Weekend, September 18, 2021
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives
“But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets” (1 Corinthians 2:10 NLT).
I collected reptiles when I was a kid. In retrospect, I don’t know why. I had turtles and snakes and lizards. You name it, and I had it.
But I came to realize that reptiles don’t have much personality. Dogs, in contrast, are very expressive. Sometimes they even look like they’re smiling. You always know where you stand with a dog.
For a being to be considered a person, however, he or she must possess certain characteristics. First among them is intelligence. Then there is will, along with emotion.
When it comes to the role and working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of both believers and nonbelievers, there’s a lot of misunderstanding. The Holy Spirit is a Him, not an it. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment” (John 16:8 NLT).
Also, the apostle Paul wrote, “But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11 NLT).
The Holy Spirit is a personality and has intelligence. And the Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God. The Holy Spirit also has a will, because the Bible speaks of the gifts that God’s Holy Spirit distributes (see 1 Corinthians 12:1).
So the Holy Spirit has a will. The Holy Spirit also has emotion. He can be grieved, quenched, resisted, and even lied to. And only the Holy Spirit can convince people they’re sinners in need of a Savior. That’s why we need to pray for people as we share the gospel with them.
Copyright © 2021 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
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The book of Revelation is one of the most fascinating and misunderstood books in the Bible. In The Revelation Answer Book, respected prophecy teacher Mark Hitchcock walks through key questions about Revelation in a clear and engaging Q&A format. You’ll explore topics like the mark of the beast, the identity of the 144,000, the Antichrist, the Tribulation, and the return of Jesus, all with solid biblical insight and a focus on hope. Request your copy this month with your gift to Harvest Ministries.
