Who is The Holy Spirit?

Just before Jesus was betrayed and crucified, he told his followers,

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth” (John 14:16-17).

He also said,

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8).

When Jesus left the throne of heaven to come to earth as a baby, he remained God, but he laid aside all the powers and privileges of being God to become just like us (Philippians 2:7).

Everything he was and did during his time on earth was through the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38).

An understanding of the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity of God is basic to Christian faith. Exactly what that means in our lives is an area of theology that is still developing. In fact, in Methodism as well as in many other churches and denominations, there is a wide range of thought about how the Holy Spirit interacts with us.

I (Pastor David) want to make clear that what I have written here is my own understanding of what the Bible teaches. It is a widely held understanding, especially among the fastest growing parts of Christianity around the world.

The Bible tells us that when the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ the Son of God, left heaven and came to earth, he laid aside his mighty power and glory; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form (Philippians 2:6-7). For thirty years Jesus lived an unremarkable life just like any other human person.

Then God sent John the Baptist to announce the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. John said of Jesus, I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit! (Mark 1:8).

Mark’s account continues: One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and he was baptized by John in the Jordan River. And when Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on him (Mark 1:9-10).

Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil (Matthew 4:1).

Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit's power (Luke 4:14).

It was only after this that Jesus began to do miracles, and the Bible tells us he did them by the power of the Holy Spirit:

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with him (Acts 10:38).

So far this all sounds like ancient history.

But on Jesus’ last day of freedom before he was betrayed, arrested and crucified, he told his followers, The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father (John 14:12).

How could that happen? Jesus explained: I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17).

On the evening of the first Easter Sunday, Jesus fulfilled that promise. John’s gospel tells how Jesus appeared to his followers and spoke to them. Then he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22).

However, it seems that this was not everything Jesus had in mind. A few days later, as he was eating a meal with them, he told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised. Remember, I have told you about this before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5).

They had received the Holy Spirit on Easter evening. Similarly, every person who seeks God’s forgiveness and commits to follow Jesus receives the Holy Spirit: remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all (Romans 8:9). But Jesus told them to wait until they had also been baptized in the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit makes us Christians and helps us act like it. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is something separate that makes us conduits of supernatural power.

Just before he went into heaven, Jesus told his followers, Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you (Mark 28:20).

Among those commands was this:

Heal the sick,
raise the dead,
cure those with leprosy, and
cast out demons (Matthew 10:8).

God has used me as well as others at Trinity to do some of those things, and I can tell you it’s only by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:1-4; Acts 8:14-17; Acts 10:44-46; and Acts 19:1-7 all describe instances of people being baptized in the Holy Spirit, in different countries and cultures over the span of at least twenty years.

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 lists specific ways in which the Holy Spirit manifests his love in power through Christians who are willing for God to use them in that way.

Who Is The Holy Spirit?

Who is the Holy Spirit?

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?