10 (Quick) Things To Know About The Holy Spirit

For being the third member of the Trinity, many Christian denominations and traditions (and Christians themselves) give embarrassingly little-to-no acknowledgment to the Holy Spirit. 

This is in part due to a lack of discipleship around the Holy Spirit (even the Apostle Paul ran into some Christians who didn’t know about the Holy Spirit; see Acts 19:2), but this can also be a reaction to some churches’ over-emphasis on the power over the person of the Holy Spirit; confusing biblical theology with emotional expression, and thus, people react by having no solid knowledge or true fellowship with the Holy Spirit. 

Pneumatology is the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, but make no mistake… He is not just a set of parameters outlined by orthodoxy… He is the person and power of God in our lives.  

And so, yes, so much more can be said, but let’s look quickly at 10 things you should know about the Holy Spirit…  

1. HE IS GOD 

The single most important thing to know about the Holy Spirit is that He is God. Rather than just some ethereal non-personal power, the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity who is not only present with us personally, but as we’ll see, He both speaks in Scripture (Acts 21:11, Hebrews 3:7) as well as led our Savior while Jesus was on earth (Luke 4:1). Scripture tells us that lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God (Acts 5:3-4), and blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the only unforgivable sin (Mark 3:22–30, Matthew 12:22–32, Luke 12:10).   

When we baptize, we are to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit (Matthew 28:19). God does not share His name with anyone else and as we baptize into the name (singular) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are doing this because we are baptizing in the name of the one, triune God.  

2. HE IS CREATOR 

The Holy Spirit, while more fully detailed, described, and revealed in the New Testament, is present and active in the Old Testament (i.e. 2 Samuel 23:2, Ezekiel 2:2), since the very, very beginning.  

The Holy Spirit was present at Creation (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Isaiah 32:15, Psalm 104:30). The second verse in the Bible says, “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 1:2). 

As we think about God as creator and sustainer of the universe, remember that the Holy Spirit was integral in the formation and life-giving aspects of Creation.  

3. HE INSPIRED SCRIPTURES  

The Word of God was composed by men but inspired by (carried along by) the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:16, 2 Peter 1:21, John 14:25-26, John 16:13-15), making the Holy Spirit the ultimate author of Scripture. While people were allowed to use their own languages and slang, the Holy Spirit was there to ensure consistency through the 40 different authors and the hundreds of years between them, making sure that not only is every word as it should be but that the unifying message of the Gospel is progressively revealed. 

This is why it is so important to lean on and into the Holy Spirit when we read the Bible because He’s the ultimate author!  

4. HE CONVICTS PEOPLE OF SIN 

As Jesus teaches us, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin. Yes, we are to share God’s Word with people, helping them to see how they have violated God’s commands and how salvation is found in Jesus’ name… but we are just instruments in this process. For people to truly know the grievousness of their sin and their desperate need of a Savior, we need the Holy Spirit to be the one to open their eyes and hearts to this truth. 

So, remember – when someone realizes their own sin, this is proof the Holy Spirit is working and this is to be celebrated, nourished, and prayed over!  

5. HE COMFORTS THOSE WHO FOLLOW JESUS 

As the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, He also comforts the people of God.  

Jesus even said that His departure back into heaven was for our “advantage” because by Him returning to heaven, He would send the Holy Spirit (John 16:7) and in John 14:26, Christ calls the Holy Spirit, “παράκλητος / paraklétos.” As you’ll see in different English translations, this word can be translated as Helper (ESV/NASB/NKJV), Counselor (CSB), Comforter (KJV), and Advocate (NLT/NIV). It’s not that any of those translations are wrong; rather they all go to help us understand in a fuller way how the Holy Spirit is here for our benefit, reassurance, guidance, and peace.  

Have you let the Holy Spirit help you, either when things get bad, or better yet, on a daily basis?  

6. HE INDWELLS CHRISTIANS 

Jesus tells His disciples that they already know the Holy Spirit, “for He dwells with you and will be in you.” Knowing this and knowing the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, the Holy Spirit is already active in us before we have full knowledge of faith, so that when we come to faith it’s because the Holy Spirit is already at work in us.  

Paul writes and tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?” 

You cannot be a true follower of Jesus and not have the Spirit already active in your life. It’s just that too many of us don’t fully recognize or consciously walk in His steps, allowing Him to not only work in our Scripture reading but to lead us in every moment of our lives.   

So, when you come to those crossroads and you have to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”, remember it’s the Holy Spirit who gives you the answer, whether through the Scripture He inspired, or the leading He brings to your mind.  

7. HE IS OUR TRUE WORSHIP LEADER 

The Holy Spirit is our ultimate worship leader, filling us as we worship (Ephesians 5:18-20). The Holy Spirit is present in our worship not only filling us but ensuring that our worship is firstly grounded in God and His truth (John 4:24). We all know that music speaks to the soul and every person has their own musical preference, but the Holy Spirit is not there firstly to ensure our emotions are moved or that our experience is exciting… the Holy Spirit leads us, ensuring our worship remains God-focused and truth-centered! 

Ephesians 5:18-20 says, “… be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” 

So, when we worship, remember who is truly in charge guiding us to give God our adoration and His glory.  

8. HE PRODUCES THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES 

When people asked, “How do we know a person is truly a Christian?”, we need to know there are a number of ways to ask that question, but one key way is to look at the proof of their lives, that is, the fruit of their lives… do they bear the fruit of the Spirit? 

Galatians 5 tells us that we know we are in step with the Holy Spirit when the fruit He produces is evident in our lives. More than just being a nice person, the Bible tells us clearly what to look for as described in Galatians 5:22-23, “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control…” 

Before I look for the demonstration of miraculous gifts, I want to know if a Christian is simply walking in step with the Spirit with a life marked by love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruit of the Spirit for these are markers of a person being filled with the Holy Spirit.  

9. HIS GIVES US THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS  

Let’s make something clear upfront: The Holy Spirit gives followers of Jesus incredible gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11) not so we can show the world a bunch of magic tricks, but rather – so that the church of Jesus Christ can be built as we serve Jesus and each other (1 Corinthians 12:7, 1 Peter 4:10) so that all credit would go to the supernatural work of God, not the ingenuity of the human mind.  

The Bible is clear: We are supposed to know about the gifts of the Spirit. Paul says he does not want us to be uninformed about the gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1). These are not physical gifts like we get for Christmas and birthdays; these are spiritual abilities (manifestations of the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:7) given to Christians that we may use in tandem with others in the Church (1 Corinthians 12:12, 25) to do the work God has called us to do in this world.  

The gifts of the Spirit are detailed in passages like 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and 1 Peter 4.  

If you don’t know your gift or don’t know how to use it in service at your church, talk with your pastor or ministry leaders about discerning and using your gifts! I know that’s a conversation they are eager to have with you!  

10. HE GIVES US POWER!  

The Holy Spirit gives us power. As Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you… 

So the question is, “Power…to do what?” The way that some act, you would think the Holy Spirit’s power is to put on a spectacle of a worship service or draw attention to a speaker or pastor… but Jesus clarifies what this power is for if we would just finish the verse…. 

Acts 1:8, “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.” 

The power we are given from the Holy Spirit is meant to empower our lives, not just our church services or worship experiences, but to empower our day-in-and-day-out daily lives so we can live more fully for God as we embody the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   

Yes, we are given power from the Holy Spirit to demonstrate a life guided by the fruit of the Spirit, empowered by the spiritual gifts, so that the name of Jesus may be lifted high by our lives, actions, and mission.  

Acts 4:33 says, “And with great power, the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.” 

We see here the disciples used the power given to them to share the Gospel. Simply put, the power of the Holy Spirit is given to us so that we can be effective in our mission as we proclaim the name of Jesus and give God all the glory.  

TO GO FROM HERE 

The word “spirit” biblically speaking is connected to the word for wind or breathe. It’s this movement that we can’t see, but we feel.  

When Scripture says that God formed the man and breathed into him and he became a living being, that was God breathing his spirit into man so that we might be both body and soul, not just physical beings. 

The Holy Spirit is to guide our spirits as we live and breathe to the glory of God.  

There is so much to be said about the Holy Spirit, so continue to learn about who He is and His place in our faith and lives. Christians, lean into the Holy Spirit, pray in His name and realize – as the disciples were reminded – the Holy Spirit dwells within you, so live into the comfort and power that only He can provide.