Knowing God is the new life that Christ sacrificed to give us. To know the Holy Spirit is to know God because the Holy Spirit is as fully divine as the Son. The Spirit is the presence and power of God. The Spirit of God is as close as our next breath; this is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to be with us always. The power of God brought into our presence in such an intimate and gentle way is truly more than our minds can grasp and it is the source of our revival.

New life in Christ is what our faith is about. The Holy Spirit is instrumental in bringing us to faith as the mediator of prevenient grace, at work before we know it. The Spirit’s work is to draw us to God through conviction which transforms the way we think and interact with the world. The Spirit teaches us, helps us understand what Jesus said, and guides us to act on the truth. The Spirit sanctifies us and works through us to revive others.

When we are revived by the Holy Spirit, we are also empowered to bring new life to others. It is easy to misuse or misunderstand the power and to use it for our own benefit. We have all we need, but this is God’s gift to us and not something we created. To stay connected to God, we are to stay humble and grateful for all that God has given.

When God gives gifts, it is because God is gracious. The Church has sometimes lost its way when it gauges its effectiveness in election victories or arguments won rather than lives changed and love expressed. Paul gave a discernment tool in listing fruit of the Spirit; if this fruit is produced, the Spirit is probably at work. The fruit of the Spirit is very different from worldly definitions of success.