Theology Thursday: Who Is the Holy Spirit?

A quick search through the Bible will show the Holy Spirit was active from the beginning to the end of the Bible. He was not an afterthought or secondary evidence of God revealing himself to man. He was there from creation (Genesis. 1:2). The Holy Spirit was promised to be poured out in the last days and would be with us forever (Joel 2:28, John 14:16). The work Jesus did on the earth was through the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1). The Holy Spirit was so important in the life of those who would follow Jesus that he told the disciples not to launch out in ministry until the Holy Spirit had come to empower them to do the work (Luke 24:49).

So, what does all this mean to you in your daily life? Does the Holy Spirit care or even desire to interact with what I have to face today? If so, what can he do? The function of the Holy Spirit is a longer conversation, but the basics for daily living are easy to comprehend and important to embrace.

The Holy Spirit is my Counselor (John 14:26). We can acknowledge that we need direction at times in our life. To whom do we turn? Who can be trusted? Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit that has two functions for Believers. One is a teacher. Just as you come to GCU to be taught, to gain new knowledge and insights that you add to your existing knowledge, so the Holy Spirit will give you understanding (John 16:13). As you develop in your faith, there is new knowledge coming in all the time. However, we must never forget the simple foundational truths. The Holy Spirit works to help us understand the teachings of Jesus and reminds us of what we have learned but may have neglected.

The Holy Spirit is my Comforter (John. 16:7). Depending on which Bible translation you are reading, these two terms of “Counselor” and “Comforter” may be interchanged. However, the point of it is clear. The Holy Spirit was never meant to be a foreign ethereal force. He was meant to dwell in us, knowing us completely and giving comfort from the hurts of life. Even further, he was given to us to assure us that we are not abandoned when the visible Jesus ascended to heaven (John 14:17, 18).

The Holy Spirit Convicts me of sin (John 16:8). The active work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is what shows us the wrong we do and empowers us to make a change. Yes, we all have a long way to go to be like Jesus, however, the Holy Spirit guides us on that trajectory. The more we listen through the Bible to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit, the more we will see harmful sin that affects our lives. He is quietly and patiently reminding us of the pattern of life we are called to, we only need to choose to listen or ignore.

Just as God is our Creator, Jesus is our Savior, so the Holy Spirit is the Sustainer giving you the daily strength and direction to live this life for our Lord. If life is a struggle, the Holy Spirit has been given to each of us to help. Maybe a conversation with the Holy Spirit is just what is needed. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25, NIV).

Want more? Check out all the articles from Theology Thursday and return each week for a new post. Learn more about the College of Theology by checking out our website or requesting more information with the button on this page.