When I was a child we attended a church that closed each service by singing the doxology that ended with "praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost." I remember thinking who is this Holy Ghost and why is he included with the Father and the Son, it just seemed kinda spooky to me. It wasn't until much later that I learned that the Holy Spirit as He is now called, was with the Father and the Son at the beginning; "And the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." Genesis 1:2.
Much later the Lord began to open my eyes and give me understanding through His Word as to the person and actions of the Holy Spirit as revealed in the Word of God. I will provide all of the Scripture references at the end so you can look them up for yourself.
Jesus told His disciples all about the Holy Spirit for the time of His departure from was drawing near. Here is what He said;
Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Comforter, or Helper and He told the disciples that the Spirit abides WITH them but would abide IN them forever! He called Him the Spirit of truth and said that the world could not receive Him for they neither know or seek Him.
The Spirit will teach us all things and He will bring to your remembrance My Words. Wow what a promise, The Spirit teaches us and guides us into all truth which is the Word of God and He is the one that helps us today to remember and recall the Word of God!
The Spirit does not draw attention to Himself, He testifies about Jesus. The Spirit is the One who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. We cannot come to Jesus or even know that we are sinners in need of the Savior Jesus without the work of the Holy Spirit. Again Jesus says, the Spirit will guide you into all truth, will give us discernment regarding false teaching. He will speak what He hears from Jesus just as the Father spoke to Jesus and He proclaimed the Father's words. They are always in perfect agreement; Father, Son, Spirit, the Word.
Do you know that God knows that we do not know how to pray? He doesn't condemn us for that, He gives us the Holy Spirit who because He is God, knows the will of God, so He can help us in our prayers! Scripture says that the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words according to God's perfect will! Wow! How comforting is that? So we pray with our minds which are limited and we pray in the Spirit in Whom there are no limitations.
In the Old Testament the sign of the covenant between God and His people the nation of Israel was circumcision. In the new covenant, which is ratified in Christ's blood which was poured out on the cross for the sins of the world; so that all believers in Christ for redemption of sin are sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit.
Every believer receives the Holy Spirit when they are born again. Yet we are told in Scripture that we are to be continually filled, with the Holy Spirit, which means in part that we are under control of the Spirit, dependent on Him to lead us, to empower us, to impart wisdom and discernment as we need it, to guide us into all truth in the Word and bring it to our remembrance. The Holy Spirit will also disclose to us the things that are yet to come and how important is that in the life of a believer living in this time in history, for truly we may be the last generation living before the Lord Jesus comes again. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
So important is the role of the Holy Spirit in the world and in the life of a believer that Jesus Christ told His disciples not to do anything at all until they received the Holy Spirit of God. How much more do we need the Holy Spirit today, at this very special time in history?
Oswald Chambers who wrote My Utmost For His Highest has the following verse on His tombstone. "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him." Luke 11:13.
This is just a little scratch of the surface regarding the Spirit of God but I hope that what was shared will become real in your life experience. All of the scripture quotes come from the NASB; Acts 19:2, John 14:16-17,26, John 15:26-27, John 16:7-14, Romans 8:26-27, 1 John 4:13, Ephesians 1:13,5:18, Acts 1:8.
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