The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

Part Eight

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

We have learned that the Holy Spirit is our Advocate and that He indwells us when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. We have also learned that the Holy Spirit is instrumental in the process of us coming to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. He energizes the truth in our mind. He convicts us of sin which causes us to repent and turn to Jesus. After this the Holy Spirit begins a process of spiritual regeneration within us. He encourages us to grow spiritually into the image of Christ. At our conversion we are baptized into the Body of Christ with the Holy Spirit by Jesus Christ. Thus we receive the Holy Spirit as a gift from God when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit separates us from sin and death. We are also sealed with the Holy Spirit and this guarantees that we will always belong to the Lord. This establishes the fact that our salvation is secure. Finally the Holy Spirit gifts us for service so we can minister to other followers of Christ. He distributes spiritual gifts to each Christian so that they can minister to others in unique ways to build up the Body of Christ, His Church.

 

After salvation takes place in the life of a follower of Christ the Holy proceeds to minister to us in seven critical areas to foster growth in our Christian life. In the last segments of this series we learned that the Holy Spirit brings us intimacy with God and that He also illuminates Holy Scripture to us so we can understand what it says regarding holy living and our calling to become like Christ. The Holy Spirit also magnifies Christ to us in our relationship with God. This serves to encourage us to be like Christ, to worship Him and emulate Him. The Holy Spirit also leads us in God’s will so we can become the person we were meant to be as we serve God and others. We have also learned that the Holy Spirit ministers to us through other believers through the expression of spiritual gifts that He gives them. It is also true that the Holy Spirit gives us the necessary power to live for God and walk as Jesus walked, in obedience to the Father. Now we come to the final ministry area of the Holy Spirit in the life of the follower of Jesus Christ.

 

The Holy Spirit’s Ministry Area Number Seven

The Holy Spirit Intercedes for Us

 

The Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 8 reveals a very deep and personal way the Holy Spirit ministers to us as Christians. We often encounter difficult times, hard struggles and storms of life that bear down upon us with a vengeance. During such crushing experiences we often can’t think straight, pray properly or even respond appropriately to God. We are so overcome by the stress and emotions that we can barely cope. It is in times like these that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in our weakness.

 

Romans 8:26-29 – “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

   

This scripture gives us a great blessing of assurance that God loves us. It demonstrates that one of the many reasons He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to live within us is so that we have a comforter, counselor and advocate that can help us carry our burdens. The Holy Spirit will pray for our needs, even when we can’t comprehend what we need or when we are unable to know what to pray. The Holy Spirit, being God, knows us inside and out. He knows all our secrets, thoughts and desires. Nothing is hidden from His perception and knowledge. He knows us better than we know ourselves so He is the best prayer warrior we have to pray appropriately for us. The other fact is that He knows God’s perfect will for our life and so prays perfectly for the exact solution and resolution that we need. The other critical concept we gather from this portion of scripture is the fact that as the Holy Spirit prays for us in the dark moments of such hard trials, He groans with deep emotion. This shows how intimate He loves and cares for us.

 

I believe also in regards to this verse we should not forget that while the Holy Spirit is interceding for us with groans too deep for words, that the Father and the Son are in an intense divine communication with one another at this moment on our behalf as well. Do you realize that when the Holy Spirit is interceding on our behalf He is having an intimate prayer time with God the Father who has ultimate power over all of creation? Do you realize that our risen Savior and Lord Jesus Christ is also in communication with the Holy Spirit regarding our needs? Jesus dwells in Heaven, but His role as a Holy Advocate has not changed. He still intercedes for us. Hebrews states that Jesus’ ministry of intercession continues for us.

 

Hebrews 7:23-25 – “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.”

   

1 John also tells us that Jesus continues to be concerned for our well being and interests and is our defender.

 

1 John 2:1 – “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”

 

In essence when we are facing horrible tests and trials in our lives as a child of God, the Triune God we believe in, Father, Son and Spirit, are all communicating with each other about our situation. They are all aware of every aspect of our needs. There is nothing hidden from their perception. There is nothing they have not considered or contemplated as to what would be in our best interest. This spiritual fact of reality should encourage us in our faith that God is not only aware of exactly what we are dealing with, but knows what the answer is and He is seeking to work out His perfect will for our lives.

 

What an amazing God we have that gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to live within us so we can know for sure that we have an advocate, comforter and intercessor, not just in Heaven, but actually living within us! We should recognize this great blessing and be encouraged when we face tragic situations that cause us great concern.

 

Now that we have covered the nine actions the Holy Spirit takes to bring us to salvation and the seven ministries He undertakes after we become a follower of Christ, it would be greatly beneficial if we briefly talk about how we can be filled with the Spirit. While every true follower of Christ has the Holy Spirit living in them, there is a difference between just having the Holy Spirit in ones life and being filled with His presence. Just as a cup of water may contain some degree of water, a cup completely filled is maximally filled with this fluid. So a Christian who has the Holy Spirit should seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that they can live a more obedient and joyful life. An dedicated follower of Christ will also seek to be filled with the Spirit because it is a commandment. Let me briefly explain how you can be filled with the Spirit.

       

In Ephesians chapter 5 we have an important commandment that Paul shares with the Ephesians and applies to us today.

 

Ephesians 5:18-20 – “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

   

Here we see Paul telling us that God commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Then he speaks about how we are to speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as we make music in our hearts to the Lord, as we give thanks in Jesus name. This gives us a hint that when we are filled with the Spirit we will be in close relationship not only with God, but also with others as well. We will know who we are, a child of God. We will know whose family we belong to because we will love other Christians through service, mutual instruction and encouragement. We will also be giving thanks to the one worthy of such thanks, the Lord Jesus Christ, who has made our freedom from sin and all its punishment and burden possible. But the answer for how to be filled with the Spirit is not exactly given in this passage. It is only giving us the command and the results when we follow this command and are filled with the Spirit. To obtain the answer in how to be filled with the Spirit we must connect the link of this verse with another.

 

In Colossians chapter 3 we find the link. Notice the similarity of the following verses in Colossians to those of Ephesians 5.

 

Colossians 3:16-17 – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

 

Both passages are linked because of the mention of the fellowship through psalms, hymns and spiritual songs and in the giving of thanks in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that the link between these passages is established we find the answer as to how to be filled with the Spirit. We are filled with the Spirit when we “let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.” The word here for “richly” in the Greek means abundantly or copiously. This means we are so overflowing with God’s Word in our heart and mind we can’t help but speak it to others as well as live by it in all we do. As the Word of God overflows throughout all aspects of our life we will then be filled with the Spirit. This also verifies the words spoken by Christ during His temptation in the wilderness, “Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” The Words of God are Holy Scripture. The other evidence in these scriptures are that as you are letting the Word of Christ dwell within you, you are teaching and admonishing other followers of Christ in God’s Word and the Holy Spirit is enabling you to do this because you are filled with the Spirit.

 

The results of letting the Word of Christ dwell in us and thus being filled with the Holy Spirit is that we then begin to manifest the fruits of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-26 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

 

As you manifest the fruit of the Spirit, you will then have proof that you are filled with the Spirit. You can’t manifest such spiritual fruit unless you are allowing God’s Word to dwell in your heart and mind so that you can be filled with the Spirit. God desires for us to bear much fruit. (John 15:8)

 

In both Ephesians and Colossians we see the results of letting the Word of Christ dwell in us and obeying the commandment to be filled with the Spirit as it relates to relationships. Later verses in both of these books illustrate that husbands will love their wives as Christ loved the Church. Wives will respect their husbands. Fathers and mothers will raise their children in a godly fashion. Employees will work hard for their employers and employers will praise and treat their employees appropriately.