What should every Christian know about the Holy Sirit?

“I (Jesus) will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever.  That helper is the Spirit of Truth (Holy Spirit)... He lives with you and will be in you,” John 14:16 –17.   

The Holy Spirit is almost the forgotten member of the Trinity.  Sixty-one percent of US residents surveyed agreed with the statement that the Holy Spirit is "a symbol of God's presence or power, but is not a living entity.”  The Holy Spirit is not a mere symbol of anything.  Most Christians know that He is a member of the Godhead.  Many Christians know little about the Holy Spirit?  Many Christians think they know a lot, but do not. 

The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that He is a force like radar.  They are wrong.  The Mormons teach that He is a male personage of flesh and bones.  Actually, the Mormons teach that the Holy GHOST is a god, the male personage, and the Holy SPIRIT is the presence of God the Father.  They also are wrong.   Islam teaches there is no Holy Spirit and they are definitely wrong!

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity.  The Trinity is the doctrine that there is only one God, but three persons:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Each person is not the same person as the other, yet there are not three separate gods.  It is complicated and I will not try to explain it now.  The Holy Spirit is just as much God as is the Father and the Son.  But remember, there are not three gods only ONE. 

The Bible has many references to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament alone there are 261 passages which refer to the Holy Spirit, a few are as follows: Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."  The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son.  Romans 8:11, "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His (Holy Spirit) who dwells in you."  The Holy Spirit is referred to as a person in scripture.  Isaiah 63:10, "…but they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit.  Therefore, He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them." And Ephesian, 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."  We can grieve the Holy Spirit (make Him feel sorrow).  Romans 15:30, "Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the (Holy) Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me."  The Holy Spirit is capable of love.  Romans 8:27, "And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the (Holy) Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."  Acts 8:29, "And the Holy Spirit said to Philip, Go up and join this chariot."  Acts 13:2, "And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set apart for Me (Holy Spirit) Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”  The Holy Spirit speaks.

It should be obvious that the Holy Spirit has self-identity, is aware, and is not merely a force because a force doesn't speak, love, grieve, and have a mind.  The cults tend to ignore these verses and tell us that the Spirit is nothing more than some presence or power. 

The Spirit is a presence and a power, but that is not all He is.  He is the one who applies the redemptive work of Christ to the believer.  He is the one who convicts the world of sin (John 16:8), who teaches (John 14:26; 15:26), and who anoints (1 John 2:27).  He is the one who points us to Jesus (John 15:26).   He is the one that brings us into relationship with Jesus.  We should know as much about the Holy Spirit as we do the Father and the Son and we should certainly know more and dedicate more time to the Holy Spirit than to the Catholic Saints and Mary the Mother of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit has all the attributes of God: eternal, having neither beginning nor end (Hebrews 9:14), Omni-potent, having all power (Luke 1:35); Omni-present, being everywhere at the same time (Psalm 139:7); and omniscient, understanding all matters (1 Corinthians 2:10, 11).  

When Jesus Christ left the Holy Spirit came in His place. The Holy Spirit is SPIRIT and has never been a bodily being like Christ.  There are some advantages to being just a spirit. The Spirit has no limit of time or space. The Spirit is able to work within minds and through people's activities, in the everyday realm and everywhere, throughout the centuries.  The Holy Spirit does what a bodily being can't do by itself. 

The bond between us and the risen Jesus Christ is a bond sewn by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit won't live in someone who chooses to sin in spite of conscience, or who has no love in them. The Spirit is not found where sin has its way. 

When a Christian speaks of the Spirit indwelling it means being in close relationship, and close relationship demands that you reveal not just will and message, but something of your very self.  Christians believe that the heart, character, and love of God is revealed to us in creation, in the covenant with the Jews, and then definitively in God's Son, Jesus Christ.  Getting us to grasp this is the work of the Holy Spirit.  How can we claim to know God or be a Christian if we do not understand the power and works of the Holy Spirit?

The scripture makes clear the difference between being saved and being filled with the Holy Spirit.  The difference is the degree of relationship we have with God.  When someone comes to Christ they are saved (they have the Spirit), what they choose to do with salvation is another issue.

If for example you received an inheritance, the property and money of an estate becomes yours.  You can either squander the blessing or use it to accomplish more.  In the same way, when we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive an eternal inheritance from God, we have the choice, to allow the Holy Spirit to use or not use us.  When we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit we begin to see greater things happen in our lives.  I do not know about you, but I want God to use me in all the ways He desires and I want all the blessing He wants to give me.    

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we become the vehicle in which God accomplishes His work on earth providing we submit to the power of the Holy Spirit.  The disciples after they prayed, they received power to proclaim the word of God with boldness, first they yielded through prayer and then they were filled with the Holy Spirit.  It works the same with us.

Paul warns us in 1^st Thessalonians 5:19 not to quench (extinguish) our relationship with the Holy Spirit, because we harm our relationship with God.  We quench our relationship with God, when we yield to our old nature.   We have a choice, we can choose to yield control or not yield control of our life to the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit gives us gifts (talents) they are found in 1^st Corinthians. 12, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healings, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues and POWER!  Who does not want to receive gifts, talents and abilities that can allow them to have a better relationship with God and others?   Better relationships mean greater success in all we do.

Closing thoughts: The Holy Spirit in a messed up world can bring us the peace of Christ.  When we face trials God makes things right through the Holy Spirit.  The Bible tells us to be led by the Holy Spirit and does not tell us to be led by man, church, denominations, religious leaders or saints.  The Holy Spirit enters our life when we receive salvation.  God equips us to do His will through the Holy Spirit.  Learn truth from the Holy Spirit for the Holy Spirit is never wrong.  The Holy Spirit helps us sustain our peace in times of personal trials.  The Holy Spirit helps us practice self-control.  The Holy Spirit helps us control our tongue.  The Holy Spirit helps us interpret the Bible.  Grace comes from the Father to us through the Holy Spirit.  We cannot obey the Father without the help of the Holy Spirit.   The church without the Holy Spirit is a dead church.  Your church should be teaching the power of the Holy Spirit if it is not I suggest you find another church.  Jesus told the disciples they would be better off when He left and the Holy Spirit came.  We are told to lean on the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit motivates and encourages us.  The Holy Spirit gives us power.  The Holy Spirit gives us talents (fruits of the Spirit).  Don’t ignore and don’t be ignorant of the Holy Spirit.  The gifts of the Holy Spirit should be used every day, in every aspect of life - work, play and worship.  The Holy Spirit helps us to accomplish task that we could not accomplish on our own.

If you do not know the importance of the Holy Spirit to your life I pray you will find out and that what I have stated here may peak your interest to learn more.