“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”
Recognize the excerpt? It’s the third article of the Apostles’ Creed, proclaimed in Christian churches worldwide every Sunday. You probably have it memorized. The first two articles are fairly straightforward, proclaiming faith in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord. Most of us “get” those two.
But what’s with the Holy Spirit? Who is he, what does he do, and how does it affect you?
You need to know this stuff because it’s the power of the Holy Spirit that fuels your faith from within.
Hi, I’m Lauren Thell, author of Christian YA fiction and blogger for teens who are ready to exceed the world’s expectations.
In This Article
The Voice of the Commander
When I was in high school, the President of the United States (George W. Bush at the time) came to town. I don’t care which side of the political fence you fall on, any time you get to see the most powerful man in the world in person is an honor. But you know what fascinated me more than Mr. President and all the fanfare?
The Secret Service agents.
They were EVERYWHERE—at every gate, on every rooftop, even within the crowd. Given the critical nature of their work, communication between S.S. agents is crucial, and upon closer scrutiny, I noticed each wore a little earpiece with a curly cord connected to a hidden radio device. No matter how loud or rowdy the crowd, the agents never lost the voice of their commander.
It made me wonder…
Wouldn’t it be nice to have one of those earpieces from God? Just imagine. Any time you find yourself cornered in a debate with a friend over the feasibility of an intelligent creator, or trapped in an ongoing conflict with your brother over something that never seems to get resolved, God could just whisper the words you need in your ear.
You’d never again have to walk away saying, “Man, that was the stupidest thing I’ve ever said!”
Wait For the Gift
I imagine the disciples felt that way the day Jesus ascended into heaven. They’d just gotten him back from the dead only to have him leave again. What next?
Before he left, Jesus gave them one final instruction:
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Actis 1:4-5
Jesus’ work as a man was done. After all, humans have limitations. They can only be in one place at a time and handle limited information. He knew he must return to heaven, but in his place, he left someone not limited by manhood.
Something better than a two-way radio with an earpiece.
Meet the Holy Spirit: Your Personal Earpiece From God
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
John 14:26
We Christians tend to glaze over anything we hear a lot, and lessons about the power of the Holy Spirit are right up there. But as with grabbing an electric fence with your bare hands, if talking about the Holy Spirit doesn’t give you a buzz, it’s because you haven’t fully grasped it!
Exactly Who or What is the Holy Spirit?
For clarity’s sake, let’s tackle the basics: What is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity, alongside the Father and the Son. Though the word “trinity” (literally “three are one”) is not used in the Bible, the evidence for a single God who exists in three separate persons is clear, particularly when Jesus is baptized in Matthew 3.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:16-17
Here, we see the three persons of the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—in one scene. They are separate, unique, and yet one. This is probably one of the most difficult concepts for us humans to grasp, so don’t write it off as baloney simply because you don’t get it. But for the sake of brevity, I’ll sum it up like this:
The Father is the source of all good gifts, the Son is the mediator, and the Spirit is the one at work in the world—and in you.
It’s the work of the Spirit that we’re focusing on in this post.
Dig Deeper: For a more in-depth look into the concept of the Trinity, check out Core Christianity by Michael Horton.
What’s So Special About the Holy Spirit?
1) The Holy Spirit dwells within you.
And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
1 John 3:24
What other things live inside you? Your heart, your lungs, your liver, your soul, your thoughts…and the Holy Spirit! It’s not like with your keys or your wallet, where you can set them down and lose them. The H.S. is with you everywhere, all the time. Even in moments of anger, fear, and desperation, he’s right there.
2) The Holy Spirit makes it possible for you to believe.
The Spirit is the one who blesses you with faith despite not being able to see God’s face. Without the Spirit, you wouldn’t even have the ability to believe in Christ at all (1 John 3:23-24). You’d have little resistance to sin and Satan (Romans 8:5-8). And you wouldn’t have God’s secret wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:6-10).
3) The Holy Spirit guides your words and actions.
And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Ezekiel 36:27
Remember the S.S. agents and their earpieces? This is what the H.S. is for you: a direct line to God. He speaks in your subconscious and puts words in your mouth. When you’re ready to rip into your brother for throwing his muddy shoes on your leather riding boots for the umpteenth time, pause and listen and you will hear the H.S. telling you how to handle this constructively. He comforts you when you’re hurt, convicts you when you’ve caused hurt, assures you of your salvation when you’re guilty, and uplifts your soul when you’re down.
God is with you through the Holy Spirit.
Why Don’t I Feel the Presence of the Holy Spirit?
- You’re ignoring him. The Holy Spirit doesn’t hijack you like a car and make you go where he wants. He’s there, but you can choose to ignore his voice.
- You haven’t tapped into his power. I have a refrigerator in my kitchen, and behind that fridge is an outlet that contains live electrical current. But unless I plug the fridge into the outlet, neither will help me.
How to Plug Into the Power of the Holy Spirit
- Ask for more of him. You already pray for food, shelter, safety, and success, right? Why not add “ask for more of the Holy Spirit” to your daily prayer list? It’s that simple.
- Seek him in God’s Word. Opening you’re Bible when you’re distressed isn’t enough. Think of your refrigerator. You can’t plug it in for a few minutes and call it good. It has to stay plugged in. In the same way, you remain plugged into the power of the Holy Spirit by going to God’s Word often and regularly.
- Listen to his voice. Ignore the nagging in your conscience that something isn’t right, and pretty soon you won’t hear it anymore. When he convicts you to act (or not act), listen. Don’t become immune to his voice.
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and 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 14:16-17
Related: Turn Down the Volume! How to Hear God’s Voice
Hang on to your earpiece, and don’t tune him out!
For Further Reading
You don’t have to have all the answers.
But, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
Bible passages about the Holy Spirit:
For more on the power of the Holy Spirit in your life, check out A Rare Treasure: Discover True Christian Joy.
Wondering what else the Holy Spirit does for you?
This is so good, Lauren. Thank you.
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