UNDERSTANDING THE HOLY SPIRIT

“Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you ignorant” – 1 Corinthians 12:1

UNDERSTANDING the HOLY SPIRIT and His dynamics gives vitality and vibrancy to Christianity: “Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant” (1 Cor.12:1). Otherwise, the Christian Faith will be dry, drab, dull, and unfulfilling. Believers in Christ who would maximize life and destiny must walk, not only in the Understanding of spiritual gifts, but also of the Person, Power, Workings, and Fruit of the Spirit. We are meant to know and understand the Holy Spirit, not just intellectually, but intimately and experientially.

The Holy Spirit is God – His Person and Presence, and part of the Trinity with the Father and the Son. He has a Personality and a Character. In the Bible, He is first mentioned in the creation story: “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Gen.1:2). In the Old Testament, He is often referred to as the Spirit of God. He is again encountered early in the New Testament as Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary (Mt.1:18; Lk.1:35). At His baptism, Jesus came up out of the water and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him as a dove (Mt.3:16).

The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus for ministry and later raised Him from the dead (Rom.8:11). He filled the disciples at Pentecost and empowered them to do the works of Jesus (Acts 2:4). He wants to empower us to do these same works in order to touch a needy world by God’s power. Here are few pertinent attributes and activities of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament:

He gives life: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

He comforts, counsels, and teaches: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will h send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).

He is the Spirit of Truth Who guides into all truth and speaks God’s Heart: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13–14).

He anoints: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted” (Luke 4:18); “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38).