{Life In The Spirit}

Written By: Rachel Shaw

Life in the Spirit…

“The word convict is a translation of the Greek word elencho, which means “to convince someone of the truth; to reprove; to accuse, refute, or cross-examine a witness.” The Holy Spirit acts as a prosecuting attorney who exposes evil, reproves evildoers, and convinces people that they need a Saviour.”

Wow. What a task the Holy Spirit has.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit has been overwhelming me lately. There have been several moments this week when I stepped back and thought about the conscious decision I had just made that was totally inexcusable.

I willingly made a wrong choice and oh my… did I ever feel guilty. I did my absolute best to ignore the constant knot in my stomach and hide my sin from God and act like it never happened (although I know better than that).

The guilt-filled knot in my stomach and my mind wasn’t there for no reason. It’s the Holy Spirit reminding me that the sin in my life is not something I should be comfortable with and I have to change!

After you’ve made a mistake (whether it be big or small) do you feel guilty? The Holy Spirit doesn’t intend to make you feel bad about yourself and the wrong choice you just made, but instead wants you to feel uneasy so you can fix it and learn for next time!

“You however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” – Romans 8:9

This passage doesn’t mean that we don’t sin anymore.. but that we are not controlled by sin anymore. Our sinful nature does not reign over us have us in shackles but instead, we are able to stand up with the Spirit and change.

What a blessing the Holy Spirit is to our lives. The conviction we feel is to help us… not to hurt us.

Thank you Lord for the gift of the Holy Spirit and his conviction in our hearts. Help us to learn more about being controlled by the Spirit and not of the sinful nature. I ask that you allow us to become sensitive the conviction and guide us to making the right choices. We love you Lord and we devote our lives to you. We ask all things in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Until Next Time,

~Rachel