1 Corinthians 2:12 – We have not received the Spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
2 Corinthians 13:14 – May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Spirit be with you all.
Who is the Holy Spirit? If you ask people that question, you will probably get a host of answers, and most of them will not be biblical. When it comes to knowing who the Holy Spirit is and what He does, most Christians are woefully ignorant.
The Christian should be as familiar with the Person and work of the Holy Spirit as with the ministry and work of the Father and the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
This series of devotionals will provide a review of the Biblical teaching concerning the Holy Spirit
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is revealed to us as the Third Person of the Trinity, equal in substance, power, and authority with the Father and Son (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3–4; 28:25–26; 1 Corinthians 12:4–6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; and Jeremiah 31:31–34 with Hebrews 10:15–17).
The Holy Spirit is seen in both the Old and New Testaments
The Old Testament reveals the work of the Spirit in creation (Genesis 1:2), revelation (Is 61:1-3), and empowerment (Exodus 31:2-6; Judges 15:14-15).
The New Testament further reveals the Holy Spirit as divine and coequal with the Father and Son.
The Holy Spirit is a Person
He is said to possess intellect (1 Corinthians 2:10–13), emotions (Ephesians 4:30), will (1 Corinthians 12:11), eternality (Hebrews 9:14), omnipresence – everywhere present (Psalm 139:7–10), omniscience – all-knowing (Isaiah 40:13–14), omnipotence – all-powerful (Romans 15:13), and truthfulness (John 16:13).
Overview of the Holy Spirit’s Work
For All People
The Holy Spirit acts on behalf of all creation in the realm of common grace. Some of His acts are as: the agent of creation (Genesis 1-2), the giver of artistic ability (Exodus 31:2-5), the giver of knowledge and reason (Job 32:8), the giver of life (Job 33:4), the giver of blessings (Psalm 145:9), and the giver of social morality (Romans 2:14).
For Christians
The Holy Spirit additionally works particularly on behalf of believers in the following ways. He is the means of the inspiration of Scripture (2 Peter 1:21), convicts of sin (John 16:8), regenerates the heart (John 3:3-8), comforts and defends (John 14:16), enlightens the mind (John 16:13), makes intercessory prayers to God for believers (Romans 8:26), gives spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-7), and sanctifies – makes us grow in holiness (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
The Holy Spirit enters the life of the believer at the time of his rebirth, and every believer is indwelt with the Holy Spirit at all times (Romans 8:9, 14; 1 Corinthians 3:16). The born-again Person is to seek to be filled by the Holy Spirit. This filling is to empower the believer for service to God and growth in Christ. This filling can be weakened by the neglect and or sin of the believer (Ephesians 5:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:19).
POINTS TO PONDER: The Holy Spirit is God. The Holy Spirit is a Person. As a believer in Christ, the Holy Spirit is in my life. I should seek to learn more about Him.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit. Please remind me that He knows and searches all things of God. Remind me that He possesses the mind of God and can teach me. Also, remind me of the fact that He has emotions. Remind me that He can be grieved by the actions that I do. Please forgive me for doing that. Thank you for the fact that He distributes spiritual gifts. Please help me to use those gifts to obey Him, to reverence Him, and to bring glory to Your name through Him. Amen