 I want to talk to you about knowing that you have the Holy Spirit. Perhaps you're one of those believers who struggles with the fear of losing the Holy Spirit. And maybe every time you make a mistake, you're wondering, did I lose the Holy Spirit? Or maybe you're wondering about the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life. And you want to know that those signs are active. Well, I'm going to give you five signs that prove you have the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things. So number one, godly character. I saw someone had posted something. I wish I came up with it. It was clever. It said something to the effect of, are you filled with the Holy Spirit and the evidence of treating people right? And I thought that was so brilliant. It was a great point being made. And sometimes I think that though power is a sign that the Holy Spirit is within us. Sometimes I think we place the power and the gifts over the character. Look, your character is more important than your calling. Who you are in Christ. I mean, really who you are in Christ is what your calling is. Your ministry is a part of your calling, but who you are in him. That's much more important. What good does it do to speak in tongues in public settings? What good does it do to speak in tongues if you're cussing out your spouse or you're speaking negative words or you're saying things that are against the character of Christ? Yeah, you can lay hands on the sick, but what are you doing with those hands when no one's looking? Yes, it's wonderful to speak forth the truths of the Word of God. But is that mouth that declares the truth of the Word of God the same mouth that curses, that speaks evil, that says vile things? What are you doing with what God gave you? How are you living and does it demonstrate the fruit of the Holy Spirit? If I have power, but no love, what good does that do? If I serve with intensity and passion but I don't have joy, it shows I'm not truly plugged into the Spirit. If I'm doing things for God and serving him and trying to live in holiness but I lack peace and I'm constantly paranoid and I'm stuck in religious cycles of superstition wondering if I've lost my salvation, that shows I don't have the peace of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is not effective ministry. I don't know how many times I've heard people say, well, you can't criticize me, just look at my fruit. And then they'll point to how many followers they have or how many viewers they have or how many years they've been in ministry or how many years they've been working with the children's church or how many years they've been in the sound ministry. That's not what Jesus meant when he talked about fruit. He was talking about character. The authority does not come from the effectiveness of your ministry or even your experience in ministry. The authority comes from the Word of God and the Word of God teaches us to have characters that are in line with the character of Christ. The greatest proof that the Holy Spirit dwells in you, please hear me now. The greatest evidence that the Holy Spirit dwells in you is the character of Christ manifested through you. I wanna say that again. The greatest evidence that the Holy Spirit dwells in you is the character of Christ manifested and revealed through you. If you don't act like Jesus acted, if you don't have the character of Christ in you or developing in you, we all can afford to be more like Jesus in one way or another. Then that may be a sign to you that maybe you're not walking with the Holy Spirit as you should. Now, in its infancy, so that you're not discouraged, in its infancy, the character of Christ or the fruit of the Spirit begins as a desire. And I want you to understand this because I don't want you to condemn yourself and I don't want you to walk away from this teaching, fearful and wondering, well, did I lose the Holy Spirit then? Because the fruit of the Spirit begins as desire. First, there is the desire for the spiritual. There is the desire to have the character of Christ. And then there is the manifestation of it if you have a desire to be like Jesus, if you have a desire to walk in holiness, if you have a desire to have godly character. That's proof that the Holy Spirit has begun the work in you because you wouldn't even have the desire to be like Jesus if it weren't for the Holy Spirit. As you can actually read in this chapter, Galatians 5, the Bible talks about the desires of the Spirit going contrary to the flesh. So then if you have the desire to have the character of Christ, that is the fruit of the Spirit in its seed form. The desire is the seed of the fruit of the Spirit, which is the character of Christ. So that desire is proof to you that you're not completely far gone, that you're not completely off the rails, that you're not completely disconnected from God. That desire itself is proof that God has already begun a work in you, that he's already developing something, that he's already forming the nature of Christ Jesus in you. And for that you should be thankful and you should note that as a sign, godly character. What good does it do to have power without character? To have gifts but not carry the glory, to have power without the presence to walk in the calling, but without the character to keep you in that calling. You need the character of Christ and the godly character in you is one of the signs that prove that you have the Holy Spirit. And remember that character in its seed form is the desire for it. The next point I want to bring to your attention is number two, power. Found in the book of Acts chapter one. Watch this now. The book of Acts chapter one. I'm going to read verse number eight. Very popular verse here, one of my favorites. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses telling people about me everywhere. In Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. So when does that power come upon our lives? The power comes when the Holy Spirit comes upon our lives. Power in and of itself is not the sign that you have the Holy Spirit. It is a sign, but it's not the sign. Think about those in Matthew chapter seven who come confidently strutting up to the Lord only to find that he's rejected them. What a terrifying thought that the Lord would reject you after using you. Jesus will use you even if he doesn't know you and the scripture proves that. So power alone is not the sign, but power is a sign that proves that you have the Holy Spirit. Now in Acts chapter one verse eight, we're going to point out a few things here. But you will receive power when, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. What kind of power? Well, the power to heal the sick. The power to cast out devils. The power to raise the dead. The power to speak in new tongues. The power to preach the gospel. What's the purpose of this power? It says here, and you will be my witnesses. The purpose of power is proclamation. The purpose of power is proclamation. You'll receive the power. Why? So that I can use my gifts and everyone can go, wow, look how gifted that guy is. So that I can heal the sick and people can say, wow, what a great ministry. So that I can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and people can point at my life and say, wow, that's one of God's generals. No, God did not give us power to put us on platforms. God gave us power to proclaim the truth of the gospel. And when he gives you that power, it's not to raise you. It's not to draw attention to you. It's to draw attention to Jesus. It's to magnify the name of Jesus. It's to preach the gospel of Jesus. That's why God gives us power. Now look at here. You actually see the influence of the gospel growing because the Bible says, telling people about me everywhere in Jerusalem, that was the city, throughout Judea and Samaria, those are the regions, and to the ends of the earth. So it spreads, it starts locally and then eventually goes globally. That is the wonderful way that the Holy Spirit works through our lives. He works in seasons and he gives us that power and that demonstration in increments as we surrender. So power. You lay hands on the sick and see them recover. Power to cast out devils. There's no devil that can walk on your level when you're walking in the presence of God. Demons cannot swim in the depths of God's glory. Deliverance and healing are probably two of the easiest ways to minister because we don't really do much. There's no technique to apply for healing or deliverance. There's no special incantation for healing or deliverance. You just invite the presence of the Holy Ghost to do as he does, and we've seen it. People delivered and healed en masse in every single service. Why? Because we recognize that the power comes from the Holy Spirit. It's him. He does the work. And so that power is yours. That power is meant for you to use. Why? The purpose of power is proclamation. Number three, a love for Jesus. Romans chapter five verse five says this, and this, another one of my favorite portions of scripture. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. I want to read it in the King James version two. Very poetic, very beautiful. Listen to this. And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. That love for Jesus that is required of you in order to please the Lord is given to you by the Holy Spirit. So really think about all the wonderful things that he does for you. I think we take it for granted sometimes. I don't think we truly grasp what the Holy Spirit does. The Holy Spirit gives you the desire to be spiritual. He reveals the requirements of pleasing God and then he gives you what you need to fulfill those requirements. Well, what did Jesus say? What is the greatest command? Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Everything that you are. What's the second greatest command? The second, Jesus said, is like unto it. Love your neighbor as yourself. Okay, so Jesus said that on those two laws, on those two rules, on those two commands, if you will, hang all the law and the prophets. So the entirety of what God requires of me is summarized and fulfilled vicariously through loving him with all that I am and loving my neighbor as myself. So then, loving God and loving people helps me to fulfill all commands. Well, how? Well, I'm not gonna commit idolatry if I love God with all that I am. I'm not gonna fall into sin if I love God with all that I am because that love for Jesus is what keeps me from sin. Neither will I commit sin against my brother. I'm not gonna be envious of them, jealous of them. I'm not gonna murder them or steal from them. Why? Because I love them. So in loving God and in loving people, I find the fulfillment of all that please is God. Now watch this. Not only does he give me all that I need to please God, he gives me that love that's required. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Well, how am I supposed to do that? Romans 5-5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. How am I supposed to love my neighbor like myself? I can hardly love myself sometimes. And I'm supposed to extend that love to others? The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. So that love that he places in you permeates your being flowing from deep within your spirit, affecting everyone around you. So the Holy Spirit helps you to worship truly, to pray consistently, to evangelize boldly, and to love unconditionally. That unconditional love that comes from the heart of Jesus is given to us by the Holy Ghost. And not just in small portions, the Bible says the love of God is shed abroad. It means that love feels to capacity. Every part of my being is the love of God. How does that happen? By the Holy Ghost. So he gives me the desire to be spiritual. He gives me the revelation of what pleases God. And then he gives me the power to fulfill those requirements by the Holy Ghost. That love that overflows for people. That love that abides. That love that helps you to forgive. That love that lets go of bitterness. That love that breaks the power of sin in people's lives. That is given to you by the Holy Ghost. Do you realize that when you love someone like Jesus, love them, they can't help but be changed? When they encounter that love through you, through your being, through your words, through your touch, through your eyes, through your voice. When they encounter the love of God through you, it causes them to confront their selfishness. It causes them to be broken from religious mindsets. That's the power that the Holy Ghost gave you. I would say, I would dare say, this is probably the greatest power that the Holy Spirit has given to us. He's given us the power to love like Jesus loves. He's given us the power to love God with all that we are and to love everyone around us like Jesus loved us. Whoa, what a power. And that's what liberates people. Think about the fact that people go their whole lives without ever knowing what true love is. They go through their whole lives broken by drug addiction and alcohol addiction and depression and anxiety and worldly messes and they go up and down in their relationships and they experience chaos and heartache and mistrust and betrayal and everywhere they go in this world, it's nothing but darkness and spiritually dead places and then they come to encounter a Son of God, you. And you love them and that love flows out of you like a brilliant light. That love comes out of you like a refreshing river and it breaks the power at the enemy head over them. There's something about the love of the Spirit through you that captures their attention, that captures their heart. It creates that spiritual magnetism that pulls them in. That is what the Holy Ghost gave you and that's a sign that the Holy Spirit abides in you. Number four, knowledge of truth or revelation. Only the Holy Spirit can give revelation. Now, the world can give you information but only the Holy Spirit can give you revelation. What's the difference? Information informs, revelation transforms. The revelation of the Holy Spirit brings about inspiration that brings forth transformation. That comes by the Holy Ghost. Now, 1 John chapter two, verse 27 says, but you have received the Holy Spirit and He lives within you. So you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. Four, the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know. Now, this is a thrilling reality. The Holy Spirit teaches you everything you need to know and what He teaches is true. It is not a lie. So just as He taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. So a few things to break down about this verse. There's a lot packed in here. First, you need to understand that the Bible here is not teaching that you literally don't need Bible teachers. You have to take this verse in context. God would not give teachers to the body of Christ if a man's gift is teaching, let him teach. These are the five-fold gifts that the Lord gave to his church. God would not give us teachers and then say, you don't need anyone to teach you. He wouldn't say, here's a teacher, but you don't need them. Everything God does has purpose. So the fact that God gave teachers to the church is proof to us that we need to be taught the word. So what's being described here in 1 John 2, 27, is not general teaching of the scripture. This is talking about that salvation that we've come to know or the gospel that we've come to know. In other words, you don't need anyone to repeat that to you again and again, though we should refresh our memories, though we should hear that word about the gospel again and again. He's talking about the fact that some of them are swaying or leaving or straying away from what they had originally been taught about the gospel. He's saying, look, you have the Holy Spirit in you so you know that the gospel is true. It's that knowing of truth, that inner witness that is being described here in 1 John 2, 27. Then he goes on to say, for the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know. That's powerful. And what he teaches is true. Think about how many opinions and philosophies and ideas and all of these things that come at us from all around the world, a culture today that's confused. We live in a confused culture. They call good evil and evil good, demonic influence. It's all over the place, but because we have the Holy Ghost, we're grounded in the truth. He teaches us what is true, and he grounds us in that truth, and he keeps us stable, grounded on the foundation of the truth of the Word of God. He reveals that. So just as he taught you remain in fellowship with Christ, that revelation comes by the Holy Ghost. Only the Holy Ghost can give revelation. Number five, holiness. First Peter, chapter one, I'm gonna read verse number two. God the Father knew you and shows you long ago, and His Spirit has made you holy. I like to call the Holy Spirit the holiness spirit because He makes you holy. He's the grace spirit as described in the Old Prophets, but He's also the Holy Spirit. He makes you holy. He proves His presence that abides with you by the holiness that's produced. Now, when I talk about the character of Christ, I'm talking about integrity and love, and I'm talking about patience and these things that have to do with the endurance of our character. But when I talk about holiness, I'm talking about staying away from drugs. I'm talking about staying away from alcohol. I'm talking about staying away from sexual perversion and sin, staying away from lying, these blatant things that really cause us to experience spiritual detriment. That's what the Holy Spirit keeps you from. It's not by power nor by might, but by the Spirit says the Lord. It's by the Holy Ghost that you overcome the flesh. It's by the Holy Ghost that you resist temptation. It's by the Holy Ghost that you stay free from sin. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. The Holy Spirit dwells in you to make you holy, to break off the power of sin, to cleanse you from the stains of wrongdoing. The Holy Spirit does this. He makes you holy. If someone claims to know God, if someone claims to have the Holy Spirit, yet they are willfully, purposefully, continually, consistently, stubbornly walking in sin, there has to at least be a question mark, not for us to question them, but for you to question in your own mind, do I really know God? Because if we know Him, we will walk in the light even as He is in the light. I want to be in the light, even as He is in the light. I want to walk in sync with the Holy Spirit. I want to walk in step with Him. I want to be in the light, not in darkness, and the Holy Spirit helps me to do it. To spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, make a one-time donation, or become a monthly supporter by clicking on the donate link now.