David Diga Hernandez - How to Be Sensitive to the Holy Spirit

I want to read a verse to you that absolutely transformed my life: 2 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 14. «May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.» When I first discovered that the Holy Spirit is not a thing but a person, it completely transformed my life. You can’t have friendship with a force; you can’t have friendship with a thing. You can only have friendship with a person. When I discovered that the Holy Spirit could have fellowship with me and that I could commune with Him, when I discovered that He is my ever-abiding friend, it completely transformed my life.

Now, don’t get me wrong; growing up in church, I had heard that lingo before: «The Holy Spirit is your friend. The Holy Spirit is not a thing; He’s a person.» What happens sometimes, sadly, is that the more often we hear a truth, the less powerful that truth becomes to us. After we’ve heard all the clichés, we’re left with no practice that really brings transformation to our lives. So I want to emphasize this point: the Holy Spirit is a person. I know you’ve heard this before; you’ve probably heard all the phrases that go along with this truth. But I want you to really think about this: The Holy Spirit is my friend. The Holy Spirit can have fellowship with me. The Holy Spirit abides with me.

Think about this: the Holy Spirit is the one who reminds you to pray. The Holy Spirit is the one who reminds you to get into the Word. The Holy Spirit is the one who inspires worship and gives you boldness for evangelism. The Holy Spirit empowers you unto holiness and is there in the deep, dark places of your life when you’re struggling with temptation. He’s the constant reminder, the constant companion. He is the one who gives you strength, peace, patience, love, and joy. He’s there with you in every moment, even when you fail. For Jesus said, «I’ll send another, and He will never leave you.»

The Holy Spirit patiently abides with us, even when we are stubborn, even when we refuse to listen. He is more patient than we are stubborn; He is more loving than we are sinful, and He remains there as our friend, our companion. The Scripture says, «Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?» This means the Holy Spirit abides with me. I’m not looking for an atmosphere; I am an atmosphere. I’m not looking for a heavenly realm; I am a heavenly realm because the Holy Spirit dwells in me.

So yes, we understand that the Holy Spirit is our friend, but have you ever truly considered the implications of that truth? Have you ever truly thought about what that means for your everyday life? This means that moment by moment, minute by minute, second by second, millisecond by millisecond, the presence of the Holy Spirit abides with me. My question to you is, knowing that the Holy Spirit goes with you wherever you go: are you taking Him places He doesn’t want to be? Are you doing things He doesn’t want to see? Are you saying things or thinking thoughts that break His heart?

The Scripture says in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 30: «And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, He has identified you as His own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.» It’s possible for me to bring sorrow to the person of the Holy Spirit. It’s possible for me to break His heart. Absolutely, there are things we say and do, attitudes and mindsets we carry that go against His Word, His will, and His ways—things that can absolutely break His heart.

I want to live in such a way that I am mindful of the presence of the Holy Spirit. I want to live in a way that doesn’t hurt Him. You see, I want to live holy, not because I fear punishment from God; I want to live holy because I fear grieving the Holy Spirit. I love Him dearly; He’s my closest friend. He is my connection with God. Isn’t it interesting that the Scripture tells us, «May the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you»? It doesn’t say «the fellowship of the Father,» though we communicate with Him, nor does it say «the fellowship of the Son,» though we communicate with Him.

Consider this: God the Father is seated upon a throne, as we’re told in the book of Revelation, and sitting at His right hand is the Son. If the Father is seated in heavenly places and the Son is seated at His right hand, then who communes with us daily? Who is here with us on the earth? That is the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one with me, helping me to live the empowered, fulfilled Christian life. The Holy Spirit is the one causing me to experience that something more. The Holy Spirit is the one helping me to move beyond the mundane and into the supernatural dimensions of heavenly power. The Holy Spirit is the one who rests with me, abides with me, remains with me. He doesn’t leave. He’s patient, so I should live mindful of His presence. I should live aware of His wants, His desires, and His needs.

You know, when you pay attention to what God says in His Word, when you give yourself to prayer, then sensitivity to the Holy Spirit increases.