Who is Inside?
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, of the three aspects of the Godhead, The Spirit is probably the least understood – even within many Pentecostal Churches. The Spirit is involved in the in the conversion of a person and their birth into the family of God. The work of the Spirit is also vital in our ongoing growth and development as Christians. We need to be more aware of His work in our lives. We also need to develop a deeper relationship with Him so that we can fully experience power, hope and joy.
Our view of the Holy Spirit may be coloured by our use of the term spirit in casual conversation, for example, “A spirit of expectation swept the crowd as it awaited the arrival of a celebrity” or “the spirit of the times.” We will start with the most important thing to grasp about the Holy Spirit – He is as much of a person as God the Father or God the Son. He is not an impersonal “it”, nor an influence, phantom or apparition.
Why is it important that we understand that the Holy Spirit is a person not an it? Some of the biblical metaphors used to describe the spirit are often misinterpreted as describing an impersonal being. Both the Hebrew ruach (רוּחַ rûaħ) and Greek Pneuma (πνεῦμα) are words which are translated as “spirit” mean “breath” or “wind” or “spirit” in the sense of the vitality of living creatures (Genesis 6:17). The context of some passages has led translators to use the phrase “the Spirit Himself” (Romans 8:16,26). Jesus himself never referred to the Holy Spirit as “it”: “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17.
Misunderstanding may also arise from the fact that the work of the Holy Spirit is not as visible as that of the Father and the Son. When Jesus spoke about the gift of the Spirit He said: “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 16:13
Can you think of any symbols used in the Bible to describe the Holy Spirit? God is present everywhere in our world through the work of the Holy Spirit. The symbols used in the Bible to describe the influence of the Spirit include oil, fire and water – while these are impersonal the Bible also refers to the Father and the Son in figurative ways – as light, bread of life, living water etc.
Personality = Mind, feelings & will
Why is it significant that the Holy Spirit has a personality?
The personality of the Holy Spirit is an important term. God was not made in the image of man, man was made in the image of God. The word personality is a descriptive term for the nature of God and the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has a mind, feelings and a will. The Spirit can think, has emotions and the ability to act.
Jesus gave some of the clearest teaching about the Spirit. He referred to the Spirit as the Paraclete (παράκλητον) translated as Comforter (KJV) or Counsellor(NIV) Advocate (NLT) Helper (ISV). “The Counsellor, 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” John 14:26.
The term Paraclete conveys the idea of one who acts to help us; counselling and comforting would not be possible if the Spirit was an impersonal influence.
Jesus promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit and that this would be of benefit to the disciples: “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7. Again an impersonal force could not improve on the personal presence of the Lord Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is equal in His personal nature to the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit living within a Christian is described as “God’s Spirit lives in you” 1 Corinthians 3:16.
The story of Ananias further illustrates this equality. Ananias was struck dead because he “lied to the Holy Spirit” Acts 5:3.
The Spirit may be grieved (Ephesians 4:30) and sinned against by unforgivable blasphemy (Mark 3:29). Sin against God is equally sin against the Son and the Holy Spirit. He is equal in personal nature to the Father and the Son. The Trinity, although not easy to understand, is “three in one.”
The Holy Spirit acts in the way a person would. He speaks, strives, helps, reveals, searches and knows.
He speaks: “The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it’” Acts 8:29.
He strives: “My Spirit will not contend with man forever” Genesis 6:3.
He helps: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness… the Spirit Himself intercedes for us” Romans 8:26.
He reveals, searches and knows: “God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God… No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” 1 Corinthians 2:10-11.
He gives spiritual gifts: “to each one, just as He [the Spirit] determines” 1 Corinthians 12:11.
The Deity of the Holy Spirit
The Spirit is not just a person He is God. The apostle Paul said, “Now the Lord is the Spirit” 2 Corinthians 3:17. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16.
Jesus said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is worse than blasphemy against Jesus. The implication is that blasphemy against the Spirit discredits and maligns God (Matthew 12:31).
The Holy Spirit possesses attributes that can only belong to God. He is eternal: “Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself” Hebrews 9:14.
He is omnipresent: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” Psalm 139:7.
He is the “Spirit of Life” (Romans 8:2) and the “Spirit of truth” (John 16:13). This list of the Holy Spirit’s work certainly speaks of the divine power of God, embodied in Him when He comes and dwells within the Christian.
The Spirit in the Old Testament
Can you think of any examples or aspects of the work of the Spirit in the Old Testament?
Five different aspects of the Spirit are discernible in His work recorded in the Old Testament.
1 The work of the Spirit helped to create the universe and humans (Genesis 1:2): “The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Job said, “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4).
2 The work of the Spirit equipped individuals for service. He conferred power on judges and warriors. “The Spirit of the LORD came upon [Samson] in power” Judges 14:6. The Israelites cried out to God, and He gave them Othniel, “the Spirit of the LORD cane upon him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war” Judges 3:10. The Spirit came upon people for a particular purpose in this way but did not necessarily transform their moral character unless they called out for it. He also gave wisdom and skill for particular jobs, including those of a nonspiritual nature, to various individuals. Bezalel was filled with the Spirit to work in gold, silver and bronze for the tabernacle (Exodus 31:2-5).
3 The work of the Spirit inspired the prophet. Usually they began their message with “This is what the LORD says.” Often they also attributed their message to the Holy Spirit: “The Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me” Ezekiel 2:2. And Moses exclaimed, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” Numbers 11:29. Isaiah said, “I heard the voice of the Lord” Isaiah 6:8. Later the apostle Paul said, “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said though Isaiah the prophet: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding’” Acts 28:26.
4 The work of the Holy Spirit produced moral living. David in the agony of repentance for his dual sin of adultery and murder, pleaded for God to create in him a clean heart. He also begged, “Do not… take your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). David knew the Holy Spirit is good and he leads people to do God’s will (Psalm 143:10; 139:23-24).
5 The work of the Spirit foretold the coming of the Messiah. The references that anticipate Christ are of two kinds. There were those that prophesied a direct indwelling of the Spirit in one messianic figure. Other prophecies contained a more general message, telling about the new covenant people of God, with the Spirit being given to all (See Isaiah 9:2-7).
The Bible suggests the Holy Spirit caused people to grow more and more conscious of their inner need for God’s help if they were to serve the Lord and be morally pure. In the latter parts of the Old Testament, some Bible scholars detect an awareness on the part of believers that the human government of Israel would never succeed in achieving the purposes of Jehovah and that, in time, the Spirit would be given to all God’s people, not only to the people of Israel.
A temporary visitor
Why is it that in the Old Testament the Spirit came on individuals temporarily, generally for a particular task and for a specific period of time. Then, when the situation was over, He withdrew.?
While people did have an intimate relationship with Him, as shown by the experience of David, fellowship with the Spirit was not as personal or as permanent as is possible since Pentecost. Samson’s tragic downfall resulted from his turning away from the Lord, and the Spirit withdrew. He has become so insensitive to the Lord that he was not even aware that the Spirit had left him (Judges 16:20).
Names of the Spirit
The writers of the Old Testament expressed a longing for help, God’s power and an ultimate relationship with Him. Prophets and Psalmists poured out their hearts over and over, and God responded unerringly. God’s interventions were attributed to the Spirit of the Lord, God’s Spirit, the Spirit of God or simply the Spirit. There are three times when “Holy Spirit” is used in the Old Testament (Psalm 51:11; Isaiah 63:10). The New Testament uses “Holy Spirit” over 250 times when referring to God’s Spirit.
The truth of the Trinity is hinted at in the Old Testament and has a fuller expression in the New Testament. The truth about the Holy Spirit, His personality and deity, are evident in the Old Testament, but the full expression of His activity is given only in the New Testament. The New Testament completes the picture.
Poured out on all people
The Spirit’s work in the Old Testament was foretelling the fulfilment of God’s covenant promised to Israel and poured out on “all people.” This was confirmed and reaffirmed through the words of the prophets, who predicted hope and optimism for the future.
“I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants” (Isaiah 44:3).
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36:26-27.
“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” Joel 2:28-29. These promises and other similar ones kept hopes high for a day of complete deliverance and peace. They embraced all people from every area of society, not just a select few. The expression of a “pouring out” was enough to make people dream dreams as never before.
This extraordinary foretelling was always joined with the prophecies of the long-anticipated Messiah, the Redeemer, one messianic figure. John the Baptise saw Jesus and proclaimed to the people “I baptise you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:8). At His baptism, Jesus came out of the water and the Spirit descended on Him “like a dove” (Mark 1:10). In His own words, Jesus said that “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” John 7:38-39.
Jesus identified himself with the promises of a Redeemer early in His ministry. In His hometown synagogue in Nazareth He stood up to read, and he read from a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and read from the 800-year-old document. He read: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor” (Isaiah 61:1).
After handing the scroll back, he sat down and made an unprecedented announcement: “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).
The arrival of the Promised Gift
The gift of the Spirit was increasingly unfolded in Jesus lifetime on earth. He had a particularly intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of Him (Luke 1:35). Jesus was led by the Spirit (Matthew 4:1). He was anointed for His ministry by the Spirit in a special way at His baptism (Matthew 3:13-17). He offered Himself as a sacrifice through the Spirit (Hebrews 9:14), and He was raised from the dead by the power of the Spirit (Romans 1:4). He gave commandments to the apostles, and through them to the church, by the Spirit (Acts 1:2).
Following His death and resurrection, Jesus gave His disciples His last instructions: “Wait for the gift my Father promised… You will be baptised with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5).
Fifty days after the Sabbath of the Passover Week, He had celebrated with them the “Gift” came. This feast called “Pentecost,” meaning fifty, was the day of the Jewish Feast of Harvest to give thanks for the grain harvest (Exodus 23:15-16).
There were around 120 gathered in Jerusalem for prayer. Suddenly there was a wind from heaven, along with tongues of fire. Then “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4). As the noise attracted a crowd, Peter stood before them and told them: “This is what was spoken of by the prophet Joel.” Then he recited Joel 2:28-32. Peter’s entire message described the life, death, resurrection, miracles and promises of Jesus Christ.
He ended his speech this way: “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36).
Aside from Pentecost there are two other recorded incidents of the Holy Spirit’s coming on a group of believers in power. Do you remember when? The first is Peter speaking to the Gentiles in Caesarea (Acts 10:34-48).
The second is when the Apostle Paul was on a missionary journey. He found that the Ephesians, although believers, had not even heard of the Holy Spirit: While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Acts 19:1-6.
The Divine Helper at work
The Holy Spirit has many descriptive titles, including “the Spirit of grace” (Hebrews 10:29); “the Spirit of truth” (1 John 5:6); “the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2). He is the “Spirit of promise.” that is, the one who came in fulfilment of Christ’s promise (Ephesians 1:13). He is also called “the Spirit of glory” (1 Peter 4:14). The Holy Spirit is completely personal and completely God.
The Holy Spirit is the executor of the purposes and plans of the Godhead. He is active on various levels, He is the One who carries out God’s purposes – creation, conviction, regeneration, enlightenment, sanctification and glorification.
Jesus gave us a very specific outline of the work of the Spirit: “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:8-11
1 In regard to sin the Holy Spirit convicts of guilt. Without the unveiling of the Holy Spirit, we would not believe we are really sinning. Why should the sight of a man crucified two thousand years ago tear at the heart of people centuries later? This is the work of the Holy Spirit otherwise we would not know our need for a Saviour. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings conviction of sin to an individual (John 16:8). When people come to a sense of their own sinfulness, by the preached, written or spoken word, the Spirit of God has been at work.
2 The Holy Spirit convicts of righteousness. The meaning of this is clear only when we see the righteousness of Jesus Christ, who gave His life for the world. The sting of sin and the imperative of righteousness for all of us is found in the cross. The Spirit’s work is to reveal what the holiness of God desires for us. Through His death He gives us His righteousness; He makes us sensitive to God’s revealed righteousness.
3 The Holy Spirit convicts of judgement to come. Only through the work of the Spirit in our lives can we understand the imperative of judgement. Why not let all evil be forgiven? Why not let us all do what we like, regardless of consequences? In the moral world, the prospect of judgement is certain and brought Jesus Christ to take our judgement upon Himself on the cross. The Spirit convinces us of the deliverance available, and the cross is our exit from disaster and our entrance into deliverance (John 16:8-11)
The result of this conviction by the Holy Spirit is His work of regeneration, the new birth: “So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). He indwells everyone who has been born again, therefore it is true that “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9). Equally true is that every Christian has the Holy Spirit with His counselling, help and conviction, beginning from the time of belief and commitment.
What does the Holy Spirit do?
Guides to truth (John 16:13)
Reveals Jesus (John 16:14)
Comforts (John 14:16)
Counsels (John 14:26)
Gives wisdom (Ephesians 1:17)
Prays for me (Romans 8:27)
Gives me power (Acts 1:8)
Helps my weaknesses (Romans 8:26)
Gives spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11)
Gives spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23)
Spiritual gift giver
The Apostle Paul describes the church as the body of Christ. All believers are part of one body, in unity even as a physical body works as one. In this context, the Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts (Greek Charismata χαρίσματα) for the good of the whole body: “The manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). The body of Christ is the place where the Holy Spirit teaches a new Christian to grow, learn and serve.
The work of the Spirit, “to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit. There are differing gifts but the same Spirit… the same Lord… the same God works all of them in all men” (Romans 12:4). There are various opinions about the number of spiritual gifts and how to categorise them. The Gifts of the Spirit that are bestowed on Christians are described in the New Testament, primarily in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4. Gifts of the spirit are clearly distinguished from the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22).
The gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 can be divided into three categories, “gifts of knowledge” (wisdom, knowledge, discernment), “gifts of speech” (tongues, interpretation, prophecy), and “gifts of power” (faith, healing, miracles).
Gifts mentioned in the New Testament include:
- Apostles (1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11).
- Teachers (1 Corinthians 12:28, Romans 12:7, Ephesians 4:11)
- Help / helping (1 Corinthians 12:28)
- Administration / guidance (1 Corinthians 12:28)
- Ministry / serving (Romans 12:7)
- Encouragement (Romans 12:8)
- Giving (Romans 12:8)
- Leading (Romans 12:8)
- Mercy (Romans 12:8)
- Evangelists (Ephesians 4:11)
- Pastors (Ephesians 4:11)
A delivery of Spiritual Fruit
The Holy Spirit is at work producing fruit within us, we find that “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23) are ours as we submit to the mind of Christ, the example of his life and the internal guidance of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit dwells inside every Christian and He is our constant guide: “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). We are instructed to “live by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). His leadership is one of the signs that an individual is really a child of God.
He leads us today as He led and guided the early Christians in the book of Acts. Peter portrayed the first example of the Spirit’s power with his message recorded in Acts 2. When the people heard him, they were moved: “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37).
The Spirit’s Sealing
What does it mean to be sealed by the Spirit? When you put your trust in Jesus, you were secured, sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). A seal is a symbol of transaction, of ownership and of security. We have certainty and assurance of salvation because the Spirit seals us. We know we belong to the family of God: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our Spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16).
The Spirit indwells each Christian, our bodies are “the Spirit’s temple.” Jesus said, “Remain in me, an I will remain in you” (John 15:4). Our status is secure. Another time Jesus filled out the picture: “The Spirit lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:17).
We are sealed, indwelt and baptised by the Holy Spirit at our conversion when we trust in Jesus Christ. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (1 Corinthians 12:13). Baptism by the Spirit and not water is implicit. This baptism takes place at the time of conversion. We are then sealed and indwelt by the Spirit. This is shared by every believer regardless of spiritual maturity, strength and devotion.
Filled with the Spirit
What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Being filled with the Spirit is not a once-for-all experience but one He intends to be repeated. On the Day of Pentecost the disciples were filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:4). A few days later, in a dramatic prayer meeting, it happened again (Acts 4:31).
The filling of the Spirit implies being given power and boldness for God’s service, for strength to meet particular crises or for everyday Spirit-led living. We experience renewal when we pray, “Lord, fill me today with your Spirit. Keep my eyes on you.” The filling of the Spirit is an experience to be repeated as necessary in the life of each believer. The literal thought in Ephesians is “Keep on being filled.”
The Holy Spirit is not a package on a string let down from Heaven. He is not a liquid, nor are we a cup. He is a person. Being filled depends on our relationship with Him. It is not a matter of receiving more of Him but of opening more of ourselves to a certain and stronger relationship with Him. It is a matter of desiring Him to more fully occupy, guide and control every area of our lives. Whatever life may bring, His power can be more evident in us. His joy and peace control our emotions – He makes us effectively fruitful for Him.
Our inner thoughts and motives are guided when we are filled with the Spirit. All we are and have is subject to His control. The test as to whether or not you are filled with the Spirit is not “Have you received an external sign or been given a particular gift of the Spirit?” The test is “Have you given yourself wholly and without reservation to God?” (Romans 12:1).
Are you genuinely willing that the Spirit should control your life, absolutely and entirely?
Many believers come to a point of frustration in their service for the Lord simply because they fail to realise the need to be filled with the Spirit if they are to work and act in God’s power. Just as we cannot save ourselves apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, neither can we live the life of victory or serve the Lord effectively without the Spirit.
When we learn to trust Him fully and allow Him to work through us, He frees us from the frustration of trying to accomplish spiritual and eternal results solely through our human ability – or more properly, inability.
It is the Holy Spirit who delivers us from the power of sin: “Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
Through the Holy Spirit we come to know Christ, and by the Holy Spirit’s power we live and grow in Christ, in the service of the King and in the fellowship of His church.
The Apostle Paul provides an illuminating summary: “be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-20
For personal reflection
Read 1 Corinthians 14. Which of these gifts has the Holy Spirit given you?
Read Galatians 5:22-23, which of the fruit would you like the Spirit to develop in your life?
Have you been filled with the Spirit?
The most difficult thing in the world is to try to live the Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit. Do you desire to be filled?
