Last month, as we were focusing on the Holy Spirit, I decided to take a step back and examine the basic question: who really is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is an equal part of the Trinity of God: The Father, Jesus (the Son), and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:18-20 shares:
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (NKJV)
These are Jesus’s words on the Trinity, which the Holy Spirit is included in.
The Holy Spirit was present at Creation. Genesis 1:2 shares, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
John 15:26 says, “But when the Helper [Holy Spirit] comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” This verse indicates that up to this point, humanity has only had brief encounters/indwelling of the Holy Spirit. According to Acts 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit,” which fulfills Jesus’s words in John.
Thankfully, Christians today receive the Holy Spirit’s indwelling upon salvation. Ephesians 1:13 notes, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” So, Christians receive the Holy Spirit upon believing in Jesus as their Savior, which naturally leads to the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
My challenge to you today is this: Does your life exhibit the fruit of the Spirit? If so, continue diving into Scripture and growing more and more like Jesus. If not, maybe, it is time to take a step back and reexamine your beliefs. I am not saying you are not saved if you are not exhibiting fruits of the Spirit, but you may need to realign your priorities and worldview to the Bible.
-Dr. Elissa Rogers (a contributing writer and member of the COBI community)
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