Who Is The Holy Spirit?

By Phil Wood

I am totally unqualified to write this devotional. I'm not a theologian. I have no firsthand experience of miraculous events or healings. I have possibly experienced "being led by the Holy Spirit" and have seen positive results by following those leadings, but I can't say I know beyond a shadow of doubt that it was, in fact, the Holy Spirit. I do, however, strongly suspect it!

I'm feeling led to write about the Holy Spirit right now, even though I'm unqualified, and even though the subject is way bigger than can be covered in a short devotional. Why would I even be taking on a task like this if I wasn't being driven by some undeniable force?

As I read The Acts of the Apostles, I am blown away by the activity of the Holy Spirit, especially during those weeks following the resurrection of Jesus. We're remembering those weeks right now in this period of Eastertide on the Christian calendar. And it feels right to be thinking seriously about the Holy Spirit, cultivating a greater awareness, and trying to discern what he is up to in our world today so that we may join in.

So what do we know about the Holy Spirit? How do we recognize his work in our own lives, in the lives of others, and in the world around us?

If I had to give a short answer to the question, "Who is the Holy Spirit?" I would say he is the Spirit of God, the mysterious, invisible and all-powerful hand of God working through human beings to accomplish his will in the world. He works in our hearts, at levels beyond our consciousness, to change us and make us more Christ-like. He empowers us to accomplish things we never dreamed we were capable of achieving. And sometimes he does supernatural works that are difficult to believe unless we see them with our own eyes.

I can now say I actually know someone who was an eyewitness to a miracle healing (reference Mike Banta's account in his sermon April 19). I just read an account by John Ortberg of a woman who, praying "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ," lifted a car off her husband's chest after an accident. This story is very credible to me because the woman was the mother of Ortberg's friend – someone he knew – and the man was a well-known professor at Princeton Theological Seminary.

So the Spirit that was unleashed in the days after Christ's resurrection, empowering the disciples to perform so many miracles and signs has not disappeared. He has been at work throughout the ages, as documented by Christian writers, and is still at work today in amazing works like these, and in more personal ways that you may recognize.

In John 14:16, Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as an "advocate to help you and be with you forever." The word advocate can be thought of in a legal sense, as in one who pleads your case before a court, but also in the sense of one who comes alongside and helps. As Christians we are full of gratitude for the one who advocates on our behalf when we have sinned. And I'm willing to bet, if you try, you can think of times when help came at the moment you most desperately needed it. Likely, the Holy Spirit had something to do with that.

In John 14:17, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as "the Spirit of truth," one who affirms what is good and pure and true and holy. Sometimes when Bruce is preaching, I see heads going up and down (including my own) and I know that's the Holy Spirit, affirming in people's minds that what he's saying is good and pure and true and holy. Maybe your head is going up and down right now. Guess who!

In John 14:25-27, Jesus says the Holy Spirit "will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." He teaches us to pray, helps us discern our spiritual gifts, guides us in their proper use. And as we pray, as we exercise our gifts, as we read and meditate on his word, something imperceptible happens. We change. Looking back, we see remarkable differences in ourselves between then and now. Praise God. Thank you, Holy Teacher.

Pressing on through John 15 and 16, we see Jesus revealing more about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit convicts, and removes the burden of judgment from us. As Billy Graham said, "It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge, and my job to love."

And we see that the Spirit is our partner in testifying on Jesus' behalf. We are to testify, but the pressure to convert is off our shoulders – the results are in the Spirit's hands.

So those are some ways to identify the work of the Spirit in ourselves. What about in others? Here's a great observation from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, based on his understanding of Galatians 5:22-25. "The fruit of the Spirit is a gift of God, and only He can produce it. They who bear it know as little about it as the tree knows of its fruit. They know only the power of Him on whom their life depends."

Of course the fruits to be watching for are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are the things the Holy Spirit is seeking to bring about in all people everywhere, in every aspect of our lives great and small.

Are we alert enough to see him at work and join in the effort?

Frederick Buechner wrote, "There is no event so commonplace but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize him or not...because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace."

Jean Pierre de Caussade said, "each moment is a revelation from God."

John Ortberg wrote, "The Spirit of God is available to you and me: flowing all the time, welling up within us, quenching our unsatisfied desires, overflowing to refresh those around us. He is at work all the time, in every place. And every once in a while, somebody somewhere wakes up."

Amen.