The Functions of the Holy Spirit

In my first lesson on the Holy Spirit, titled: An Introduction to the Holy Spirit I outlined the functions of the Holy Spirit in the life of Christ during His earthly life and ministry. The Holy Spirit was with Christ from the beginning to the end. He was the closest companion of Christ from His conception to death and resurrection. He was active in:

• Christ’s conception (Matthew 1:18)
• His growth (Luke 2:40)
• His baptism (Luke 3:21-22)
• His temptation (Luke 4:1)
• His ministry (Luke 18-19)
• His miracles (Matthew 12:28)
• His death (Hebrews 9:14)
• His resurrection (Romans 8:11), and
• His glorification (John 16:14).

If you haven’t read or seen the previous lesson in this series, please take a look at it here: An Introduction to the Holy Spirit.

Clarence Larkin has the following to say about the work of the Comforter:

“The work of the Comforter is clear and simple. He begins the church. He begins Christianity as a vital force in the believer’s soul. He links him in organic union with a living, risen Head. He forms within Him the Christ, the hope of glory. He testifies of Christ. He glorifies Christ. He brings to remembrance the words of Christ. He feeds the soul with the truth of Christ. He guides us into all the truth of Christ. He shows us the things of Christ.”

“He so subordinates Himself to the will and personality of Christ that He becomes the other very self of Christ. But he goes above and beyond all this: not only does He come to put a new nature in the soul, He comes to manifest the very presence of Christ in the soul; to make Christ dwell in His personality in the soul; so that Christ shall be up yonder in His glorified body as He was in vision above the ladder which Jacob saw, and yet here in the soul, an invisible presence, as Jacob felt and found Him by Bethel’s stony pillow.”

The Holy Spirit is given to the believers to help us succeed in the Christian life just as Christ succeeded in His ministry. He is our seal and the sealer, supporter, power and empowerment, comforter, and the source of our gifts. He is also our sanctifier and the One who conforms us to the image of Christ. If we submit to His work in our life, the Christian life will be easy to live as we will continuously draw strength from the Holy Spirit.

Before I get to some of the works of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers, I will like to point out a few things that are usually associated with the Holy Spirit or His anointing but for which there is no biblical precedence.

The Holy Spirit is not responsible for the barking and screaming, rolling or falling over chairs and tables, laughing uncontrollably, making money appear in peoples’ wallets and purses, speaking to God on smart phones, making people eat grass, hitting your head on the walls, slapping your heads 210 times, running around in a circle, and all the other magical and mystical things happening in some gatherings today.

Some even claim today that the Holy Spirit makes them speak random words that do not say or means anything. They call it the gift of tongues. But we do not have to look far to know that what they practice today as tongues is different from that which we read about in the Bible. In an effort to give this unbiblical practice some approval, some have suggested a different kind of the gift of tongues from the one in the New Testament. Again, there is no biblical support for such claims.

In the life of a true believer, the gifts and the power of the Holy Spirit manifest in terms of spiritual maturity, the fruits of the Spirit, and Christ living through the believer.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1. He Convicts the Sinners of Sin

The Holy Spirit convicts the sinners of sin. He continues this work in the life of the believer after salvation as part of His sanctification work in the life of the believer. Through the Word of God, the Holy Spirit makes us see, identify, or detect sinful behavior while at the same time leading the believer to change. The conviction work was in action at Pentecost. Those who had no prior conviction of sin were convicted of their sins by the Holy Spirit, they repented and believed.

Acts 2:36-41 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

2. He is Active in Regeneration

The Holy Spirit is very active at salvation, regenerating the hearts of the sinners and transforming their nature. He is the One who creates the new life in the believer through the Word of God. In John 3, Jesus Christ speaks of being born of water and of the Spirit (John 3:5 – we know the water in this context refers to the Word of God). To be born again means to be born from above.

John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

In Ephesians 2:10, we learn that salvation is a work of creation. The Holy Spirit is the One behind the work of creation in the believer. He regenerates their hearts and transforms their nature. He is also the One who baptizes the believer into the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

3. He Indwells the Believers

Since the beginning of creation, God has always loved to fellowship with Man. Adam and Eve enjoyed this fellowship in the Garden prior to their fall. When they sinned, they lost fellowship with God. In our times, the fellowship is restored when a sinner believes and trusts Christ. The Holy Spirit comes into the new believer to take a permanent residence. The believer does not have to do anything before being baptized by the Holy Spirit. This is the promise of Jesus Christ even before the cross.

 John 7:38-39  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

“David could pray, “Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). No man who has the Spirit of God can offer that prayer today without being guilty of excuseless ignorance, because the Holy Spirit, as an abiding presence in any man, is there as a seal, “sealing him unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30). Men could ask the Father, in the days of Christ, to send them the Holy Spirit. But in this day no child of God can offer that prayer without confessing ignorance of the Word of God, because when the Spirit comes to take up His abode in the body, that body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit, which Spirit, saith an apostle, “is in you, which ye have of God” (1 Corinthians 6:19).” Clarence Larkin, Rightly Dividing the Word 1920.

The baptism of the Spirit is not an experience that could be felt when it occurs, nor does it require any physical or noticeable proof manifested by the one who is baptized. But the indwelling of the Spirit will produce noticeable fruits of spiritual growth in the life of the believer.

The Spirit Helps Us to Pray

One of the internal functions of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believers is that He helps to us pray the right prayers.

Romans 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

I’m aware of those who teach that this verse is referring to ‘speaking in tongues‘. People fall into such errors because they fail to rightly divide! There is nothing in the context of this verse or the ones around it that suggest tongues. The context is about how the Holy Spirit helps to pray according to the will of God.

When we permit the Spirit to move in our lives, that is, by willingly submitting to Him, even our prayers will be guided by our desire to please God and not ourselves. This is what it means to pray according to the will of God.

4. He Seals and Secures the Believer

In Ephesians 1:13-14, the Bible says “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

The believer receives the Holy Spirit (indwelling of the Spirit) at the moment of salvation. Among other functions of the Spirit in the life of the believer, this is the seal of the God signifying that the believer now belongs to God (2 Timothy 2:19). The Holy Spirit is the One who does the sealing, and He Himself is the seal.

In addition to signifying God’s ownership of the believer, the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer also means protection and security. What is great about this is the fact that this protection and security is to be until the day of redemption as Ephesians 4:30 clearly states:

“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

Until Christ returns to take us Home, we have been marked and set aside for God, we are sealed and protected by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Believers are guaranteed eternal security. We can never lose our salvation or be removed from the grace and the love of God. The Bible says that those whom God predestinated, called, and justified will also be glorified. Christ also confirms this Himself:

John 10:27-30  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.

The sealing of the Holy Spirit also guarantees our heavenly inheritance. The Bible says in Ephesians 1:14 that this sealing of the Spirit is the “earnest” of our inheritance, the down payment of our redemption, the guarantee of our salvation. The word “earnest” here is the Greek word ‘arrhabṓn‘ (ar-hrab-ohn’) which means a pledge, an  earnest money, down payment or according to Strong’s Greek Dictionary, “part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest”.

The sealing of the Holy Spirit also guarantees our heavenly inheritance.

This sealing of the Spirit makes God’s ownership of us and our inheritance with God a reality. It symbolizes a finished transaction, nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:9-11, 35-39; 2 Corinthians 1:20-22).

5. He Produces the Fruit of Righteousness

The believers who is constantly filled with the Holy Spirit usually demonstrate the fruit, or noticeable effects of the Spirit in their lives. He is God in us and helps us live right and have the fruit of righteousness. The more we submit to the authority of the Scriptures and the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the much more fruits we will produce.

Galatians 5:16,22-24  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Notice that the word “fruit” in the above passage is in a singular form. This means that the 9 items are to be seen as one fruit. Therefore all the 9 have to mature in the lives the believers. But we have to realize that only God can produce the fruit in us. This is why we need to allow Christ to live through (or in) us.

Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Philippians 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

6. He Imparts Knowledge

The Holy Spirit is given to us so that He may teach and show us all the things necessary for our Christian walk. He particularly fits in this role because He is the One who inspired the Word of God. He is also the one who illuminates our hearts with the truth. He is the mind and the wisdom of God in the life of the believer.

The Bible says that the Holy Spirit inspired the Scripture. He illuminates our hearts today with truth of the gospel. He is also the One who helps us obey the truth. If we listen to Him and follow His lead, we will do great in this Christian life.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently

7. He Gives the Power to Serve

The Holy Spirit endues the believer with the power to serve Christ. This is one of the promises of Jesus Christ in connection with the Holy Spirit. He is the source of our strength and the giver of the gifts needed for Christian living and spiritual growth. Remember, He was always with Christ during Christ’s earthly life and ministry.

Acts 1:5,8  For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Romans 15:19  Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

The Spirit gives us the power and boldness to witness. He gives us the strength to endure persecutions and hatred in the world while at the same time demonstrating the love of Christ.

8. He Sanctifies the Believers

The word sanctification means to set apart or make holy for God. It is the process whereby the Holy Spirit who already indwells the believers now works in them to possess the characters of Christ and be more like Christ. The tool that the Spirit uses to accomplish this is the Word of God. That is why a believer will not grow or be set apart for God without a good knowledge of the truth. The truth played a crucial role in our salvation and still continues in our sanctification.

John 17:17-19 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

1 Peter 1:22-23 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

The renewing of the Holy Spirit does not happen outside of the Word of God. Therefore our strong desire to learn and obey the Word of God will propel the sanctification work of the Spirit in our lives.

Please refers to Ephesians 5:18-20 for more.

9. He Quickens Our Mortal Bodies

The Spirit is the one who will raise us up at the resurrection, whether we are still alive at Rapture or dead before Rapture. Without the Holy Spirit, an individual cannot be ‘caught up’. This is why the baptism of the Holy Spirit is important. Thank God we got it when we got saved!

“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” Romans 8:11.

Jesus Christ made reference to this in the Gospel of John:

John 5:28-29 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Those that have done good, that is received Christ (John 6:28-29) will be caught up at Rapture after which they will appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Others who have done evil (rejected Christ) will appear at the White Throne Judgment where they will face their sentencing.

This is the second message in this series. There are more lessons on the Holy Spirit that will be made available in the next few days.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit: what is it? How do you receive it? Have you received the baptism? Do you often wonder or doubt where you have it or not? How much do you know about the baptism of the Holy Spirit? If you’re interested in this topic, then watch for the next article coming up soon: The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you for reading!