The fourth point of our Statement of Faith reads:
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He is in the life of the believer and He empowers the preaching and teaching of the Gospel. (John 14:15-26; 15:26; 16:8-15; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 2:12; Eph.1:13)
In my sermon on this topic, we examined one of the main passages listed above, John 14:15-26. This is the first time Jesus tells his disciples at length about the coming Holy Spirit’s role in their lives. Here’s a quick recap of the main points:
The Holy Spirit is not an “it”—like a divine force or energy—but a “he”—the third person of the Trinity.
Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Advocate. In Greek, the word means, “One who is called alongside to help.”
The Holy Spirit is the continued presence of Jesus with us. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is present to those who love and obey him, while remaining hidden from those who do not.
One of the Holy Spirit’s main roles is to give us understanding. He helped the disciples remember and record the teachings of Jesus and proclaim the saving news of the gospel. These words are preserved for us in the New Testament. Today, the Spirit helps us understand, live out, and bear witness to what has been written about Jesus.
The Holy Spirit brings us the peace of Jesus in a troubled world.
The Bible has much more to say about the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, he is often misunderstood or overlooked. Some treat the Holy Spirit as a force who can be harnessed to perform healings and wonders for financial gain, apart from the preaching of the gospel. Others virtually ignore the Holy Spirit altogether. One writer/pastor, Francis Chan, wrote a book on the Holy Spirit called Forgotten God, a title that sums up the attitude of many. But in the words of J.I. Packer,
[W]ere it not for the work of the Holy Spirit, there would be no gospel, no faith, no church, no Christianity in the world at all. - Knowing God, (1993), p. 69.
To understand more about the Spirit’s work in your life, read this good article called “How to Recognize the Holy Spirit”
To get more of a “big picture” view of the Holy Spirit’s identity and work, check out this helpful video from The Bible Project:
Finally, check out this great sermon on John 16:8-15 about the work of the Holy Spirit.
Questions to think or talk about:
Respond to the quote by J.I. Packer above.
How are you opening yourself wider to the Spirit and his work in your life? How are you neglecting the Spirit’s work?
In what ways do you see our church empowered by the Spirit? In what ways might we be neglecting the Spirit?