You may ask, what does the Holy Spirit have to do with Easter? Well, the answer is everything. Because the Father, Son and Spirit are all one, the Holy Spirit’s involvement in Easter is critical.
Jesus lived a sinless life led by the Holy Spirit, who was evident at Jesus’ baptism, descending on Him as a dove. This means Jesus walked according to His Father’s will, through communion with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus died He said, “Into Your hands I commit my spirit,” (Luke 23:46). It is this Holy Spirit power that raised Jesus up from the grave three days later, overcoming death itself. It’s this same power that gives the believer the courage to crucify the flesh, pick up their cross and follow Jesus.
So, how do I become a person who is led by the Holy Spirit? How can I become someone led by the same Spirit that guided Jesus?
It starts with getting to know the Holy Spirit the same way you would get to know a friend. Think of your relationships with friends or your spouse. How did you get to know them? By spending time and talking with them. To get to know the Holy Spirit, you spend quiet time waiting for Him to communicate with you in your spirit. He desires to commune with you and to lead and guide you in all things.
Being led by the Spirit isn’t something we do passively; it’s a conscious decision we make to be different from a world that thinks those who live according to the Bible are backward and out of step. It’s a choice to trust God’s Word and stand against the woke culture that rejects what Scripture says about marriage, sexuality and gender. It means staying married and raising your kids according to biblical values, and having integrity in all your relationships, both personal and professional. It means speaking up on moral issues and not just going with the flow. It means not being intimidated into silence about transgenderism or drag queen story times at libraries. And it means realizing that reaching others for Christ is our main responsibility.
Being led by the Spirit isn’t a matter of being conservative, and it’s not a political position. I use those examples to convey that when we live by the power of the Holy Spirit, we don’t just go along to get along. We live a different way.
The Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost and now lives inside every believer, convicting us of sin and enabling us to live holy lives. He imparts God’s love and reveals God’s truth. He fills us, frees us from sin, empowers us to witness, equips us to fight Satan, provides comfort and encouragement, helps us to pray, enables us to worship, gives us special gifts and develops His fruit in our lives. When the apostle Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians, the first one is love, followed by joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control. This is what Spirit-led living looks like. If we become mature, Spirit-led Christians, our lives will exhibit these traits.
Stephen E. Strang is the bestselling author of God and Donald Trump. The founder and CEO of Charisma Media, Strang was voted by Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in America. He has interviewed four U.S. presidents and has been featured on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, CBN, Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, theDailyCaller.com and in many Christian outlets.
For more information on Spirit-Led Living in an Upside-Down World, visit SteveStrangBooks.com.
