Category: Theology

The incarnation was a singular event in which the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. Pentecost was another such singular event in which the Holy Spirit came down and resided within the church and began ministering through us. Luke records this event:

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…[1]

From that time on, believers had the capacity to minister through spiritual gifts and miraculous ministries. That power came from the presence of the Holy Spirit. Although he has always been present everywhere, from Pentecost on, he has invested himself in the church of Jesus Christ.

the rifle era

Before Jesus, God’s Holy Spirit invested himself in people by coming upon them, to empower them to perform specific miracles, or the enable them to do a particular ministry.

· “And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, and he took up his discourse”[2]

· “The Spirit of the LORD was upon (Othniel), and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.”[3]

· “Then the Spirit of the LORD was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD…”[4]

· “Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon (Samson), and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat.”[5]

· “When they came to Gibeah, behold, a group of prophets met (Saul), and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them.”[6]

· “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward.”[7]

· “Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied”[8]

· And (Saul) went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.[9]

· “The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.”[10]

· Ezekiel said “And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus says the LORD: So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind….”[11]

The power of God at work could be described as that of a rifle, specifically targeting one person or group, and doing one thing at a time. During this time God’s power for ministry could be said to be available, but not predictable, and not prominent.

the ricochet era

The Messiah’s ministry was to be different than the ministries of these upon whom the Spirit came. The Messiah was to have the power of the Spirit without measure – without limit. The Holy Spirit would rest upon the Messiah and never leave him. Power from God is both available and predictable if you are looking in the right place.

· “And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.”[12]

· “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.”[13]

· “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound”[14]

When Jesus Christ appeared for his public ministry, his baptism by John publically demonstrated that he was this Messiah. The Holy Spirit visibly descended and rested upon him. From that time on, the Holy Spirit manifested God’s power wherever Jesus went.

· “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”[15]

· “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness”[16]

· “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.”[17]

The Holy Spirit manifested his power in Jesus’ life and ministry. That power did not dissipate once a particular miracle happened, but continued to manifest wherever Jesus was. It was like a bullet, which, after reaching its target, would ricochet to the next and the next.

the shotgun era

Jesus promised to pass on that special access to God’s power through the Holy Spirit. He predicted the event that we know as Pentecost. He told them “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”[18] He promised “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”[19]

On that day, the Holy Spirit came, rested upon, and resided within the believers gathered. But unlike the Old Testament saints, this power was to remain in the believers for the purpose of witnessing the fact that Christ has been raised from the dead. The power was tied to the gospel message, and will not diminish until all have had the opportunity to hear that gospel. The power will remain as long as the mission remains.

· “And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”[20]

· “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.”[21]

· “by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God- so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel”[22]

· “and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”[23]

· “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”[24]

· “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being”[25]

· “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us”[26]

· “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”[27]

This era in which we now live is both the era of the Holy Spirit, and the era of the church, through which the Holy Spirit chooses to operate. He has invested himself in us, and his power blasts through the obstacles as we continue to spread the gospel. The power of the Holy Spirit is like the blast of a shotgun, that permeates the whole area where the gospel is being proclaimed.

a powerless church?

Sadly, that power often seems to be missing in the church today. Some feel that this special power was only for the age in which the apostles began to originally spread the gospel, and therefore we should not expect the same kind of power today. They teach that the church should concentrate on showing love and other aspects of the sanctified life, because the special power and gifts have ceased.

It is true that Paul argues for an emphasis on love in 1 Corinthians 13, because the miraculous gifts do manifest temporarily. He was not arguing that the era of the Holy Spirit’s power would end in the first century. He was trying to correct an over-emphasis on the expression of supernatural gifts to the exclusion of the fruit of a sanctified life. Paul encouraged both the manifestation of spiritual gifts and spiritual fruit, because each has its place.

Perhaps one of the reasons that the church seems so powerless today is that she has lost sight of the dual role of the Holy Spirit in the presentation of the gospel. His power is available to both transform us into Christ’s image, and to proclaim Christ’s gospel. It can both build up believers and (through miracles) break down walls preventing belief. Some traditions emphasize the Holy Spirit’s role as a sanctifier, others stress his role as a miracle maker. Both must be seen together to get a clear view of who the Holy Spirit actually is. His power is available to change us, and to draw others to Christ.

baptism and fullness

Another helpful distinction can clarify the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. All believers have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. That is the initial act of entering into the life of someone who has confessed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul told the Corinthians “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free- and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.”[28] The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not some extra blessing that a believers has to work for – it comes with being part of the body of Christ – no extra charge.

Simultaneous with the initial baptism with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the bible says “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”[29] This fullness of the Holy Spirit was a temporary phenomenon. It resulted in power for miraculous ministry. It came and went, as the apostles continued to spread the gospel.[30]

The church needs to continually seek this fullness of the Spirit to manifest the difference between who we were before Christ, and who we are now. Paul told the Ephesians “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”[31] The old life of debauchery must be replaced by a new life, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This new life involves manifestations of spiritual gifts in which the Holy spirit speaks, sings, and gives thanks through our voices. It also expresses itself in a sanctified life in which we submit to one another instead of trying to rule over each other. Here, again, spiritual gifts and the fruit of the Spirit are working together for the same cause: advancing the gospel.

He is Here

The spiritual gifts and the fruit of the spirit and the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit all have one source: the person of the Holy Spirit. They exist because he exists. They will never cease because He will never cease. Since he is here, his power is available to answer our prayers, and to surprise us with unexpected miracles. He is not a mechanistic power, so his work cannot be manipulated. That explains why our prayers sometimes do not result in the answers we expect. He is God, and does not curtail his own sovereignty.

But we should pray, precisely because he is here within us. He has chosen to invest himself in our lives. He has chosen to empower us to fulfill our mission. He has chosen to make us more like Christ. If we are doing what he wants us to do, we should expect his empowerment to do it.

[1] Acts 2:1-4.

[2] Numbers 24:2-3.

[3] Judges 3:10.

[4] Judges 11:29-30.

[5] Judges 14:6. (see also 14:19; 15:14).

[6] 1 Samuel 10:10. (see also 10:6; 11:6).

[7] 1 Samuel 16:13.

[8] 1 Samuel 19:20.

[9] 1 Samuel 19:23.

[10] 2 Chronicles 15:1-2.

[11] Ezekiel 11:5.

[12] Isaiah 11:2.

[13] Isaiah 42:1-3.

[14] Isaiah 61:1.

[15] Matthew 3:16 – 4:1.

[16] Luke 4:1.

[17] Luke 4:14-15.

[18] Luke 24:49.

[19] Acts 1:8.

[20] Acts 4:33.

[21] Acts 6:8.

[22] Romans 15:19-20.

[23] 1 Corinthians 2:4-5.

[24] 2 Corinthians 10:4.

[25] Ephesians 3:14-16.

[26] Ephesians 3:20.

[27] James 5:16.

[28] 1 Corinthians 12:13-14.

[29] Acts 2:4.

[30] Acts 4:8, 31; 6:8; 7:55; 9:17; 11:24; 13:9, 52.

[31] Ephesians 5:18-21.

Jesus told his disciples “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”[1] On the one hand, he gave us an impossible task: keeping his commandments. It is harder to do that than to keep the Old Testament commandments, and no one was able to accomplish that task.

On the other hand, we have help that the Old Testament saints did not have. Jesus personally asked the Father to send someone to help us live the life Jesus commanded us to live, and that someone is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit continues the discipling work that Christ began. He was sent specifically from heaven to carry on Christ’s work. The best way to understand this aspect of the Holy Spirit’s ministry is to see how Jesus Christ discipled.

Empowerment

Jesus empowered his disciples to do what he called them to do. When he commissioned the twelve for itinerant ministry, he “called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.”[2] He did not ask them to do what he had not demonstrated for them, and given them the means to do so. When he had trained and commissioned another group – the seventy – he likewise assured them that they had the power to do what he asked. He told them “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”[3] With the task came the empowerment.

Some teach that Jesus has somehow shortchanged us during this age. They seem to feel that now discipling can be carried out without supernatural power to heal and deliver from demonic bondage. There is no indication of such a paradigm shift in the New Testament. Just before ascending to heaven, Jesus told the believers present with him that “I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was tied to two things: The physical absence of Jesus Christ in bodily form, and the need to disciple all nations before his return. Neither of these two factors have changed in the past two thousand years.

What is more, the Holy Spirit needed to come not just to regenerate sinners, but to do so with power. Jesus told the disciples that “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The task of witnessing to Christ’s resurrection was never meant to be carried out without the Holy Spirit’s empowerment.

The Sanhedrin council asked Peter and John “By what power or by what name did you do this?” They were doing what Christ had commanded, and they were doing it in his name. They were doing it by the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke says that “with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”[4]

Illumination

Jesus came to bring light to a dark place – to illuminate a people who were lost in darkness. Isaiah predicted that “there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.”[5] He foretold that when the gospel of Christ was first preached, it would be in that dark and desolate place.

John commented that “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”[6] But neither did the darkness dispel entirely. Even though “the light has come into the world, (some) people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.”[7] The rejoiced to see the light in Christ, but ultimately rejected that light because it exposed sin that they wanted to keep. Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”[8] But he said that to the Pharisees, who refused to believe that he was who he said he was.

Illumination is like that. It is here for us to utilize if we dare do so. But it can also be lost. Who does not know a person who claimed to be a Christian, and lived like a Christian for a time, only to ultimately reject Christ and faith. This is a reality that everyone knows about. Paul talks about two people who “have made shipwreck of their faith.”[9] Perhaps they did so by rejecting the light that they had been shown. It is a dangerous thing to do so.

The Holy Spirit helps us keep the ship of our faith in safety. He serves as a lighthouse that helps us to stay on course with the life that we received when we came to Christ. In our lives, “the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.”[10] It is the Holy Spirit who helps us to distinguish between the world’s darkness and the truth-light of the gospel. He continues the discipling task of illumination that Jesus began in Galilee.

He also has a special ministry of illumination in respect to the message of the Bible. It is “only the illumination of the Holy Spirit, opening our heart to God’s word and God’s word to our hearts, (which) can bring understanding of, conviction about, and consent to, the things that God declares.”[11]

Paul taught about this ministry. He said that “…we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”[12] This implies that the Holy Spirit creates three separate abilities: 1) the ability to understand what is written in the Bible, 2) the ability to pass on that understanding through teaching, 3) the ability to understand and apply God’s truth through the medium of teachers.

Intercession

Jesus also spent a great deal of time praying for his disciples. He prayed before he chose them.[13] He prayed for their strength to endure temptation.[14] He also interceded for them in other ways. When they found themselves incapable of doing what they thought they should do, he stepped in and did it for them.

The Holy Spirit does that for believers as well. Paul taught that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”[15] This is much more than simply a ministry of praying for us. It is stepping in to the ring and taking on the ministry of prayer on our behalf when we are not up to the task.

One of the reasons this ministry is necessary is that believers do not always know how to pray, because we are not always privy to God’s plan. We do not always understand enough of the situation we are in to know what God is doing among us. We see only the struggle, not the intended victory. we see only the pain, not the glory that will come afterward. In such cases, we are liable to pray for the wrong things: immediate control of the situation, immediate release from the difficulties, etc. But God sees the whole picture. In such cases, the Holy Spirit’s ministry of intercession comes to the throne of God with a different agenda than the humans who are praying. His intercession is more likely to be for our strength to endure the battle and our ability to see beyond it. He prays not that we necessarily get what we are asking for, but that our faith can stay strong while we do not.

Sanctification

If it had not been for Jesus, the disciples would never have had the impact upon the world that they did. His presence changed them. His ministry impacted their lives, and made them different people. At its heart, this is what sanctification means. The holiness and separateness and uniqueness of Jesus Christ was visited upon the disciples, and turned them into saints. When he prayed for them, he said “for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”[16]

The Holy Spirit continues that ministry as well. Jesus described the believer as one through whom the Holy Spirit would flow like water flows through a river.[17] The presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers makes us different than what we would have been, and ensures the final outcome of our lives is God’s glory. He transforms our minds so that we know and seek what God wants.[18] He will ultimately transform our lives so that we look like Christ does.[19] That transformation may seem like a very slow process with many setbacks. It is. But the process itself is one of the ministries that the Holy Spirit does within us today.

Endowment

Jesus also gave special gifts to his disciples: supernatural abilities that went far beyond simply utilizing the talents that these disciples had originally. Part of their transformation was requiring more of them than they felt capable of giving. An example of this is the time when thousands had gathered for a dinner and a show.

The disciples came to Jesus with some practical advice and said “”This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.””[20] The natural course of events brought the disciples to a need that they were sure that they could not meet. They brought the problem to Jesus, and even suggested a solution. But Jesus saw this as an opportunity to reveal that within the disciples themselves was a supernatural solution to the problem.

The Charismata get bad press from some people today – even some Christians. This is partly because many who dare to believe in the spiritual gifts only know how to operate in them based on some bad, subjective examples. Such was the case in Paul’s day as well. The Corinthians — anxious to demonstrate God’s power at work in their lives – did a lot of things the Holy Spirit did not want to do, and blamed them on him. For example:

1. Someone were getting into illicit sexual partnerships, probably claiming that the Spirit led him into the relationships.[21]

2. Some believers were apparently jumping into marriage commitments, perhaps thinking that they were motivated by the Spirit.[22]

3. Some were passing judgment on other Christians, perhaps believing that they were exercising discernment. They were even becoming critical of Paul’s ministry.[23]

4. Some were comparing their gifts with those manifested by other Christians. Paul had to remind them that though the gifts should be pursued, it should always be in an atmosphere of love.[24]

5. Some were manifesting their gifts in public worship in a way that fostered confusion and competition. Paul encouraged them to be considerate of each other and tone the charismata down because such displays of disorder are not what the Holy Spirit is all about.[25]

The spiritual gifts are one way that the Holy Spirit works among believers to disciple believers. He is continuing the discipling ministry of Christ. One way to discern whether we are getting carried away in our use of spiritual gifts is to ask if what we are manifesting contributes to the discipling of ourselves or other believers. If we are manifesting speaking gifts, do those things we say lead to the edification of others? If we are manifesting serving gifts, do the things we do make the body of Christ stronger, more mature?

One particular example (from 1 Corinthians 14) should be highlighted. Believers in Corinth were coming together in public worship, and some of them were bringing messages in languages that they knew, but others did not. This was called speaking in tongues, because, just as today, the word tongue can mean language.[26] These believers were not rattling on with meaningless sounds. They understood what they were saying. They were using the public worship time to build up themselves, not to build up the church (4). They knew that they were giving thanks to God, but the others around them did not know what they were saying, so they could not join in the worship (16). To the others, it was just an indistinct sound (8) – just speaking into the air (9). So Paul’s advice was simple. If you are going to say something that others cannot understand, interpret it. If you can’t do that, keep your mouth shut!

A principle can be inferred from that example which applies to all instances of charismata. The gifts are not the goal of Christian ministry. They are a means to that goal. If the way that our gifts manifest themselves actually detracts from the ultimate goal of making disciples, something is wrong. There were eras and movements in history when believers so emphasized gifts and giftedness that these became the end in and of itself. Some denominations and groups today are so identified with those eras and movements that what people did then has become a standard for faithfulness to the Holy Spirit.

Paul taught the Corinthians that it is possible to be faithful to what God is doing within you without getting carried away and distracting from discipleship. He taught the Ephesians that the ministry gifts were …

“to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”[27]

The discipleship themes of edification, growth, maturity and unity are the ends to which the supernatural ministry gifts are to be manifested. We are to judge our effectiveness in manifesting gifts by how well we and those we minister to measure up to the fullness of Christ.

Spiritual growth and development like that is happening. It is happening among groups and denominations that call themselves “charismatic” and “Pentecostal” and among those who are not comfortable with those labels. The Holy Spirit is at work among believers who dare to let him do what he wants to do in their lives. He wants to transform us.[28] He wants us to dare to set tables for thousands. He still does miracles. If we dare to get involved in the things that he is concerned about, we may see him perform them more often.

[1] John 14:15-17.

[2] Luke 9:1-2.

[3] Luke 10:19.

[4] Acts 4:33.

[5] Isaiah 9:1-2.

[6] John 1:5.

[7] John 3:19.

[8] John 8:12.

[9] 1 Timothy 1:19.

[10] 1 John 2:8.

[11] J. I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness. (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1994), 83. {I inserted the relative pronoun which here, instead of who, not to deny the personality of the Spirit, but for the clause to agree with its referent – illumination}.

[12] 1 Corinthians 2:12-14 (see also 1 John 2:20,27).

[13] Luke 6:12-13.

[14] Luke 22:32.

[15] Romans 8:26-27.

[16] John 17:19.

[17] John 7:38-39.

[18] Romans 12:2.

[19] 2 Corinthians 3:18.

[20] Matthew 14:15-16.

[21] 1 Corinthians 5:1-2; 6:9, 16-20.

[22] 1 Corinthians 7. Paul’s advice was to avoid new commitments if at all possible. He wanted believers to submit to the lordship of Christ as they were when they were called to him.

[23] 1 Corinthians 8-11.

[24] 1 Corinthians 12-13.

[25] 1 Corinthians 14.

[26] What was going on in Corinth was not the same thing as the miracle of speaking in “other tongues” at Pentecost (Acts 2:4). One reason many misunderstand the gift is that they are trying to systematize the two incidents.

[27] Ephesians 4:12-16.

[28] Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Jesus described the Holy Spirit’s ministry in some detail. He said “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”[1] That description of the Holy Spirit’s ministry suggests a number of principles which help believers understand whether a word or thought is from him:

1. He is the Spirit of truth. No teaching or action or policy that involves deception or false implications is of the Holy Spirit. By contrast, any teaching or action or policy that champions and celebrates truth might possibly be from the Holy Spirit. One has to be careful, because the Adversary is quite capable of using many truths to hide his lies. However, truthfulness and honesty in ministry is a telling sign of the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

2. His purpose is to guide the church into all the truth. He is not simply one to champion or reveal a part of the truth, and let believers go on living with lies and half-truths in other areas of their lives. His veracity is comprehensive. His goal is to help believers understand and communicate the whole counsel of God.

3. The Holy Spirit acts as an emissary. He is an agent of Jesus Christ, delivering Christ’s counsel, and forwarding Christ’s commands. He is not a free agent – which means that he is not given authority to rescind or reinterpret what Jesus said as recorded in the Gospels. Instead, he is responsible to those words. Just as Jesus submitted to the Father in all things, so the Holy Spirit has submitted to Christ’s will and words in what he has done. That is his function. He continues the task of making disciples of all nations with all the same rules and policies intact.

4. His ultimate goal is to glorify Christ, just as Christ’s ultimate goal is to glorify the Father. To glorify someone is to enhance his reputation. For example, I glorify my wife by praising her for what a good wife she is to me. I also glorify her by living a good life and being a good husband and father myself. My actions reflect upon her because we have a relationship. When the Holy Spirit does great things it reflects upon the greatness of Christ.

The Holy Spirit accomplishes all these things (at least partly) by working with and within the church. He guides believers upon the Christ-track. He keeps them from getting off the Christ-track. He exerts influence – the same kind of influence that Christ did as he walked the desert roads of Galilee and Judea.

It take a Person

When God decided to step into the mess that this planet had become he cared enough to send the very best. He sent a person: Jesus of Nazareth. When Jesus decided to continue his ministry after he left for heaven, he did not change plans. He sent another like himself. This was the meaning behind Jesus’ prediction that the Father would send another helper.[2] That word another means another of the same kind.[3] Since Jesus had begun the rescue of humanity from Satan’s grasp, it stands to reason that the one sent after him would be like him – a person.

Humanity has always been cheated by the gods (spirit-beings represented by the idols) who offer another way. The gods of the nations suggest that humans can manipulate their environment in order to get better luck, or harm an opponent. The suggestion involves the assumption that this world operates by means of impersonal, mechanistic laws. The gods behind pagan idolatry teach that what humans need is power to control the way things are. If you have the right source of power, you can get things going to your advantage regardless of your relationship with God.

Into that atmosphere, Jesus came preaching that the kingdom of God is not a matter of just doing acts of righteousness, but of being children of our heavenly Father.[4] What matters is not power, but relationship and living up to that relationship. That is why it was necessary for Christ to come as a teacher. He showed us how to live like children of God. An impersonal influence could not have done that.

Likewise, when Jesus left us to go back to his heavenly Father and ours, he entrusted the task of guiding us into God’s footsteps with another person: the Holy Spirit.

He is a person

In chapter 16 the major arguments for the personality of the Holy Spirit were presented in summary form, but this is an important place to review and accentuate that summary. Seeing the Holy Spirit as a person is not just important to give evidence for the doctrine of the Trinity. It also helps believers better understand who the Holy Spirit is, and what kind of role he plays in our lives.

Masculine Pronouns

Especially when the ministry of the Holy Spirit is being explained, the scriptures use masculine pronouns to refer to him:

John 14:17 “…even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

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 have said to you.”

John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”

John 16:13-14 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

If the authors the Gospels wanted to preserve the concept of the Holy Spirit as an influence or power from God, they would have only had to substitute the neuter definite article for all of these masculine ones. To do so would have been consistent with the word spirit as it is neuter.[5] The choice of the Gospel writers to use the masculine definite article accentuates all the other evidence of the personality of the Holy Spirit.

He Initiates Actions

The Holy Spirit takes the initiative and does things that no mere influence can do:

John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”

Romans 8:14 “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

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 have said to you.

John 16:15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

1 Corinthians 2:10-11 “…these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”

Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 “To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

So, the Holy Spirit is not simply an instrument in God’s hands. He is a person who the Father uses to perform his will, just as Christ is.

He Can Receive Actions

Personhood involves the ability to receive and respond to other actions as well. Those who deny that the Holy Spirit is a person often see the actions above as having been simply actions of the Father. So, the Holy Spirit is simply another term for God in action. But why would the scriptures specifically point out the Holy Spirit as the recipient of certain actions if the term was merely a nickname for the Father? The New Testament speaks of the Holy Spirit as being acted upon:

Acts 5:3 “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?’”

Acts 5:9 “But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.””

Mark 3:28-29 “”Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin””

The Holy Spirit’s Role As Discipler

Discipling requires acting in such a way that the way to live is communicated in both words and deeds. Jesus could do that because he could show his disciples how to live and he could explain to them the principles of God’s kingdom. The Holy Spirit can do the same thing – through us. He uses our tongues to speak, and our hands to heal. As a disciple, he continues what Jesus started by using disciples to make new disciples. He reveals God to the unbeliever; explains God to the ignorant, and shows God’s love and power to the needy. Just as Jesus was the world’s guide to God’s new covenant life, so the Holy Spirit takes up that responsibility – through the church.

In The Spirit

That is why when the church is said to do anything significant it is said to do it “in the Spirit” or “in the Holy Spirit.” Our actions as believers are guided (and – yes, influenced) by the Holy Spirit. He is living out Christ’s life through us:

Acts 19:21 “Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.””

Romans 8:9 “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

Romans 9:1 “I am speaking the truth in Christ- I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit-“

Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 12:3 “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:2 “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.”

Ephesians 6:18 “…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints”

Philippians 2:1-2 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Colossians 1:7-8 “… Epaphras … has made known to us your love in the Spirit.”

1 Thessalonians 1:5 “because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

Jude 1:20 “But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit”

Revelation 1:10-11 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, ‘Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches…’”

Revelation 4:2 “At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.”

Being a disciple takes more than some extra strength from a supernatural power. It involves a lifetime of decisions based on principles that sometimes seem to contradict each other. In those cases, what is needed is not a force that leans the disciple in the right direction. What is needed is a Counselor who can work with the believer to get her to see God’s will against a background of several good or bad possibilities.

The NIV translation of the Bible uses the word Counselor to translate the title Jesus uses for the Holy Spirit.[6] A friend of mine objected to the term because it made him think of a staff member of a camp, complete with shorts and a whistle. He argued that the Holy Spirit is more than that. That is true. The Holy Spirit is more than that. Yet, the term is helpful to understand the special role that God’s Holy Spirit has is helping disciples be disciples. He is a person who resides in us, and helps us be the kind of people who reflect Christ’s glory by doing what Christ wants us to do.

When Christians Fail

One final question must be introduced at this point. If disciples of Christ are being counseled by the Holy Spirit, why is it that they often say or do the wrong thing. Christians make mistakes, and sometimes intentionally sin. The simplest answer is that Christians have the freedom to reject the Holy Spirit’s influence just as those who sat under Christ’s discipling ministry did. The guidance of the Holy Spirit is not overwhelming. We are still free to choose our own path even when the Guide is showing us the correct one. If the Holy Spirit were simply an influence from God, it stands to reason that the influence would be effective. But since the Holy Spirit is a person, everyone who hears his voice has the option to heed it or reject it. When Christians fail their heavenly Father it is because they choose to ignore the counsel of the Counselor. We always live to regret those choices.

Learning to Be Sensitive to His Counsel

Christians sometimes are so busy doing their own thing that they leave no room for the Holy Spirit to do his thing. The Bible calls that quenching the Holy Spirit.[7] In that metaphor, the Holy Spirit is like a fire, and believers who are not sensitive to his counsel put the fire out. He wants to accomplish some things in our lives but often we have our own agendas and do not let him do his work.

Willful sin in disciples’ lives can bring emotional grief to the Holy Spirit.[8] This also can leave disciples unaware of their master’s will, because it further reduces their ability to hear his voice. We bring sorrow to the person that Jesus gave us for our own joy and strength. He will never leave us, but he will only do for us what we allow him to.

Becoming more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance involves several steps.

1) Repent of all known sin, and ask the Lord to reveal any unintentional sins.

2) Get into the Bible on a regular basis so that you can know God’s revealed will. Read the whole Bible, not just the parts you think you understand or the parts you think are relevant.

3) Pray for guidance on issues where the Bible is silent or your understanding of it is unclear.

4) Discuss issues and plans with other Christians because the Holy Spirit works through spiritual gifts possessed by the body of Christ, the church.

5) Also read the writings of other Christians on the subject, since the Holy Spirit is not limited to speaking through this generation or people in your present location or denomination.

God has given us another Wonderful Counselor in the Holy Spirit. His ministry is as various as he is, but part of what he does is guide believers so that they learn his word correctly, and make the right decisions in life. May we be the generation that takes full advantage of this awesome gift.

[1] John 16:13-14.

[2] John 14:16.

[3] The Greek word is allelos, as opposed to heteros, which means another of a different kind.

[4] Matthew 5:16, 45,48; 6:1,9,14,26,32; 7:11,21.

[5] The Hebrew word ruach is both masculine and feminine. Hebrew does not have a neuter gender. It may be that the Greek pneuma suggests the same kind of versatility, not the absence of personality, but a title that could fit either gender.

[6] John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7.

[7] 1 Thessalonians 5:19.

[8] Ephesians 4:30.