Our understanding of the person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit is integral to our having a successful Christian walk. Jesus, before the end of His Ministry said He would send us another comforter to abide with us forever (John 14:16-17).
This meant He would send the Holy Spirit to us in the same capacity He operated in while on earth. As a matter of fact, sending the Holy Spirit was so important that in John 16:7, Jesus said it was more beneficial for Him to leave so the Holy Spirit could come.
In many Christian circles today, the Holy Spirit and His Ministry are completely ignored or regarded as irrelevant. In some other circles, He is called the power of God, the breath of God, an intangible thing and not a person. This couldn’t be any further from the truth because He is a person. He is the third person of the Trinity; distinct and yet co-equal with God the Father and God the Son.
In this message, we will discover through scripture, who the Holy Spirit is, why He is so important and how to develop a walk with Him.
Not by Might, nor by Power
In the book of Zechariah, we discover a most profound scripture:
“…Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” – Zechariah 4:6
This scripture is profound because might and power are normally associated with the capacity to get things done. However, God is saying not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of God. If we are going to walk with God, we can only do it by the help of the Holy Spirit.
The issue with the Law of Moses and the Old Testament was that there were so many laws and rules. There were also consequences for disobeying those rules. Man did not have the might or power to obey them all and so, he is condemned.
Under the New Testament however, the same laws and rules apply but there is grace through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is that Spirit of Grace. This is why Jesus said He did not come to break the law but to fulfill it.
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17
By fulfilling the law, Jesus did for us what no man could do. He released the Spirit of Grace to all who would accept Him so that we also can fulfill it.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 8:1-2
Many Christians today however are trying to live in righteousness and please God without the help of Holy Spirit. As a result, many fail, fall back into sin and give up altogether. However, as the Bible says, it is not be our might or our power that we can live righteous but by the Holy Spirit.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
In several scriptural passages, we see the Holy Spirit as the executor of God’s Word or in an executive capacity. God the Father decides to have something done, God the Son carries it out and the God the Holy Spirit provides the power that gets the job done. Let’s take a look at some examples in the Bible.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” – Genesis 1:1-3
In Genesis 1, at the creation of all that exists today, we see that the Spirit of God was present. It was as He moved over the waters that God spoke and things came into existence. In Genesis 2, the Holy Spirit was also present when God formed man;
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” – Genesis 2:7
In this scripture, the Holy Spirit was the breath of life that turned man into a living soul.
In Matthew 3, the Holy Spirit took the form of a dove when He came upon Jesus at His baptism:
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:” – Matthew 3:16
In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came as a mighty rushing wind and fire:
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” – Acts 2:1-4
In all the above scriptures, the Holy Spirit manifested or revealed Himself and what He was doing in different ways. However, the Holy Spirit is not a breath or wind, neither is He a dove or fire. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. He is the Spirit of God almighty.
The Holy Spirit is God. He is distinct from God the Father and God the Son who are also persons. He is not inferior to the other members of the Trinity but equal to them. In the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is the power that brings the Word of God to pass and keeps all things that exist in existence.
Why we need the Holy Spirit
Towards the end of Jesus’ Ministry on earth, He began to speak of another Comforter, the Spirit of Truth. Jesus made it clear to the disciples that there were many things they did not understand that He would like to tell them. However, He didn’t because He realized that they would not understand.
“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” – John 16:12-14
Jesus was saying that when the Holy Spirit came, He would reveal truth to us. He would reveal new truth and give us understanding of the truths that Jesus had spoken of when He was here. We need the Holy Spirit because He reveals Jesus and the Word of God to us. Without the Holy Spirit, the Bible is just a historical book. But with the Holy Spirit, the Bible is the living Word of God, alive and able to change us.
Jesus also referred to the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. In John 14, Jesus called Him another Comforter:
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” – John 14:16
This scripture is wonderful because it expresses the love Jesus has for us. Not wanting to leave us after the end of His Ministry, He promised to send us another person just like himself that would stay with us forever. Jesus believed that sending the Holy Spirit, was sending us a comforter like himself.
The word Comforter here means advocate, counselor, monitor and comforter. Jesus was sending the Holy Spirit to be to us what Jesus had been to the disciples, except He would live within us and would remain with us forever. Hallelujah!
Understanding this is important because the Holy Spirit has been sent as our advocate (our support), counselor (our personal guide), monitor (our assistance) and comforter. He will reveal Jesus and His Word to us and help us live righteous and walk with God.
The Holy Spirit within Us
At salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. The Holy Spirit gives life to our spirit so we can fellowship with God. If you do not yet know Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, today is your day of salvation. We invite you to give your life to Christ. Please visit our Salvation Message page to do so. It will mark the beginning of a whole new walk with God for you.
If you are saved, you have access to fellowship with God.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” – 2 Corinthians 13:14
What this popular scripture means is that the Holy Spirit will help us with our fellowship with God. He will help you pray according to the will of God so you can receive answers.
It is my prayer that our understanding of the Holy Spirit and His ministry will continue to grow so we can live a victorious Christian life in Jesus name. Amen.
We invite you to submit your Prayer Request or Testimony on the respective pages. We would like to pray with you and thank God for His marvelous works in your life. We also invite you to share this message if you have been blessed. You are also welcome to follow us on social media using @thebeholdfile. God bless you richly in Jesus name.
David Adeniji is the Founder and President of The Behold File, a teaching ministry founded in 2003. The Behold File provides a platform through which the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of men to see Jesus so they can be changed to be like him.
Comments 1
thanks i have got more light a bout the person of the holyspirit