The Holy Spirit // Week 1
We often talk about the Holy Spirit, but we don’t spend enough time studying who He is. This comes from a deep lack of spirituality in our Western culture. It's more comfortable for us to see and touch what’s around us. Instead of participating in the spiritual realm. We are too afraid to seek God’s Spirit, which is working with us, and rather stick with only the plausible things God does. However, we do not live in just a world of flesh but of spirit. With that, we have to talk more about the spiritual realm, and that begins with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity and has a unique role. In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells of all the work the Holy Spirit will do. Firstly, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Helper. The Helper is sent by the Father and Jesus, who come to dwell in those God chooses. He comes to teach us all things and reminds us of the teaching of Jesus (John 14:25-27). The Holy Spirit also is the mark that is in us that the Father will remain with us forever (John 14:17). The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus, who then in us testifies about Jesus too (John 15:26-27).
As the Triune God is one, they are also distinct and work within the boundaries of one another. Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit cannot come while He is still working on earth (John 16:7). Not only does the Spirit tell us of truth, but it convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11) in light of the teachings of Jesus and the proclamation of the Kingdom. He speaks to us in truth and leads us to the fact that the name of Jesus would be glorified because the Spirit has been given what Jesus is and discloses to those he dwells in (John 16:12-15).
The Holy Spirit is God who seals us and dwells within us. All the good we do, all the hope we cling to, and the truth we recall are because of the power of the Holy Spirit. Do you believe in that? Do you trust in the assurance of the Spirit that lives within you? Spend some time today dwelling on the fact that God Himself lives inside of you and every believer around you. The Church fails, but she (the Church) is walking through sanctification only because of the Spirit that empowers her, leads her, and dwells within her. You are a part of that.
