To help remember the work of the Spirit, P2C-Students uses some simple categories: Relationship, Effectiveness, Conviction, Awareness, Leadership, and Life, or RECALL.
Read the verses below and jot down how you see him working in each. Then, based on the definitions of each category below, indicate which category or categories encompass the Spirit’s role as described in each verse.
If you’d like to print the chart for you and your disciple to fill out, it is also attached as a PDF.
1. Relationship
This category speaks of how the Spirit mediates, provides proof of and helps us experience the new relationship we have as children of God. We have included the idea of assurance in this category, since in Scripture, the two are tied together. Biblically, the assurance of the Holy Spirit is three-fold:
- assurance that Jesus is God and lived, died and was resurrected (John 14-16)
- assurance that we are children of God (Rom 8:16)
- assurance of a future hope (2 Cor 1:22)
The Holy Spirit is our seal and foretaste of the presence of God and oneness of the church we will experience in the new heavens and earth.
2. Effectiveness
Effectiveness describes how the Holy Spirit empowers our gifts and actions for effective use in his kingdom purposes—whether in dramatic or gradual ways. It also describes the fruit that God bears in our lives, which makes the actions that we do a reflection of the God who is at work in us.
3. Conviction
This may be one of the clearest acts of the Spirit that we experience. Conviction is awareness of areas where I’m living out of step with God’s design, the gospel or the new person that God has called me to be. Another way the Bible describes this is that I’m gratifying the old nature or the “flesh” (Gal 5:16).
4. Awareness
The Spirit points us to and reminds us of his presence with us. He is the one who helps us recognize his work in our lives. He helps us to know who God is and what he is doing. He may do this through the body of believers, through musical worship, nature (Psalm 19:1), scripture, walking, driving, etc.. Our ability to partner with the Spirit hinges on the Spirit’s work of giving us awareness.
5. Leadership
The Spirit leads, guides and helps us. When we don’t know what to pray for, he intercedes for us. He testifies, speaks and counsels us.
6. Life
This category refers to the type of life we experience as a part of God’s family. The biblical words used in this category are freedom, satisfaction, renewal. As we follow the Spirit, he regenerates us, restoring to us the life that we were made for. It’s important to note that these things are objectively true about us when we become Christians, but at moments they are also made subjectively true as well.
| REFERENCE | WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES | CATEGORY(IES) |
| Ezek. 36:22-32 | ||
| Matt. 10:20 | ||
| Luke 4:18-19 | ||
| John 3:5-8 | ||
| John 7:37-39 | ||
| John 14:16 | ||
| John 14:26 | ||
| John 15:26 | ||
| John 16:8, 13 | ||
| John 16:14-15 | ||
| John 20:21-22 | ||
| Acts 1:8 | ||
| Acts 2:1-41 | ||
| Acts 7:55-56 | ||
| Acts 9:31 | ||
| Rom. 5:5 | ||
| Rom. 8:11 | ||
| Rom. 8:13 | ||
| Rom. 8:16 | ||
| Rom. 8:26-27 | ||
| 1 Cor. 2:6–14 | ||
| 1 Cor. 6:19 | ||
| 1 Cor. 12:4-11 | ||
| 1 Cor. 12:13 | ||
| 2 Cor. 3:17 | ||
| 2 Cor. 3:18 | ||
| Gal. 5:5 | ||
| Gal. 5:22 | ||
| Eph. 1:13-14 | ||
| Eph. 3:16 | ||
| 2 Tim. 1:7 | ||
| Titus 3:5 | ||
| 1 John 4:2-6 | ||
| 1 John 4:13 | ||
| Rev. 22:17 |
Reflection
Why is it important that I experience each of: conviction, effectiveness, life, leadership and relationship through the Spirit?
What would be true if I didn’t have the Spirit doing this work?
What are some ways in which I have experienced the Spirit working in my life in each category?