Overview of the Holy Spirit and His work
If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you – John 14:15-17
INTRODUCTION
The Holy Spirit is absolutely central to our coming to faith in Jesus Christ and sustaining this faith. Indeed, He is central to all that pertains to our relationship with God.
We, therefore need to really know all about the Holy Spirit as He is revealed in the Bible. Let us in humility invite the Holy Spirit to teach us about who He is and what He does.
Key Scriptures
John 14:15-17 & 26; 6:7-15; & 2 Cor. 3:12-18
Today, we will look at the Overview of the Holy Spirit and His Work. God’s plan for every Christian is that we be transformed in our character to become like Jesus as we read in Romans 8:29 – For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters.
This is reiterated in 2 Corinthians 3:18 where we read in the latter part of the verse. … And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more.
Please go back to this 2 Corinthians 3 passage later and read from verses 12 – 18. As believers it is essential that we know the reality and power of the Holy Spirit, recognising His importance in God’s redemptive purpose.
It is the Holy Spirit who brings life right into the centre of the believer’s being and strength into our lives.
Indeed, without the Holy Spirit we would never be able to live in the power of God or know God’s strength in our daily lives. The full enjoyment and fulfilment in our existence as human beings depends on the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Let us now find out what Jesus, the Son of God who reveals the Father to us, has to say about the Holy Spirit in John 14:15-17; 26 and 16:7-15.
In this passage, Jesus links obedience directly to love. He recognises that real love to Him which is shown only in true obedience is not easy and so He assures us that He would ask the Father to give us a Counsellor, that is, One who will help us to live the Christian life by guiding us and advising us about the right things to do.
This Helper or Comforter or Counsellor, is the One who comes from God Himself. That means that God Himself will be our Helper, but this time He will come in the essence of His Spirit.
For example, when someone has a court case, an advocate is called in to assist him with the case. You can say that you and I definitely need such a Counsellor to stand alongside us and help us in the courtroom of God. We need the Holy Spirit to help us in time of trouble or need.
He is the One who lives in us and with us turning our inadequacies into strengths that enable us to cope with the struggles in the Christian life.
Indeed, Jesus has not left us as orphans without hope but has given us His Spirit to help us, guide us and enable us to live to please God.
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By Dr. Joyce Aryee, the author
