Introduction to the Holy Ghost
The Holy Spirit is part of the Holy Trinity alongside God the Father and the Son. The bible records that He was hovering over the waters even before the world was created. Before God created man, He said, “Let us make man in our image and likeness.” Who was he referring to when he used the plural form? He was referring to the Trinity.
Nobody has either seen the Holy Spirit or God the Father with their eyes. When Moses wanted to see God, He was warned that no one has ever seen Him and lived. Moses however saw His back as He passed before him when He had hidden him between rocks.
God the Son, Jesus Christ, came in a mortal form and lived among men. He was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit by a virgin and is the only member of the Trinity that mortals have ever interacted with.
While still on earth, Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit. He gave His disciples instructions on what to do for them to receive Him after He had ascended to heaven. He told them that He needed to go back to the Father so that the Holy Spirit can come to be with them.
Why the Holy Spirit?
We are first introduced to Him during the baptism of Jesus. After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit in form of a dove descended on Him and a voice from heaven said that He was His son in whom He is pleased.
It was the first time that the Holy Spirit is revealed to humanity yet nobody else had received Him except Jesus. It was after His baptism that Jesus began His ministry on earth.
This was because of two reasons; first is because according to the Jewish customs at the time, one would be liable to pay their taxes when they were 30 years old and were considered adults. Secondly, the Holy Spirit had not come on Him until after baptism.
Who is eligible to receive the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is a mark on God’s children. Not everyone is eligible to receive Him. He is a gift from God to His children on earth and gifts are not meant for everybody. You must satisfy two requirements to receive the Holy Spirit.
The first one is that you must be saved and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior. The son and the Holy Spirit are part of the Trinity and you cannot want one and reject another. Secondly, you must not have grieved the Holy Spirit. The bible warns against it as well as blaspheming Him.
If you meet both pre-requisites, you can receive the Holy Spirit when you pray to God about it. Jesus instructed His disciples not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the Holy Ghost in an upper chamber after His ascension. He promised them that the Holy Spirit would give them the power to preach the gospel.
The work of the Holy Spirit
1. He is a teacher
Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit is a teacher who will teach them all things. We need the Holy Spirit to teach us the unknown and remind us of Christ’s teachings when He was still in the world.
When we are taught by the Holy Spirit, He will guide us to new levels and we shall overcome the temptations of the devil. Without His guidance, we will be ignorant of many things.
2. He is a helper
A helper is a very important element in one’s life. They do not replace you or compete with you for anything. Neither do they have vested interests in your affairs. A helper is purely to make things easier for you and fill your inadequacies.
The Holy Spirit is a helper sent into our lives by God to help us navigate through life. His guidance is invaluable because He is honest and foresees the future ahead of us. He also helps align our plans with God’s will.
3. He convicts the world of sin
The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God. He is Holy and does not dwell with sinners. He departs when a born-again Christian backslides to his old ways and abandons the faith. He only returns when you have mended your ways with God.
He is the measure of Holiness. Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would set the standards of holiness. He convicts sinners to abandon their old ways and heed to call of righteousness.
4. He reveals to us the will of God
Just as it is that the spirit of man knows his secrets, so does the Holy Spirit know the secrets of God. He reveals to us His will and the deep mysteries of the spiritual world.
We should be filled with the Holy Spirit for us to understand the will of God and effectively implement it in our lives.
5. He gives us power
The Holy Spirit empowers us to be witnesses of Christ. Jesus asked His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem before they proceed with the gospel.
Christians cannot carry out a single spiritual mandate when they are not filled with the Holy Spirit. Their evangelism will be unable to convict sinners to repent, and they will be clueless in spiritual matters.
6. He prays for us
The Holy Spirit is our intercessor. He prays for us to the Father since we do not know how to pray as we should. He fills the gap of our weakness in prayer.
It is important for a Christian to be filled with the Holy Spirit because He will intercede for them following the will of God.
7. He gives us eternal life
The Holy Spirit assures believers eternal life. Sin does not have any chance of growth when we are filled with the Holy Ghost because He does not co-exist with sin.
Just like he raised Jesus from the dead so shall we be die in sin and live in righteousness. The promise of eternal life is fulfilled when we walk in the spirit.
In conclusion, the Holy Spirit is the backbone in the life of a believer. He crowns their lives with heavenly glory and seals them as God’s chosen people.
