Who is The Holy Spirit?
Yes, who. The Holy Spirit is not a what, or a thing it is a who. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity of God. He is fully God. He is eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, has a will, can speak, and is alive. He is a person, just like you and me, He has all the power of God and is the One who guides every born again Christian in the way that they should go.
When Jesus walked the earth for majority of His life He lived just as you and I do today, He read the Bible, lived a godly life, and obeyed the commandments of God. Even though He knew He was the Son of God, He still submitted all to the Father’s will.
It was not until He came to John the Baptist and got baptized that the Holy Spirit came upon Him as a dove descending down to heaven. Which is why a lot of religions believe that you have to be baptized to be saved and receive the Holy Spirit.
The only way to receive the Holy Spirit is through salvation, by accepting Jesus Christ as your Saviour. The Holy Spirit is the person Jesus sent to take His place when He ascended back up into heaven. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. 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. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” – John 14:12-20.
The Holy Spirit is the bridge to God within you. The second you accept Jesus as our Saviour, the Holy Spirit resides in you and guides you the way that Jesus would, if He were here in the flesh.
You know that little voice in your head that tells you God is real?
You know that little voice in your head that says ‘I believe in Jesus”?
You know that little voice in your head that tells you right from wrong?
You know that little voice in your head that tells you “Go this way today, not that way”?
Well, that little voice inside your head is none other than the Holy Spirit. Surprised? Do not be. God uses the Holy Spirit to point us in the right direction. If you are saved, He lives inside of you, and is always around. He also gives the lost the nudge they need to know Jesus.
The Holy Spirit And The Bible
Everything that God has ever done and everything He will ever do is written His word. If one would take the time to look up many of the worlds most historic events one would have found them prophesied in the Bible long ago. If it were not for the word of God we would not know much about life at all, leaving everything under the assumption of man and we all know how corrupted we can become that way. All one has to do is take a look at the theory of evolution to figure out that we really have no clue what is going on in the world.
How Did We Get The Word of God?
We got it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Bible was written using about forty men, whom were all guided by the Holy Spirit, beginning with Moses (Genesis) and ending with John (Revelation), over a period of fifteen hundred years. In order to know the true Word of God, one must know the Holy Spirit personally. I cannot emphasize enough about reading the correct Bible, there is a difference between the True Word of God that was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and a translation of the Word of God which was written by without the inspiration of God. The True Word of God will not eliminate important key facts and instructions that we all need, especially ones that are literally a matter of life or death. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” – 2 Timothy 3:16,17.
1. The Word of God is Eternal.
The word of God along with the Godhead (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit), is eternal. “For ever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in Heaven.” – Psalm 119:89. The word of God is eternal, meaning the entire Word (Jesus) was in Heaven even before the world was created. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” – John 1:1-4,14.
2. God Gave His Word to Man.
The eternal Word of God was given word by word to men that were Holy Spirit filled. “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” – II Peter 1:20,21. What this means is that the Holy Spirit prompted godly men (preachers, teachers, evangelists, Apostles, etc.) to write His words in a book for all mankind to know. For example, The Holy Spirit prompted Moses to pen down the book of Genesis, he wrote down word for word what God had told him to write. How do we know this? Because all this happened hundreds of years before Moses even existed.
3. The Holy Spirit Accompanies The Word of God.
Without the Holy Spirit the Bible becomes simply a story, that is why many people, including Bible and Theologians, never truly understand and explain God’s word. “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” – I Peter 1:10-13.
The Bible alone is not the answer, teaching and preaching the Bible in the power of the Holy Spirit is the answer. Not only did the Holy Spirit write the Book, and not only did He prompt holy men of to pen it down, He is also available to teach it to us. It is not a math book to be studied analytically, but a love story, written from God to man, and confirmed to us by the Holy Spirit as we read and study it.
4. The Holy Spirit Quickens The Word of God.
Without the Holy Spirit the Bible is just words in a book that talk about the things that God did, we never truly know what they mean. However, when we read the Bible with the Holy Spirit the words come to life. Jesus said, “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.” – John 6:63. Most false religion starts by people who have read the Bible, but do not study it in the presence of the Author, God Himself, through the Holy Spirit.
5. The Holy Spirit Teaches The Deeper Truths of The Word of God.
The Holy Spirit not only teaches what God says in His book, He also teaches us what He meant when He said it. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” – I Corinthians 2:9,10. There are so many handfuls of purpose that God has for us as we glean in the Word of God, but this must be done under the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit. There are truths in the Word of God that the eye cannot see and that the ear cannot hear, but He Who gave the Book to us through holy men of old can sit beside us as we study it, and He will teach us things not on the surface. Every step that the Christian takes should be a step in obedience to the Holy Spirit. How does the Spirit lead us? He does this by giving us instructions as we read the Bible.
The Holy Spirit And Salvation
By now, all who visit this site should understand that the only way to heaven is by accepting Jesus Christ as their Saviour, but many are unaware of what happens after He is accepted. First, the Holy Spirit starts nudging them to take the next step, and that is to get baptized, which is why it is very important to get baptized shortly after one gets saved.
Jesus said that unless a man was “born again” he will not see the kingdom of God, “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto the, Ye must be born again.” – John 3:1-7. What this means is that unless a man or woman receives salvation from Jesus Christ he/she will not get to heaven. No term has been used more carelessly and lightly in our generation that the term, “born again.”.
So, What Does it Mean to Be ‘Born Again?
1. Being Born Again Means Being Born Anew.
“Marvel not that I said unto the, Ye must be born again.” – John 3:7. There are two births that a person receives. 1. A physical birth. 2. A spiritual birth. To be born again means that you have received Christ as your Saviour and now the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) lives in you.
2. The New Birth is Not a Change of Nature.
Being “born again”, is not the old nature changing into a new nature. One becomes new and reconciled with God as we accept Jesus into our lives. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” – II Corinthians 5:17-19
God’s Gifts And The Holy Spirit
Once we receive the Holy Spirit in us through Jesus Christ, God will use the gifts that He gave us to allow us to be used for His purpose, including that of reaching others with the Gospel. Jesus told us that we would do the same works that He did while He was here, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” – John 14:12. What this means is that all who believe in Jesus will receive gifts to be able to do the same things that He did.
What Exactly Are We to Do?
Before Jesus ascended up to heaven He gave us a command. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” – Matthew 28:19,20.
This is also what is known as the Great Commission. What this means is that every believer is to do the work that Jesus did while He was physically on the earth. We are commissioned to win the lost to Christ, get them baptized, and then we are to teach them how to win the lost to Christ. This is our biggest task and it is for this reason that God gives us gifts that allow us to reach the lost in different ways.
The Holy Spirit Teaches Us of False Teachings
There are those who choose one of these gifts and insist that every Christian is to have a particular gift. Some say that if a person does not have one particular gift, he is not even a Christian. Others say that the obtaining of one particular gift is an evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit, but all of these assumptions are incorrect.
The Bible plainly teaches how ridiculous it would be to assume that all would have the same gift. “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?” – I Corinthians 12:14-17. It is also evident that each of us needs the gifts of the rest of us.
There are thousands of churches all over this nation and all around the world who have treasurers, finance committees, deacon boards, music committees, education committees, and even committees on committees and yet there not one is saved. These dear saints have been deceived into believing that the using of their gifts is their salvation.