Thinking Thursday: Marks of the Holy Spirit

Acts 19:2 … "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
Rom.8:16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
1 John 3:24 Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.
1 John 4:13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

It is not 'being a Christian' that gives you the right to have the Holy Spirit, it is having the Holy Spirit within that gives you the right to be a Christian.

Three things that show the Holy Spirit's presence:
a. A hunger to know Jesus Christ
1 Cor.12:3 … no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26 But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John 15:26 When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.
John 16:14-15 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and making it known to you.
This includes a hunger for the Bible, which teaches us about Him.

b. A hunger to be like Jesus Christ.
Gal.5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
The fruit of the Spirit produce character, and a changed character will be expressed in three ways:
a. A changed attitude to people
John 13:35 All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.
Phil.2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Matt.5:46-47
1 Cor.13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Fruit: love, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
b. A changed attitude to circumstances
Phil.4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always.
Neh.8:10 … Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Phil.4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Rom.5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Fruit: joy, peace, patience
c. A changed attitude to ourselves
Prov.25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
Fruit: self-control
Note: These are fruit, not flowers. Flowers are decorative, fruits are for consumption. We are not talking about qualities that make Christians nice to look at, but that enable them to meet the needs of others.

We also have to remember these qualities are fruit, which is a natural result of growth. We are not being asked to manufacture these qualities in our own lives, we are being asked to submit to the Holy Spirit and allow him to grow these qualities in us, as we participate in the divine nature.

2 Pet.1:3-7 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

And these spiritual gifts are not just for our benefit.
1 Pet.4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
1 Cor.12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

c. A hunger to serve Jesus Christ
John 7:37-39 … "If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.

[Based on Christ For Real by Charles W Price]