Who is the Holy Spirit?

“The Holy Spirit is fully God and fully personal, serving as the third member of the Triune God.”

-Joel Mudamalle

The Holy Spirit isn’t just a concept or a theological idea.

He’s a person with purpose and power.

Power to heal and restore. Power to transform and save. Power to comfort and help.

The Holy Spirit was there in the beginning with God, actively participating in the creation of all things. He is an integral part of the Trinity, as well as in our lives as sons and daughters in the family of God.

The Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit is given to us by the Father. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church at Ephesus, penned:

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, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV)

The Holy Spirit is the seal in our lives as followers of Jesus, marking us as God’s own people.

And His function within our lives is to form us into the image of Jesus and empower us to live like Him.

What does the Holy Spirit do?

While the Holy Spirit does many things in our lives, here’s a few of His core functions:

Teaches

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John 16:13 NIV)

The Holy Spirit reveals truth to us. He opens our eyes to God’s Word, and provides us with wisdom and understanding.
The British theologian, John Stott, frames it this way:

The Holy Spirit is the divine teacher who guides us into all truth and helps us understand the mysteries of God’s kingdom.

He is our guide on the journey with Jesus, showing us the path of life and leading us down it, ever-deepening our relationship with the Triune God.

Comforts

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. (John 14:16-17 NIV)

The Holy Spirit provides comfort and encouragement for followers of Jesus.

He reminds us of God’s promises. He stills us with God’s peace. He fills us with hope for the present moment, as well as for the future.

While Jesus made it clear that trouble would be a part of life (John 16:33), Jesus also made it clear that we would have a Comforter on the journey.

Empowers

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NIV)

The Holy Spirit empowers followers of Jesus to be His image bearers on the earth.

He empowers us to serve, to love, to give, to heal. On our own, and in our own strength, we can’t be or become who God created us to be. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing.

We need a helper. We need an empowerer. We need the Holy Spirit.

Sanctifies

But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11 NIV)

The Holy Spirit sanctifies us.

He is at the core of our formation into the image of Jesus.

He daily transforms us by renewing our minds and aligning our lives with the Word and Way of the Triune God. Sanctification is an important process in our journey with Jesus, and the Holy Spirit serves to purify, heal, and transform us on the way to becoming more like God.

Produces

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)

The Holy Spirit also produces fruit in our as followers of Jesus.

Jesus made it clear that fruit was the focus (John 15). To be people of love, joy, and peace is at the forefront of life in the Kingdom.

Through the Spirit’s work in our lives, fruit is produced. And that fruit is what glorifies God and reveals who He is to the world around us.

Walking with the Holy Spirit

Author and theologian Joel Mudamalle states:

In Galatians 5, there are three phrases Paul uses to describe our relationship with the Holy Spirit, and it’s all dealing with our proximity to the Spirit: to walk with, to be led by, to follow.

When it comes to relating to the Holy Spirit, this is a great framework to keep in mind. Because the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit deeply desire our proximity.

The Triune God loves to be with us.

And when it comes to our relationship with His Spirit, proximity matters. We don’t want to live our lives with only an idea of God’s Spirit in our minds. We want to live our lives in relationship with God’s Spirit. We want to move beyond theological concepts and into a lived experience with the Holy Spirit.

It’s easy to think the right things about the Holy Spirit.

But it’s also easy to keep the Holy Spirit as only a thought.

The temptation in our lives is to keep the Holy Spirit at a distance from us, whether from a lack of theological understanding or from bad experience.

But to do this is to miss the depth of intimacy the Triune God desires to have with us.

It’s vital that we know Him and walk in step with Him, as He is the very Spirit of God within us.

Moving beyond just theological understanding to a lived experience with the Holy Spirit opens us to the transformative power and presence of the Triune God. And through His Spirit, God invites us into the depth of His love and mission.

Dive Deeper into the Holy Spirit

In our course, The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Dr. Joel Muddamalle explores who the Holy Spirit is and what he does.

He’ll cover the ontological status of the Godhead and the distinction and personhood of the Holy Spirit. He’ll also explain how the Holy Spirit enables worship of God, is the source of spiritual life, reveals the will and mystery of God, and conforms us to the image of Christ.

By the end of this course, you’ll walk away with a deep understanding of the importance of studying and learning about the Holy Spirit.

To learn more about the course, or to sign-up to take it, click the button below!

Become a Vision Partner

Our online Bible study courses are taught by doctoral-level instructors deeply committed to theological education. Our courses are full of insight and depth, empowering you to understand God’s Word.

And, all of our courses are 100% FREE, thanks to the generosity of our monthly Vision Partners.

If you’d like to explore more about our mission at AWKNG and see how you can be a part of what God is doing, click here.

Recent Posts