What is the Holy Spirit’s work? What does He do in the world today?
What is the Work of the Holy Spirit?
The holy men of God spoke and wrote as they were carried along or moved by the Holy Spirit. This is not dictation in every case, but inspiration. This should be a lesson for us. If a preacher teaches from God’s word we can be fairly safe. If he doesn’t preach from God’s word, beware!
Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:20-21 NLT)
The Holy Spirit comes to us today and teaches us to know the things of God. Traditions and fads are often mere human wisdom. We need to check doctrines against the Scriptures, where we can be guaranteed to find Spirit-taught words.
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. (1 Corinthians 2:12-13 NIV)
The Holy Spirit has contributed to God’s work throughout history and continues today.
In the Old Testament
The Holy Spirit has been involved in creating and sustaining all things, and even helps us create a better environment, turning deserts into productive land, and thus figuratively fill empty hearts with good things.
When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. (Psalm 104:29-30 NIV)
When the Spirit is given to us from heaven, deserts will become orchards thick as fertile forests. (Isaiah 32:15 CEV)
The Holy Spirit was involved in gently leading Israel and was sad when they rebelled.
You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path. (Psalm 143:10 CEV)
Then the Lord’s people turned against him and made his Holy Spirit sad. So he became their enemy and attacked them. (Isaiah 63:10 CEV)
The Holy Spirit gave special gifts or abilities to Old Testament leaders, to build the tabernacle.
See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. (Exodus 31:2-5 NASB)
The Holy Spirit gave Zerubbabel the ability to finish the second temple.
Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’” Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. (Zechariah 4:6-9 ESV)
The Holy Spirit gave men the ability to prophesy.
“However, You bore with them for many years, And admonished them by Your Spirit through Your prophets, Yet they would not give ear. Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. (Nehemiah 9:30 NASB)
Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” (2 Chronicles 15:1-2 NASB)
The Holy Spirit gave some men the ability to lead a nation. Joseph was recognized as such a man, by the king of Egypt, who then promoted him to national leadership.
So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” (Genesis 41:38 NIV)
God chose 70 national leaders for Israel and gave them some of the Spirit that was on Moses.
I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone. (Numbers 11:17 NIV)
Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but did not do so again. (Numbers 11:25 NIV)
Moses' successor was also given the same ability to lead the nation through the Spirit.
Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses. (Deuteronomy 34:9 NIV)
Military ability was given to Othniel by the Spirit.
The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. (Judges 3:10 NIV)
Military leadership ability was given to Gideon by the Holy Spirit.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. (Judges 6:34 NIV)
Military leadership ability was also given to Samson by the Holy Spirit.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he returned to his father’s home. (Judges 14:19 NIV)
During Jesus’ Earthly Ministry
The Holy Spirit powered the miraculous conception of Christ.
This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18 NLT)
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35 NLT)
The Holy Spirit confirmed Christ’s messianic ministry and anointed Him to preach the Good News and proclaim freedom.
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22 NASB)
And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district… “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:14, 18 NASB)
The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness (Luke 4:1 NIV)
The Holy Spirit was with Jesus during his entire earthly ministry.
For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. (John 3:34-35 NLT)
But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. (Matthew 12:28 NIV)
Speaking against the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus, the Pharisees got uncomfortably close to unforgivable blasphemy of the Spirit.
But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.” Jesus knew their thoughts and replied… “Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.” (Matthew 12:22-32 NLT)
At Christ’s Death and Resurrection
The Holy Spirit helped Christ with the power to offer himself as an unblemished sacrifice for us.
Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. (Hebrews 9:14 NLT)
The Holy Spirit helped raise Jesus from the dead and thereby declare Him to be the Son of God.
and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 1:4 NLT)
Jesus was vindicated or justified by the Spirit.
Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16 NLT)
Jesus was and we will be made alive in the Spirit.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:18 NIV)
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:11 NIV)
The “Spirit of Christ”
The Holy Spirit was on Christ.
Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. (Isaiah 42:1 NIV)
The Holy Spirit is the Comforter who proceeds or comes from the Father.
When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me (John 15:26 NASB)
The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Christ.
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:9-10 NKJV)
In the Church
The Holy Spirit’s vitally important role in salvation and the church will be explored in later discussions on those topics. Next time we’ll discuss Angels. Until then, God bless you!
