The Gift and Role of the Holy Spirit

The Gift and Role of the Holy Spirit – Today’s Devotional – November 22, 2023

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” —John 14:16-17

The questions that most believers will not ask are, “Who is the Holy Spirit? And what is the purpose of the Holy Spirit?” These are not facetious questions, the lack of knowledge regarding the identity of the Holy Spirit naturally leaves one to assume the Holy Spirit does not serve a purpose in their lives.

Who is the Holy Spirit? God, the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Triune Godhead who has always existed with God, the Father, and God, Jesus the Son. Some think the Holy Spirit did not exist until the day Jesus was baptized [refer to John 1, verses 29-34] or the Day of Pentecost [Acts 2]. Yet, we have Biblical proof that the Holy Spirit [the Spirit of God] has always existed.

Biblical proof of the Holy Spirit’s Existence

We can refer to Genesis chapter 1, verses 1-2, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

The Holy Spirit Has Many Names

From Genesis to Revelation, the Holy Spirit is referred to by various names. A few Scriptural references: Spirit of God (Genesis 1:2; 1 Corinthians 2:11; Job 33:4); Eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14); Spirit of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2; Acts 5:9); Spirit of wisdom (Isaiah 11:2; Ephesians 1:17); Breath of the Almighty (Job 33:4); Comforter (John 14:16, 26; 15:26); Teacher (John 14:26); Spirit of truth (John 14:17; 15:26); and, Spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).

Does one have to speak in an unknown language to be anointed with the Holy Spirit?

The Day of Pentecost: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues [languages], as the Spirit gave them utterance.” —Acts 2:2-4

In Acts chapter 2, the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit referred to as the Day of Pentecost came through as a mighty rushing wind. Contrary to the belief of one not having the anointing of the Holy Spirit unless they can speak in unknown tongues aka a heavenly language, verses 5-8 of Acts the second chapter clarifies God’s definition of speaking in tongues.

“And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?’ ” —Acts 2:5-8

Over the past two decades, there has been a rapid decline in the study of the Bible, and the majority of Protestant churches have failed to teach about the Holy Spirit. As a result, their members have avoided this subject. The Holy Spirit appears too mysterious and undefinable.

Because the pastors, spiritual mentors, and members with experiential knowledge of the Holy Spirit have not fulfilled their responsibility to preach and teach about the Divine Helper, we have generations of discouraged believers who feel defeated because they struggle to live righteously on human effort alone.

The Mindset of Many Believers: “Well, I think I’m doing alright without the Holy Spirit.” Sadly most Christians would rather continue in their lack of knowledge of the Holy Spirit because it is more convenient to believe the Holy Spirit serves no purpose in their lives.

The Human Dilemma: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

A Call to Holiness: “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’ ” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

God’s Righteous Standards: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).

The Role of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the Divine Power that allows us to live a godly and fruitful life. The Holy Spirit enlightens our mind to understand the truth, gives us spiritual strength and the ability to live a consecrated and righteous life, empowers us to obey God, and equips us to do the work [using our spiritual gifts to witness] that we are called to do.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own…”—1 Corinthians 6:19

Every day, we must pray and surrender our will to God to align with His will and plans. Yes, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, but the Godhead is not intrusive. On the days that we feel like following our inclinations then we will not be anointed with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Divine gift to humanity and requires the conditions of surrender and obedience. The Holy Spirit will not enter an unwilling and disobedient vessel.

At Jesus’ baptism [Matthew 3:13-17], He was anointed and filled with the Holy Spirit and then sent to the wilderness to fast for 40 days. The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus to withstand Satan’s temptations, to minister to those with spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical deficits and diseases, to receive the spiritual strength to endure constant rejection and hatred, teach twelve rowdy, self-centered disciples the ways of holiness, the physical strength to minister to the multitudes, and to live a life of homelessness.

If Jesus in His earthly life required the Holy Spirit, then certainly, we are in desperate need of the Divine Helper who is just a prayer away. From experience, we know that we cannot win the continuous internal battle of pursuing our desires and inclinations versus surrendering and obeying Christ on our own.

Living holy and staying on the narrow Path of Righteousness requires full cooperation with the Divine Authority of the Holy Spirit. Thank You Jesus for gifting us with the Helper, the Holy Spirit. Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries