The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the Trinity. God exists in three persons- Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, as described by Kathryn Kuhlman, is “an equal member of the three-person Godhead, containing the whole nature of the Godhead, the one undivided God, at work in creation, redemption and empowerment.” (Hinn 19) Throughout Scripture, the unity of the Godhead can be seen, such as in the book of Mark, where “just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (New International Version, Mark 1.9-11) The Holy Spirit is a promised gift to all believers. As written by the Apostle Paul, when we believed in Him, we were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (New International Version, Eph. 1.13) Therefore, the Holy Spirit resides within us and breathes life into our mortal bodies. In the book of Romans, Paul posits that "if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (Rom 8.11) The Holy Spirit is the spirit of wisdom and understanding. In Isaiah 11:2, the Holy Spirit is described to be “the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.” In Scripture, there are instances where the disciples were proclaiming the gospel boldly, as they spoke with the authority of God through the Holy Spirit who resided in them. Although they were uneducated fishermen, God still chose to use them, showing how He is an impartial God who honors the desire of people who choose to serve Him. As Jesus was about to go back to be with the Father, he said to his disciples, “but when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16.13)
The Holy Spirit is our advocate. In the book of Romans, Paul states that the Spirit helps us in our weakness. In instances where we do not know what we ought to pray for, the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. For he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people by the will of God. (Rom 8. 26-27)
What is the activity of the Holy Spirit?
On earth, the Holy Spirit brings people out of the darkness into the light of the kingdom of God. In the book of Matthew, Jesus exhorts his disciples to let their light shine before others, so that they may see their good works and give glory to their Father who is in heaven. (English Standard Version, Matt. 5.16) As people begin to profess their faith in Christ, they begin to partake of the eternal glory that is in Christ Jesus. The conviction of their hearts can only happen through the Holy Spirit. In the book of Luke, Jesus explains that “No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Luke 10.22) The Holy Spirit gives people authority to proclaim His gospel. John Wesley highlights that “God gave Christians such wisdom and speech that their adversaries could not resist them. The witness of their lives was as great as a force as were their words”. (Wesley 193) Without the Holy Spirit, individuals would be relying on their human wisdom. However, the Holy Spirit will guide them in all truth to speak with a higher authority that will convict their hearts of man, turning hearts towards Jesus. In the Church, the Holy Spirit gives us gifts to build up the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul exhorts the Corinth Church to “excel in those (gifts of the Spirit) that build up the church”. (1 Cor. 14.12) Every believer is gifted uniquely, with gifts such as revelation (wisdom, knowledge, discernment), power (faith, healing, miracles) or inspiration (prophecy, tongues, interpretation). (Howe 41) As believers, we are fully equipped to do the work that God prepared for us in advance to do. The Holy Spirit moves within our spirits as we serve to build the kingdom of God.
Also, the Holy Spirit helps us to understand our identity as ministers under a new covenant. (2 Cor 3.6) Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for us to have free access to God, through the Holy Spirit. We are no longer subject under the law as the veil was torn, and we can have a personal relationship with God. In the life of the believer, the Holy Spirit reveals spiritual truth. The Apostle John highlights that He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. (New Living Translation, John 14.17) The truth will set the believer free. (John 8.32) Therefore, we live in newfound freedom and joy, knowing that the sin that originally held us captive no longer has a hold on us. As truth is revealed to us, we are continually transformed into His image (2 Cor 3:18). As a result, we produce fruit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness. (Galatians 5.22) Through the process of being transformed into His image, we are becoming a testament to His goodness as we are proclaiming the gospel. Our call is to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 28:19), which can only be done through the authority of Jesus.
How has the Holy Spirit used people in history? (life & ministry)
Billy Graham is a significant figure in church history. Not only did he serve in the capacity of an evangelist, he was also a man of God in all respects of his life. According to his daughter, Gigi Graham, Graham “practiced at home what he preached in public. Children need to see fathers on their knees, acknowledging and bowing to a higher authority, and loving their mother”. (Graham 26) The transforming work of God was evident in every area of his life, as he was the same person in private as he was in public.
The Holy Spirit began working in Graham’s life as he came in repentance and experienced redemption from his sinful rebellion in his early years. Just as Moses did not feel qualified to speak to the people of Israel, as he claimed to have never been eloquent and slow of speech and tongue (Exodus 4:10), Graham faced a similar struggle, claiming that he “didn’t know how to preach”. (Graham 13) Despite his human inadequacy, the Holy Spirit moved in him powerfully as Graham moved beyond his natural ability to speaking from a higher authority.
The Holy Spirit is evident through Graham’s ministry as love was a core value in his household and ministry. He was a strong advocate of allowing children to make their personal decision to follow Christ. He never believed in forcing religion upon others as he pointed out that the very basis of love is free will. “Every person must make his own choice when all the information is in his possession”. (Graham 81-82) In 1 John 4:19, it states that we love because he first loved us. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit reveals the love of God to our hearts, our commitment to follow Him is but a response to His love that was first poured out unto us. God used Graham’s ministry as an expression of His love to the world. Millions had the opportunity to respond to follow Jesus for the rest of their lives which affected the course of eternity.
Graham recognized the role of the Holy Spirit in his life. Ultimately, his life and ministry was a conduit of the Holy Spirit in Him. Although he had a strong evangelistic anointing on his life, he recognized that the different methods of evangelism all depended on the Holy Spirit. (Myra 32) As a man who values intimacy with God, he believed that the work of his ministry was solely done for the glory of God. The core message of his ministry was that Christ was the only way to salvation, and God is the one who “does the saving”. (Beam 158) Just like the Holy Spirit who never draws attention to himself, Graham modeled a life that always points others to Jesus as a way to salvation.
How can the Holy Spirit use me?
The Holy Spirit has been the person of the Trinity who has revealed to me that there is more to God than the confines of the human mind. When we are called to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4.24), it points us to a deeper spiritual reality that can only be revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. Before knowing the Holy Spirit, my pursuit of God was akin to amassing knowledge about who God was rather than genuinely knowing Him on a personal level. However, coming to know the Holy Spirit allowed me to realize the depth of His love for us as we now enjoy a level of intimacy and fellowship with God that is unlike no other. Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross and the gift of the Holy Spirit gives us access to the fellowship of the Trinity that was not readily available for the ordinary believer before the new covenant. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth that God is still speaking today, and this has radically changed the way I relate to God and the world around me. The reality that God is working in and through the world we live in today reveals the greater truth that God is still sovereign over all the earth as He was in the beginning. Knowing His heart for us has changed the way I relate to others as I begin to see them as individuals who are made well in the image of God. I have experienced a deeper measure of peace and joy which is only made possible through the Holy Spirit.
As I pursue my vocation in the future, I will heed the words of Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Through developing my relationship with God through prayer, meditation and worship, I will trust and believe that His plans for me are good. By cultivating intimacy with him on a daily basis, and getting to know His heart for the small allows me to learn how to be faithful with the small before He entrusts me with more.
Secondly, finding a godly community is essential in learning how to be led by the Holy Spirit. Having community allows us to confirm the calling over our lives. Just as how Jesus had a community with his twelve disciples, I will find a community of believers who believe in the power of the Holy Spirit and who are willing to challenge each other to grow. I will also pray for godly mentors who can speak into my life as I seek to grow to disciple others as well. Fundamentally, the Holy Spirit dwells within us as our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. By submitting to the authority of God’s word, and learning to recognize His voice in our lives, the future is full of endless possibilities, and we can look forward to it with holy expectancy.