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Holy Spirit

The Christian worships God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). The Bible clearly teaches that God is one in being but also three distinct persons: May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14). God the Father defines the work to be done; God the Son carries out the Father’s ideal; and the Holy Spirit applies the accomplishments of the Son to bring the will of the Father to completion.

At the beginning of Genesis, as God was creating the heavens and the earth, we are informed that the Holy Spirit was brooding and moving over God’s creation. The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2). As a member of the Godhead, it was the Holy Spirit’s purpose to bring the process of order to the completed product of God’s creative mind and imagination.

The Holy Spirit has the features of personhood and relates to us with his mind, emotions, and will. He possesses a mind: He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:27). He can be emotionally grieved: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). He has a will and chooses to act: It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have (1 Corinthians 12:11). He relates to us as God, possessing the attributes of omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.

The Holy Spirit…

• is equally associated with the Father and the Son

• played a role in the creation of heavens and earth

• inspired the writing of the Scriptures

• regenerates all those who become believers

• abides in the person of the redeemed

• frees the believer from a life of bondage

• directs you into the truth of God’s Word

• was the cause of Mary’s virgin birth

• anointed Jesus for his service and mission

• played a vital role in Jesus’ resurrection

• gave birth to the church on the day of Pentecost

• seals believers into the body of Christ

• is the source of all spiritual gifts for the Church

• empowers those who preach the gospel

• guides in governing the Church

• convicts men and women of their sin

• empowers the enterprise of missions

The Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus Christ himself. It is to your advantage that I (Jesus) go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. …I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth (John 16:7-12).

The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of God: There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you (1 Corinthians 6:11).

The Holy Spirit is referred to as deity. He is God. Peter reminded Ananias that in lying to the Holy Spirit he had lied to God. Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell… The money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God! (Acts 5:3-4).

The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of Christ: 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 are not Christians at all (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit’s presence within you confirms that you are a child of God.

The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of Promise: And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago (Ephesians 1:13). In the Old Testament it was prophesied that the day would come when the Holy Spirit would be given to believers as promised. The promise was fulfilled and he was given on the Day of Pentecost. What you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: “In the last days,” God says, “I will pour out My Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy.” …Now He is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today (Acts 2:16-18, 33).

The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of Life: …through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). You have been set free by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. You now have the life Jesus Christ died to obtain for you.

The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of Adoption: For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). You have been adopted by God. As his child you have the full rights and privileges of sonship.

The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth: But I will send you the Counselor—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me (John 15:26). The work of the Holy Spirit is to lead you into a knowledge and experience of the truth.

The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of Grace: How much worse punishment do you think is deserved by the person who walks all over God’s Son, who acts as if the blood of the covenant that made us holy is just ordinary blood, and who insults the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:29). The Holy Spirit makes known the grace of God bringing the full impact of God into the life of the believing sinner.

The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of holiness: …and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:4). The Holy Spirit was not only involved in the act of the Resurrection but in applying this truth to your life. Holiness is a product of your response to his promptings.

The Holy Spirit is referred to as an intercessor for you: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:25).

The Holy Spirit is always with you. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You. The night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You (Psalm 139:7).

The Holy Spirit produces the fruits of righteousness through you. …the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).

The indwelling Holy Spirit is the assurance that you may experience the fullness of the provisions of God. And God has actually given us His Spirit so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us (1 Corinthians 2:12).

Learn to listen to the indwelling Spirit. Jesus challenged his disciples many times: He who has ears to hear, let him be listening (Matthew 11:15). He is graciously available to you. Because of the abundant presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, the disciples were overflowing with happiness (Acts 13:52).

The Spirit of God is your source:

Empowering!

Teaching!

Comforting!

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