The Holy Spirit Transforms
February 22, 2026
Common false assumption:
- Holiness = Bondage
- Sin = Freedom
Truth:
- Holiness = Freedom
- Sin = Bondage
2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT)
- “For the Lord is the Spirit, …
• The Spirit is God inside of us! (Part 1)
• The Spirit dwells in us. (Part 2)
• The Spirit leads us. (Part 3)
• The Spirit empowers us. (Part 4) - and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord who is the Spirit makes us more and more like Him as we are changed (metamorphoō) into His glorious image.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)
The Holy Spirit transforms! (Part 5)
The Spirit transforms us to become more like Jesus.
The Spirit changes our nature, not just our behavior.
Meta = change. Morph = essence. A change in essence!
“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” Romans 7:15 (NLT)
“23But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 7:23-25 (NLT)
“1So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2And because you belong to Him, the power of the life giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. 5Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” Romans 8:1-6 (NLT)
Who is in control of you? The flesh or the Spirit?
“⁷For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. ⁸That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. ⁹But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) ¹⁰And Christ lives within you, so even though your within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:7-11 (NLT)
- We are not the power source. The Spirit is!
- Not with fists clenched, but with palms up
“Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.” Romans 8:12 (NLT)
- When you sin:
• It’s not: “You’re a bad person!”
• It’s: “That’s not who you are anymore!”
“For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” Romans 8:13 (NLT)
The Holy Spirit transforms!
- The Spirit transforms us to become more like Jesus.
- The Spirit changes our nature, not just our behavior.
- We are not the power source. The Spirit is!
- Not with fists clenched, but with palms up.
How do I let the Holy Spirit transform my life?
- Believe in Jesus
- Crucify your sinful nature (repentance)
- Release control and obey the Spirit (palms up)
- Commit to community (John 11:44)
Will you?
“1So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. 19When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there. 25Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.” Galatians 5:16-26 (NLT)
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