“ Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you”-John 16:7
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Let’s talk about the Holy Spirit. Patrick and I love to discuss the Holy Spirit and our experience of Him. He is our best friend, and we have real experiences of Him. I can share many personal stories of the help and counsel I have received from the Holy Spirit ever since He came into my life. He is the Spirit of truth in John 14:17 and in Romans 8:9, He is the Spirit of God and Jesus Christ.
Jesus said the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit because they do not know Him even though the Holy Spirit has been around since day one.
God accomplished everything in creation through the Holy Spirit. The Bible records that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” in the beginning- Genesis 1:1-3.
The Holy Spirit was involved in the conception of Jesus Christ. Scripture says the Holy Spirit came upon the Virgin Mary-Luke 1:35.
The power of the Holy Spirit is so unique that it produces everything from nothing to something and transforms old things into new things. Through the Holy Spirit, a sinner gets a new lease of life -John 3:5-6, Ephesians 2:1-2.
Unlike the world, a child of God cannot remain ignorant of the Holy Spirit because Jesus said “But you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” -John 14:7.
A Promise fulfilled
The Holy Spirit is the Father’s promise fulfilled in Acts 1:4 and Ephesians 1:13,14. His presence was evident on the day of Pentecost as He filled the disciples in Acts 2:1-4.
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was with some select individuals temporarily, but the promise of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament is “that He may abide with you forever” -John 14:16.
Jesus fulfilled His earthly ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit having been anointed by the Holy Spirit. He never functioned independently of the Holy Spirit. Scripture says Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit in Matthew 4:1.
Luke 10:21 records that Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:11, we read that it is the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.
The same Spirit is what Jesus promised His disciples in John 16:7. Take note that Jesus says “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you;….. “
That is a loaded statement. The whole chapter can plummet the disciples into despair. Verse 28 tells us that Jesus was going back to His Father, but He was not leaving the disciples as orphans. He says his departure is to the benefit of His disciples.
The use of a conditional clause “if” means the Holy Spirit will only be sent to us on condition that Jesus departs.
Let me explain it this way, in His physical human body, Jesus Christ can only be at a particular place at any given time, but the omnipresence attribute of the Holy Spirit makes it possible for Him to indwell all believers all over the world, at the same time, simultaneously.
The Holy Spirit is our advantage because His presence is better than the presence of God in human form.
Jesus admits the supernatural help of the Holy Spirit in His own life and knows that is the same help we need to survive in this chaotic world. Jesus, therefore, calls the Holy Spirit “another Helper” in John 14:16. This means the Holy Spirit is not a stranger at all. He is the representative of Jesus Christ here on earth. He has come to glorify and testify of Jesus Christ.-John 15:26, 16:14.
Not for sale
The Holy Spirit is for every believer as God gives the Spirit without limit- John 3:34. In Acts 10:45 and 1 Timothy 4:14, the Holy Spirit is referred to as a “Gift”. He is God’s special gift to mankind.
You cannot buy the Holy Spirit. He is given to those who believe in Jesus Christ – John 7:37-39. In Acts chapter 8, a former sorcerer attempted to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit and this was the response from Apostle Peter “Your money perish with you because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!
Fueling the Believer
The Holy Spirit seals your salvation and authenticates your identity as a child of God. Romans 8:9 says you don’t belong to God without the Spirit of Christ and 1 Corinthians 12:3 says without the Holy Spirit, you cannot say, “Jesus is Lord.”
The Holy Spirit helps us to serve God, thus eliminating any confidence we put in our flesh-Philippians 3:3
The Holy Spirit is our strengthener, teacher, reminder, guide, and revealer. He leads us into all truth. -John 14:16, 26, John 15:26, John 16:13, Isaiah 11:2
He empowers believers -Acts 1:8 and equips us with supernatural gifts that will make us stand out – Romans 12:6-7
He changes your character by replacing negative habits with His fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, and many more in Galatians 5:22
Convicts the world
Salvation is not an act of force or coercion. A sinner must be convicted to realize their need for the Savior. One of the assignments of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of its sin-John 16:8-9. Conviction is not condemnation. Jesus did not condemn the world and certainly, His Spirit does not condemn.
Convicting makes the sinner aware of their unbelief in Jesus Christ which is the root of every sin. The Holy Spirit is therefore the Person at work in our salvation, pointing the unbeliever to Christ -John 16:15, Titus 3:5-6. When we accept and believe in Jesus Christ, God comes to live in us by His Holy Spirit. That’s teamwork!
Sin imprisons an individual, but the Holy Spirit sets you free to be all that God wants you to be in Christ Jesus -1 Cor 2:12, 2 Cor 3:17. Embrace the positive ministry of the Holy Spirit today!
Recommended Videos – Click on the links below to watch “THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT” by Patrick E Quainoo
THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT – YouTube
THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT-2 – YouTube
THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT -3 – YouTube
THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT-4 – YouTube
THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT-5 – YouTube
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