Hope for Transformation Sample

How do we know if we have received the Holy Spirit? Some of us doubt His presence in our lives when we shouldn’t. Maybe we expect some kind of euphoric spiritual high, and when we don’t feel one, we wonder where the Holy Spirit is! Maybe we expect that receiving the Spirit will end our struggle with sin forever, and then when we sin it makes us doubt if His presence is really with us. 

On the other hand, some of us assume He is present in our lives just because we agree with the right doctrines and go to church. But when Paul meets some ‘disciples’ in Ephesus, he doesn’t make assumptions about the presence of the Spirit, he asks ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’  

The Bible helps us answer that question without making assumptions, expecting to be perfect before Jesus’ return, or relying on emotional highs. Instead, look for the presence of the Spirit in your life through:   

• Becoming a person with a deep, intimate connection with God as your Father   
• Growing in your understanding of God and His Word   
• Seeing the fruit of the Spirit (as listed in Galatians 5:22-23) increasingly evident in your life as you are conformed to Christ’s image   
• Serving the body of Christ through spiritual gifts   
• Knowing power in speaking for Jesus and overcoming fear in faith-sharing   
• Above all, are you growing in love for God and for people?  

God wants us to be transformed by His Spirit. If you can't see any signs of the Spirit’s presence in your life, don’t be complacent. It’s a serious warning sign. This is an opportunity to turn away from an empty, powerless life and to ask God for the gift He is eager to give you. 

‘In my first year of keeping in step with the Spirit, my attitude to people I used to find annoying or unlovable began to change. I wasn’t overwhelmed with affection for them, but I knew that God loved them, and they should be treated with His love. As I tried to show people this love, affection for them began to grow in my heart.’ 

Can you relate to this work of the Spirit in you? 

Father, please transform us by your Spirit. Make our hearts cry out in love to God our Father and towards the people around us.