That's the Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a Person - not an 'it'!

He is as Personal as God the Father and God the Son.

In the Bible, the Spirit is there at the very beginning, 'moving over the water', in the Genesis account of creation.

As the story of God's people unfolds, the Spirit makes an occasional appearance - empowering great leaders, inspiring prophets like Jeremiah. But always there is a sense of spiritual 'rationing'. Of the thousands of people who pass before us in the Old Testament, only a few are allowed the power and presence of God's Spirit. And even for them, it is a fleeting and infrequent experience.

When Jesus came, the Spirit of God was the whole dynamic of his life. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit descended on him at his baptism, and was active throughout his ministry. And after Jesus died, it was the Spirit of God who raised him from the dead.

Jesus assured his disciples that after he had gone, he would send the Spirit to them. In this way, He would be with each of them all the time, wherever they were. All in all, the Holy Spirit is best understood as the Spirit of Jesus, living in his followers and continuing his work.

On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was freely poured out on mankind for the first time in history. It was an end to rationing.

The Holy Spirit is the life support of the Christian church: He provides the wherewithal for serving Christ, knitting the church together, and equipping it to spread the gospel.

The Spirit's gifts are given to individuals for the benefit of all. They range from inspired messages of wisdom or special insight, through powers of caring, teaching and healing to the ability to speak in strange tongues.

While spiritual gifts may vary from person to person, the fruit of the Spirit is always the same. It is the opposite of selfishness, Paul describes it as 'love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control'. They are the many aspects of a believer's life when the Spirit is truly present.

Adapted from Finding Faith by Andrew Knowles