Why We Need The Holy Spirit
Need Or Want?
As we conclude our series on holiness this week, I can’t think of a better and more vital topic to address than the person and work of the Holy Spirit. When we look at everything we’ve studied thus far, and see how we are called to be holy in a fallen world, it shouldn’t take us long to realize that this goal is impossible without divine help. We can attempt to be as holy as we want to be in our own strength, but nothing compares to the sovereignty and power that the Holy Spirit has to offer us so that we may die to ourselves and come alive in Christ. Trying hard to be holy on our own terms may help us stand out to those closest to us, but only the Holy Spirit can set us apart in a way that leads the lost to even question our way of living. This is why Daniel Hyde says, “The Spirit leads us in holiness. He has led us to Jesus not only to forgive us, but that we would become holy and pleasing to God.” This is exactly what Jesus tells us about the job of the Holy Spirit in the first place. John 14:26 tells us, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.” With this passage in mind, let's see how the Holy Spirit leads us to holiness in our everyday lives.
Teacher & Reminder
For starters, there are two basic roles that Jesus tells us the Holy Spirit will fulfill in the passage above. The first is that He will teach us all things and the second is that He will remind us of what Christ has already said. If the Holy Spirit is a teacher and a reminder, we can definitely assume that one of the things He will lead believers to learn and remember is a lifestyle of holiness. One of the biggest topics that Jesus addressed during His time here on earth was the wickedness and fallenness of the Pharisees and all of mankind. Not only that, but you can almost flip to any page in the Old Testament and find a group of people who have gone against the words of God and attempted to define how to rightfully live on their own terms. So if being holy and not living as the rest of the world does is one the biggest aspects of following Christ and obeying the Lord, we can see why this would be a common teaching and reminder for the Spirit to lead us today. This is why just a few chapters later in John 16, Jesus tells us in verses 7-8 “But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. “And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment:” Why would the Holy Spirit ever need to convict followers of Christ of their sin if not to push them more towards righteousness and holiness? Leading believers by reminding them of the teachings of Christ and the righteousness of God is one of His primary functions that helps shape us to be more like Christ and less like ourselves. We would be absolute fools to deny this help or think that in a broken and fallen world, we can somehow set ourselves apart without the help that God has provided for us. Teaching and reminding us of our Lord’s commands are literally in the job description of the Holy Spirit, let's not overlook that.
Absolute Necessity
However, as we look further into the duties of the Spirit, the job doesn’t just stop there. It’s not just the Holy Spirit’s job to teach and remind us, but it is quite literally His job to guide us and lead us to the ways of Christ. In other words, I would argue that it is impossible to live in a holy manner for God without the Holy Spirit. That’s right. It's not just difficult to be holy like Jesus without the Holy Spirit, it can’t happen. Look closely at what Paul tells us about the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:16-18 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.” This passage alone shows us why the Holy Spirit is a necessity if we are to ever live as Christ has called us to live. Our flesh and human desire isn’t just far away from what the Spirit is, it is completely contrary to what He wants. We couldn’t be more wrong when we assume that our human nature and fallen lifestyle can somehow get on board with what the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives. Without the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us by His sovereignty over our lives, we would never come close to the character of Christ or grow in righteousness because these are things that our flesh is absolutely opposed to.
We saw this point earlier this month when we discussed why we naturally oppose holiness as mankind. It’s undeniable that God’s Word has shown us how fallen we are as the human race and why the Holy Spirit isn’t just a nice option for living more Christ-like, but why He’s an absolute necessity. Until we can understand and accept what Paul had to remind the Galatians of concerning their fallenness, we can’t expect to be led by the Spirit either. We must humbly come to a place where we can acknowledge that our own very hearts desire the things that oppose the ways of God, and without the Spirit’s leading, we will never be able to overcome this natural desire. I hope and pray that as we close this month on this great study of holiness, we remember not just that God is holy, but that He has called us to be holy as well. And when we search the world and even our own hearts for the answer on how to be holy, the only solution we can find is the Helper that Christ left us when ascended to heaven. I hope and pray that as you seek to live more like Christ every single day, you pray that the Holy Spirit will have complete control of your life so that you may oppose your fallen heart, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus.
Sources
[1] Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/
[2] Led by the Spirit | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org. (n.d.). Ligonier Ministries. https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/led-by-spirit
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