Who know that grammar could bring you into deeper relationship with Holy Spirit? After preparing to write her most recent book, Your Friendship With Holy Spirit, Sarah Bowling does. As a part of her study, she went through Romans 8, which mentions the Holy Spirit more than 20 times.
"And what I did was I looked at each of the verbs associated with each mention," the Bible teacher and daughter of Marilyn Hickey tells Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of the Greenelines podcast on the Charisma Podcast network. "What does Holy Spirit do? And how do we participate in that?" Her goal, she says, was to help people—no matter where they are in their relationship with Him—move into deeper intimacy and connection with this often-neglected member of the Trinity.
"We have the idea of having a relationship with a father; we think of the Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit," Bowling says. "And we think of relationship with Father—that's not hard to get our head around somewhat. At least we have the theory of it. And then Jesus is good, because we have the Gospels, and that's helpful ... When you start talking about a relationship with the Holy Spirit, it gets misty, kind of cloudy."
Bowling explains that all the verbs In Romans 8 that describe the Holy Spirit's work are present tense, which in the Greek means they stand for an ongoing activity.
"The first verb is 'to walk,' and it's the Greek word parapeteo," Bowling says. She says she appreciates Paul's use of a verb that describes such a common activity because "that brings the Holy Spirit out of the mystical—'Hey, let's just take a walk. We're just going to walk today.'"
"The second verb that Paul talks about is 'to dwell' and letting Holy Spirit dwell in us. That's the word oikeo in Greek, and that has a rich context. It's not the same as 'abide,' but it means 'to make a home together,' and so letting Holy Spirit make His home in us. I think that's a rich, rich thing to pray and consider.
Another of the verbs Bowling discovered in the Romans 8 passage is "to lead. "Those who are the sons of God are led by Holy Spirit, Romans 14, and that's the Greek word augo," she says. "And that's a really powerful word ... it's real simple in the sense that when I'm walking with Holy Spirit, when I let Holy Spirit lead me from identity. It's a lot more powerful than insecurity. Because I don't think a lot of times we walk and we let Holy Spirit lead us ... out of insecurity, out of fear, out of uncertainty, out of desperation. But I think Holy Spirit says, 'I want to ground you in who you are. And you are My son; you are My daughter. And because of that, that's why I can lead you—not for any other reason."
For much more from Sarah Bowling on how to grow in true intimacy with the Holy Spirit, listen to the entire episode of Greenelines at this link, and subscribe to Greenelines on your favorite podcast platform. Find Bowling's book, Your Friendship With Holy Spirit: An Interactive Guide to Growing Your Relationship With God, wherever fine books are sold, and listen to her podcast, Sarah Bowling: Living Genuine Love, also on the Charisma Podcast Network. 
Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.
Dr. Steve Greene is the publisher and executive vice president of the media group at Charisma Media and executive producer of the Charisma Podcast Network. His book, Love Leads: The Spiritual Connection Between Your Relationships and Productivity, is now available.
Leaders, Dr. Greene wants to help you understand the spiritual connection between relationships and productivity. Read his new blog, here.
Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.
Dr. Mark Rutland's
National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)
The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!
FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.
Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like you’re not growing? Do you need help from an expert in leadership? There is no other leadership training like the NICL. Gain the leadership skills and confidence you need to lead your church, business or ministry. Get ready to accomplish all of your God-given dreams. CLICK HERE for NICL training dates and details.The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.
