The Work of the Holy Spirit

Change is exclusively the work of the Holy Ghost. We simply can’t change ourselves. Only the Spirit of God can conform us to the glorious image of Christ. We have all heard it said, “When a person turns to the Lord, God lifts the veil from his eyes.” That is solely the Spirit’s work.

We also read, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17, NKJV). The word “liberty” here means no longer a slave; exempt from liability; free, unchained. This describes the freedom that comes with having our eyes opened. Suddenly, we see things in a new light. Only the Holy Spirit can break down our lifelong way of seeing things, turn us around, and set us on a true course.

In short, the turning Paul speaks of here means trusting fully in God’s Spirit. It also means turning away from all unbiblical counseling, all your own ideas and plans, and calling on the Holy Ghost alone to lead and guide you.

Paul experienced this kind of turning. In Acts 9, when he was still known as Saul, he was on the wrong course, headed to Damascus to persecute the Christians there. Talk about having a veil over his eyes! Saul actually believed he was doing God a favor by arresting believers and throwing them in jail.

The Lord intercepted Saul and created a crisis in his life. When Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus, he struck him with a light that was so powerful it literally blinded him. Saul had to be led to a house in Damascus, where he stayed until godly Ananias arrived. Ananias told him: “’Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once…” (Acts 9:17-18).

Saul surrendered his past, future, everything to the Holy Spirit, and the veil was immediately removed from his eyes. So let us yield completely to the Holy Spirit, trusting him alone to remove every veil and transform us into the likeness of Christ.