The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a person of the Holy Trinity. This means, if we believe in God and Jesus Christ, then we should believe in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Thinking of any government, there is a president, ministers, members of parliament, local chairpersons, etc., and all these serve different roles at different points. And so is the kingdom of heaven. John 14:31 clearly shows us that the Father (God) gives instructions/commands. The son (Jesus) executes the command. He is the doer of that which God has commanded. And John 14:17 tells us that the spirit of God (Holy Spirit) manifests/reveals the doings of Jesus Christ in our lives. We cannot experience Jesus Christ without the help of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, these 3 cannot be put apart because for our Christian life to be effective (and evidently different from the life of non-believers), we need all of them. The holy spirit helps to reveal who Jesus Christ is to us. To understand what you read in the Bible, understand a sermon, or soak deep into a worship session are all works of the Holy Spirit.
Long before the world was created, the spirit of God covered everything (Genesis 1:2). That spirit has lived on to this moment. Through scriptures, the manifestations of the holy spirit are different depending on the different situations. The Holy Spirit is seen as a dove during the times of Noah, in the furnace with the three Hebrew boys, as a dove when Jesus was baptized, as fire and wind, etc. When it comes to the life of Jesus, there are clear imprints of the Holy Spirit throughout the New Testament. His conception (Luke 1:35), his birth, his baptism (Luke 3:22), his preparation for ministry (Luke 4:1), his launch into ministry (Luke 4:14), the miracles he performed, and the courage he had through his arrest, death on the cross, and ressurection. If Christ, the heir to the throne of heaven and everything on earth, needed the Holy Spirit to be, how much then do you and I need the Holy Spirit?
Romans 8:9 tells us that if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, then they do not belong to Christ. Ephesians 1:13 then says that when we believe in Christ, we are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit. This means we receive the spirit by salvation through Christ Jesus. In John 16:7, Jesus told his disciples (we are his disciples too) that he would go, but his father in heaven would send us a helper (the Holy Spirit). And we see that happening in Acts chapter 2, on the day of pentecost. Therefore, the Holy Spirit lives within us and is within us. He is closer than we imagine.
So, what are some of the roles of the Holy Spirit in our Christian lives?
- Our Helper (John 14:16-17,26, Romans 8:26)
We tend to think of the Holy Spirit only when we want help with very big things like investment, career paths, dealing with a complicated situation with your spouse, or dealing with your daughter who is a drug addict or your son who is now gay. However, Christ sent us the Holy Spirit as a helper in all situations of life, with no limitations. And therefore, we need to involve him even in the simplest forms of things, like choosing an outfit, deciding what to have for lunch, what route to use to work, what time is best to start your journey, etc. Through his guidance, we will get placed in the right moments for many things. Luke 12:12 says the Holy Spirit will teach us “at that time” what we should say. In meetings, in the exam, at the police station, with our children, etc. He is our helper. Even in battles, he fights for us. he shields us.
- Our teacher
Spiritually, the Holy Spirit teaches us all things (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). If we need to know how to pray, to worship, to praise, to fast, to offer a sacrifice, righteousness, deep secrets of the kingdom of heaven, etc. The Holy Spirit guides us.
When it comes to our daily lives, imagine what work of art we would be able to let out if all we did was spirit-led. Work inspired by the Holy Spirit is evident, and in most cases, it outlives the one who did it. Think of works of innovation, music, books, companies, etc.
- He teaches us to pray.
It’s everything for us to pray 3 or so times a day, but is it according to the will of God? Are we praying right? Or praying a miss? Romans 8:26 tells us that “we do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ” The Holy Spirit guides us on what we should pray for and the exact words we should say (he gives us utterance) because on our own, our prayers may be “packaged” wrong for the specific kinds of needs we have.
- He teaches us how to live.
Galatians 5:22 tells us that the spirit of God produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. These fruits of the Holy Spirit are not virtues we are able to manifest on our own. We may do well at some but struggle at others. And that is why we have to keep going to him and say, “You are within me; these virtues are within me. Teach me to manifest them. Teach me to be more loving to the people who have hurt me, to be patient with my daughter, to be humble regardless of how high you elevate me in society, and to be faithful with the things you have entrusted me with.” Realizing that we are living far from the expectation is the first step. The next step is asking every day for this manifestation till it happens.
- Keeping us from Sin
The Holy Spirit shows us how to fight temptation by not giving in to the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life. Galatians 5:16-17 tells us that the flesh is in constant disagreement with the spirit because the spirit pushes us to righteousness and truth, while the flesh leads us to immorality, hatred, witchcraft, idolatry, etc. Only the Spirit of God can lead us to what is right for us to be able to inherit the kingdom of God.
We all sin from time to time and are not close to perfect despite what we know about Christ. However, the Holy Spirit guides us to repentance and helps us identify patterns so we do not fall victim to the same sin over and over again. Let’s call on him. He is able to transfigure our lives into something great, something unimaginable, something righteous, something great.
I wish you all a fulfilled Holy Spirit seeking life.
