Who is the Holy Spirit?

The question above has been one that has confused many in the church over the years. This Sunday, I will be preaching on the topic and hope to make it more clear. I have enjoyed my study as I prepare for the message. It seems that we go to the extremes in trying to understand. We either dismiss the Holy Spirit as not being that active or influential in our lives-we minimize His power or we elevate the Holy Spirit to the most prominent member of the Trinity. Either extreme is not Biblical.

Without sharing my points from my message, let me share several passages from the gospel of John that are helpful in the study.
  • John 1:32-34
  • John 3:1-8
  • John 3:34
  • John 4:23-24
  • John 7:37-39
  • John 14:15-17; 25-26
  • John 15:26-27
  • John 16:5-8;10;12-16
  • John 20:21-22
Three key points as I close:

  • The Holy Spirit dwells within believers and is active in our lives. He is personal, not some impersonal force.
  • The Holy Spirit helps us to understand better who God is and what He has done.
  • The Holy Spirit empowers us to be bold in our faith-he prays through us, he gives us the words in evangelism, helps us as we teach and disciple others.
Something to think about: the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living within us as believers and that power is available to us if we are led by the Spirit.

I will post more from my message after Sunday.

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