Based on John 16:4b-15 (King James Version)
“And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”
When the Holy Spirit is spoken of, many start to think about the spiritual gifts. But, when we see the Word, the gifts are just the tip of the iceberg (per se). The work of the Holy Spirit is something much more significant and profound than the manifestation of the gifts. To start, we need to clarify that the Holy Spirit is a Person, that He is part of the Trinity of God. There are certain sects that teach that the Holy Spirit is like an engine, or something like that, which is rather insulting and even blasphemous. Therefore, the Holy Spirit as a Person and Identity is the most sacred being of God, the soul of God. And without the Holy Spirit, neither God the Father nor the Son could do what they do. Each Identity of the Trinity is perfectly divine, joined together in perfect unity, and interdependent to each other. There is only one God, and that God is three Persons, as it is written: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” I John 5:7.
Now then, and to start somewhere (because it is difficult to isolate everything the Holy Spirit does, especially since there is such a perfect unity in the Trinity), the Holy Spirit was involved with absolutely everything the Lord Jesus did on the Earth. The only moment where God [plural] separated for an instant was when the Lord took on all of our sins upon Himself on the cross, as He Himself declared it: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” Matthew 27:46. So then, our evil and sin was what separated a God that had always been together. God suffered even that for us (that’s why whoever takes lightly the immense sacrifice of God truly deserves where they will end up, if they don’t repent. God’s salvation through Jesus Christ is only by grace, but the price that God paid for us can never be measured or weighed; it’s incalculable). The Holy Spirit was involved with the conception in Mary. He was involved with the growth of the Lord. He was involved with the all of the miracles, signs, and wonders the Lord did, including when the Lord casted out demons. He was involved with all of the Lord’s ministering and teaching. The Holy Spirit did everything together with the Lord. That’s why when a person refuses to believe in the works of the Only Begotten Son of God not only do they blaspheme against the Son, but also against the Father and the Holy Spirit. And as a consequence, there can be no salvation for that person, either because of their unbelief, or because of their blasphemy. For it is also written: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36. So then, because of the perfect unity of the Trinity, and by not believing or accepting the Lord, a person is denying everything such as the work of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it’s either all or nothing, but absolutely no one can justify themselves before God by thinking that they can believe in God and not in the Son. Accepting Jesus as Lord is the key for everything because through that faith is that everything else comes, especially the Holy Spirit.
Now then, when a person accepts Jesus as the Lord of their life, by surrendering their heart, the Holy Spirit comes to in live inside their life. At that moment, the miracle where the Holy Spirit manifests Himself by being “within” us occurs. As it was said in another occasion, the Holy Spirit first is “with” us, by helping us feel the conviction of sin and showing us that we need a Savior, going much beyond what our conscience can work in us; the Holy Spirit is “within” our life; and the Holy Spirit comes “upon” us when He prepares us for God’s service and ministering (and He doesn’t necessarily manifest Himself through the gift of tongues. He distributes the gifts as He desires; no one can impose on Him nor can it be assumed). But, exploring even more the importance of the Holy Spirit regarding being “within” our lives, what is incredibly necessary and crucial of that is that He teaches us the things of God. It doesn’t depend on our intellect. The only thing that we need is to have the intellectual understanding of the words we read, but the Holy Spirit takes care of the rest. That’s why even a child can come to understand, assimilate, and even apply the things of God in their life, because it is the Holy Spirit that teaches them directly, by exposing themselves to the Word of God. I say this by experience because I had the privilege and grace from God to come to the Lord when I was only seven years old. I was completely conscious of what I was doing. I started to read and study the Bible at that time (because I felt it necessary), and I was not a scholar, or a prodigy, nor a university student. I was only a very simple and common boy, but the Holy Spirit taught me everything that I read. And there was such an impact made in my life that His teaching remains until today, more than thirty-seven years later. No human being can learn anything of the divine things of the Lord without the Holy Spirit inside their lives. It’s impossible!
And continuing, the Holy Spirit is the one that changes the life of a person, as a consequence of learning God’s Word, if they let him work (because nothing is forced). We also need to be careful with the fact that the Holy Spirit can be grieved with the sin that still remains in our lives. As it is written: “And do not grieve [or quench] the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30. So then, if the Holy Spirit can be quenched, then He can also be extinguished inside of our heart if there is too much disobedience and rebellion in us. Everything is possible unfortunately. But, if we remain in the Lord, and let the work of the Holy Spirit continue in our lives, one of the most precious things that only God can do will occur; the transformation of a life, by converting us into something completely different then what we started as. The Holy Spirit of God is the only one that can transform a life completely, day-by-day, step-by-step. The more you submit to Him, the faster the changes occur.
So then, have you truly experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in your life? Lord bless! John