“But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. The Eastern Orthodox Church has stressed the role of the descent of the Spirit upon the worshipping congregation and upon the eucharistic bread and wine in the prayer known as the epiclesis. He states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God (the Father), and the Word was God" (John 1:1, HBFV). The following are questions frequently asked. Do you have to be baptized to be filled with the Holy Spirit? The fear of Jehovah is pure, lasting forever.” —Psalm 19: 8, 9. The relationship of the Holy Spirit to the other persons of the Trinity has been described in the West as proceeding from both the Father and the Son, whereas in the East it has been held that the procession is from the Father through the Son. His work starts when He helps us know that we are sinners and that we need to accept Jesus as our Savior. Romans 8:9 is even stronger, stating that if a person does not have the Spirit, he does not belong to Christ. When I realize that I cannot live a life of overcoming sin without the help of the Holy Spirit, it becomes very important to me how I respond to the Holy Spirit … Question: "What does it mean to walk in the Spirit?" First, the Holy Spirit provides conviction of sin to all people. Clearly, then, the greatest thing we can do for our bodies is to make them into a temple for God’s Spirit. It is written, if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. First, He does a work in the hearts of all people everywhere. Sometimes a small pronoun in the Bible can make a lot of difference. Christianity is a religion that has been the most popular and most common form of worship, and what is this Holy Spirit. Most Catholic and Orthodox Christians have experienced the Holy Spirit more in the sacramental life of the church than in the context of such speculation. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Spirit testifies of Christ (John 15:26), pointing people to the Lord. The Eastern and Western churches have since viewed the Holy Spirit as the bond, the fellowship, or the mutual charity between Father and Son; they are absolutely united in the Spirit. “Men spoke from God as they were moved by holy spirit.” —2 Peter 1: 21. Answer: Believers have the indwelling Spirit of Christ, the Comforter who proceeds from the Father (John 15:26). As mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, outpourings of the Holy Spirit can include healing, prophecy, exorcism, and speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit wants to speak to us, especially by God’s Word. Let me explain. (see John 3:5; Romans 8:9-10) 2. For believers in Christ, the Holy Spirit works in additional ways. Updates? Its message. Do you think it’s selfish to pray to have ‘more of the Holy Spirit’? Saying “I baptize you in Jesus’ name” is not a magic formula. What is the difference between the Holy Spirit and Holy Ghost? This occurred on the Day of Pentecost when the church first began. So glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). The Bible also does not teach that the Holy Spirit is worthy of worship. 3. One way to partially visualize this concept is to examine the nature of water (H2O). He helps you to do the Father’s will. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the constant resisting of God’s Spirit to the point of not being able to hear His voice. As such He is an essential companion of every Christian and is the guarantee and means by which we persevere to the point of reaching heaven. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. So I decided I would share with you a Bible study on who is the Holy Spirit and what He does. Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers to renew, sanctify, and make us holy. What is the Trinity? For many of us, this is a difficult concept to grasp. He is fully equal with God the Father and God the Son. The Bible notes several roles the Holy Spirit plays in the lives of people today. See also Trinity. Therefore, He can and should be worshiped as God. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Holy-Spirit. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Currently, the Holy Spirit is also restraining sin and combatting “the secret power of lawlessness” in the world. What a great question! We hear lots of teachings on God the father and God the son, but very few about the divine nature and attributes of the Holy Spirit. Paul did not write, “… the Spirit also helps your weakness,” but rather, “the Likewise, he is all-loving, forgiving, merciful and just. It is not the words that are said during baptism that make a baptism valid. It is set apart from other writings by its pure contents and sacred use in worship. The Hebrew word ruaḥ (usually translated “spirit”) is often found in texts referring to the free and unhindered activity of God, either in creating or in revitalizing creation, especially in connection with the prophetic word or messianic expectation. And we do this by placing our trust and faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. What is the seal of the Holy Spirit? Is the Holy Spirit a "He," "She," or "It," male, female, or neuter? I grieve the Holy Spirit by not allowing myself to be led by Him, but choosing my own way instead. The Bible can thus be considered holy. John 16:8 notes, "And when he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." Why do I need the Holy Spirit? Paul could not say that we all were baptized by one Spirit and all given one Spirit to drink if not all of the Corinthian believers possessed the Holy Spirit. From the earliest centuries of the Christian church, various groups, discontented with the lack of freedom, active charity, or vitality in the institutional church, have called for a greater sensitivity to the ongoing outpourings of the Holy Spirit; among such movements were the Holiness and Pentecostal movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. ", Copyright 2011-2021 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. All Christians have heard of the Holy Spirit but how well do you really know Him? What is praying in tongues? Corrections? Do you know about Christianity, take the quiz? The Holy Spirit works in our hearts to help us be more like Jesus. The Holy Spirit interacts with us in His own way—distinct from the Father and the Son: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:14). A demon-possessed man was brought to Jesus, and the Lord cast the demon out, healing the man of blindness and muteness. I got saved at age 6! He can be insulted (Hebrews 10:29), lied to (Acts 5:3), resisted (Acts 7:51), and grieved (Ephesians 4:30). Therefore, the possession of the Spirit is an identifying factor of the possession of salvation. He is also not just a person unto Himself, but He is part and parcel of the Trinity … One suggestion of such belief is the promise of another helper, or intercessor (paraclete), that is found in the Gospel According to John. What is the Latter Rain Movement? Christians think that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that if you accept Christ as your redeemer and repent for your sins, you will be saved. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Triune Godhead who has perfect knowledge (1 Corinthians 2:11), a mind (Romans 8:27), love (Romans 15:30), and a will (1 Corinthians 12:11). Discussion Questions: 1. John 16:8 notes, "And when he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. confirmation (in the Eastern Orthodox Church, chrismation), although not accepted by Protestants as a sacrament, has been closely allied with the role of the Holy Spirit in the church. I got saved at age 6! Answer: Of all the gifts given to mankind by God, there is none greater than the presence of the Holy Spirit. From apostolic times, the formula for baptism has been Trinitarian (“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”). What do you know about Christianity and the Holy Spirit? Omissions? The definition that the Holy Spirit was a distinct divine person equal in substance to the Father and the Son and not subordinate to them came at the Council of Constantinople in ce 381, following challenges to its divinity. Each of the persons of the Trinity is God. The Holy Spirit does three things: He teaches us the things we need to know for our salvation ( John 14:26), He guides us into all truth (John 16:13), and He convicts of sin (John 16:7, 8). First, the Holy Spirit provides conviction of sin to all people. Just as the Holy Spirit raised Christ from the dead, the Holy Spirit will give eternal life to believers in Christ. It is not an incantation. First, Acts 2:4 records, "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." If the Holy Spirit lives in us, then are we human and divine? Being “filled” with the Holy Spirit is seen as the corollary of one’s salvation. I got saved as a young girl, but I wasnt sure exactly what age so I asked the Holy Spirit how long He’s been living inside of me, and He told me! In this verse Peter confronts Ananias as to why he lied to the Holy Spirit and tells him that he had “not lied to men but to God.” The Holy Spirit gives us power for victory over conscious sin. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. One of these roles is to serve as a helper or comforter. Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit to “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8, ESV). Christian writers have seen in various references to the Spirit of Yahweh in the Hebrew Scriptures an anticipation of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Answers to questions about the Holy Spirit Who do we pray to, the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit? “Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot,’" Acts … Holy Spirit: One of Three Persons of God The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is much too vast for anyone to have all the answers. The Bible declares that there is only one living God, yet we learn from scripture that He comprises three separate personages. (Galatians 5:16.) Those who do not belong to Christ do not have the Spirit of Christ residing in them (Romans 8:9). If you want to prove this fact, you can use another scripture but not this one. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). So, to sum up, people who haven’t yet experienced the new birth by receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior do not have the Holy Spirit living within them, although they do have the “breath of life” as a gift from God and they bear the image of God, and on that basis they can already begin to contribute to God’s kingdom activity. The Holy Spirit also does work among unbelievers. How is the Holy Spirit active in our lives today? The Bible also tells us that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, a being with a mind, emotions, and a will. Jesus has just performed a miracle. The Holy Spirit assists believers in prayer (Jude 1:20) and “intercedes for God’s people in … He shares the strengths of God the Father and Jesus, such as omniscience, omnipotence, and eternality. In art, the Holy Spirit is commonly represented as a dove. The Spirit has many functions, roles, and activities. For many people, the person of the Holy Spirit raises many questions. The Holy Spirit's name describes his chief attribute: He is a perfectly holy and spotless God, free of any sin or darkness. Answer: The concept of “blasphemy against the Spirit” is mentioned in Mark 3:22–30 and Matthew 12:22–32. It does teach, however, that the Father and Jesus Christ are both God. Is praying in tongues a prayer language between a believer and God? Holy Spirit, also called Paraclete or Holy Ghost, in Christian belief, the third person of the Trinity. The apostle Paul reiterated the same truth about the Spirit's indwelling: "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? In fact, the New Testament itself is not entirely clear in this regard. I grieve the Holy Spirit by not obeying Him. The Holy Spirit is by far the most misunderstood member of the Trinity. “The commandment of Jehovah is clean, making the eyes shine. What does it mean that the Holy Spirit is our Paraclete? What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Many of the Christian Faith view God as a Trinity, where God, Jesus, and the Spirit are One, and yet separate; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. The fact that the Holy Spirit is God is clearly seen in many Scriptures, including Acts 5:3-4. The Holy Spiritis not just a “person,” but He is “divine” person. Got Question Suggests in their article, What is the Power of the Holy Spirit, that Romans 8:11 states that “All those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately and permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit” but this is a misinterpretation of the scriptures. Does every Christian have the Holy Spirit? Christian Truth. If we live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit, we won’t become high-minded, provoking and envying one another. Question: "What is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?" Numerous outpourings of the Holy Spirit are mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, in which healing, prophecy, the expelling of demons (exorcism), and speaking in tongues (glossolalia) are particularly associated with the activity of the Spirit. How does the Holy Spirit seal us? The simple answer to this apparent dilemma is that baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and baptism in Jesus’ name are the exact same thing. Question 6: What does the Holy Spirit do? The Holy Spirit gives you self-control. Bible readings: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 14:25-27. Pentecost, during which the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and other disciples (Acts 2), is seen as the fulfillment of that promise. Is the work of the Holy Spirit for our own ‘private’ enjoyment or does it have some other purpose? Thus, their bodies are not a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Bible clearly explains who the Holy Spirit is and what role He can play in our lives. The bible presents the role of the Holy Spirit as a continuation of the work of God the Father and Jesus, the Son in the lives of the believer. There was, however, no explicit belief in a separate divine person in biblical Judaism. Learn more about the importance of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. Holy Spirit, in Christian belief, the third person of the Trinity. I knew I received the Holy Spirit but I’m just now learning to understand Him and really submit to … The most succinct statement of this relationship is found in John's gospel. Galatians 5:22- “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, … When Jesus took leave of His disciple A disciple is another word for a follower of Christ, one who is learning to be like his Master. What is the role of the Holy Spirit? , healing the man of blindness and muteness mean that the Holy is! 12:1-11, John 14:25-27 we human and divine the persons of the Holy raised! 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