In our last post, The Scope of Our Salvation, we explored how Christ rescues us from the penalty, power, and presence of sin. But as we walk through the “here and now,” we realize we aren’t just left with a set of instructions and a “good luck” from Heaven.
We have been given a Person. For “the Faith People,” the Christian life is not a self-performance; it is an empowered partnership with the One who dwells within.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
He is not a vague “force,” an “it,” or a “feeling.” He is the third person of the Trinity (John 15:26). He is the eternal God who hovered over the waters at creation (Genesis 1:2), as fully God as the Father and the Son (2 Corinthians 13:14).
The staggering miracle of the New Covenant is this: the God who fills the universe has chosen to make His home in you. God sends His Spirit to live within His children (Galatians 4:6).
The Indwelling Presence
Through faith in Christ, the very presence of God indwells His people. Your body is not just yours; it is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). When Jesus prepared to leave His disciples, He promised that the Son would ask the Father to send a “Helper.” Jesus’s very person would not just stand beside them but live within them.
Every single believer receives the Holy Spirit the moment they receive Christ as Savior (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13). You don’t have to “earn” Him later; He is the seal of your salvation from day one.
The Spirit Reveals the Son
In fact, you wouldn’t even be a believer without Him. It is the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that makes belief possible. Wherever Jesus is exalted and people come to saving faith, the Holy Spirit is the one active behind the scenes—awakening dead hearts to recognize the beauty of Christ (John 16:7-15). He is the spotlight that shines on the Savior.
From “Wanting” to “Doing”
Left to ourselves, we often know what is right but lack the power to do it. The indwelling Spirit changes the “want-to.” He empowers believers to not only desire to obey God but to actually be able to do so (Philippians 2:13).
Without recognizing the Spirit’s presence, we miss God’s involvement in our daily lives. Unless He intervenes and illuminates the truth, we cannot comprehend God’s Word or His ways. We are like people trying to read in a dark room until the Spirit flips the switch. He helps us interpret the past, present, and future with a clear view of reality, rather than our own warped and limited perspective.
A Total Heart Renewal
The Holy Spirit is the one who unlocks the wonder of Scripture, reveals our hidden sins, and guides our prayers. He is in the business of mind-renewal (Romans 12:1-2). His unlimited power resides in you to do what you could never do on your own: to remove that “stony heart” and replace it with a heart of flesh that loves God more than our sinful selves (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
A Call to Spiritual Growth
Spiritual growth is simply the process of becoming more “Spirit-led” and less “self-led.” Spiritual growth happens when we stop trying to “white-knuckle” our way through the Christian life and start leaning on the Helper who is already there (2 Corinthians 3:5; Hebrews 13:20-21).
Next Step: Now that we know who He is, we need to look at the practical “how.” Join me in the next post as we ask: How does the Holy Spirit help God’s children?
So-far in the #WetheFaithPeople Series
- What is the Purpose of my life?
- Who is God?
- What is Creation?
- What is Fall
- What is Sin?
- Who is our Redeemer?
- Why was it necessary for Christ, the Redeemer, to die?
- Why must the Redeemer be truly human?
- Why must the Redeemer be truly God?
- Is Jesus the only Savior?
- What is Faith in Jesus Christ?
- Where does faith in Jesus Christ come from?
- What is God’s Love?
- What is Grace?
- What does justification mean?
- What is Repentance?
- What is Salvation?
- Who is the Holy Spirit? (This blog)