For being the third member of the Trinity, many Christian denominations and traditions (and Christians themselves) give embarrassingly little to no acknowledgment to the Holy Spirit, also referred to as God the Spirit, in unity with God the Father and God the Son.
This lack of focus and discipleship around the Holy Spirit in the modern church can often be a reaction to some churches’ and traditions’ overemphasis on the “gifts” of the Spirit over the “fruit” or “person” of the Spirit, which can result in confusing biblical theology with emotional expression. What ends up happening, then, is an overreaction: many will make the error of deemphasizing or completely ignoring any speak about God the Spirit.
But a lack of knowledge of the Holy Spirit isn’t a new phenomenon; even the Apostle Paul ran into some Christians who didn’t know about the Holy Spirit (see Acts 19:2).
The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is called Pneumatology, but make no mistake—He is not merely a set of parameters outlined by orthodoxy. He is the person, presence, and power of God in our lives.
And, yes, so much more can be said, but let’s look quickly at 10 things you should know about the Holy Spirit…
1. HE IS GOD
The single most important thing to know about the Holy Spirit is that He is God. Rather than just some ethereal non-personal power, the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity who is not only present with us personally, but as we see in Scripture, He speaks (Acts 21:11, Hebrews 3:7) and Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1). Scripture tells us that lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God (Acts 5:3-4), and blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the only unforgivable sin (Mark 3:22–30, Matthew 12:22–32, Luke 12:10).
When we baptize, we are to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit (Matthew 28:19). God does not share His name with anyone else and as we baptize into the name (singular) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are doing this because we are baptizing in the name of the one, triune God.
2. HE IS CREATOR
The Holy Spirit, while more fully detailed, described, and revealed in the New Testament, is present and active in the Old Testament (i.e. 2 Samuel 23:2, Ezekiel 2:2), since the very, very beginning, for the Holy Spirit was present at Creation (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Isaiah 32:15, Psalm 104:30). The second verse in the Bible says, “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2).
As we think about God as Creator and Sustainer of the universe, remember that the Holy Spirit was integral in the formation and life-giving aspects of Creation.
3. HE INSPIRED THE SCRIPTURES
The Word of God was composed by men but inspired by (carried along by) the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:16, 2 Peter 1:21, John 14:25-26, John 16:13-15), making the Holy Spirit the ultimate author of Scripture.
While people were allowed to use their own languages and even slang, the Holy Spirit was there to ensure consistency through the Bible’s 40 different authors and the hundreds of years between them, making sure that not only is every word as it should be, but that the unifying message of the Gospel is progressively revealed.
This is why it is so important to lean on and into the Holy Spirit when we read the Bible because He’s the ultimate author!
4. HE CONVICTS PEOPLE OF SIN
As Jesus teaches us, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin (John 16:8). Yes, we are to share God’s Word with people, helping them to see how they have violated God’s commands and how salvation is found in Jesus’ name… but we are just instruments in this process. For people to truly know the grievousness of their sin and their desperate need of a Savior, we need the Holy Spirit to be the One to open their eyes and hearts to this truth.
So, remember – when someone realizes their own sin, this is proof the Holy Spirit is working and this is to be recognized, nourished, and prayed over!
5. HE COMFORTS THOSE WHO FOLLOW JESUS
As the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, He also comforts the people of God.
Jesus even said that His departure back into heaven was for our “advantage” (συμφέρω, sumphero; profit) because by Him returning to heaven, Jesus would send the Holy Spirit (John 16:7) and in John 14:26, Christ calls the Holy Spirit the “παράκλητος / paraklétos.” As you’ll see in different English translations, this word can be translated as Helper (ESV/NASB/NKJV), Counselor (CSB), Comforter (KJV), and Advocate (NLT/NIV). It’s not that any of those translations are wrong; rather they all go to help us understand in a fuller way how the Holy Spirit is here for our benefit, reassurance, guidance, peace, and faithfulness.
6. HE INDWELLS CHRISTIANS
Jesus tells His disciples that they already know the Holy Spirit, “for He dwells with you and will be in you.” Knowing this and knowing the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, the Holy Spirit is already active in us before we have full knowledge of faith, so that when we come to faith it’s because the Holy Spirit is already at work in us.
Paul writes and tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
You cannot be a true follower of Jesus and not have the Spirit already active in your life. It’s just that too many of us don’t fully recognize or consciously walk in His steps, allowing Him to not only work in our reading of Scripture, but also to lead us in every moment of our lives.
So, when you come to those crucial moments in life and to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” remember it’s the Holy Spirit who gives you the answer, whether through the Scripture He inspired, or by ways He leads you into in accordance with God’s Word.
7. HE IS OUR TRUE WORSHIP LEADER
The Holy Spirit is our ultimate worship leader, filling us as we worship (Ephesians 5:18-20, Philippians 3:3). The Holy Spirit is present in our worship ensuring that it is firstly grounded in God and His truth (John 4:24). We all know that music speaks to the soul and every person has their own musical preference, but the Holy Spirit is not there to make sure our emotions are moved or that our experience is exciting… the Holy Spirit leads and directs our worship to remain God-focused and truth-centered!
Ephesians 5:18-20 says, “… be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
So, when we worship, remember who is truly in charge, guiding us to give God our adoration and His glory.
8. HE PRODUCES THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES
When people ask, “How do we know a person is truly a Christian?”, we need to understand that there are a number of ways to answer that question. However, one keyway is to look at the evidence of their lives—specifically, the fruit of their lives: Do they bear the fruit of the Spirit?
Galatians 5 tells us that we know we are in step with the Holy Spirit when the fruit He produces is evident in our lives. More than just being a nice person, the Bible tells us clearly what marks to look for which are described in Galatians 5:22-23, “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control…”
Before I look for the demonstration of miraculous gifts of the Spirit, I want to know if a Christian is simply walking in step with the Spirit, showing a life marked by love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruit of the Spirit – for these are biblical markers of a person being filled with the Holy Spirit.
9. HE GIVES US THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS
The Bible is clear: We are supposed to know about the gifts of the Spirit. Paul says he does not want us to be uninformed about the gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1). These are not physical gifts like we get for Christmas and birthdays; these are spiritual abilities (manifestations of the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:7) given to Christians that we may use in tandem with others in the Church (1 Corinthians 12:12, 25) to do the work God has called us to do in this world.
So, let’s make something clear upfront: Yes, the Holy Spirit gives followers of Jesus incredible gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11) not so we can show the world a bunch of magic tricks, but rather – in order that the church of Jesus Christ can be built as we serve Jesus and each other (1 Corinthians 12:7, 1 Peter 4:10) and this is so that all credit would go to the powerful and supernatural work of God, not the ingenuity and creativity of the human mind.
The gifts of the Spirit are detailed in passages like 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and 1 Peter 4.
If you don’t know your gift (or gifts) or don’t know how to use it in service at your church, talk with your pastor, elder, or ministry leaders about discerning and using your gifts! I know that’s a conversation they are eager to have with you!
10. HE GIVES US POWER!
The Holy Spirit gives us power. As Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”
So, the question is, “Power…to do what?” The way that some act, you would think the Holy Spirit’s power is to put on a spectacle of a worship service or draw attention to the worshipper or the pastor, but Jesus clarifies what this power is for – if we would just finish the verse…
Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The power we are given from the Holy Spirit is meant to empower our lives, not just our church services or worship experiences, but to empower our day-in-and-day-out lives so we can live more fully for God as we embody the Gospel of Jesus Christ and bring this message into the world.
Yes, we are given power from the Holy Spirit to demonstrate a life guided by the fruit of the Spirit, empowered by the spiritual gifts, so that the name of Jesus may be lifted high by our lives, actions, churches, and mission.
Acts 4:33 says, “And with great power, the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”
We see here the disciples used the power given to them to share the Gospel. Simply put, the power of the Holy Spirit is given to us so that we can be effective in our mission as we proclaim the name of Jesus as we live for and give God all the glory.
WHERE TO GO FROM HERE
Biblically speaking, the word ‘spirit’ is connected to the word for wind or breath. The idea being a movement we can’t see, but we can feel and experience. We experience the Spirit when we read the Scriptures He’s inspired, when we follow His leading, and when we worship God for who He is and what He’s done.
There is so much to be said about the Holy Spirit, so continue to learn about who He is and His place in our faith and lives. Christians, lean into the Holy Spirit, pray in His name and realize – as the disciples were reminded – the Holy Spirit dwells within you, so live into the comfort and power that only He can provide.
To learn more about the Holy Spirit, watch this 4-part sermon series from Peace Church called, “The Helper: The Power and Presence of the Holy Spirit.”
