Do You Have the Holy Spirit?

The above question is a strange one for modern, pluralistic Americans? There are perhaps people reading this who do not know who the Holy Spirit is. The first order of business, then, is a brief introduction.

The Holy Spirit is God. The One living God exists as three co-equal, eternal Persons. There is One Divine Essence, not three. But the One Divine Essence exists as three equal, undivided Persons—each wholly God. This Trinity is reflected in many passages of Scripture. One is 1 Corinthians 13:14 - "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all". Another such text would be Matthew 28:19 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". Note that "name" in this text is singular denoting One God, three Persons.

The Holy Spirit is the member of the Godhead Who applies the saving work of Christ to those for whom Christ died. The Holy Spirit regenerates the spiritually dead souls of these people. He enables them to repent of their sins and to believe on Christ unto their salvation. The Holy Spirit then indwells believers to carry on the great work of sanctification. In sanctification the Spirit teaches believers the Word of God as they read it and hear it taught. He enables them to make practical application of the Word to their own hearts and lives. The Spirit convicts believers of sin and then imparts the power necessary for them to defeat that sin and to do the will of God instead.

Some folk seem to think that the Holy Spirit makes people act crazy. That is a reproach to Him. However, the Spirit does enable God's children to live beyond what is natural to fallen human nature. He moves them to love God with all their hearts. He creates in their hearts a hunger and thirst for righteousness. He produces a sincere hatred for their sin and though believers never attain to sinlessness in this world, they never make peace with their sins either. The Holy Spirit especially arouses the souls of believers to worship God. He enables them to pray and sing and attend to God's Word with special understanding and zeal.

The Holy Spirit is a real but spiritual Person. The question, "Do you have the Holy Spirit?" is a very relevant question. Romans 8:9b - "if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His". If you simply cannot love God or muster any sustained interest in the Bible or worship or prayer or living a holy life or, most of all, serving Christ, it is because you do not have the Holy Spirit. In order to receive the Holy Spirit one must believe on Jesus Christ as a criminal against God who has no hope except through the mediation of Christ. Christ gives the Spirit freely to everyone who believes the very moment he or she believes. The all-important issue is to believe on Christ.