Who Is The Holy Spirit?

Galatians 5:22-25, “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.”

John 14:15-17, 25-27, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

25 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

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May 8, 2016
John 14.15-17, 25-27; 1 Corinthians 12.4-11 – Who Is The Holy Spirit?
Pastor Doug Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church

As we continue our series Going Deeper in Faith today we’re going to talk about the answer to the question, “Who is the Holy Spirit?” You can think about how you’d answer that question if someone asked you. I want to begin answering that question in a slightly unconventional way that will hopefully help you remember something important about the Holy Spirit.

Does anyone know what these are? They’re a pair of cleats. They happen to be mine. I use them to play baseball. Wearing a pair of cleats helps you when you’re hitting, running, and fielding by giving you strong support and enabling you to plant and move with confidence. You hit, run, and throw better in a pair of cleats; they really help a lot. Someone is already wondering, “What does a pair of cleats have to do with answering the question, ‘Who is the Holy Spirit’?”

Well it just so happens that Paraclete (pairʹuh-kleet), is a Greek term meaning ‘Advocate’ or ‘called to the side of’ (see 1 John 2:1). It’s used in the Gospel of John passage I read earlier (14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-11;13-15), where Jesus promises his disciples that when he departs he will send them another Paraclete (RSV and NIV: ‘Counselor’; KJV: ‘Comforter’; JB and NEB: ‘Advocate’) to remain with them. The Paraclete is the Holy Spirit, or Spirit of Truth (14:17, 26). John’s teaching about the Holy Spirit is described in terms of the Paraclete, who continues the work of Jesus (John 14:16-17), helping us remember things Jesus taught or revealing things he was unable to convey (John 14:26; 16:12-14).. So whenever you see someone playing a game with a pair of cleats, let it be a reminder to you of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, Counselor, Comforter, Spirit of Truth who gives us firm footing for following Jesus.

Going back to the beginning and looking at the Bible as a whole, The Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God is the mysterious power or presence of God in nature or with individuals and communities, inspiring or empowering them with qualities they would not otherwise possess. The term ‘spirit’ translates the Hebrew (ruach) and the Greek (pneuma) words denoting ‘wind,’ ‘breath,’ and, by extension, a life-giving element.

In the Hebrew Bible the first thing we learn is that the Holy Spirit is an agent of God’s awesome power in creation. (Genesis 1:2 (KJV); “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.” Psalm 33:6, “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath (ruach) of his mouth.” (See also Ezekiel 37:1-10). Secondly, the Holy Spirit is a source of inspiration and power. Particularly in the stories of the judges, kings, and prophets, the Holy Spirit becomes the instrument of God’s revelation and activity. Israel’s leaders—from Moses to Joshua, to the judges, to David and Solomon, to the ‘Servant of God’ of Isaiah 42—all receive their wisdom, courage, and power as gifts from God’s Spirit. The primary example is the inspiration of the prophets, who, because they possess (or are possessed by) the Spirit, speak and act with an authority and power not their own. The Spirit can also be conveyed from one person to another, as with Moses and Joshua, Saul and David, and Elijah and Elisha. A third and lesser emphasis is the Holy Spirit as God’s presence in the community of faith itself (Ezekiel 11:14-21; 36:22-32); however this idea becomes more important in the first century church.

In the New Testament we see a wider range of meaning for the term Holy Spirit or Spirit of God. Although the earlier usage continues (it’s the Spirit of God that endows Jesus with power as the Messiah [Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; Matt. 12:28; Luke 4:16-21] and that empowers the church for its mission [Acts 2]), the close relationship of Jesus to God (the incarnation) expands and significantly transforms the understanding of the Holy Spirit in Christianity (which leads to related expressions we find in the New Testament like: ‘Spirit of Christ,’ ‘Spirit of the Lord,’ and ‘Spirit of Jesus,’ and especially passages such as Galatians 4:6, where God sends ‘the Spirit of his Son’ to the followers of Jesus). A number of New Testament passages suggest that the Holy Spirit is sent jointly from God and the Risen Christ (Acts 2:33) which is why the Holy Spirit comes to represent both the presence and activity of God and the continuing presence of Jesus Christ in the church. This idea comes to fullest expression in John 14, which I mentioned earlier where the Holy Spirit is described as a Paraclete (‘Counselor’) who represents God’s presence and guidance for the disciples.

The term “Holy Spirit” is found in nearly every book of the New Testament. In Acts, there’s a close connection among four elements: the proclamation of the gospel, baptism, the laying on of hands, and receiving of the Holy Spirit. In both Acts and Paul’s Letters, receiving the Holy Spirit brings the ‘gifts’ needed for service and extends the presence and power of Christ to each new generation of disciples.

Earlier in the service we heard Galatians 5:22-23 which shares the fruit of the Spirit which are a mark of spiritual maturity. The fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity (or goodness), faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” The fruit of the Spirit relate to the development of our character. They are virtues, aspects of love in action that all followers of Jesus are to grow in as the Holy Spirit works in our lives. There’s a sense in which we’re the ground, the soil, that the Holy Spirit works on and in to grow the fruit of the Spirit. God will not instantly make us more loving, patient, or generous. However, the Lord may put us in contact with people who need love every day. God may allow us to be in situations in which we can develop patience. We will have opportunities to be generous almost every day. One of our church values is, “We believe in practicing and demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit in all circumstances.”  The “all circumstances” part is important because it’s in precisely those circumstances that we find it most difficult to practice them in which we most need to demonstrate they are present in our life. I encourage you to be reflecting about which one, two, or three of the fruit of the Spirit does the Lord want you most to work on in this season of your life? Which ones need the most attention? Empowered by the Spirit all disciples are to develop all the fruit of the Spirit – they reflect a quality of being and our character.

The gifts of the Spirit are more about doing. Every believer is empowered by the Spirit with spiritual gifts that are God given and they indicate what we do when we serve as Paul states in Corinthians 12:4-11, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.”

Paul was writing to a church in Corinth that was divided into several factions with too many individuals who were thinking of themselves rather than the church as a whole. One of his goals in his letter to the Corinthians was to help them understand that although each individual is unique and there are many different spiritual gifts, all the gifts of the Spirit come from one and the same Spirit and they’re to be used for the common good. For years our church has emphasized the importance of each member serving the Lord, the church, and God’s people through the use of our spiritual gifts for the common good.

Both the fruit of the Spirit and spiritual gifts are important in a balanced spiritual life that glorifies God. While all of us are to cultivate all the fruit of the Spirit, when it comes to spiritual gifts, we only receive a few which we’re to develop and use to the best of our ability.

To begin summing up, the Holy Spirit gives us the power to live our life as God intends as a follower of Jesus. In order to let the Holy Spirit begin to shape our lives, first, we have to ask the Holy Spirit to enter our lives. In Luke 11:13 Jesus says, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” If you want the Holy Spirit in your life ask God to give you you with the Spirit.

Second, we must learn to practice patient, active waiting upon God. Psalm 40:1, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.” Isaac Pennington (1617-1680) described this patient waiting: “You must press your spirit to bow daily before God and wait for breathings to you from his Spirit. Pray that he will continue his mercy to you and make his way more and more clear before you every day. Yes, and also pray that he will give you strength in all the trials which may come your way. By his secret working in your spirit, giving you assistance from time to time, you will advance nearer and nearer towards the kingdom.”

Thirdly, understand that the Holy Spirit is more about changing and shaping our mind and subsequently our behavior than dramatic, ecstatic experiences. Genuine change often takes time, yet we’re to remember that with the help of the Spirit of God, each of us not only can change, but we also have the power to make a significant difference in the world and in the lives of others.

What can we expect to see happening in our hearts, minds, and lives that is evidence of the Spirit’s presence living and acting within us? The Holy Spirit is able to:

• Give us a sense of unity with Jesus
• Lead us into all truth
• Help us worship God
• Guide us in making decisions
• Illuminate our study of the Bible
• Motivate us to action
• Give us the right words as we share our faith with others
• Soften the minds and hearts of those with whom we share our faith

These are works of the Spirit all of us can expect to see in our lives, however, we shouldn’t necessarily expect dramatic or instantaneous results.

Here are some steps any of us can take:

1. Yield to the work of the Spirit. If you have never done so, consider taking an hour in prayer to ask the Holy Spirit to begin working in your life in a new and powerful way. Make no demands, have no expectations. Your only task is to truly surrender yourself to God and open the door for the Spirit to come in and begin changing the way you think and live.
2. Nurture the growth of the fruit of the Spirit. Paul says in Galatians 5 that we are responsible for living by the Spirit and being guided by Spirit. Set aside 15 minutes to meditate on the list of the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). Ask for divine guidance to show you which of these virtues needs to be more evident in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to begin working on your mind and heart in this area.
3. Use your spiritual gifts in some way to bless God, build up the church, and serve people. If you have never done so, plan on participating in a spiritual gifts discovery class sometime this year.
4. Read the Bible with the Holy Spirit. As you read pray that the Holy Spirit will highlight what you need to hear at that particular moment. When that verse, sentence, or phrase is identified, spend 10-15 minutes reflecting on why it may have struck you and what it is God may want you to understand and do as a result.
5. Listen to and be led by the Advocate when making decisions (see Romans 8:14 and Galatians 5:25 on being led by the Spirit of God). One of the most important and basic ministries of the Spirit is to provide guidance in our lives. Especially when facing important decisions we’re wise to ask the Spirit in prayer for direction, leading, wisdom, and insight. We often will discern the Spirit’s leading in an intuitive sense, a word spoken by a friend, or the opening or closing of a door of opportunity. In all decisions we test the Spirit by examining the Scriptures and seeking the counsel of trusted spiritually mature friends to make sure we’re hearing correctly.

In conclusion, remember that overcoming our self-will and yielding to the Spirit is the first and vital step. Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) described opening her life to the presence of the Holy Spirit this way, “It is as if I have given the keys of my house to Love with permission to do all that is necessary.”

Prayer: Lord, help us to give the keys of our house to your Spirit, letting you have complete control. Give us the trust to invite you into every room. Don’t come as an occasional guest who we are relieved to see depart or to whom we don’t open everything – enter and become the Owner of the whole house. We do not want to turn our eyes from you, O God. There we want them to stay and not move no matter what happens to us, within or without.  Adapted from a piece by Catherine of Genoa.

Blessing: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” Gal. 5:25

Questions for Discussion or Reflection

1. If someone asked you, “Who is the Holy Spirit?” how would you answer that question?
2. In John 14, what does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit?
3. In the Bible, what are some of the ways the power of the Holy Spirit is displayed?
4. What role does the Holy Spirit play in helping us develop the fruit of Christian character?
5. What role does the Holy Spirit have in equipping us for ministry?
6. Identify one step you can take to grow in your awareness of and empowerment by the Holy Spirit.