It is good for believers to look back every now and then at what we were before salvation. No matter what age you were when you were saved, the Bible declares that we were all “dead in trespasses and sins” prior to salvation.

You may not have been a big sinner, especially if you were saved as a child, but it must be remembered that it only takes one sin to be a sinner. This brings everyone to need to pay “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Once saved, God immediately quickened us. That means He made us alive – now capable of doing righteousness and pleasing Him. Before we were the sons of darkness and of the Devil, but now we have been made the sons of God (John 1:12).

Along with that new quickening and sonship, we also have the power to resist sin and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. In fact, that old sin nature is to be considered dead, and we can live in the new life He gave us.

If and when we sin, we also have an Advocate with the Father – “Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 2:1). He helps us to get forgiven and cleansed when we ask Him. It enables us to go on and shows that He loves us still.

Are you walking in the quickening power of the Holy Spirit, or according to the works of the flesh?

Remember that serving Jesus alone brings victory over sin, real joy, and blessing.

Jesus had promised His disciples that the Father would send the Holy Ghost after He leaves. He will not leave His disciples on their own. Before He could come, Christ must ascend to Heaven.

The very Name of the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, reveals a large part of His ministry. His presence within the heart of the believer will provide assurance of salvation and give access to God in prayer. He will also provide comfort in the heart of believers, even when facing difficulties – if they will bring their cares and concerns to God in prayer with faith.  

The Spirit of God can give calm when others are panicking, as well as clarity of mind in those times. It will be so noticeable to others that they will wonder how you can be calm when…

God desires that Christians maintain a state of prayer throughout the day (“men ought always to pray, and not to faint” Luke 18:1). In prayer, needs can be brought to Him, as well as concerns. When doing His will, He provides peace beyond our understanding (Philippians 4:6,7).

The above verse also mentions another ministry of the Holy Spirit. He will teach you His Word and help you remember it when needed.

Although sin may be pleasant for a brief time, it always carries a sting with it. Afterwards, there will be some guilt, regret, sadness, and some disappointment. Sin can never satisfy in any lasting way.

A guilty conscience (which can be seared – be made insensitive) can make people irritable, quick-tempered, hasty, rob you of sleep, and unhappy. A show can be put on, but underneath the veneer there is dissatisfaction and some inner turmoil.

Once saved, the Christian has the privilege of not only being forgiven their transgressions in God’s eyes but also has the assurance of eternity with God in Heaven. In addition, there are the things in his or her heart that truly can make a person happy.

The indwelling Holy Spirit can produce in them the nine qualities mentioned above. Those nine things are: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.” All desirable characteristics. Even better, there is no law against having any of them. Of course, along with these fruit, there is also the best benefit of having a close fellowship with God.

The last phrase of the verse should also be noted. Although any true believer can have these qualities the Spirit of God gives, it must be remembered that they are contrary to the natural workings of the flesh and mind. Therefore, it should not be surprising that the requirement is: “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

There is a real difference between what the world calls happiness and Biblical joy. Some Christians think they are the same thing.

Happiness is largely based on circumstances. When everything seems to be going right, most people are happy. Their happiness can quickly end when the good circumstances change. This is not at all what the Bible talks about when it speaks about joy.

When your “happiness” depends solely on your circumstances, it will cause you to have a wavering Christian life. It also means that you are looking to the wrong things to make you happy.

Instead, Christian joy is not based on circumstances. Because of this difference, you can have joy much of the time – regardless of what is happening. Paul even talked about having joy while in a Roman prison – which certainly was not a pleasant place to be.

Biblical joy is given by the Holy Spirit – it is one of His fruits. When a believer is in tune with the Spirit (surrendered to do His will), all of the fruit of the Spirit will naturally be present.

Before He left to go back to Heaven, our Lord told us that He wants His people to have the same joy that He enjoys. It is part of His prayer in John 17, verse 13: “And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”

Notice also that the text verse says: “in thy presence is fulness of joy.” It means that by spending more time in the Word and in the prayer closet, you can enjoy more of His joy in your life. And remember that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10) – which makes it easier to serve our Lord.

Christian, is your prayer closet only collecting dust?