How can I Know if I have the Holy Spirit in me?

 

And the person who keeps his commandments resides in God, and God in him. Now by this we know that God resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us.  1 John 3:24

 It’s a circular scenario. God gave us His Spirit to dwell within us to convict (convince) us of sin and righteousness and judgement (John 16:8). His Spirit draws us into His Word where we learn more and more of the goodness He has for us, and His ways, which are so much better than the world’s ways. As we come to understand this, we long to obey more and more, seeing the blessings and benefits of living according to God’s will. This causes us to seek to draw closer to God’s Holy Spirit, which then directs us more deeply into His Word, and the cycle continues.

 Do you ever wonder if you have the Holy Spirit in you? How can we know? I mean, this is a pretty important thing. It is by the seal of the Holy Spirit that we can know that we are in Christ and admitted into His Holy presence forever. Lots of different denominations have lots of different beliefs on this, but my default is to look to God’s Word and see what it says about this:  “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.” [Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV] That’s pretty definitive! Hear + Believe=Receive the Spirit. Have you heard the good news that Jesus loves you so much that He died for your sins so that you could be with Him forever? Have you believed it? Then You have the Holy Spirit. It’s as simple as that! In fact, the Bible tells us that we can’t even hear and believe on our own, but it is God who enables even that in us (John 6:44).

 But beyond the logical, analytical knowing, how can you tell that Holy Spirit is dwelling in you? When you are faced with a moral choice, do you have a feeling in your heart about what the right thing to do is? Is this sometimes (or even often if you’re like me) different from what you want to do? For example, you’re walking out to your car from the grocery store and you notice someone struggling with heavy bags, perhaps things are even spilling out of them into the parking lot. You’re in a hurry. It’s raining. Maybe you even have a migraine and you figure surely there will be someone else, anyone else, better equipped to assist them. In that moment, do you feel a drawing, a directing, a pulling to do the right thing and help your neighbor? That’s not us. That’s not our “conscience” or anything good in and of ourselves. We read in Romans 3:11-12, Psalm 14:1-3, and Psalm 53:1-3 that there is no one who does good. Lest you think you might be the exception that makes the rule, they all three go on to say, “not even one.” Any good in us, any good thought, any good deed, any good inclination comes straight from God. So if you can see any good in you, even a conviction that something is good, then that’s the Holy Spirit at work!

Here's the Thing: I have so many more experiences that prove to me that God has made His home in my heart, but they are anecdotal. They involve “feeling” His guidance and direction in my life. Experiencing His answers to my prayers, sometimes even before I finish praying them! Feeling His love and joy bubbling up in my heart. And much more. All of these are ways that I can know for certain that I have God’s presence living in me, with me, through me.

Abiding in Jesus

  1. Week 1: Trusting the Gardener's Work
    1. John 15:1 - Seven Things Jesus Is
    2. John 15:2 - Pinch Those Suckers Out!
    3. Philippians 2:12-13 - Working Out My Salvation
    4. Matthew 5:16 - Stay Salty!
    5. 1 John 1:6 - Walking in Relationship
  2. Week 2: Bearing Lasting Fruit
    1. John 15:3-4 - It Takes Two to Abide
    2. John 15:5 - Grafted In
    3. John 15:6 - The Most Important Post You'll Ever Read
    4. Psalm 1:1-3 - What We Expect to See
    5. Galatians 5:22 - The Fruit of the Spirit's Not a Coconut!
  3. Week 3: Abiding in Jesus Through His Word
    1. John 15:7-8 - Lost in the Wilderness
    2. John 8:31-32 - The Truth Shall Set You Free
    3. Psalm 119:9-11 - Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth
    4. Psalm 119:15-16 - Considering His Ways
    5. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - How is He Going to Use THAT?!?
  4. Week 4: Abiding in Jesus Through Obedience
    1. John 15:9-10 - Love, Honor and Obey
    2. James 1:22 - The Forgetful Listener
    3. 1 John 3:24 - How Can I Know if I Have the Holy Spirit in Me?
    4. Matthew 7:24-25
    5. John 14:23-24
  5. Week 5: Abiding in Jesus Through Love
    1. John 15:11-12
    2. John 15:13-14
    3. 1 John 4:10
    4. 1 John 4:11-12
    5. Romans 12:9-13
  6. Week 6: Chosen and Commissioned by Christ to Bear Fruit
    1. John 15:15
    2. John 15:16
    3. Ephesians 2:10
    4. Galatians 6:9
    5. John 15:17

Wrap-Up

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