David Diga Hernandez - How to Know If You REALLY Have the Holy Spirit

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. Maybe every time you make a mistake, you wonder, «Did I lose the Holy Spirit?» Or perhaps you’re concerned about the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life, and you want to know if those signs are active. Well, I’m going to give you five signs that prove you have the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22–23 states, «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 post something clever that stated, «Are you filled with the Holy Spirit with evidence in how you treat people?» I thought that was brilliant; it made a great point. Sometimes I think we equate power as a sign that the Holy Spirit is within us, but we may prioritize power and gifts over character. Your character is more important than your calling. Who you are in Christ—who you are in Him—is what defines your calling. Your ministry is part of your calling, but your identity in Him is much more significant. What good does it do to speak in tongues in public settings if you’re cursing out your spouse, speaking negative words, or saying things that go against the character of Christ? Yes, you may lay hands on the sick, but what are you doing with those hands when no one is looking? Yes, it’s wonderful to proclaim the truths of the Word of God, but is that the same mouth that curses and speaks evil? What are you doing with what God gave you? How are you living, and does your life 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 lack joy, it shows I’m not truly plugged into the Spirit. If I’m doing things for God, serving Him, and trying to live in holiness—but I lack peace and feel constantly paranoid, 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 can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say, «You can’t criticize me; just look at my fruit,» and they point to how many followers or viewers they have, how many years they’ve been in ministry, or how long they’ve served in children’s church or sound ministry. That’s not what Jesus meant when He talked about fruit; He was talking about character.

Authority does not come from the effectiveness of your ministry or even your experience in ministry. Authority comes from the Word of God, which teaches us to develop characters aligned with the character of Christ. The greatest proof that the Holy Spirit dwells in you—please hear me now—is the character of Christ manifested through you. I want to say that again: the greatest evidence that the Holy Spirit dwells in you is the character of Christ revealed through you. If you don’t act like Jesus acted, or if you don’t have the character of Christ developing within you, we all can afford to be more like Jesus in one way or another. That may be a sign that you’re not walking with the Holy Spirit as you should.

Now, in its infancy, so that you’re not discouraged, the character of Christ—or the fruit of the Spirit—begins as a desire. I want you to understand this because I don’t want you to condemn yourself, nor do I want you to walk away from this teaching fearful and wondering, «Have I lost the Holy Spirit?» The fruit of the Spirit begins with desire. First, there is the desire for the spiritual, 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, to walk in holiness, or to have godly character, that’s proof that the Holy Spirit has begun a work in you. You wouldn’t even have the desire to be like Jesus if it weren’t for the Holy Spirit.

As you can read in Galatians 5, the Bible talks about the desires of the Spirit being contrary to the flesh. If you have a desire to embody 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 represents the character of Christ. Therefore, that desire proves you’re not completely far gone, off the rails, or disconnected from God. That desire itself is proof that God has already begun a work in you; He is already developing something and forming the nature of Christ Jesus in you. For that, you should be thankful and see it as a sign of godly character. What good does it do?