God is not distant from us; the Holy Spirit is His active presence in the world, in the Church, and in individual believers. Right from the beginning of creation (Genesis 1:2), God’s Spirit has been at work - not only initiating the spark of life, but sustaining and directing it (Psalm 104:29,30). We depend on Him far more than we realise!
“If it were God’s intention
and He withdrew His Spirit and breath,
all humanity would perish together
and mankind would return to the dust.” (Job 34:14,15)
He reveals the truth about God - through the original writing of Scripture (II Samuel 23:2; II Peter 1:21), and through the reading and interpretation of Scripture (e.g. John 14:26; Hebrews 3:7-11)
But although we acknowledge His presence and His works (in the creeds, for example), few of us really appreciate the full extent of the Spirit’s activity within the Church. I’ve lost count of the number of sermons I’ve heard on the gifts of the Spirit - but the broader spectrum of His work rarely gets a mention. We depend on Him far more than we realise!
So what does the Spirit do for us?
He gives spiritual life to those who believe in Jesus.
“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.” (John 6:63)
Other religions prescribe rules to follow and rituals to perform. Christianity also has some of these; but they are not its essence. To become a Christian requires more than just desire and action on your part; the Holy Spirit must take up residence in your heart. “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:9)
He unites us.
“For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (I Corinthians 12:13)
Despite our many differences of opinion, tradition and practice, the possession of the Spirit is one thing that we all have in common! In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is often associated with the word ‘fellowship’ (e.g. II Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:1)
He teaches us by bringing appropriate Scripture to our minds, by interpreting it for us and by applying it to our own lives. If you’re reading the Bible and a verse or sentence leaps out at you, that’s the Holy Spirit speaking. Without Him, we cannot understand God’s word (I Corinthians 2:12).
He empowers us for service. The list of Biblical examples is long and varied: Bezalel the craftsman (Exodus 31:1-5), the 70 elders in the wilderness (Numbers 11:24,25), Joshua (Deuteronomy 34:9) and the judges (Judges 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 15:14,15), David (I Samuel 16:13), and even Jesus (Luke 4:14).
He guides us.
“Teach me to do Your will,
for You are my God;
may Your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.” (Psalm 143:10)
He may nudge us to do or say something when the time is just right, or restrain us from doing something wrong. Sometimes He may give specific instructions (e.g. Acts 8:29), but His guidance is probably more often subtle or almost subconscious - such as when the Council of Jerusalem debated the opening of the Church to the Gentiles (Acts 15:28).
He helps us - to pray (Romans 8:26,27), to bear witness (John 15:26,27; Luke 12:11,12), and to live holy lives that glorify God. When we pray, The Spirit inspires and directs our prayers. When we talk to someone about Jesus, He witnesses with us; He gives us the right words to say and makes our testimony effective. And as we live out the Christian life, He gives us the desire, the courage, the confidence and the resources to overcome our selfish desires and conform our lives more closely to God’s will. “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14)
“If it were God’s intention
and He withdrew His Spirit and breath,
all humanity would perish together
and mankind would return to the dust.” (Job 34:14,15)
He reveals the truth about God - through the original writing of Scripture (II Samuel 23:2; II Peter 1:21), and through the reading and interpretation of Scripture (e.g. John 14:26; Hebrews 3:7-11)
But although we acknowledge His presence and His works (in the creeds, for example), few of us really appreciate the full extent of the Spirit’s activity within the Church. I’ve lost count of the number of sermons I’ve heard on the gifts of the Spirit - but the broader spectrum of His work rarely gets a mention. We depend on Him far more than we realise!
So what does the Spirit do for us?
He gives spiritual life to those who believe in Jesus.
“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.” (John 6:63)
Other religions prescribe rules to follow and rituals to perform. Christianity also has some of these; but they are not its essence. To become a Christian requires more than just desire and action on your part; the Holy Spirit must take up residence in your heart. “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:9)
He unites us.
“For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (I Corinthians 12:13)
Despite our many differences of opinion, tradition and practice, the possession of the Spirit is one thing that we all have in common! In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is often associated with the word ‘fellowship’ (e.g. II Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:1)
He teaches us by bringing appropriate Scripture to our minds, by interpreting it for us and by applying it to our own lives. If you’re reading the Bible and a verse or sentence leaps out at you, that’s the Holy Spirit speaking. Without Him, we cannot understand God’s word (I Corinthians 2:12).
He empowers us for service. The list of Biblical examples is long and varied: Bezalel the craftsman (Exodus 31:1-5), the 70 elders in the wilderness (Numbers 11:24,25), Joshua (Deuteronomy 34:9) and the judges (Judges 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 15:14,15), David (I Samuel 16:13), and even Jesus (Luke 4:14).
He guides us.
“Teach me to do Your will,
for You are my God;
may Your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.” (Psalm 143:10)
He may nudge us to do or say something when the time is just right, or restrain us from doing something wrong. Sometimes He may give specific instructions (e.g. Acts 8:29), but His guidance is probably more often subtle or almost subconscious - such as when the Council of Jerusalem debated the opening of the Church to the Gentiles (Acts 15:28).
He helps us - to pray (Romans 8:26,27), to bear witness (John 15:26,27; Luke 12:11,12), and to live holy lives that glorify God. When we pray, The Spirit inspires and directs our prayers. When we talk to someone about Jesus, He witnesses with us; He gives us the right words to say and makes our testimony effective. And as we live out the Christian life, He gives us the desire, the courage, the confidence and the resources to overcome our selfish desires and conform our lives more closely to God’s will. “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14)
