The
Holy Spirit is a real person who came to reside within Jesus
Christ's true followers after Jesus rose from the dead and
ascended to heaven (Acts 2). Jesus told His apostles...
"I will ask the Father, and He will give you
another Helper, that He may be with you forever; the
Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because
it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him
because He abides with you, and will be in you. I will
not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John
14:16-18)
The Holy Spirit is not a vague, ethereal shadow, nor an
impersonal force. He is a person equal in every way with God
the Father and God the Son. He is considered to be the third
member of the Godhead. Jesus said to His apostles...
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and
on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe
all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age." (Matt. 28:18-20)
God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And all the divine
attributes ascribed to the Father and the Son are equally
ascribed to the Holy Spirit. When a person becomes born
again by believing and receiving Jesus Christ (John 1:12-13;
John 3:3-21), God resides in that person through the Holy
Spirit (1Cor. 3:16). The Holy Spirit has intellect (1Cor.
2:11), emotion (Rom. 15:30), and will (1Cor. 12:11).
A
primary role of the Holy Spirit is that He bears "witness"
of Jesus Christ (John 15:26, 16:14). He tells people's
hearts about the truth of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit also
acts as a Christian's teacher (1Cor. 2:9-14). He reveals
God's will and God's truth to a Christian. Jesus told His
disciples...
"The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring
to your remembrance all that I said to you." (John
14:26)
"When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He
will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak
on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will
speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come."
(John 16:13)
The Holy Spirit was given to live inside those who
believe in Jesus, in order to produce God's character in the
life of a believer. In a way that we cannot do on our own,
the Holy Spirit will build into our lives love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Rather than trying to be
loving, patient, kind, God asks us to rely on Him to produce
these qualities in our lives. Thus Christians are told to
walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25) and be filled with the Spirit
(Eph. 5:18). And the Holy Spirit empowers Christians to
perform ministerial duties that promote spiritual growth
among Christians (Rom. 12; 1Cor. 12; Eph. 4).
The Holy
Spirit also performs a function for non-Christians as well.
He convicts people's hearts of God's truth concerning how
sinful we are -- needing God's forgiveness; how righteous
Jesus is -- He died in our place, for our sins; and God's
eventual judgment of the world and those who do not know Him
(John 16:8-11).
The Holy Spirit tugs on our hearts and minds, asking us
to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and a new life.
