Term “Spirit” translates
the Hebrew word ‘ruah’.
The term "Spirit"
translates the Hebrew word ruah, which, in its primary sense, means breath,
air, and wind. Jesus indeed uses the sensory image of the wind to suggest to
Nicodemus the transcendent newness of him who is personally God's breath, the
divine Spirit."
“In our members there is a slumbering
inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce. With irresistible
power, desire seizes mastery over the flesh. All at once a secret, smoldering
fire is kindled. The flesh burns and is in flames… Joy in God is in course of
being extinguished in us and we seek all our joy in the creature. At this
moment God is quite unreal to us, He loses all reality, and only desire for the
creature is real… Satan does not here fill us with hatred of God, but with
forgetfulness of God… The lust thus aroused envelopes the mind and will of man
in deepest darkness. The powers of clear discrimination and of decision are
taken from us… It is here that everything within me rises up against the Word
of God” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Creation
and Fall and Temptation, pp. 116-117).
In
a broken, sinful world our only hope for real intimacy and love starts with
God. Only God can know us and love us completely. In John 14: 19-23, Jesus said, “… because I live, you will live
also. At that day you know that I am in my Father and you in Me, and I in you.
He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who
loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to
him… and we will come to him and make Our home with him.” There’s real
intimacy. There’s what the God-shaped vacuum in our hearts is really longing
for.
The
Spirit of God, convicts, strengthens and
guides. He helps us identify and fix a problem. He is our Helper. Jesus
said He will send us the Holy Spirit the comforter and the helper who will
guide and lead us in all truth.
The beginning of the Christian life: In Jesus’ teaching there is strong emphasis
on the work of the Holy Spirit in initiating a person into the Christian life.
When a person accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of his life, Holy Spirit
comes and dwells within the person and leads and guide in the path of
righteousness and truth. This is the first step and we call it conversion. Without the work of the Holy Spirit Jn: 16:5-15,
there can not be any conversion. Jesus spoke about the conviction of sin and
repentance. “And when the Counselor
comes, He will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment.”
Jn: 16:8.
“However when He the Spirit of
Truth has come, He will guide you into all Truth; for He will not speak on His
own authority. But whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things
to come.” Jn:
16:13. Holy Spirit helps in the miraculous transformation of the individual and
in the impartation of Spiritual energy. Jesus spoke to Nicodemus that unless he
is born new in the Spirit he will not enter the Kingdoms of God; Jn: 3:3. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”; Jn: 3:5-6. The Holy Spirit is the agent who produces this supernatural occurrence of
regeneration and flesh is not capable of effecting this transformation.
The
continuation of the Christian Life: This is a tremendous role of Holy Spirit
and He is a perfect Counselor in the life
of a believer. The Holy Spirit empowers, Holy Spirit will indwell and
illuminate, Holy Spirit will teach us, intercedes for the believer, and works
for the sanctification in the life of a believer. Holy Spirit empowers (the
disciples) to do greater work in the believers today; Jn: 14:12. The key to a disciple’s
success was not in their abilities and strength but by the power of the indwelling
Holy Spirit; Jn: 16:7; Acts: 1:4-5. “You
shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you”; Acts: 1:8.
Holy Spirit would indwell
and illuminate the Believer: He will guide the believer in all truth and indwell in the believer and
this is a gift of God for human beings and God knows we can not do it on our
own; Jn: 14:16-17; 16:13-14. He takes permanent residence in a believer.
Holy
Spirit has a teaching role: “He
will teach you all things…” Jn: 14:26. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is
mainly illuminating Scriptures to the believers so they understand the truth as
it is written; Jn: 15:26. He inspired the prophets and the apostles, and
teaches and sanctifies the church, and selects the officers, qualifying them by
the communication of special gifts at His will, and He is an advocate and every
Christian is His client1. He brings all the graces of the ‘Risen
Christ’ to a believer in every moment of our lives; Lk 12:12; Rom 15:16; Heb
2:4.
The
intercessory work of the Holy Spirit is a major help in the life of a believer.
He knows because He searches the deep things of God; “Like wise the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses; for we do not know
how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercedes for us with
sighs too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts of men knows what is
the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according
to the will of God.” Rom: 8:26-27. Thus the believers are assured that when
they do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit will intercede for them that the
Lord’s will be done in their lives. The intercession is done both by the Son,
Rom: 8:31; Heb: 7:25, and the Holy Spirit, Rom: 8:26-27.
Holy
Spirit works in the sanctification process in the life of a believer: Sanctification is a continued transformation
of moral and spiritual character in the life of a believer so that the believer
becomes more like Jesus and the person becomes holy and good. Rom: 8; talks
about the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit in this sanctification process.
The Spirit is now at work giving life and witnesses that believers are sons of
God. In Gal: 5, Paul speaks of the life in
the Spirit; “Walk by the Spirit, and do
not gratify the desires of the flesh;” Gal 5: 16. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit;” Gal
5: 25. Paul also lists a group of qualities which he collectively designated as
“the fruit of the Spirit”- “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;” Gal 5: 22-23. It is the Spirit of God,
bearing witness we are children of God; Rom: 8:14; Phil: 2:12-13; Rom: 12:1-2;
and works in a believer bringing about likeness to Christ.
Convicting
work of the Holy Spirit: Convicts the conscience of a believer concerning personal sins, and
reproofs, 2Tim 3:16. Regeneration is the supernatural work of God, whereby He
imparts eternal life to all that trust in Christ.
Clarification
is attributed to the Holy Spirit; Jn: 16:13; The Spirit of truth guide us
into all truth. The purpose of the Son, Acts2; the teaching of the Son, Jn:
14:26; 1 Cori: 2:10; assurance of salvation, Rom: 5:5; and the Holy Spirit give
intimacy with the Father, Rom: 8:15. Spirit of God honors the Son Jn 15:26; 16:
8-10, 14. Holy Spirit helps in the public ministry Of Jesus Christ Luk 4:18
enabling to fulfill His mission on this earth.
The relationship of the
persons of the Trinity regarding the salvation of the sinners can be summarized
as, Father thought it, Eph: 1:9; the Son bought it, 1 Cori: 6:20; the Spirit
wrought it, Jn: 6:63. The Three Persons, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are
equal. Holy Spirit was send by the Father and the Son, and He takes of the
things of Christ and shows it to a believer, and indwells in a believer.
End Notes:
1. A.A. Hodges.
Outlines of Theology for Students and Laymen. Grand Rapids
Website Reference:
"The term "Spirit" translates the Hebrew word ruah, which, in its primary sense, means breath, air, wind. ... THE JEWISH ROOTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ...
Bibliography:
1. Millard J. Erickson. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids
2. R.T. Kendall. Understanding
Theology, Developing a Healthy Church in the 21st Century. 1996,
p. 172-177.
3. Jay E.
Adams. A Theology of Christian
Counseling, More than Redemption. Grand
Rapids
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Louis
Berkhof. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids
5. Robert P Lightner. Handbook
of Evangelical Theology, Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and
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Charles
Ryrie. Basic Theology. Chicago
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Laymen. Grand Rapids
10. Steven W. Waterhouse. Not By
Bread Alone, An Outlined Guide To Bible Doctrine. Amarillo
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