One Trait at a Time: Trusting the Holy Spirit’s Power to Change You

Wisdom Scripture

Colossians 1:9 (NIV)

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.

Wisdom Quote

Christian wisdom is cruciform—the eschatological mystery of Christ revealed by the Spirit. Christ fulfills the Torah as the embodiment of wisdom, while the Spirit fulfills the Torah as the enablement for wisdom.[1]

[1] Vanhoozer, Kevin J., et al., eds. Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. 2005, p. 845.

Trust in the Holy Spirit’s Sanctifying Work

The Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit to be with you always.

Indwelt. Jesus promised his followers that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). At conversion, the Spirit comes to dwell in you. Paul affirms, “And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ” (Rom. 8:9). The Spirit’s presence is permanent, not contingent on your behavior. Jesus says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever” (John 14:16). He will never leave you.

Empowered. Your growth in godliness is not merely a process of self-improvement. You grow by trusting that God will give you the power to change through his Holy Spirit. The Spirit empowers you to grow in Christlikeness. He convicts you of sin, comforts you, teaches you, and inspires you to choose God’s path over your own.

Sanctified. He sanctifies you. To sanctify means to make holy. God calls you to be holy as he is holy (1 Pet. 1:15–16; Lev. 11:44), and the Holy Spirit leads you to obey Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Thess. 2:13). As you look to Jesus, the Spirit transforms you: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). The Spirit gives you power, love, and self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7).

Realize the divine provision you have. The God who created the universe dwells in you, and he offers to guide you. What an opportunity you have if you take him up on it. Yield control to the Spirit. Based on the work the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have already done for you, trust God to complete his work in you.