the Lord said, ’My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years... The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." (Gen. 6:3,5) Thank God for the way the Spirit restrains men from doing even worse acts of evil because of God’s mercies and grace.