Holy Spirit

Who Is The Holy Spirit And Why Is It Important To Learn About God

 

The Holy Spirit is a part of the Holy Trinity which is comprised of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  Christians believe in the Holy Trinity – the Triune God which has already been explained in the Trinity section of the Faith Principles.

There are a few notable examples of the involvement of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.  First, we see the infamous Virginal Conception of Jesus in Matthew 1:18, This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, we see how the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus after He was baptized in Matthew 3:16, As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit descends on the believers waiting in Jerusalem 50 days after Christ’s ascension into heaven, Acts 2:1-5 , When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

Jesus spoke about the “Helper” who is the Holy Spirit in John 14:26 But the Advocate, 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. In the NIV translation the word Advocate is used instead of Helper.  Different translations use different words however, they both imply the same, “Helper, Advocate and Comforter”.

Beside the Holy Spirit being a part of the Holy Trinity, He also plays a tremendous role in the life of the believer.  The believer has the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit dwells in each believer.  Granted we are referring to a true believer, not a Christian By Name Only (CINO).  In these interesting times we live in there are many who claim they are Christians, however, their lives don’t attest to that.  Paul the Apostle says in 1 Corinthians 3:28 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?  This is why in the New Covenant, God has made one major change which is a drastic change that was not the case in the Old Covenant with the Israelites.  In the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit did not dwell in the believer.  Instead, He would come upon certain individuals at certain times.  After Christ, that changed and the Lord now dwells with us, and in us.  Here is another powerful verse that attests to this fact found in Ephesians 1:13-14, 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

An additional role of the Holy Spirit is to help the believer walk in the faith.  His role is to convict the believer of his sins and draw the believer back to communion with God.  This is eloquently put in John 16:8-11, When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

Please Read the Verses On The Holy Spirit:

  • ​1 Thessalonians 4:7-8
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:13
  • Acts 2:33, 15:8-9
  • Romans 8:1-27
  • 1 Peter 1:2
  • 1 John 3:24, 4:13
  • Galatians 3:1-14, 4:6
  • Ephesians 3:14-21
  • John 7:39, 4:15-18
  • John 4:26, 6:7-15