The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit: Who He Is and What He Does

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity, truly and fully God, a Person and not a force, given by the Father through the Son to dwell within all who belong to Christ. He gives new birth, fills, guides, assures, and helps us pray, and His whole delight is to glorify Jesus. These pages open who He is and what He does, faithfully and for every tradition.

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:John 15:26 (KJV)

Christians of every tradition confess the Holy Spirit together in the ancient creeds as the Lord and giver of life. On some questions, such as whether the miraculous gifts continue in the same way today, sincere believers differ, and these pages note such differences honestly without taking sides. What unites us is far greater: one Spirit, poured out by one Lord, to lead us to one Father.

Who the Holy Spirit is, and His work

Who Is the Holy Spirit?The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity, truly and fully God, together with the Father and the Son.The Holy Spirit in the Old TestamentThe Holy Spirit is not new to the New Testament.The Promise of the Spirit: The ComforterOn the night before He died, Jesus promised His grieving disciples that He would not leave them alone.Pentecost and the Coming of the SpiritFifty days after the resurrection, on the feast of Pentecost, the promise of Jesus came true.Being Born of the Spirit: The New BirthJesus told Nicodemus that no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again, born of the Spirit.The Fruit of the SpiritThe fruit of the Spirit is the Christlike character that the Holy Spirit grows in those who belong to Jesus: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.The Gifts of the SpiritThe gifts of the Spirit are the abilities the Holy Spirit gives to believers for the good of the whole church: teaching, serving, encouraging, giving, leading, showing mercy, and more.Being Filled with the SpiritPaul commands believers to be filled with the Spirit, setting it against being drunk with wine.The Spirit and PrayerThe Holy Spirit is God's gift to us in prayer.The Witness and Seal of the SpiritThe Holy Spirit gives the believer assurance and security.Grieving and Quenching the SpiritBecause the Holy Spirit is a Person who loves us, He can be grieved by our sin, and because He works gently, He can be quenched when we resist Him.The Blasphemy Against the Holy SpiritJesus warned of one sin that will not be forgiven, the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Go deeper: the Spirit in Scripture

The work of the Holy SpiritConviction, new birth, indwelling, sealing, filling, guidance, and assurance, one work at a time.The titles of the Holy SpiritThe Comforter, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of adoption, and more, and what each reveals.The symbols of the Holy SpiritWind, fire, oil, water, a dove, a seal, and a pledge: the images Scripture gives to hold Him by.The fruit of the SpiritLove, joy, peace, and all the ripening character of Christ, one grace at a time.The gifts of the SpiritThe abilities the Spirit gives to build up the church, and the love that must carry them.

The Spirit points you to Jesus

The whole work of the Holy Spirit is to make Christ known and to draw you into the family of God. Come and meet Him: read the Word, pray, and walk with His people on The Living Bread. Free, with no ads, for all people.

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