Who is the Holy Spirit?

Who is the Holy Spirit?
John R. Petrilli

Have you ever received a gift that went unused for years until you re-discovered it? When a person becomes a Christian, they receive just such a gift. Sadly, many who know the Lord lack a solid understanding of Who the Holy Spirit is and how He desires to assist us in living out the Christian life. This article is designed to begin the process of unveiling the Person and work of the Holy Spirit so that you can more fully appreciate and benefit from the manifold ministries of the Third Person of the Trinity. Here are just six ways that this quiet “secret agent” of God goes about His work on your behalf.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR FRIEND IN DIFFICULT TIMES. John 14:16-17 ; 16:1-4, 33

“The Father will give you another Comforter to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.” “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”

Simon and Garfunkel produced a lot of blockbuster tunes. One of them almost seems ‘Christian’ in its tone and message. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is a song about a friend ‘being there’ for others when they need them the most. After all, isn’t that what true friends are for? (Proverbs 17:17) There are times when getting through a situation requires companionship. God understands this, and provides companionship in a variety of ways. However, there are certain situations where only direct divine companionship is needed to help us find our way through and out of trouble. Jesus knew all too well what was ahead for His followers once He’d left this earthly scene. Persecution, harassment, deprivation, and even death. Such a dark future forecast would require the greatest degree of support if they were to survive and thrive as a movement. That support was and still is found in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that the Spirit would ‘be there’ in the disciples’ hour of greatest need. To be sure, the world would deliver them a truckload of trouble, but for each trial and test, God the Holy Spirit would be right there to comfort, encourage and strengthen them! Whatever the dark valley you may find yourself passing through, the Holy Spirit is there with you. Look to Him and watch Him come through for you!

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR PRAYER PARTNER. Romans 8:26-27

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He Who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

No man is an island. That’s how the saying goes, and it was never truer than it is for the prayer life of the Christian. None of us can live out the Christian life on our own. And even when we’ve done all we could, there are still times when we simply need assistance. That assistance is available to us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Whether it’s the inability to know who, what, or how to pray, Paul tells us that God even has this area covered. In those trying times when the right words just won’t come, the Spirit picks up where we’ve left off, zeroing in on the need and interceding on our behalf. Best of all, His prayers have a 100% success rate because He always prays in exact alignment with the perfect will of God. Isn’t that COOL? So the next time you find yourself ‘speechless’ in prayer, why not ask the Spirit to pray with and through you to the glory of God? These verses say He’ll do precisely that!

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR RESOURCE PERSON. 1 Cor.12:4-11

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”

World War II was quickly gathering steam as the Nazi’s overran most of Europe. Without America changing her stance of isolation and non-involvement, the free world would soon fall under the control of a madman named Hitler. I’ll never forget the simple yet direct words of Winston Churchill as he requested the military aid of the United States: “You give us the tools, and we’ll get the job done!” The U.S did, and Great Britain staved off a brutal German aerial assault to eventually participate in an Allied victory. Whether a task is big or small, tools are a crucial factor in successfully completing any job. When God saves us, He also has a task in mind for us to perform (Ephesians 2:10). Like any good general, the Lord equips us with just the right tools to do the exact job He’s called us to do. We call it our “ministry”. All of us have some kind of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12), and every believer receives the spiritual enablement they need to get the job done (1 Pet. 4:10). Paul listed and described many of these abilities in his first letter to the Corinthian church. You may be a gifted teacher, helper, evangelist, or expounder of God’s word. Or perhaps you possess the ability to communicate with God in prayer in such a way that yields uncommon results. Or you may have an uncanny ability to believe God for things most Christian wouldn’t even dare to consider, much less ask of the Lord. Whatever it is you’re designed to do, it’s the Holy Spirit Who gifts, empowers, and anoints you to use that ability to build up and advance the Body of Christ, beginning in your home assembly. Ask God to show you where your spiritual abilities lie, then put them to work! (2 Tim. 1:6-7)

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR LIFE-SAVER. John 16:7-11

“[The Spirit] will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.”

If we’ve seen it once, we’ve seen it a thousand times. So much of nighttime television involves the investigation, solution and prosecution of a crime. The prosecution phase falls to the district attorney. He or she has the difficult task of presenting adequate evidence to bring a conviction. Before Jesus went back to Heaven, He said He would send One Who would advocate on His behalf. He identified that individual as the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, said Jesus, would be involved in prosecuting all people everywhere as He pointed out their sin of unbelief in Christ. He would also point those convicted back to Jesus as the only One qualified to make them righteous and ready for heaven. Finally, the Spirit would warn those hearing the gospel of Christ of the dire consequential judgment awaiting all who refuse the Son. Nicodemus was informed that new spiritual life is impossible without the intervention and agency of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 3:1-8), and none of us can ever hope to enter a holy God’s heaven without having been washed, regenerated, and renewed by the wonder-working power of the Spirit (Tit. 3:5).

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR SPECIAL EDUCATOR. John 14:26 ; 16:12-15

“The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things.” “When the Spirit of truth comes He will guide you into all truth.”

I recall attempting to read the New Testament before I became a Christian. It was like trying to unscramble a secret code – it just didn’t make sense! Then, upon receiving salvation, the words that were once an enigma suddenly became as clear as day. The reason? I now had the right Interpreter. The Holy Spirit was instrumental in communicating the Scriptures to those who had authored the books of the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16), and He continues to aid the believer in understanding and properly interpreting the Word of God. Paul states that people who do not possess God’s Spirit are totally incapable of grasping the meaning of the Bible (1 Cor. 2:9-16). One may be able to understand many of its historical facts and some moral principles, but they can never comprehend the salvation message and spiritual teaching found therein. Aren’t you glad God gave us the Holy Spirit to unfold the precious truths of His Word? I certainly am! While pastor-teachers play a critical role in teaching us sound doctrine, let’s never forget the blessing we have in our Internal Teacher, the Holy Spirit of God (1 John 2:27).

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR ENERGIZER. Acts 1:8

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Most of us understand what it’s like to be in that awkward place. A friend or acquaintance exhibits interest in spiritual things, but we’re not quite comfortable in sharing the information they need to know to begin a relationship with Christ. I’m always amazed at the relative ease with which the early church spread the good news. Even when they had good cause to be afraid or intimidated, they prayed away their fears and kept on telling the old, old story of Jesus and His love. Believe it or not, we were MADE for witnessing. Jesus promised to send down the Holy Spirit to supply us with the power and courage to share the gospel. Ever since the day of Pentecost, He has been energizing the witness of all who will step out in faith and tell others the beautiful gospel message. Granted, it can be very intimidating to approach others with the gospel, but such fear disappears as we rely on God’s Spirit to do the work through us (2 Tim. 1:7). Effective witnessing doesn’t require a college degree. Peter didn’t even have a formal grade school education (Acts 4:13), yet the Lord used him to haul in well over three- thousand souls in one speech! Effective witnessing does require a heart willing to follow Jesus into the harvest fields of your world (John 4:35). Jesus said that if we’re a FOLLOWER, we’ll also be a FISHERMAN (Matthew 4:19)!