pope leo
nadeem khanによるBeloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today I want to share with you a question that stirs the heart of every believer: How do I know if the Holy Spirit is truly in my life?
This is not just a theological curiosity. It is a matter of eternity. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the evidence that we belong to God. Scripture tells us in Romans 8:9, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” That means we cannot afford to be uncertain about this.
1. The Spirit Brings Inner Transformation
The first sign that the Holy Spirit is in your life is change. The Spirit does not leave a person the same.
When the Spirit comes, He transforms the heart. The things you once loved—sin, pride, anger—begin to lose their grip. The things you once ignored—prayer, worship, holiness—begin to stir a hunger inside of you.
Galatians 5:22 tells us the fruit of the Spirit: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
If you see these qualities growing in your life—not by your own effort, but by God’s grace—then you are seeing the fingerprints of the Spirit.
2. The Spirit Gives Assurance of Salvation
Another way you know the Holy Spirit is in your life is through assurance.
Romans 8:16 declares, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
There will be times when doubts creep in, when the enemy whispers lies to your soul. But deep within, there is a voice, gentle yet unshakable, saying: You are mine. You belong to Jesus.
That voice is the Spirit of God.
3. The Spirit Produces a Desire for God’s Word
The Holy Spirit always leads you toward the Word of God, never away from it.
Before you knew Christ, the Bible may have seemed dull or confusing. But when the Spirit dwells in you, Scripture comes alive.
Verses you once overlooked suddenly burn with truth. The Word becomes your daily bread, your source of guidance, your light in darkness.
4. The Spirit Empowers You to Witness
Acts 1:8 says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.”
When the Holy Spirit fills your life, you cannot remain silent about Jesus. You may not be a preacher, you may not stand behind a pulpit, but your life becomes a testimony. You speak differently, you forgive differently, you love differently. People notice, and doors open for you to share the Gospel.
5. The Spirit Brings Conviction of Sin
The Spirit is not only a comforter but also a convictor. If you can sin and feel nothing—no sorrow, no tug on your heart—that is a dangerous sign.
But if every time you stumble you feel a pull back to God, a sorrow that leads to repentance, it means the Spirit is at work within you.
John 16:8 says, “When He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”
6. The Spirit Cultivates Love for Others
The truest sign of the Spirit’s presence is love. Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
The Spirit softens hard hearts, heals broken relationships, and teaches us to love even our enemies. If you find yourself being moved to forgive, to show compassion, to care for the hurting—this is not your flesh. This is the Spirit of God within you.
Closing Call
So, how do you know if the Holy Spirit is in your life?
Look for transformation.
Listen for assurance.
Hunger for God’s Word.
Witness with power.
Feel the conviction of sin.
Walk in love.
The Holy Spirit is not a theory, not a feeling, not a fleeting experience. He is a Person—the very presence of God living in you. And when He lives in you, the evidence cannot be hidden.
My friends, if you do not see these signs, do not despair. Ask. Jesus promised in Luke 11:13, “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Open your heart, surrender your life, and let the Spirit fill you today. For when the Spirit is in your life, you will never be the same again.
When the Holy Spirit comes into a person’s life, the very first evidence of His presence is inner transformation. Transformation is not simply about external behavior, but about the deep change that begins within the heart. A person who once loved sin starts to feel uncomfortable in it, and a person who once ignored righteousness begins to crave holiness. This change is not something that can be produced by human willpower alone. It is the supernatural work of God reshaping desires, priorities, and attitudes. The Spirit does not merely reform our habits, He recreates us from the inside out.
A person may try to change themselves, but human strength always has its limits. The Holy Spirit, however, gives new life. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here!” This is not poetry, but reality. When the Spirit comes, the “old self” with its sinful cravings begins to die, and a “new self” formed in Christ rises up. Things you once thought were normal begin to feel heavy on your soul. Gossip, lust, greed, bitterness, anger, pride—where once you may have embraced them, the Spirit now stirs within you a resistance, a holy discomfort that points you away from them.
This transformation can sometimes be subtle, and at other times it can be radical. For some, the Spirit brings an immediate break from destructive habits. For others, it is a steady, patient process of pruning and reshaping. But in both cases, the evidence is the same: a gradual yet undeniable movement toward godliness. The Spirit produces in us what Galatians 5:22 describes as fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are not merely virtues to admire; they are spiritual fruit that grow naturally when the Spirit dwells in us. Just as a healthy tree naturally produces fruit without striving, a Spirit-filled life begins to show these qualities, not because of self-effort, but because of the Spirit’s power within.
The world often confuses transformation with behavior modification. People can discipline themselves, join programs, or set resolutions to become “better.” Yet without the Spirit, these changes are like trimming the branches of a diseased tree without touching the roots. The Spirit, however, goes straight to the root. He deals with the source of sin—our hearts. Transformation through the Spirit means more than avoiding sin; it means loving righteousness. It is not merely saying “I shouldn’t do this,” but instead “I no longer want to do this because my heart has changed.”
Another mark of transformation is the growing awareness of God’s presence. Before the Spirit, a person may live day to day without considering God. After the Spirit’s indwelling, there is a constant inner reminder that God is near. Prayer becomes more natural, worship becomes more sincere, and obedience becomes more joyful. This is not about outward religion, but inward renewal. The Spirit replaces cold ritual with burning desire, turning empty practices into genuine encounters with God.
The transformation also touches how you see people. Where there was once selfishness, there begins to grow compassion. Where there was hatred, forgiveness takes root. Where there was prejudice, love begins to flourish. The Spirit teaches us to see people as God sees them, not through the lens of our flesh. He softens hardened hearts, heals brokenness, and begins to shape us into the likeness of Christ.
There is also a transformation in perspective. The things of this world that once seemed so valuable—money, fame, possessions—lose their grip. The Spirit opens our eyes to eternal realities, shifting our priorities toward what matters most. Suddenly, you value time with God more than worldly entertainment, you long for eternal treasures rather than temporary pleasures, and you find greater fulfillment in serving than in being served.
Even in suffering, transformation is evident. Where there was once despair, the Spirit brings hope. Where there was once fear, the Spirit brings courage. Where there was once weakness, the Spirit brings strength. Trials that might have destroyed you before are now endured with faith, because the Spirit within you gives endurance. This inner transformation cannot be explained by psychology or willpower. It is the divine hand of God reshaping a life to reflect Christ.
This change does not mean perfection. Believers still stumble, still struggle, still fall short. But the difference is this: they do not remain there. The Spirit lifts them, convicts them, restores them, and keeps shaping them. Transformation is not instant perfection but continual progress. Each day, the Spirit molds the believer closer to the image of Jesus, and the evidence of His work becomes more and more visible to others.
The presence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life is often made known through assurance, a deep inner confidence that we belong to God and that we are truly His children. This assurance is not the product of human logic, nor is it based on wishful thinking or emotional highs. It is a supernatural witness within the heart that comes from the Spirit Himself. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” This verse reveals a mystery: deep inside, there is a testimony, a voice that speaks with authority beyond our own thoughts, affirming that we have been adopted into the family of God.
Before the Spirit’s work, many people live with uncertainty about where they stand with God. They wonder if they are good enough, if their sins are too many, if their prayers are strong enough, if God truly hears them. The human heart naturally wrestles with doubt, because our own conscience reminds us of our failures and shortcomings. The enemy also takes advantage of this, whispering lies of condemnation, trying to convince us that we are still lost, unworthy, and unforgiven. Without the Spirit, these voices can be overwhelming, leaving a soul in constant fear and insecurity. But when the Spirit enters a life, He silences those lies with a stronger truth, testifying within us that through Jesus Christ we are forgiven, accepted, and sealed as God’s own.
This assurance does not mean arrogance. It is not a self-confidence rooted in human effort, but a God-confidence rooted in the finished work of Christ. The Spirit points us away from ourselves and toward the cross, reminding us that our salvation is not earned by deeds but given by grace. When doubts arise, the Spirit redirects our focus to Jesus’ sacrifice, showing us that His blood is enough, His promises are sure, and His Word cannot fail. Assurance is not about trusting our own strength but trusting His.
There is also a deep peace that comes with the Spirit’s assurance. Anxiety about eternity begins to fade, because the Spirit whispers that heaven is real and that it is our eternal home. Fear of death loses its sting, because the Spirit reassures us that resurrection and eternal life are guaranteed in Christ. This peace is not something that can be faked or manufactured; it flows naturally from the Spirit’s witness. Even in moments of uncertainty, even when emotions are shaken, this quiet inner confidence remains like an anchor to the soul.
