The Holy Spirit

As part of the Trinity, what does the Holy Spirit do?

One of the last things Jesus said to His disciples was “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

It’s not too hard for us to grasp what “father” and “son” might mean, since we use these titles in human families. But who is this “Holy Spirit” Jesus talks about and what does He do? Let’s look at some verses to shed light on the subject. In 2 Peter 1:21, the Holy Spirit is described as “carrying along” prophets. So the prophets throughout the Bible were helped by the Holy Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, the Spirit is described as the agent that transforms us— making us more and more like Christ. It’s encouraging to know that the Holy Spirit changes us to be more like Jesus and we are not expected to do this on our own. Ephesians 4:11, 12 talks about the different gifts of the Holy Spirit—different abilities given to different Christians, so we can all serve Jesus in different ways.

So, the Holy Spirit is described as helping the prophets write the Bible, as the one who transforms us to make us more like Jesus, and as the giver of gifts that help us serve Jesus (and others around us) better. Jesus makes some interesting statements about the Holy Spirit in John 14, when the disciples were asking Him all kinds of questions about how they were to follow Him. Jesus responds by saying this in verses 15-17: “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.” Jesus, knowing the Christian life is sometimes difficult, promises us a counsellor—a comforter, a source of strength that no-one can take away. As Jesus promises in the next verse, He does not leave us as orphans.

It can sometimes be hard to know what is right, what choices we should make in our lives and what direction to take. Jesus says this in John 14:26: “But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Jesus promised His followers the Holy Spirit—and as His followers today, we can be sure that promise still stands.

The Holy Spirit, He says, will teach and guide us, showing us the way to live.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can live as followers of Jesus, being made into His likeness and serving Him with our different abilities.