What does the holy spirit do for us? This question affects the core of our beliefs, because without the power of God's Spirit we can have no deep, close relationship with the Father, nor can we become His children. It is because the Spirit dwells in us that we are called the children of God (Romans 8:14-17).

We must understand what it means to be "led by the Spirit". God's Spirit doesn't drive, drag or push us around; it leads us. It will not prevent us from sinning, nor will it force us to do what is right. It leads us, but we must be willing to follow if we are to allow God to work within us through His Spirit. God doesn't want any robots in His kingdom!

So how does God's Spirit lead us? The holy spirit keeps us in contact with God's mind. God's Spirit works with our mind. The apostle John describes it this way: "Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit [which] He has given us" (1 John 3:24). Through God's Spirit, which He gives us, we can be influenced by Him for the good. This is in stark contrast to the world around us and our own nature, which influence us toward evil.

God's Spirit also helps us come to a deeper comprehension of His truth. When Jesus promised the apostles He would send the Spirit to them, He said it would "guide [them] into all truth" (John 16:13). Without God's Spirit a person cannot understand God's divinely expressed Word and will, "for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14).

God is forming a "new creation" in us (2 Corinthians 5:17) and in so doing He is the father of His own spiritual children who will be filled with His nature and character and live eternally with Him. The gift of the holy spirit is the necessary component in our mind and life for achieving this destiny.

With these thoughts I wish everyone a rewarding Sabbath!