The Holy Spirit - His Role

The Holy Spirit – The Most Neglected Essential Resource.

Without a doubt, the Holy Spirit is the most neglected and underutilized of the three resources. He is given to believers at salvation (Acts 15:8, 1 John 5:10) and is continually engaged in the process of perfecting the saints (Hebrews 10:14-15, Romans 15:16, 1 Corinthians 6:11). While we know that He (the Holy Spirit) is God, we are often less inclined to obey and to totally trust in Him in the face of the pressure from the world, the flesh and the enemy of God. But believers would do well to be reminded of His unique role as helper and counselor who abides with and within each child of God(John 14:16-18). While the church is aware of who He is, considerably less  teaching is given on His person and work (at least in the Charismatic/Pentecostal circles to which I have been exposed for the past 15 years). We pray to Him, seek Him, know that He is the only way to eternal life (John 14:6), but more could be done to examine His person and work outside of the emotionalism involved with the worship of this member of the Trinity – after-all, anyone that worships Him must do so in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). He primarily has two functions – (1) gives knowledge and (2) gives power[1]. We can therefore sum up His role as ‘the helper of the believer {John 14:16). The Greek word for “helper” is “parakletos” which means “one called or summoned along the side of another to help; a comforter, advocate or an intercessor”[2]. While the church is fascinated by His work (e.g. miracles, signs, wonders and exorcisms) and seemingly is hungering for a return of the first century New Testament church, I believe we still have much work in developing the theology of the Holy Spirit in these two roles.

A systematic study of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is enlightening and empowering. Just reading the Book of Acts on His role in the life of the church is empowering. Even more reason why the church must not neglect this resource. “He is not limited by a human body; He is an internal presence who reveals Christ and continues His work through believers. As Christ’ Paraclete on earth, He is the presence of God and the Spirit of Christ in us”[3] (Romans 8:9, Colossians 1:27). The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (John 14:16). He (the Holy Spirit) communicates joy (Romans 14:17), edifies the believer/church (Acts 9:31), imparts the love of God (Romans 5:5), truth (John 14:17) and hope (Galatians 5:5), dwells with and in believers (John 14:17), teaches (John 14:26). In ministering to the saints, the Holy Spirit reveals the things of Christ (John 16:14), brings the Word of God to remembrance (John 14:26), teaches believers how to answer (Mark 13:11), enables to teach (1 Corinthians 12:8), directs in godliness (Isaiah 30:21), empowers the believer to overcome (Zechariah 4:6-7), strengthens (Ephesians 3:16), gives boldness (Acts 6:5. 10:2), helps through prayer (Romans 8:26), qualifies for ministry and gives supernatural power (Acts 1:8, Luke 24:49), gives spiritual life (Romans 8:11, Ezekiel 37:11-14), and is counselor and intercessor (John 14:26).

 For the past two years I have not been as active in ministry work as I used to, with the added workload of this degree program. On the flip-side, the Lord has afforded me the opportunity to look at the organization of many churches, something that was not on my radar for most of my life. I have been a part of teams, but never looking at the operation of the church as such. I can confirm that the most neglected resource in many churches is the  ministry of the Holy Spirit, something I will attribute to the teaching of God’s Word. While “exposure to God’s Word provides many benefits including stability, insight/guidance and spiritual maturity as God dynamically transforms us into His image”[4], it is the Holy Spirit that empowers and enables the believer. Again, Morrow said it well – “In short, there is no spiritual formation if there is no activity of the Holy Spirit”[5]. There is much of the unbelieving, pluralistic  world that would do well to embrace the work of the Holy Spirit as “anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ, does not belong to Him [and is not a child of God]” (Romans 8:9). The believer responds in faith, but “works with and cooperates with the Spirit of God within the community of faith to achieve spiritual transformation”[6].

Lastly, this necessary resource of God’s Spirit has not come to us without controversy. From the day the “Helper” arrived on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) till now, the debate has raged on about His person and work. Most notably, one side that advocates “speaking in tongues as the initial evidence of receiving God’s Spirit” and those who believe “that the use of tongues in the early church was not a pattern for all times”[7]. Regardless, we must continue to proclaim the dual role of the Spirit of God in matters of soteriology and eschatology – (1) He “continues to indwell the bodies and lives of Christians in order to give us moral power to live a holy life” and (2) After conversion, He equips Christians for service by bestowing spiritual gifts upon them”[8]. It is He who saves and regenerates. So, we hear the Word of God proclaimed, we respond in faith, and become mature communally expressing the image of Christ[9], but it really is the Spirit of God that does most of the work, making Him “the most important of the three essential resources”.

                                      Bibliography

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[1] Jack Cottrell, The Faith Once For All: Bible Doctrine For Today, (Joplin, MO: College Press, 2003), 284

[2] Ian F. Jones, The Counsel of Heaven on Earth, (Nashville, TN: B &H Publishing Group, 2006),158

[3] Ibid., 158

[4] Jonathan Morrow, “Introducing Spiritual Formation” in Foundations of Spiritual Formation, ed. Paul Petit, {Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2008), 45

[5] Ibid., 46

[6] Ibid., 47.

[7] Jack Cottrell, The Faith Once For All, 299.

[8] Ibid., 296.

[9] Jonathan Morrow, “Introducing Spiritual Formation,” 46

Written by Kevin A. Hall (06.06.18)