Who is the Holy Spirit?

Dove

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

GENESIS 1:1-2

Imagine God’s Spirit hovering over the face of the earth. Everything is dark and without form until God breathes out the words, “Let there be light.” In an instant, everything changes. The light pierces the darkness, and what was once invisible is now seen clearly. This is what God’s Spirit does. He is always close, always near, always bringing to light what was once covered in darkness.

He was there with Moses, leading the Israelites through the wilderness. He was there with David, empowering him to defeat Goliath. He was there with the prophet Isaiah, giving him the words to say about the coming of Jesus. He was there with Jesus, setting Him apart as God’s Son. And God’s Holy Spirit is still here. Now, anyone who believes in Jesus can experience the Holy Spirit’s profound presence.

But what does that actually mean? What does experiencing the Holy Spirit look like?

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

ACTS 2:38

There’s evidence throughout Scripture that the Holy Spirit empowered particular people to take part in His plans and to remind others of His purpose. But Jesus’ sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection changed everything. For the first time in history, anyone who chose to believe in Jesus could receive His Holy Spirit.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

JOHN 14:16-17

The gift of the Holy Spirit is still available to anyone who believes in Jesus. And by receiving that gift, God empowers us to live in a way that honors Him and reflects His character. Essentially, when we ask God to draw near to us, we become more aware of God’s presence and power in our lives. This means that even in our darkest moments, we are never actually alone. The Holy Spirit is closer to you than your own breath.

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.

ROMANS 8:26

No matter your situation or background, when you belong to Christ, His Holy Spirit is with you at all times, empowering and strengthening you, and praying on your behalf. He understands your needs because He understands you.

And because God understands you, He is always working on your behalf for your good and His glory. This doesn’t mean you won’t endure suffering or encounter hardships. But even in the midst of those trials, God, through the power of His Holy Spirit, will continue to draw you closer to Himself.

Even when you’re at your weakest, there is nothing that God cannot do through you when His Holy Spirit lives within you.

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. …And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

Ezekiel 36:26-27

You are never far from God’s presence. When you make the decision to accept Jesus as the risen Son of God, you get all the benefits that come with that— including the Holy Spirit being with you at all times.

So take a moment and ask yourself these reflection questions:

Do I believe that Jesus is God?
Have I asked Jesus to change my life?

If you can answer “yes” to both of those questions, then you have access to God’s Holy Spirit. But having access to God and going through life with God are completely different things.

When we obey God out of love for Him and acknowledge Jesus as Lord of our lives, we allow the Holy Spirit to thrive in our lives. For this reason, living a Spirit-filled life requires intentionally seeking God every day.

It’s through intentional time with God that you discover how to love Him, love others, and make disciples. It’s through getting to know God’s character that you become familiar with His Spirit’s power, presence, and authority. And it’s through the power of the Holy Spirit that you become aware of how your actions and choices affect your relationship with God and other people.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.

2 CORINTHIANS 3:17-18

Ultimately, the Holy Spirit is available to everyone who becomes a follower of Christ, and He wants to empower you to live in a manner worthy of the calling God has placed on you.

If you want to discover how to live a Spirit-filled life—a life that honors God and inspires others—spend some time reading Galatians 5:22-23. Then, when you’re ready, pray through the fruit of the Spirit in this blog post.

Pray Through the Fruit of the Spirit

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