THE HOLY SPIRIT CONTROLLED LIFE

The key to a successful Christian life is the correct understanding and submission to the Holy Spirit.  The absolute necessity of His ministry is seen in Galatians 4:19, which we examine:

NKJ Galatians 4:19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

The words, “my little children” are more accurately, “my children” because the diminutive form of the word “child” is not used in the Greek.  These, to whom Paul was writing, had been won to the Lord Jesus under his ministry.  However, he is travailing in birth (straining every nerve and exerting all his pent-up love for them in earnestly praying) that Christ may be formed in them. The word “formed” in the Greek means “to give outward expression of one’s inward character.”  This usage is seen in the following sentence: “I went to a golf tournament yesterday, and the winning player’s form was excellent.”  This means that the outward expression of the player’s ability to play golf was excellent.  Putting this all together we have:

“My children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be outwardly expressed in you.”

The verb “be formed” is in the passive voice that means that the subject of the verb is passive, inactive, and does not act himself, but is acted upon by an outside agent.  This reveals the truth that the Lord Jesus, who indwells the believer’s spirit, does not directly express or manifest Himself in and through the life of the Christian.  Jesus has given that ministry over to the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the one that takes hold of the things of Christ and manifests them to us and through us.

NKJ John 16:13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

The Greek uses a demonstrative pronoun, “That one shall glorify me.”  The Lord is saying, “I will not glorify myself.  That One (the Holy Spirit), shall glorify me.”   The word “take” does not refer to a passive acceptance, but to an active appropriation.  The Holy Spirit’s ministry, within the believer, is to take of the things of Christ and show them to the believer.  In that way He expresses the Lord Jesus through the Christian.  Consequently, if the believer does not have a correct understanding of and subjection to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, there is little of Jesus seen in their life.

Paul is praying that Christ might “again” be outwardly expressed in these Christians.  This means that at one time they were correctly submitted to the ministry of the Holy Spirit with the result of Christ being outwardly expressed in their lives.  What has happened to deny them of the glorious ministry of the Holy Spirit?  The answer is found in the epistle (letter) to the church of Galatia:

NKJ Galatians 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

Expanded Literal Translation Galatians 1:6,7a

“I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ, to another message of good news which is not only good news of a different kind, but good news that is diametrically opposed to the good news I preached to you, which good news is not a substitute message for the one I gave you.”

These Galatian Christians had turned from Paul’s message of salvation by grace to the message of the Judaizers.  The Judaizers were Christians who accepted Jesus as Messiah and as the Savior of Israel only.  They taught that a Gentile (non-Jew) could only be saved by entering Christianity through the gate of Judiasm.  These Judaizers came to the Galatian Christians, who were truly born again Holy Spirit-indwelt children of God, and taught that they were justified by the Mosiac law.  This message deprived these Galatian Christians of their dependence upon the Holy Spirit because there was no such thing under the law as an indwelling Holy Spirit who had come to live forever in the believer’s spirit.  Consequently, the Holy Spirit’s ministry of manifesting Christ outwardly in their lives was aborted in their lives.  This is what Paul means when he says they have fallen from grace.

NKJ Galatians 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

The Apostle Paul is not talking about loss of their salvation.  These Galatian Christians had fallen from grace in the sense that they had deprived themselves of the ministry of the Holy Spirit after being saved.  It is the Holy Spirit who supplies grace daily resulting in the outward expression of the Spirit of Christ who dwells within the believer.

These Galatian Christians are in the same position as believers today who do not understand the teaching regarding the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  That is why so little of the beauty of our Lord Jesus is visible in the lives of so many earnest Christians.  They are doing their best to live a good Christian life, but our own strength is not up to the task (and never will be).  The Holy Spirit does all He can for them under the circumstances.  Their lives are definitely different from what they were before being saved – they have done an about-face.  They enjoy some measure of victory over sin and the things of God.  However, there is very little of their lives radiating the Lord Jesus.

The Lord Jesus dwelling in our hearts will not automatically give expression of Himself in the life of the believer.  He has delegated that ministry to the Holy Spirit.  Realize, Jesus never saves a person until that person recognizes Him as Savior and by an act of his own free will puts his trust in Him.  Even so, the Holy Spirit is waiting for the Christian to recognize His ministry, and by an act of our free will, trust Him to perform it.

The Galatians fell from a dependence on the Holy Spirit – this is a familiar pattern often repeated today.  Someone comes to know Jesus as Lord and Savior by believing in Him as the Holy Spirit tugs on their heart strings.   Consequently, they have submitted to the initial ministry of the Holy Spirit (salvation) and are, at this moment, properly aligned with Him for His work of revealing Christ Jesus.  This results in much enthusiasm in their walk with the Lord.  However, because they are not taught of the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit they are not recipients of His continued work.

One of the reasons why the Holy Spirit has so little control over many Christians is because they think He works automatically in the heart of the believer.

NKJ Colossians 2:6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

The same way you received Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, by grace that is appropriated through faith, is the way you enable the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus in your life.  Our Lord in John chapter 7 reveals two simple requirements for the fullness (control) of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

NKJ John 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Let us examine these verses in the original Koine Greek of the New Testament.  Realize that by looking at the Greek, we are not discovering errors with our great and outstanding eternal doctrines and facts concerning God as revealed in our translations of the Bible.  We are simply bringing out minor details from the Greek text that translations can not handle.  Therefore, let us thank God for the translations which He has given us and receive with gratefulness any additional light obtained from a study of the original text.

First, “If any man thirsts” refers to a desire on the part of the believer that the Holy Spirit be the One to control his every thought, word, and action.  We do not drink water unless we are thirsty.  Likewise, we do not appropriate the ministry of the Holy Spirit unless we desire Him to control us.  This desire for His control will, as a minimum, include a desire that He:

• will cause us to judge sin in our lives,
• put sin out of our lives and keep it out,
• separate us from all the ties we have with the system of evil known as the world,
• dethrone our self-life and enthrone the Lord Jesus as sovereign Lord and Master,
• produce in us His own fruit,
• make us Christ-like,
• lead us and teach us.

This desire for His control of our lives is a serious thing that involves crucifixion of self.  The Holy Spirit controlled life is a crucified life!

NKJ Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

You must crave the control of the Holy Spirit more than your next breath, drink, or meal.  If you do not have this desire, then admit it to God and ask the Holy Spirit to bring your will to this level of desperation for His control of your life.

Second, “He that believeth on Me, out from his inmost being shall flow rivers of living water.”  

The trust here in this context is not only trust in Him as Saviour, but trust in Him as the One who fills with the Spirit.  Consequently, the Spirit filled life is also a life of faith (trust). 

In summary, there are just two things that the believer must do in order to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, sincerely desire that control and trust the Lord Jesus for that control.

Our daily prayer should include the following:

Thank you, Heavenly Father for the presence of the Holy Spirit in my heart.  Lord Jesus, may those seeing and hearing me see You – be glorified in and through me today.  Holy Spirit, please reveal the thoughts, words, and actions of the Lord Jesus in and through my life today.  Let the world see in me the one they so desperately need - the Lord Jesus Christ!  Thank you for controlling my life today. 

Amen