Quick Review: Who is Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He Himself is God! Holy Spirit is distinct from God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son (Matthew 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2; Acts 10:38; 15:28) He has come to establish the Church. The Holy Spirit has a personality (not an “it”, or a force).
Holy Spirit is Breath (ruach) & Power, Creating, Sustaining, Filling, and Anointing His creation from the Old to New Testament. Jesus sent the Spirit after ascending into Heaven as the best way to baptize believers into the body of Christ. Holy Spirit unifies, sanctifies, convicts, & purifies the Church. He draws believers to God and empowers them to be bold witnesses of Jesus Christ.
The Personhood of Holy Spirit in the NT
Since Holy Spirit is a person, He has distinct characteristics and personality traits. Gathered bellow is a comprehensive list of how the Holy Spirit’s personhood is revealed in the New Testament, giving us a better handle on what to expect of the Spirit of God. Not just His character, but His overflowing role in our lives!
- A mind – Romans 8:27
- A will – 1 Corinthians 12:11
- Feeling – Ephesians 4:30; Romans 15:30 (love)
- Knowledge (including self-knowledge) – 1 Corinthians 2:11
- He does things that only a “person” can do:
- reveal – 2 Peter 1:21
- teach – John 14:26; 16:14; Luke 12:12; 1 Corinthians 2:13
- Witness – Galatians 4:6; Hebrews 10:15
- Intercede – Romans 8:26
- Search – 1 Corinthians 2:10 Speak – Acts 8:29; 10:19; 13:3; Revelation 2:7,11 (not about Himself – John 16:13) Choose – Romans 8:27; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 11
- Inspire – 2 Timothy 3:16
- Lead – Acts 8:29; Romans 8:14
- Command – Acts 13:2, 4
- Give permission – Acts11:12
- Forbid – Acts16:6-7
- Testify – John 15:26
- Be jealous – James 4:5
- Be grieved – Ephesians 4:30 (or “vexed”)
- Be insulted – Hebrews 10:29
- Be lied to – Acts 5:3, 4
- Be blasphemed – Matthew 12:31, 32
- Give invitations – Revelation 22:17
- Be resisted – Acts 7:51
- Be tested, tempted – Acts 5:9
- Be described as “He/Him” – John 14:16, 17; 16:7-8, 13-14 (12 times in John 16 alone)
The Holy Spirit supernaturally brings us to Jesus Christ (John 6:44); reveals the truth of Christ to us (John 16:13); lives in us, energizing, directing, empowering us as the children of God. We need to submit to His presence, authority, will and be led by Him; kept by Him ( Jude 20, 21). Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9 )
How Holy Spirit Appears in the NT
During the life and ministry of Jesus, he proclaimed to His followers that it is better for Him to go away, to be seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, so that He could send a Helped. Interestingly enough, Jesus reveals His Divinity and Humanity in this mentioning of the need for something Greater to come and Help continue the work He started.
Holy Spirit is who Jesus was talking about. After the death, burial, resurrection, and 40 days of Christ walking with His followers teaching them all things. He prepares reveals the cliff hanger for His next move in salvation history…
“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 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.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
Acts 1:1-9 ESV
These were the final words & actions of Jesus on the Earth before ascending into Heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father. These are His Words commanding His disciples to wait for the Promised Holy Spirit who would baptize them and commission them into all that Christ had taught them.
Pneumatology before Missiology
It is clear by the order that Jesus commanded His followers: Jesus followers must first be filled with His Spirit and then commissioned into ministry (to participate in the Great Commission: Matthew 28:19-20).
Without the Spirit of God, it is impossible to fulfill the plans and purpose of God. We must be Spirit filled to be missional-y driven & obedient. This, in my opinion, is the greatest burden lifter and relief. He knows we can do nothing apart from Him, nothing apart from His Spirit, apart from the Vine, and we cannot do what the Father commands if we are not abiding in Christ through the Holy Spirit.
…”I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing”…
John 15:5
We know because we know, that Jesus made it clear that we can do nothing apart from Him as He can do nothing apart from the Father. And this is only possible through His Holy Spirit.
Acts 2, is when everything changes, this is the fulfilling of Joel: that we would see sons and daughters filled with the spirit, slave and free, young and old prophesying and dreaming dreams. That all who call upon the name of the Lord would be saved, filled, & sealed with the Spirit of God. This was the marking moment in salvation history. As Melissa Helser says, the “crescendo of the cross.” When the Holy Spirit made us one with God.
From here, salvation history is taken from Pneumatology to Missiology
THE CHURCH IS BORN, united, filled, and commissioned into brining the Gospel to all the nations. From the timeline of Acts and into the prophecies found in Revelation, we see that the working of the Spirit through the Earth, by His church, is the best way that Jesus described to finish His work before He returns to judge the living & the dead. Holy Spirit is the life and power of the Church, the very Ruach (breath) of Gods people, and the only way for the Church to accomplish what Christ commanded them to do!
Holy Spirit plays countless roles in the New Testament Church, Listed are a few of the ways that He is revealed in the New Testament and in our lives and church today:
Comforter/Helper
Parakletos = one who is called to come along side of us. (Latin uses “Advocatus, or advocate, a term used in 1 John 2:1 in reference to the role of Jesus Christ.)
“alongside” Christian, to give us power, assurance, authority to do the work of Christ He would give them invisibly what Jesus gave them visibly (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7)
Teacher
Holy Spirit is the best Teacher. Just as Christ often taught the disciples and crowds, so He can continue to teach us today through His Spirit! (John 16:12, 13)
The teachings of Jesus through His Spirit will always lead us to the Father and testify to Christ crucified. Any teaching that does not confess Christ is Lord is a false teaching and is NOT the Holy Spirit, but the spirit of the antichrist!
Holy Spirit, or Spirit of Holiness
Holy Sprit, He is the one who “sets us apart” unto God, transforms us, makes us holy! The Spirit of God helps to sanctify the Church, and makes us saints! (Luke 11:13; Romans 1:4)
Spirit of Wisdom
He imparts God’s eternal wisdom to us, as distinct from human wisdom, which is compromised (1 Corinthians 2, 3; Ephesians 1:17)
Holy Spirit as Promise
- Promised throughout the OT (Acts 2:16-21)
- Promised by Jesus Christ (Luke 24:49; Galatians 3:14).
- Confirms and validates God’s promises in our lives
Spirit of Grace
He imparts God’s grace to us: to repent for salvation and to live for Him, in a way that pleases God. (Hebrews 10:29)
Spirit of Truth
He is the personification of Truth. He: Speaks the truth; reveals and verifies the truth of God, His Word, Jesus Christ; opens our eyes, gives us illumination, understanding and power to experience the truth. Does not speak of Himself, but the words and life of Christ; Distinguished from the “spirit of error” (1 John 4:6) in the world, inspired by Satan. (John 14:17, 27, 16:13)
Spirit of Life
Makes us free from the “law of sin and death”. Gives us abundant life. Romans 8:2; Revelation 11:11. He also gives us life as the Creator, the “breath of God. The letter of the law “kills”, but the Spirit gives life – 2 Corinthians 3:6.
Spirit of Adoption
The “agent” of our adoption, or incorporation in the family of God as His legal heirs- Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:5, 6. Confirms our sonship in our hearts.
Gifts of the Spirit:
A major role that the Holy Spirit operates in is administering the gifts to the believers. Throughout the New Testament, there are distinct lists revealed in the letters that give us a comprehensive idea of gifts to look for within each individual member of the Church.
The beauty of the gifts is scripture promises that each believer is given at least one! And namely, since they are ✨g i f t s✨, they are freely given, freely received. The purpose of the gifts is to edify, unify, & build up the church! They are as relevant today as they were in the early New Testament Church! (1 Cor. 12:8-11; 1 Cor 12:28; Rom. 12:6-8; Eph. 4:11; 1 Peter 4:11)
Gifts in no particular order: apostleship, prophecy, teaching, miracles, healing, helps, administration, tongues, interpretation, words of wisdom/knowledge, faith, distinguishing spirits, evangelism, pastor/shepherd, teacher, serving, encouraging, giving, leading, mercy, & faith.
Gifts/Ordinances of the Spirit that heavily appear in the book of Acts:
Evangelism
Preaching the Gospel (Acts 1:8), making disciples (Matthew 28:19-20), planting christian communities (Acts 14:21, 22), serving others by introducing them to Christ for the first time (James 2:14)
Water Baptism
A commandment from Christ to signify our obedience and participation in His, death, burial, and resurrection (Acts 2; Romans 6) We are called to live out our baptism daily!
Holy Spirit Baptism or Filling
The phrase “baptized in the Holy Spirit” occurs two times in Acts: In Acts 1:4–5 and second in Acts 11:16. Other terminology is used in Acts to indicate Spirit baptism, such as “filled” (Acts 2:4 and over a dozen other times!)
Fellowship
Greek KOINONIA – “participation, sharing” (Acts 2:42) Deep involvement with other believers on a spiritual and emotional level, the church is meant to walk through all of life together, to glorify and honor God, experiencing everything together!
Lord’s Supper
Parallel intimacy of husband and wife, becoming one with Christ Based on the Lord’s final Passover (Mark 14). The body of Christ(people of God) become perfectly unified in participation w/Christ through the “Eucharist” (giving thanks: 1 Cor. 11:23, 24) Holy communion (1 Cor. 10:16) was established and demonstrated by Christ, to proclaims the cross.
Teaching
The Word of God is central to the Christian life & gathered, worship of the church, preaching, and always discipling. Acts reveals men and women teaching and proclaiming Christ crucified often and in a variety of situations.
This was our 3 part series (a long rabbit trail😂) on the Holy Spirit! Birthed out of our study on the book of Acts! If you haven’t already, check out our study on Acts, getting to know the history of the new testament church, the workings of the Holy Spirit, & further encouragement on how the church is called to operate today (and until Christ returns!)
In Christ,
Cosette
