As we are studying this week, Jesus promised His disciples that He would send His Spirit to give them power and comfort. Jesus said in John 16:7, “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 go, I will send him to you.” It’s amazing that He would say that it was to their (and our) advantage that He was leaving so that the Holy Spirit could come into our lives! He is a person sent to us with numerous promises about all that He is able to do in and through us. It is so vital that we embrace the Spirit of God as the person He is and do not simply ignore His presence in our lives. When we do allow ourselves to forget Him, we can also forget the role He plays in our lives every single day. I’m including a non-exhaustive list of what the Bible says is the role of the Holy Spirit—read these verses and pray through them! Ask the Holy Spirit to do these things in your own life.
He creates and gives life (Job 33:4; Gen 1:26)
He appoints and commissions ministers (Isaiah 48:16; Acts 13:2;20:28)
He directs people where to preach (Acts 8:29;10:19-20)
He directs people where not to preach (Acts 16:6-7)
He instructs people what to preach (1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Tim 3:16)
He spoke in, and by, the prophets (Acts 1:16; 1 Peter 1:11,12; 2 Peter 1:21)
He convicts people of sin (John 16:8)
He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30; Isaiah 63:10)
He comforts (Acts 9:31)
He helps our infirmities and helps us pray (Romans 8:26, Eph 6:18)
He teaches ( John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10)
He guides ( John 16:13)
He gives gifts to believers (1 Cor 12:4-11)
He sanctifies (Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11)
He testifies of Christ ( John 15:26, 1 Cor 12:3)
He glorifies Christ ( John 16:14)
He has a power of his own (Romans 15:13; 2 Tim 1:7)
He empowers believers to do His work (Zechariah 4:7; Acts 1:8; 1 Tim 1:12)
He searches all things (Romans 11:33-34; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11)
He works according to his own will (1 Corinthians 12:11)
He dwells with saints ( John 14:17; Rom 8:9; 2 Tim 1:14)
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May you be filled and empowered with God’s Spirit!
Pastor Daniel