He is a part of God, the third person of a triune God. God
takes up residence in our heart in the form of the Holy Spirit, in other words
He comes to live inside of us. The Holy Spirit is also
referred to as:
-The Holy Spirit of God
-The Spirit
-The Helper
-The Holy Ghost
-The Invisible Power of God
When does the Holy Spirit Come and what does He do?
Let's first look in the Bible in Ephesians Chapter 1, verses 13
& 14 - "And you also were
included in Christ when you heard the word of truth,the gospel of your
salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the
redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory."
The Bible tells us many things about the Spirit, such as where He comes from and
what His responsibilities are. Here are a few things we can read about him:
Jesus said in John chapter 14, verse 26 "But
the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach
you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
He is sent by the Father. God the Father is the Godhead
and sends the Holy Spirit, His Spirit to live in you at the time of your
salvation (refer to Ephesians Chapter 1, verses 13 & 14).
He teaches us all things. He gives wisdom to those who ask
as stated in James Chapter 1, verse 5 - "If
any of you lacks wisdom,he should ask God, who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given him." Wisdom about any
decisions we need to make, our circumstances, wisdom and understanding of His Word (the Bible) and His will (desire or purpose) for our lives.
He brings to remembrance the things God has said. As we
read our bibles and study and think (meditate) on His written word, He helps us
to remember it in our times of need. We must take in the word so that the
Spirit can use it in our lives as stated in Psalms chapter 119, verse 11 - "I
have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."
He convicts of right and wrong. He is that innermost voice
we hear inside of us telling us right from wrong. We must be sure however that we are listening to the Spirit of God. The way to know the
difference
is to know God's written word. The way to know God's written word is by
reading and studying your Bible. This will allow you to grow in your faith
and you will be able to recognize His voice more easily.
He guides us into the truth. The truth is His Word (the
Bible). He teaches us his ways, which are not the ways of the world.
"For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the
Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
(Isaiah chapter 55, verses 8 & 9)
He speaks only the words of God. This means
you can be sure that anything you hear from the Spirit will be consistent (not
go against) the written word of God (the Bible). "But
when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He
will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." (John chapter 16, verse
13)
He discloses what is to come. This is not
like a fortune teller, nor a palm-reader, nor a horoscope, nor a psychic.
This is truth about you and God's plan (will) for your life. As you become
familiar with God's word and His ways, it will give meaning to your life and the
direction God wants you to go. "For
I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not
to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah
Chapter 29, verse 11)
He glorifies Jesus. As we understand God's
word (a job of the Holy Spirit) and obey the Spirit's voice, we will glorify
(bring honor) to Jesus because the Spirit brings honor to Jesus and to the Father. This is our ultimate goal, our purpose in life is to glorify
God. "So whether you
eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
(I Corinthians Chapter 10, verse 31)
He prays for us. Everyone
faces times in their lives when because of disappointment, grief, difficult
circumstances or uncertainty of direction they feel they do not know how or what
to pray. Perhaps, a situation is so overwhelming you simply cannot offer
up a prayer. The Bible tells us in Romans chapter 8, verse 26 "In
the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we
ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that
words cannot express." Our Father knows our needs and has
given us His Spirit to help us live.
He bears witness with our spirit that we are
children of God.
Sometimes we find ourselves in the following
predicaments:
-Doubting that God really loves us
-Feeling all alone without God's presence
-Wondering if God really cares about
us
The way the Spirit bears witness is by reminding
us of what God has said in His Word (the Bible). He brings to remembrance verses like the following:
-
"We love because
he first loved us." (I John 4:19)
-
"Have I not
commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be
terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with
you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:12)
-
"Cast all your
anxiety on him because he cares for you." (I
Peter 5:7)
The Holy Spirit is there to testify (confirm)
that you belong to God, you are a child of God and an heir to all that belongs
to Jesus and the Father. "The
Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now
if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his
glory." (Romans 8:16-17)
The Holy Spirit is given as a pledge. A
pledge is a promise. God has promised you eternal life if you have
confessed you are a sinner and have need of a Savior-Jesus Christ. You
have been forgiven of your sins and given a promise to go to be with God when
you physically die. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ and a Jew,
explaining to the other apostles about how God had offered salvation to not only
the Jews but the Gentiles (all nationalities of people) stated: "Then
I remembered what the Lord had said: John baptized
with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So if
God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus
Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" (Acts
11:16-17). Also look again in Ephesians Chapter 1, verses 13
& 14 - "And you also were
included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the
redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory."
Bible verses referenced in this
presentation
are from the following translation:
New International Version