What does the Holy Spirit actually do in our natural lives?

John 14:16-17: ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another ^[c]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.

He is our ever present help in time of need.

He comforts. When we are sad, broken, lost, lonely, discouraged, disappointed, abandoned…

He advocates. He pleads on our behalf. He stands up with us, He’s forever for us.

He counsels. He teaches us by bringing the Word of God to our remembrance, He reminds us of who we are and Who’s we are when the day can get hard. He’s our live-in honing device reminding us of our Christ Identity, He’s our Encourager.

He strengthens. His power is made perfect in our weakness. He lifts us up, empowers us to do things that are impossible for us in the natural.

He’s always on standby continually. Never sleeping, never too busy, never uninterested. Never bogged down or overwhelmed or short on time.

He’s forever with you.

And as if that weren’t more than enough for us, the Bible also tells us this…

He’s fire.

Matthew 3:11-12: ^11-12 “I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I’m a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”

The Holy Spirit fire will refine you, His love and power will burn to ashes lies that you believe, while simultaneously bringing forth healing. It purifies your being of all toxic things that were never meant to be there, bringing forth and outward the real you. He will clean you up, always from the inside out.

He’s living water. Isaiah 44:3: For I will pour out water on the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;

The living water of Christ in you, washes you. Cleans you out. Refreshes you. Quenches your dry, parched, hungry soul.

We can’t only discuss what the Holy Spirit is ready to do for us, without discussing our part to play.

We must note, that the Bible tells us that we can also resist His work, quench His work, and grieve His working in our lives.

To resist: in Acts 7:51, Stephen condemns those who resist the Holy Spirit: “You stiff-necked people,” he says, “with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!”

The people refused to receive the message of Stephen- they rejected it, and therefore resisted it. We can put the Holy Spirit off, by being too busy for Him, too distracted for Him, refusing to become softened for Him to mold us. We can stay offended. We can be so hardened, and actually reject His attempts to tug at our hearts.

To quench: to stifle or suppress, to scoff off, dismiss, disregard.

1 Thessalonians 5:19: ^19-22 Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil. MSG

Having an open heart, eyes that are willing to see and ears that are willing to hear the Spirit talking to us. Even if it’s something that’s corrective in nature. Give God some room to work if you want change in your life. Let Him at your heart.

When you feel Him tugging at your heart strings to go up to the altar, but you’re hearing ‘what would they think’ much more loudly…

When you hear a God instruction specific, like ‘tell them this,’ or ‘text them now’ or ‘don’t text, call instead,’ but you’re too busy— too consumed by another matter and you disregard it, forgetting it completely.

These things quench His work, His movement in someone else’s life.

To grieve: the Holy Spirit is more than just Spirit, the Bible tells us He’s a personality that can be grieved, saddened, vexed.

What grieves Him?

When we don’t live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Especially when it comes to living in harmony and peace with fellow believers.

When we ‘vent’ about His other daughters.

When we lash out at His sons in anger.

When we disregard the prompt warning He provided for us to choose Him.

When we take the bait giving into temptation to “get in the flesh.”

When we lose our patience and release irritation, aggravation, annoyance.

God wants only His Spirit to ooze out of us, and He’s fully equipped us to do so.

Ooze love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control onto those you encounter.

Ephesians 4:30-32: And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).³¹ Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).³² And become useful and helpful andkind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you. AMPC

God’s perfect Holy Spirit lives within you… don’t quench, stifle, or suppress the fire that burns within you to shine by allowing your ungodly actions and bad attitudes.

This negatively impacts not only you, but the church and the world.

Let God be God and listen to His guidance and ways. Let Him lead you into getting rid of the sinful ways of your old nature.

Don’t quench Him, don’t grieve Him.

And for the sake of Heaven, don’t resist Him.

He’s here to help.