The Holy Spirit

Have you ever heard of the Holy Spirit? Do you know Who He is? Do you know whether or not He is in the world today? Do you know what is His relationship to you? Do you know why the answers to these questions are important to you?

The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit took part in the creation of the world. It says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."

God, the Creator of our world, our universe, and all the unnumbered universes of the vast outer space, is too great for our finite minds to comprehend. He has told us that there is one God - there is no other. And yet, although He is one, He is three. He is the triune God - God the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit. Therefore we have the answer to one of our questions: We know that the Holy Spirit is a person. He is God. The Holy Spirit not only took part in the creation of the earth, but also in the creation of man. The Bible tells us: "And God said, `Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.'" God said "Us" because He was speaking as the triune God. Therefore we know that the Holy Spirit took part in the creation of man.

From the day of man's beginning until this moment the Holy Spirit has been concerned with the need and the highest good of man. He has watched over him, ever trying to direct sinful man to God. In Noah's day man was judged for his sin by a great flood which covered the earth. But before this terrible day of judgment came, the Holy Spirit was faithfully striving with the spirit and conscience of man to turn him from his evil ways to God. Man resisted and perished in the flood.

Today also people resist the Holy Spirit. When you resist the truth about God, about sin, about yourself, about Jesus Christ, Who is the only Mediator between God and man - then you are resisting God in the person of the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps you have wondered how anyone can know the truth because there are so many religions and ideas. This is one of the reasons that the Holy Spirit is in the world. He is the Spirit of Truth. Jesus also called Him the Comforter. Those who sincerely want to know the Truth can be comforted by the certainty of the Truth through the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "When the Comforter is come, He shall testify of Me." "And when He is come He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment"...."However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth."

Satan, who is the unholy spirit, is the father of lies. Man can resist the Holy Spirit. If he does so, he follows Satan. There is no neutral ground. If you resist the Holy Spirit of God, you turn away from God toward Satan.

Although God created man, He has given finite man the freedom to refuse, to resist and to grieve - to wound - the Infinite, Eternal Holy Spirit. Should this not make us tremble? God's love and His mercy go beyond the bounds of man's mind to conceive. God says He can save to the uttermost - He says, "I will freely forgive." He refuses no one: "Whoever believes shall be saved." But do not forget the awful truth that God also says, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man." If you deliberately refuse the truth - if you reject the Holy Spirit, the salvation that Christ offers, and the forgiveness of God - God will not force you to receive Him. When He sees that you will not change your refusal but keep your back turned to Him, He will not force you; His Spirit will not always strive with man. His mercy is infinite. He will draw you with cords of love as long as there is a spark of desire in your heart toward Him, but your destiny is in your hands. You are free to resist, refuse and reject the Holy Spirit of God.

But just as man can reject the Holy Spirit of God, so he can also yield to the Holy Spirit, and find depths of joy and strength that he did not know were possible. This is the secret of the happy Christian: not only that he knows his sins are forgiven, but that he gives the Holy Spirit the freedom to enter his heart and life, and direct him. God says, "Be filled with the Spirit." Yield your whole heart and life to the control of the Holy Spirit and you will find depths and heights of joy, peace and love that you have never experienced before. The Bible refers to the relation of the Holy Spirit to our lives in many descriptive phrases such as comfort, love, joy, power, communion, renewing. These are words that can be like a border of stars around the one word "satisfaction," to describe your life. And as this becomes true, your life will overflow in blessing to others, for the Bible says, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

References: Genesis 1: 1, 2; Genesis 1:26; John 14: 16, 17; John 15:26; John 16:8; John 16:13; John 14:26; Genesis 6:3; Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:22, 23