I’ve heard it said that for many Christians, the Holy Spirit seems like a family uncle: familiar yet unfamiliar. We often hear the Spirit spoken about, but we don’t really understand who the Spirit is or what the Spirit does. We read in the Bible about being “filled with the Spirit”, or having “joy in the Spirit”, or “praying in the Spirit”, but we don’t exactly know what those things mean. We can easily be confused in trying to understand the Spirit, and as a result, we fail to grasp the full riches that the Spirit gives us.
For the Holy Spirit, being somewhat forgotten is an occupational hazard. However, the Spirit is at the centre of the action in the divine drama, from Genesis 1:2 all the way to Revelation 22:17. In the beginning, the world is depicted as a dark place, but “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Gen. 1:2), ready to bring life and order out of the chaos. The writers of the Old Testament speak of the Spirit as God’s personal presence. They often use the Hebrew word, “ruakh” or breath. Just as our breath is invisible, so God’s Spirit is invisible, and just as our breath keeps us alive, so God’s Spirit powerfully sustains all life.
Jesus gives his Spirit to his followers
As we read further into the Old Testament, we learn about how God’s Spirit enables God’s servants to fulfil certain tasks, including speaking through God’s prophets. We’re also told that in the future, the Spirit will come to transform the human heart to empower people to truly know and love God. When Jesus’ ministry begins, the Spirit empowers him to effect this transformative work, demonstrating his authority through miracles and the forgiveness of sins. The Spirit’s work was seen most powerfully in raising Jesus from the dead. Subsequently, Jesus gives his Spirit to his followers, enabling them to believe in him and be transformed and sustained in faith.
The Spirit’s work is as essential as the Father’s and the Son’s. Yet the Spirit’s work is always directed to the person and work of Jesus Christ. In fact, the power of the Spirit’s mission is seen in the extent to which we are focused on Jesus. The Spirit is the person of the Trinity who brings the work of the Father, in the Son, to completion.
This Sunday, we begin a new sermon series called, “Holy Spirit: Breath of God”. The Apostle Paul tells us “all Scripture is God breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16). The Bible should be thought of as God preaching to us every time we read or hear any part of it – God the Father, preaching God the Son, in the power of God the Spirit. In this series, as we explore the person and work of the Spirit, we’ll see how the Spirit proclaims Jesus, the Spirit transforms us, the Spirit gives us gifts, and the Spirit comforts.
It’s my hope that with this contemplation of the Holy Spirit, we’ll have a fresh dependence on him in every part of our lives.
