Who
is the Holy Spirit?
There
are several misconceptions when it comes to the topics of the Holy Spirit. Some
call the Holy Spirit a mystical force. At the same time, others claim the
Holy Spirit is the impersonal power that God makes available to the people who
believe in Jesus Christ. In order to know about the Holy Spirit and the roles
of the Holy Spirit, it could be learned only through Scriptures and Bible
declared the Holy Spirit is God. Holy Spirit is the third person of the
trinity.
Holy
Spirit and the Pentecostal Day
The manifestation of the Holy Spirit was on some occasion when it comes to the Old
Testament. However, the picture completely changes when it comes to the New
Testament.
Pentecost
is so important in both the Old and New Testaments. Pentecost is a Jewish feast
day in the Old Testament and it is celebrated on the fiftieth day at the end of
the gain harvest. Pentecost signals the new era of the church age.
Jesus,
after the resurrection, asked the disciples to gather in the upper room. This
event turned history upside room as Jesus marked it as a day to spread the
gospel to the whole world. Jesus already when ascending to heaven had
promised that He would send a comforter Holy Spirit and he will be with us
forever in John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance
all that I said to you”. When everyone gathered in the room, the disciples saw
something extraordinary which they never witnessed.
Acts
2:1-3 says “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one
place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing
wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided
tongues as of fire appeared” They witnessed the Power of Holy Spirit coming
through as a rushing and mighty winds from heaven. Everyone started speaking in
different languages as the Holy Spirit sat on everyone. Day of the Pentecost
set a Pentecostal moment on the upper room among the 120 disciples, and the
fire of God hasn’t quenched yet, and it is bringing people to the real God. The
Holy Spirit on the Pentecostal day brought the blueprint of heaven to the
earth. It was us who needs to rely upon the Lord in executing the plans and
will of God. Everyone who was touched by the Holy Spirit was never the
Same
after the event.
The manifestation of the Holy Spirit
We can
see the manifestation of the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible from the first book
Genesis to the final book Revelation.
We can
come across several instances of people throughout who had a powerful encounter
with the Holy Spirit or in God’s presence. Scripture says in Rev 1:17 John
could not stand in the presence of God, and he fell down in Jesus’ glory,
as did the disciples (Mt. 17:6). Saul, who later turned into Paul had a
supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit in God’s glory in the road of
Damascus made a remarkable transformation in his life(Acts 9:4-8).
Jesus
Introduced the Holy Spirit and what He does in John 14:16-17 “And I will pray
the Father and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you
forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive because it
seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but you know him; for he dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you.
So it
was clear that the Holy Spirit was given for everyone who believes in Jesus
Christ is their savior. Holy Spirit is called the “Teacher”, and he teaches us
in every truth for the believer. He is also called “Comforter” and He dwells
within us and comforts and will be there to plead your case and to aid you in
any way.” We need Holy Spirit more in our life to stay in God’s will and to
know about God and his love over us. Holy Spirit plays different roles in the
lives of the people who believe in Christ, and the most important one is He help us
experience God in a personal way. One could experience the life transformation
only when he experiences and embrace God’s love, and the Holy Spirit helps in attaining
this experience. The Spirit dwells in us, and it gives immense joy and peace
when he lives in our hearts.
Holy
Spirit also intercedes for us The Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27) and
helps in deciding according to the Father’s will (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
Roles
of Holy Spirit
Some of
the top roles of Spirit is that of He is a gift-giver. 1 Corinthians 12
highlights the spiritual gifts given to the people who believe in Christ
in order, they may function as the body of Christ on the earth fulfilling God’s
plan. All the gifts are presented by the Holy Spirit, in order that we might be
ambassador to the world, proclaiming his great commission glorifying Him
through our gifts.
Also
apart from gift-giver he also functions as the fruit-producer in the lives of the
believers. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, He starts the work of harvesting
His fruit in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These are not works
of our flesh, which is incapable of producing such fruit, but they are products
of the Spirit’s presence in our lives.
The knowledge that the Holy Spirit of God has taken up residence in our lives, that
He performs all these miraculous functions, that He dwells with us forever, and He will never leave or forsake us is cause for great joy and comfort.
Thank God for this precious gift—the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives!