Let’s chat today on the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. I want to be honest with you — this is a topic that can feel intimidating. We talk about God the Father. We sing about Jesus. But the Holy Spirit? He often gets treated like the mysterious member of the Trinity that we don’t quite know what to do with.
Maybe you grew up in a church where the Spirit was never mentioned. Or maybe you grew up in a church where the Spirit was mentioned constantly, but it left you more confused than encouraged. Either way, I think most of us would admit that the Holy Spirit is the Person of the Godhead we understand the least.
Over the next few weeks, we are going to change that. We are going to answer three specific questions: Who is He? What does He do? And is He still relevant for us today?
To set the stage, I want to look at the Trinity. We know that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God — but the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. They are three distinct persons who share one divine nature. It is a mystery, but it is the foundation of our faith.
Sometimes we talk about man as having body, soul, and spirit. Next week, we are going to look at the Trinity in a little more depth. But for today, we are going to focus on that third part — the spirit — and how it connects to the Holy Spirit of God.
So let’s dive in.
I. Who is the Holy Spirit?
First, let’s establish who the Holy Spirit is. Look at John 14:16-17. Jesus says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Spirit of truth, who lives with you and will be in you.”
I want you to notice something. Jesus calls Him “another Advocate.” That word “another” in Greek is allos — it means “another of the same kind.” Not a different kind of helper, but another just like Jesus. Jesus is saying, “I am leaving, but I am sending someone just like Me to take My place.”
The Holy Spirit is a person. He is not a force, a ghost, or an “it.” He has a mind — Romans 8:27 says He intercedes according to the will of God. He has a will — 1 Corinthians 12:11 says He distributes gifts as He determines. And He has emotions — Ephesians 4:30 warns us not to grieve Him. You cannot grieve a force. You cannot grieve electricity. You can only grieve a person.
He is God, equal with the Father and the Son. Just as Jesus was God in the flesh, the Spirit is God in us. He is the third person of the Trinity, active and alive.
This matters because how you see the Holy Spirit determines how you relate to Him. If He is just a force, you will try to use Him. If He is a person, you will learn to walk with Him.
II. What does the Holy Spirit do?
This is where we see the power of the Spirit. He is not passive; He is not sitting on the sidelines. He is actively at work in the world and in the lives of believers.
A. In the Old Testament
Before Jesus ascended, the Spirit was already at work. We see Him hovering over the waters at creation in Genesis 1:2. We see Him empowering leaders and judges throughout Israel’s history. But I want to look at two specific examples that show us His power and His guidance.
First, look at David. In 1 Samuel 16:13, when Samuel anointed David to be king, the Spirit came upon him powerfully. This was a shepherd boy — the youngest son, overlooked by his own family. But the moment the oil ran down his head, the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him. From that day forward, David was a changed man. He faced Goliath not with confidence in himself, but with confidence in the Spirit that was upon him.
But here is what I want you to see. Later in David’s life, after the sin with Bathsheba, after the cover-up, after the murder — David cries out in Psalm 51:11, “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.” David understood something that many of us forget. The Spirit was his connection to God’s guidance and God’s forgiveness. He knew that without the Spirit, he was lost. He had seen what happened to Saul when the Spirit departed. He did not want that fate.
David’s prayer is a model for us. When we sin, when we drift, when we feel far from God — the answer is not to try harder. The answer is to cry out for the Spirit to restore us.
Second, look at Elijah. In 1 Kings 18, the Spirit empowered Elijah to call down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel. It was one of the most dramatic moments in the Old Testament. The prophets of Baal could not get their god to answer. But Elijah prayed one simple prayer, and fire fell from heaven and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and even the water in the trench. The people fell on their faces and cried, “The Lord, He is God!”
But then, in 1 Kings 19, Elijah is running for his life. He is exhausted, afraid, and alone. And God tells him to go stand on the mountain. A great wind tears the mountain apart — but the Lord was not in the wind. An earthquake shakes the ground — but the Lord was not in the earthquake. A fire blazes — but the Lord was not in the fire. And then comes a still, small voice.
The Spirit doesn’t always shout. Sometimes He whispers. He guides us in ways that require us to be quiet and listen. In our loud, busy, distracted world, that is a word we desperately need to hear. When was the last time you got quiet enough to hear the Spirit whisper?
The Holy Spirit was active then, but everything changed at Pentecost.
B. In the New Testament
In the New Testament, the Spirit takes on a new role. He comes to live inside the believer. Look at John 14:26. Jesus says, “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative — that is, the Holy Spirit — he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
This is the promise. The Spirit is our teacher. He is our guide. He is our comforter. When you open your Bible and suddenly a verse you have read a hundred times comes alive — that is the Spirit. When you are in a difficult conversation and the right words come to you — that is the Spirit. When you feel convicted about something you said or did — that is the Spirit.
But look at Acts 1:8. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere — in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
This is the mission. The Spirit gives us power to be witnesses. He gives us boldness. He gives us the words to say. He opens doors that no man can shut.
And then it happened. In Acts 2, the Spirit fell like a rushing wind. Tongues of fire rested on each of them. They began to speak in languages they had never learned. The crowd in Jerusalem was stunned — Jews from every nation under heaven heard the mighty works of God in their own native languages. Peter, who had denied Jesus three times just weeks earlier, stood up and preached with boldness. And over 3,000 people were saved that day.
This is what the Spirit does. He empowers. He fills. He transforms cowards into courageous witnesses.
C. In the Believer Today
So what does this mean for us today? Look at Ephesians 5:18. “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Notice the tense: “be filled.” It is a command, and it is present tense — meaning it is continuous. This is not a one-time event. It is a daily, ongoing experience.
We often say, “Jesus comes into your heart.” There is truth in that — Paul said, “Christ lives in me” in Galatians 2:20. But the way Christ dwells in us is through His Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who takes up residence in you at salvation. He is the seal of your redemption, the guarantee of your inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14).
But there is a difference between the Spirit indwelling you and the Spirit filling you. Indwelling happens at salvation — it is a one-time event. Filling is a daily surrender. It is yielding to His control. It is letting Him lead your thoughts, your words, your actions, your reactions.
Some in the Charismatic tradition talk about a “second blessing” or a separate experience of the Spirit after salvation. I want to be sensitive here because I know some of you come from that background, and I respect that. But I want to be clear: the Bible does not teach a second salvation. What it does teach is a deeper yielding. You can be saved and not be filled. You can have the Spirit living in you and not be walking in step with the Spirit.
The question is not, “Do you have the Spirit?” If you are a believer, you do. The question is, “Does the Spirit have you?”
III. Is the Holy Spirit still relevant?
Some people think the Spirit was only for the apostles. They think the miracles and the gifts died out with the early church. But look at the evidence. Look at the fruit.
If the Spirit is not relevant today, then how do we explain the changed lives? How do we explain the addict who is set free after twenty years of bondage? How do we explain the marriage that was on the brink of divorce but is now restored? How do we explain the peace that passes understanding when everything around you is falling apart?
The Spirit is alive. He is active. And He is here — right now, in this room.
But how do we get refilled? How do we stay filled? Let me give you four practical steps.
1. Get in the Word. The Spirit speaks through Scripture. If you are not reading your Bible, you are starving your spirit. You cannot hear the voice of the Spirit if you never open the book He wrote. Set aside 15 minutes a day. Just read. Ask the Spirit to illuminate what you read. Let Him speak.
2. Get in Worship. Worship is not just singing songs on Sunday morning. It is a lifestyle of surrender. When you worship, you are making room for the Spirit to move. You are declaring that God is greater than your circumstances. You are shifting your focus from the problem to the Provider.
3. Get in Ministry. The Spirit gifts you to serve. Every believer has been given a spiritual gift — not to hoard, but to use for the building up of the body. Find a place to serve. When you step out in ministry, the Spirit flows through you in ways you cannot manufacture on your own.
4. Get in Witness. Share your faith. Tell someone what God has done in your life. When you open your mouth, the Spirit fills it. He gives you the words. He gives you the boldness. You do not need a seminary degree. You just need a willing heart and the Spirit of the living God.
This is not about trying harder. It is about surrendering more. It is about saying, “Holy Spirit, I cannot do this on my own. Fill me. Lead me. Use me.”
Conclusion
The Holy Spirit is not a relic of the past. He is the power of the present. He is the breath of God in you.
Don’t just know about Him. Know Him. Don’t just study Him. Surrender to Him.
This week, I want to give you one specific step. Every morning before you leave the house, pray this simple prayer: “Holy Spirit, fill me today. Lead my conversations. Give me boldness.” Do that every morning for seven days and watch what happens.
He is our Advocate, our Helper, and our Power against sin and evil. He is not distant. He is not silent. He is here, and He is ready to move.
Let us yield to Him. Let us walk in Him. Let us be filled with Him. In Jesus’ name, amen!
-Pastor Scott Gabrielson serves as the pastor of Craig Valley Baptist Church. He can be reached through the church office at 540-864-5667 or at CraigValleyBaptist.com. Visitors are welcome, Sunday at 11 a.m. Casual dress.
Our FOOD PANTRY is available to everyone – there is no financial pre-qualification. Come by the church office on Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 9-12 for a free bag of food!
