The Holy Spirit is a very important yet controversial topic. Opinions vary widely about the role of the Spirit, from traditional orthodox to charismatic beliefs. However, in all groups there is often a general lack of knowledge of what scripture teaches.
Let’s look at what the Bible itself says about the Spirit to better shape our thinking, based on the true word of God.
Here’s a general breakdown of scripture’s teaching about the Spirit for the New Testament church, into three basic areas:
- The Spirit’s work in salvation
- The Spirit’s role in our Christian walk
- The Christian’s duties to the Spirit
The Spirit’s role in salvation
Indeed, the Spirit in salvation is key. He performs the following vital functions:
- Convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11) – This role is vital because left to our own resources, as fallen man both physically and mentally, we would not come to faith and salvation by our own efforts (Romans 3:10-12). Therefore, the Spirit helps unbelievers recognize their faults, coming judgment and God’s demand for righteousness.
- Baptizes (Romans 6:2-9; Ephesians 2:4-7; Colossians 2:12-13) – In the epistles the word ‘baptism’ signifies spiritual baptism which occurs at our salvation by the Spirit. The actual meaning of the word baptism (βαπτιζω, baptizoo) is ‘to identify with’. Therefore, the Spirit baptizes us (Titus 3:5) by identifying us with Christ’s death and resurrection. The Spirit accomplishes this by putting to death our old person and resurrecting us to a new living person. ‘Regeneration’ and ‘born again’ are other concepts in Scripture signifying this important event (Titus 3:5; John 3:3). These wonderful verses demonstrate to us the profound importance of the resurrection because there is no eternal life without the resurrection and regeneration (1 Corinthians 15:13-19). The incredible fact of spiritual baptism (which water baptism may symbolize) gives us surety for our great salvation. As a new creature we cannot be slain and re-created into our old dead self.
- Seals to redemption (2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14) – This great promise indicates that each believer has the Holy Spirit from time of belief in salvation until death and going to be with God. Indeed, one of the definitions of a Christian is one who has the Holy Spirit for if not, a person is not a believer (Romans 8: 9).
- Places believers into the church (1 Corinthians 12:13) – The Spirit graciously places believers, at salvation, into the universal church of which Christ is the head (1 Corinthians 12:13). As you can see, the Spirit is integral in bringing believers to salvation, completing salvation and beyond to eternal life. What a fantastic blessing that believers have such a gift from God as the Holy Spirit!
The Spirit’s role in our Christian walk
Scripture states that the Spirit plays a vital and active role in a believer’s live, divided into two basic types:
- Constant roles – The Spirit has several continual roles not dependent on believers:
- Indwells – As mentioned above, the Spirit lives in a believer always until the day of redemption. Therefore, believers have full access to His power and help (Ephesians 4:30).
- Prays for believers– This great truth indicates the Spirit prays on behalf of a believer to God (Romans 8:26). What better source of prayer could one have?
- Variable roles – Importantly there are roles for which the Spirit assists believers which can change and depend upon our obedience (Romans 8:1-8). Two passages are critical to understand the Spirit’s help, Romans 8:13-16, 26 and Ephesians 6:10-17:
- Romans 8:13-16
- Stops sin (V.13) – As believers are obedient the Spirit helps put to death the deeds of the flesh.
- Leads us (V.14) – Christians commonly seek to know how God directs us but might misunderstand this biblical concept.
- Comforts believers that they are God’s children (V.16) – The Spirit encourages Christians that they belong to God and should not be anxious about eternal security.
- Ephesians 6:10-17 – The magnificent armor of God passage is critical to understanding the Christian lifestyle because it instructs how to access God’s power by describing a Greek hoplite soldier and his armament. Often Christians wonder how they can know the power of God. These great verses describe it! However, it is also important in showing the role of the Spirit because His mighty actions are linked to each piece of armor in other scripture.
- Truth (our belt to prepare us v.14) – Living in truth is a fruit of the Spirit (Ephesians 5:9) and provides mental preparation for making proper decisions and actions.
- Righteousness (our breastplate v.14) – A fruit of the Spirit is a holy heart that is set apart to serve God and perceives and rejects sin (Ephesians 5:9).
- Share the gospel (the shoes to carry us to battle v.15) – By telling others the message of salvation Christians see the power of God to change others and positively affect society, which is assisted by the Spirit (Romans 1:16-17; 2 Timothy 1:7; John 16:8-11).
- Faith (our shield v.16) – A fruit of the Spirit also is faith in which believers make all decisions and God desires (Galatians 5:22,23; Romans 14:23).
- Eternal security (our helmet v.17) – The sound knowledge of security of salvation protects a believer’s head in the face of trouble in this world; its function is from the Spirit (Romans 15:13).
- The Bible (our sword v.17) – The power of God in the Christian walk is through the action of the Spirit in accordance to the Bible. Wow what great truths! These passages tell us how the Spirit acts in believers’ lives to cause them to please God and experience His power.
- Romans 8:13-16
The Christian’s duties to the Spirit
Christian’s actions towards the Spirit are nicely divided into two subcategories, what to do and what not to do. According to scripture, the Spirit dwells in believers permanently from the time of belief unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14); the full use of the Spirit’s power is available throughout life.
- What not to do!
- Grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)
- Suppress the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) – Don’t douse or suppress the attributes of the Spirit in your life.
- These verses do not explain how to avoid grieving or suppressing the Spirit. However, we suspect it’s sin that would make the Spirit grieve or suppress His actions in a person’s life because they are seeking their own desires.
- What to do!
- Walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16,25) – The word ‘walk’ (peripateoo, περιπατεω) indicates our manner of life, or lifestyle, especially in the moral realm. How does a Christian accomplish this? Scripture is not specific, but based on the Epistles as a whole, these commands seem to indicate it is by actively seeking and knowing God’s word as well as being obedient to it.
- Be zealous towards the Spirit (Romans 12:10) – Enthusiastically embrace the attributes of the Spirit!
- Put to death the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13) – The Spirit helps a believer defeat sin, but this verse indicates it is by obedience that a person facilitates the Spirit’s gracious help.
- Be mature in the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) – The illustration in this great verse is not to be drunk. Alcohol literally can control brain cells by its chemical effect. In contrast, for mature Christians, their old actions are no longer possible as they have been changed by the Spirit, thus in contrast with being drunk where actions are controlled by alcohol, a believer should be “controlled” by Him.
- How practically do we do this? Putting scripture together here is a proposed process:
- The 5 tools – Use these tools: prayer, fellowship, outreach, learning the Bible and praise. These tools provide an order and structure to our Christian lives allows us to put on the whole armor of God, and be effective, with which the Spirit helps. God’s Word is the guide book in how to use these tools.
- Practice – We need to practice our skills (walk in the Spirit). Over time we become stronger and smarter servant of Christ! This image fits of a Christian who uses to five tools accepting God’s word to become a capable servant for Christ. Every day we put on the whole armor of God! (Ephesians 6:13-17)
- Final result – Through training and practice, we become transformed to a person developed and controlled by the Spirit so that when people see us they see we are led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). We will have, in some measure, the following characteristics
- Living a godly life in a perverse world (Philippians 3:15)
- Displaying the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
- Having the ability to teach (Hebrews 5:11-14)
- Being capable to judge quickly between good and bad (Hebrews 5:11-14)
- By this process the Spirit can change a believer’s mindset as they see God’s truth of His word, His answered prayer, and His power to change lives to a mature person (2 Corinthians 3:18).
- How practically do we do this? Putting scripture together here is a proposed process:
An obvious example of this maturing process in the Spirit is the army. When a person enlists they do so under the administrative assumptions of the required order in answering to officers and building the camaraderie with their fellow soldiers. Further, enlistees are given training in their offensive weapons to ready them for battle. In going then into actual battle they put on their whole armor to protect them while utilizing their offensive weapons to move forward and gain victory.
So it is with our Christian life; we have the five tools to order us under Christ’s leadership, praise, prayer to interact with our commander and fellowship to build camaraderie with our colleagues. We also train in our offensive weapons, the Bible and the gospel.
We then put on the whole armor of God, by the Spirit’s help, to protect us (righteousness, faith, hope as well as truth and our offensive weapons) all done by the spirits help. Over time, as we train, we become effective, competent accomplished soldiers for Christ, for ever changed joyously to serve Him.
Summary, we have a great and wise God who can help us become a person enjoying good well-being and peace while being useful to His glorious service
Note: Unforgivable sin – Christ mentions not to commit the unforgivable sin by blaspheming the Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32). How does it apply to Christians?
Importantly, this verse often is taken out of context. In this passage Christ is directing His wrath towards the Jewish Pharisees. At Christ’s baptism, at the initiation of his ministry, the Pharisees had rejected the witness given by the Holy Spirit when He came down from heaven on our Savior.
Therefore, to blaspheme the physical manifestation of Christ on earth is forgivable but to reject God’s approval (signified by the Spirit) of his spiritual mission to bring salvation to man is unforgivable, in other words by rejecting the salvation message.
Christians are not in view in this passage as they have the Spirit’s sealing until the day of redemption, having accepted Christ as Savior (Ephesians 1:13,14 and 4:30).
As you can see, the Spirit is integral in bringing us to salvation, completing salvation and bringing us to our eternal life. What a fantastic blessing that we have such a gift from God as the Holy Spirit.
Teleios research – Young Christians and their belief about the Spirit
Teleios recently examined the important role of the Holy Spirit in Christians’ lives in visitors to the Instagram account, InstaPray. We had 475 participants, 68% were adolescents (<18) as well as millennials (18-34), 78% evangelicals and 71% female. Wow, we received some amazing answers!
Holy Spirit’s role in Christian lifestyle
We asked about the role the Holy Spirit in the Christian life (Figure 1); the most common response was that the Spirit helps lead believers by the word of God (88%).
Holy Spirit’s role in salvation
We enquired about the role of the Spirit in salvation (Figure 2); the Spirit regenerating believers into a new person had the highest response rate (81%).
Duty of the believer
We sought their opinion on the duty of a believer towards the Spirit (Figure 3); participants noted most often that it is to walk in the Spirit (89%).
Results of Holy Spirit
We asked the results of the Spirit acting in their lives; the most common response was “Fruit of the Spirit” (94%).
WHAT IT MEANS
These results are encouraging! Both millennials and adolescents, overwhelmingly identify important scriptural roles of the Spirit. This is vital because the doctrine of the Spirit can be confusing, often because of differences in beliefs between Christian denominations.
