Why is the Holy Spirit important in the life of Christians? In some of my interactions with Christians, it seems that they see the Holy Spirit as something that happened in the early days of the Church, who has now left the scene. However, the book of Acts makes it clear that the Holy Spirit, first given to the disciples, was poured out to thousands of early Jewish believers and eventually the Gentiles, also. How important is the Holy Spirit? Blasphemy against any other member of the Trinity (e.g., the Father or the Son) can be forgiven, although blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. The Holy Spirit empowers the believer to perform acts of faith greater than their own physical capabilities. Feeling powerless these days? Tap into the Christian's power source and live the Christian life to its fullest.
Be Filled!
Although all believers possess the Holy Spirit, who lives in them, not all believers allow the indwelling Spirit to affect their lives. We are commanded to "be filled with the Holy Spirit." How are we filled with the Spirit? Most important is living within God's moral directives. Paul gives the specific example of not being drunk with alcohol. However, any Christian living in sin of any kind will not experience the joy of the Holy Spirit, but will become enslaved to sin. An equally important aspect of being filled with the Spirit is being involved in spiritual endeavors. Paul gives examples of reciting Psalms, singing hymns and spiritual songs, giving thanks to God for all things, and being subject to one another. Part of being filled certainly involves setting our minds on heavenly things, so that we may be transformed and renewed to the will of God.Benefits of obedience
Being filled with the Holy Spirit produces a sense of peace and joy in the believer. The fruit (i.e., harvest) of the Spirit is described as being joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Spirit-filled Christians are just different.Consequence of disobedience
Since the Holy Spirit is so important, we are told to not grieve or quench the Holy Spirit:- Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
- Do not quench the Spirit; (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
The Importance of the Holy Spirit
“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)
Have you ever wondered why Christ only lived on earth forty days after his resurrection? He could have stayed on this earth for months or even years. He could have stayed until God’s eternal plan was complete. Imagine how great the world might be today if Jesus had stayed on the earth for the past two thousand years. Why didn’t he stay?
Jesus passionately describes to his disciples that it is essential that He goes so He can send the Holy Spirit into our hearts. Until recently I have never understood this verse at all. Why is it so important for the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts?
The Holy Spirit is not only important but essential to life. In fact the coming of the Holy Spirit was equally important as coming of Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ saves us from our past life but the Holy Spirit empowers us to live the life God has created us for. Without the Holy Spirit our lives are stuck in neutral and going nowhere. We desperately need the empowerment of the Spirit to grow and mature in our spiritual walk.
The Holy Spirit is the person of the Godhead who furnishes our lives with our inheritance as children of God. Through Christ we have become children of God. But through the Holy Spirit abiding in our hearts we practically receive and live in our inheritance as children of God.
The Holy Spirit is the most active and prevalent person of the Godhead in our day-to-day lives. The Gospels depict the life and ministry of Jesus in the earth. While Jesus walked the earth he was confined by his physical body and could only minister to a limited number of people at one time. This is why Jesus knew it was essential for Him to leave the earth so He could send the person of the Holy Spirit to minister to every believer on the earth at the same time. What an incredible plan! We cannot even begin to fully comprehend it.
After Jesus departs the remainder of the New Testament depicts the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And what an incredible ministry it is. With the Godhead dwelling in the heart of every believer through the person of the Holy Spirit now every Christian is capable of doing everything Jesus did on this earth and even greater things!
If we could hear God speak, He might say something like this, “My child I saved you for so much more. I have such incredible plans for you beyond your wildest dreams. I want to shower you with my love and show you great and marvellous things. All this has been available since the very moment you accepted Christ. This very moment I am waiting to show you with unlimited and immeasurable divine empowerment if only you will invite my Spirit into your life.”
"What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives today?"
Of all the gifts given to mankind by God, there is none greater than the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has many functions, roles, and activities. First, He does a work in the hearts of all people everywhere. Jesus told the disciples that He would send the Spirit into the world to “convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:7-11). Everyone has a “God consciousness,” whether or not they admit it. The Spirit applies the truths of God to minds of men to convince them by fair and sufficient arguments that they are sinners. Responding to that conviction brings men to salvation.
Once we are saved and belong to God, the Spirit takes up residence in our hearts forever, sealing us with the confirming, certifying, and assuring pledge of our eternal state as His children. Jesus said He would send the Spirit to us to be our Helper, Comforter, and Guide. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever” (John 14:16). The Greek word translated here “Counselor” means “one who is called alongside” and has the idea of someone who encourages and exhorts. The Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in the hearts of believers (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 12:13). Jesus gave the Spirit as a “compensation” for His absence, to perform the functions toward us which He would have done if He had remained personally with us.
Among those functions is that of revealer of truth. The Spirit’s presence within us enables us to understand and interpret God’s Word. Jesus told His disciples that “when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). He reveals to our minds the whole counsel of God as it relates to worship, doctrine, and Christian living. He is the ultimate guide, going before, leading the way, removing obstructions, opening the understanding, and making all things plain and clear. He leads in the way we should go in all spiritual things. Without such a guide, we would be apt to fall into error. A crucial part of the truth He reveals is that Jesus is who He said He is (John 15:26; 1 Corinthians 12:3). The Spirit convinces us of Christ’s deity and incarnation, His being the Messiah, His suffering and death, His resurrection and ascension, His exaltation at the right hand of God, and His role as the judge of all. He gives glory to Christ in all things (John 16:14).
Another one of the Holy Spirit’s roles is that of gift-giver. First Corinthians 12 describes the spiritual gifts given to believers in order that we may function as the body of Christ on earth. All these gifts, both great and small, are given by the Spirit so that we may be His ambassadors to the world, showing forth His grace and glorifying Him.
The Spirit also functions as fruit-producer in our lives. When He indwells us, He begins the work of harvesting His fruit in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These are not works of our flesh, which is incapable of producing such fruit, but they are products of the Spirit’s presence in our lives.
The knowledge that the Holy Spirit of God has taken up residence in our lives, that He performs all these miraculous functions, that He dwells with us forever, and that He will never leave or forsake us is cause for great joy and comfort. Thank God for this precious gift—the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives!
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