How does the 'Indwelling of the Holy Spirit' transform a Christian?

[Hobie]

The transformation of a true christian so that sin is cleansed from his heart and mind and he begins to show the fruits of the Holy Spirit seems to be simple enough. Yet the actual bearing of fruit seems to be unclear, so lets take a look at what the scripture says on life by the Spirit:

Galatians 5:16-26 King James Version (KJV)
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Ephesians 5:1-7 King James Version (KJV)
1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

So if we are led by the Spirit, we are not under the law, does that mean we can sin and go against it, I dont think thats what is meant. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit does not stop us from doing Gods will and showing love as that is the essence of the law, but it will put into our hearts and minds the spirit of the law which is even better than the "letter of the law" that sinners use every means to 'get around'. Those who are transformed by the Holy Spirit follow Gods will so there is no need of the Law to show them sin.

 

[canadyjd]

The Christian is not transformed. The unbeliever is transformed by indwelling Holy Spirit into a child of God.

peace to you

 

[Yeshua1]

The Christian is not transformed. The unbeliever is transformed by indwelling Holy Spirit into a child of God.

peace to you

Christians are now being conformed into image of Christ.

 

[Hobie]

The Christian is not transformed. The unbeliever is transformed by indwelling Holy Spirit into a child of God.

peace to you

How would you read this verse..
Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 

[canadyjd]

How would you read this verse..
Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

I prefer to read in English. Actually, I can’t read any other language, so I have to read it in English.

However, I may have misunderstood your initial post. God Holy Spirit does guide a Christian after salvation into all truth. There is certainly a conviction aspect of permanent indwelling and also the “testifying” with our spirit that we are children of God.

I can see how those actions by Holy Spirit can have have transformative effect on the Christian.

I stand corrected and revise and extend my previous statement on this matter.

peace to you

 

[Hobie]

I prefer to read in English. Actually, I can’t read any other language, so I have to read it in English.

However, I may have misunderstood your initial post. God Holy Spirit does guide a Christian after salvation into all truth. There is certainly a conviction aspect of permanent indwelling and also the “testifying” with our spirit that we are children of God.

I can see how those actions by Holy Spirit can have have transformative effect on the Christian.

I stand corrected and revise and extend my previous statement on this matter.

peace to you

Yes, we find many verses that touch on this..
1 Peter 1:1-2 King James Version (KJV)
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

2 Corinthians 3:18 King James Version (KJV)
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Colossians 3:9-10 King James Version (KJV)
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

 

[Hobie]

The Christian is not transformed. The unbeliever is transformed by indwelling Holy Spirit into a child of God.

peace to you

How would you read this text...

Romans 8:9-14 King James Version (KJV)
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

 

[atpollard]

I prefer to read in English. Actually, I can’t read any other language, so I have to read it in English.

However, I may have misunderstood your initial post. God Holy Spirit does guide a Christian after salvation into all truth. There is certainly a conviction aspect of permanent indwelling and also the “testifying” with our spirit that we are children of God.

I can see how those actions by Holy Spirit can have have transformative effect on the Christian.

I stand corrected and revise and extend my previous statement on this matter.

peace to you

[FYI] Here is Romans 12:2 in the Message ‘translation‘ ...

[MSG] So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.​

 

[atpollard]

The Christian is not transformed. The unbeliever is transformed by indwelling Holy Spirit into a child of God.

peace to you

I agree with this in spirit.

When a seed is planted in the ground, it ‘dies’ as a seed and is miraculously reborn as a young sprout. While it is true that the plant continues to undergo transformations as it grows and matures, none of those incremental transformations compare to the miracle of the death and resurrection of the seed into a new sprout of wheat.

It is the same way with the death and resurrection of a sinner into a saint and their growth into the image of Christ.

 

[Steven Yeadon]

The transformation of a true christian so that sin is cleansed from his heart and mind and he begins to show the fruits of the Holy Spirit seems to be simple enough. Yet the actual bearing of fruit seems to be unclear, so lets take a look at what the scripture says on life by the Spirit:

Galatians 5:16-26 King James Version (KJV)
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Ephesians 5:1-7 King James Version (KJV)
1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

So if we are led by the Spirit, we are not under the law, does that mean we can sin and go against it, I dont think thats what is meant. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit does not stop us from doing Gods will and showing love as that is the essence of the law, but it will put into our hearts and minds the spirit of the law which is even better than the "letter of the law" that sinners use every means to 'get around'. Those who are transformed by the Holy Spirit follow Gods will so there is no need of the Law to show them sin.

I became a Christian 4 years ago. I can tell you the change is pretty dramatic. It was kind of miraculous really. One thing I wonder about is that most Believers, who seem to have been raised in Christian homes and became believers as children, do not grasp the change as well as those like me, who came to faith as an adult past college.

Romans 8 is true, duh, is what I want to say. Part of this is learning perseverance and a spirit that is not complacent but always making every effort to love Jesus Christ in word and deed. I still sin of course, but the conviction to stop, turn away, and confess is always the victor in the end.

 

[Hobie]

I became a Christian 4 years ago. I can tell you the change is pretty dramatic. It was kind of miraculous really. One thing I wonder about is that most Believers, who seem to have been raised in Christian homes and became believers as children, do not grasp the change as well as those like me, who came to faith as an adult past college.

Romans 8 is true, duh, is what I want to say. Part of this is learning perseverance and a spirit that is not complacent but always making every effort to love Jesus Christ in word and deed. I still sin of course, but the conviction to stop, turn away, and confess is always the victor in the end.

Being raised in a christian home does not assure one of truly believing and being saved.