What Does God's Spirit Do for Us and in Us?

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So just what does the Holy Spirit do for us and in us?

God's Spirit is both powerful and practical. It is powerful for it comes from God; it is a part of Him. God, through the One who became Jesus Christ, created the universe through His great Spirit of power (Hebrews 1:1-3). The Holy Spirit is God's divine Spirit of power (Acts 1:8).

God's Spirit is also practical. Through the Holy Spirit, human beings can live in a more productive and fruitful way.

So just what does the Holy Spirit do for us and in us?

• It is the medium by which God comes to dwell in us (Ephesians 2:22; Isaiah 57:15)

• It helps us grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

• It gives love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

• It gives us wisdom (James 1:5).

• It gives us God's peace, gentleness and willingness to yield to the needs of others, fills us with His mercy, helps us act godly toward others, teaches us to be impartial and helps us avoid hypocrisy (James 3:17).

• It helps us overcome our sinful nature (Romans 6:13).

• It helps us resist and overcome Satan (James 4:7).

• It is the "earnest" or down payment of eternal life residing in us (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:5; 1 John 5:11).

• It makes us immediately recognizable to Christ (2 Timothy 2:19).

• It helps us in our weakness and helps us pray effectively (Romans 8:26).

• It helps us to love God above all and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40).

• It reassures us that we are the very children of God (1 John 3:2).

• It guarantees that one day we will be glorified children of God even as Christ is (Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 15:49; 1 John 3:2).

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Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion

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We will examine the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ.'s teaching on conversion. Contrary to what many think, it is not just a one-time event. Instead the ScripturesThe divinely inspired writings of both the Old and New Testaments. The term Scripture is used in the New Testament to refer to both the Hebrew Bible (Luke 24:44-45) and the new apostolic writings accepted as inspired (2 Peter 3:16; 1 Timothy 5:18). reveal that it is a process.The process begins with God's calling, followed by the key steps of repentance, baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit—finally climaxing with the return of Jesus Christ, when the dead in Christ are resurrected to immortality and given eternal life. That is the ultimate transformation, being changed from a mortal to an immortal being!

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