Our own limits
No matter how good your intentions are, it’s impossible to come to the life the Bible speaks about on your own. You can have the best desire in the world, but you are limited. There are limits to what you can do on your own.
You can get an understanding of what is right and wrong according to your upbringing or surroundings. Your conscience can help you to a certain point. And you can manage a lot of self-control in front of other people.
But there’s one commandment that has to do with your inner life where nobody can see if you’re transgressing or not, and that commandment is: “You shall not covet.” This means that you shall not desire something that belongs to another person. This is an inward desire, and since nobody can see what happens in your heart and your thoughts, nobody, not even the law, can convict you for that.
And it’s here that you can’t manage on your own anymore.
Power for the impossible
When you face the desires that come up in you and the thoughts that come up when you are tempted, then your own human abilities, your own strong will and your best intentions can only help up to a point, no matter how “good” they are.
Just think about King David. He was a man after God’s own heart, and even he couldn’t manage to always overcome sin. When it came to his own desires and lust of the eyes, he couldn’t overcome. These lusts and desires led him into adultery. (2 Samuel 11-12.) And David was a good, good man; we’re not talking about just anybody. In Psalm 51 we read that he sorrowed over his sin and repented from it, but he didn’t have enough power to overcome it.
The truth is that we all have a sinful human nature, full of lusts and desires that go against God’s will. In the Bible we can read that these desires must not only be denied, but they must be “crucified” or “put to death”. (Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:24; Colossians 3:5.) But we are not able to completely overcome these sinful lusts and desires ourselves. We need help!
When Jesus was on earth, He promised that after He left, He would send the Helper, the Holy Spirit. He also said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you …” Acts 1:8. And that is the main purpose of the Holy Spirit: to give us power and help to totally overcome sin, something that is impossible to do on our own. (Romans 8:1-17.)
Unlimited help and guidance
There is nobody who knows everything at the beginning. But the Holy Spirit does know, because He was together with Jesus throughout His entire life. He knows how Jesus lived and how Jesus had it, and that, when He was a man like us, He never sinned, even though He was tempted just like us in all things. (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:21-22.)
So the Holy Spirit can be a guide for you, and show you your own sin and give you power to overcome the sin that you see in yourself. He can also show you things that you need to be cleansed from: things that you maybe weren’t aware of before. He is called the Spirit of Truth, the Helper and the Teacher, and He can teach you to be righteous and give you all the power you need to live an overcoming life!
If you have the Holy Spirit, He can make things very clear for you. It’s not something magic, where you sit and meditate and hear this “mystical voice” telling you what to do. But the Spirit will guide you in the right direction. And you can learn to hear His voice. By being obedient to God’s Word and what He works in your heart, you can learn to hear more and more clearly. The Spirit can guide you through all things, which is a great comfort, and a good reason why He is also called the Comforter.
Jesus said about the Spirit that would come after He left, “But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you.” John 14:26 (CEV).
The Holy Spirit has many things to tell you. He can give you strength, help, comfort and guidance. By obeying Him, you can live the faithful life that you have longed for. You can have fellowship with God, and always be able to hear His voice. You can become an heir with Christ, an overcomer, someone with a future, not only here on earth, but in all eternity! Have you asked to receive the Holy Spirit?
