The Holy Spirit in the End Times

 

The Holy Spirit in the End Times - Biden Promises Zelenskyy - Patriot Underground - Following the Chemical Trail - Is Everything a Masonic Charade - HARBINGER DAILY - REAL RAW NEWS - Lori Lightfoot Lost - ZERO HEDGE and more.

Researched & Comments by Pastor Gary Boyd

March 1^st 2023

 

Patriot Underground - Trump Remains Insulated! Classified Docs Setting The Stage! Mutual Desire For Biden Removal! DS Looking To Hide Deeper Crimes! - Must Video - Wednesday, March 1, 2023 11:54 - RFK’s Covert Plan To Takedown Big Pharma - DoD, Academia & MK ULTRA - Hunter Biden Business Partner Flips - Bank Of England Pushing CBDC - Trump On NS2: Russia Didn’t Do It - https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/03/patriot-underground-trump-remains-insulated-classified-docs-setting-the-stage-mutual-desire-for-biden-removal-ds-looking-to-hide-deeper-crimes-must-video-3656316.html

PANIC! The End Of The World As We Know It! "We Have It All" ~ Q! - A Must Video - Wednesday, March 1, 2023 11:42 - https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/03/panic-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-we-have-it-all-q-a-must-video-3656312.html

The ‘conspiracy Theory’ Chemical Trail - Wednesday, March 1, 2023 10:02 - Today we are following The Chemical Trail: Fluoride Lawsuit Exposes Apparent Government Official Hiding Data; Big Win in Maryland; Gates-Funded Study Shows Two Years Later, Natural Immunity Still Better Than Vaccine. Why?; Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Attacked By The U.S.?; Tackling the Controversial Issue of Chemtrails; ICAN wins in CA Lawsuit Prohibiting Any Vaccine Mandates, Setting Precedent – March 1^st, 2023 - https://beforeitsnews.com/entertainment/2023/03/the-conspiracy-theory-chemical-trail-2676818.html

March 1 - Is Everything a Masonic Charade? - Wednesday, March 1, 2023 10:49 - https://beforeitsnews.com/strange/2023/03/march-1-is-everything-a-masonic-charade-2480726.html

REAL RAW NEWS: Biden Promises Zelenskyy a “Stake in the United States” - By Michael Baxter -February 20, 2023 - Illegitimate President Joseph R. Biden has promised Volodymyr Zelenskyy “a stake in the United States” as a reward for “staying the course,” according to audio Russia’s Federal Service Bureau (FSB) obtained shortly after Biden’s fake Air Force One landed in Kyiv Monday morning. The unannounced 5-hour stopover took place immediately after the criminal president and his entourage visited Poland. https://realrawnews.com/2023/02/biden-promises-zelenskky-a-stake-in-the-united-states/

REAL RAW NEWS: Marine Sniper Kills Ukranian Pedophile in Baltimore - By Michael Baxter -February 26, 2023 - A United States Marine scout-sniper on Saturday shot and killed a Ukrainian diplomat who had been in the U.S. since the start of the Ukraine-Russia conflict and who oversaw a child slavery ring that shipped kidnapped kids to Eastern Europe, a source in Gen. Eric M. Smith’s office told Real Raw News. https://realrawnews.com/2023/02/marine-sniper-kills-ukranian-pedophile-in-baltimore/

REAL RAW NEWS: Military Arrests Gates Foundation Members - By Michael Baxter -February 27, 2023 - United States Special Forces this weekend arrested two senior members of the still operational Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CEO Mark Suzman and CFO Carolyn Ainslie on charges of possession of child pornography, child endangerment, and child trafficking, sources in General Eric M. Smith’s office told Real Raw News. https://realrawnews.com/2023/02/military-arrests-gates-foundation-members/

MAIL ONLINE: Ousted Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot who lost reelection bid with just 17% of the vote claims she was treated unfairly because she's a 'black woman in America' – despite overall crime soaring by 52% in a year - Lori Lightfoot lost her bid to be reelected mayor of Chicago after criticism of her soft-on-crime approach which resulted in a steady spike in violence - She claimed after her defeat that she was treated unfairly because she's 'a black woman in America' - Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson lead the race and will move to the run-off election scheduled for April 4 - By RONNY REYES FOR DAILYMAIL.COM - PUBLISHED: 21:58 EST, 28 February 2023 - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11805697/Chicago-polls-close-leaving-Mayor-Lori-Lightfoots-future-risk-amid-soring-crime.html

Sarah Westall: Professional Auditor Examines Election System & Fraud, Are We Still a Free Republic? w/ Joe Fried - Tuesday, February 28, 2023 23:55 - CPA and Auditor Joe Fried joins the program to lay out the election fraud from 2020 from an auditors point of view. Now that time has passed, auditors have had the time to review the public data and its not pretty for Biden. The 2020 election under any reasonable measure was illegitimate and would not have been certifiable under any reasonable auditing standards. His new book, “Debunked?” lays out the fraud in the six swing states that change the history of the United States. https://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2023/02/sarah-westall-professional-auditor-examines-election-system-fraud-are-we-still-a-free-republic-w-joe-fried-3789318.html

01 March Intel Update: Behind the Times - Wednesday, March 1, 2023 9:09 - https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/03/01-march-intel-update-behind-the-times-3656296.html

AMERICAN MILITARY NEWS: Military fires 6 nuclear leaders at ND base with 150 nukes - FEBRUARY 28, 2023 - By JUSTIN COOPER - The U.S. Air Force relieved six leaders, including two commanders, from their positions at a nuclear base in North Dakota “due to a loss of confidence.” Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Gebara relieved the commanders of the 5th Mission Support Group and 5th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Minot Air Force Base on Monday, according to an Air Force press release. Commanders relieved four other subordinate leaders. The six were relieved of leadership positions due to a loss of confidence in their ability to complete assigned duties, the press release stated. https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/02/military-fires-6-nuclear-leaders-at-nd-base-with-150-nukes/?mc_cid=bbbfc23bc1&mc_eid=cb474306e3

ZERO HEDGE: Elon Musk Allegedly Forming New AI Venture To Take On 'Woke' ChatGPT - BY TYLER DURDEN - TUESDAY, FEB 28, 2023 - 04:45 PM - The first indication Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk might be taking on a new project to develop a 'non-woke' alternative to OpenAI's ChatGPT artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot was his recent reply to the chatbot's founder Sam Altman… https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/elon-musk-allegedly-forming-new-ai-venture-take-woke-chatgpt

WATCHERS: Another powerful western system will bring heavy snow to low elevations across the West, with blizzard conditions in the Sierra Nevada mountains, U.S. - Tuesday, February 28, 2023 - The western United States is bracing for yet another powerful winter storm system, with heavy snow predicted for low elevations and blizzard conditions in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Upper Midwest is also set to see heavy snowfall from a clipper system, while the Northeast is expected to experience heavy snow from a system moving through the area. Southern and interior Alaska will also face heavy snow and blizzard conditions from two powerful systems. https://watchers.news/2023/02/28/another-powerful-western-system-will-bring-heavy-snow-to-low-elevations-across-the-west-with-blizzard-conditions-in-the-sierra-nevada-mountains-u-s/

HARBINGER DAILY - The Absence Of The Rapture—And Related Topics—From Our Churches Today, Is A Great Tragedy! – By Jan Markell - February 28, 2023 - I recently read a passionate article by Jonathan Brentner on the divorce of Rapture theology from the gospel and from pulpits. I so resonated with the main points he made. The absence of this topic—and related topics—from our churches today, is a great tragedy! When Rapture discussion ended some thirty years ago in the church and elsewhere, so did discussion of the Millennium, Israel’s key end-time role, the trend toward the Tribulation, the building of the third temple in Jerusalem, the prominence of end-time deception, the rush to a cashless society and Central Bank Digital Currency, and so much more! https://harbingersdaily.com/the-absence-of-the-rapture-and-related-topics-from-our-churches-today-is-a-great-tragedy/

DAVID IKES: Energy Suppliers Must Uninstall Wrongly Forced Prepayment “Smart” Meters, Pay Compensation Now to Victims - Suppliers told to remove prepayment meters that were wrongly force-fitted - Ofgem says energy companies must compensate customers now rather than wait until its review is complete. March 1^st 2023 - Alex Lawson Energy correspondent - https://davidicke.com/2023/02/28/energy-suppliers-must-uninstall-wrongly-forced-prepayment-smart-meters-pay-compensation-now-to-victims/

GATEWAYH PUNDIT: Vermont Girls Basketball Team Forfeits State Tournament Game Due To Trans Player On Opposing Team - By Anthony Scott Feb. 27, 2023 3:46 pm - A Christian girls’ basketball team in Vermont recently withdrew from Vermont’s division IV basketball tournament due to a transgender (biological male) being on the opposing team. Mid Vermont Christian School forfeited their upcoming Division IV state tournament game due to the opposing team having a biological male on the girl’s team. MVCS head of school Vicky Fogg told Valley News “We believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players.” Fogg would go on to share “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general.” https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/vermont-girls-basketball-teams-forfeits-state-tournament-game-due-to-trans-player-on-opposing-team/

Michael Jaco - We Are Awakening & Recognize We Control The Movie As Disney Gets Exposed & Taken Down In Florida! - Must Video - Wednesday, March 1, 2023 11:08 - I have hundreds of coworkers, many of whom still DO NOT EVEN BELIEVE in “The Gay Straight Alliance” perverting our children, they have posters up in all the schools here. On our schools’ morning announcements in Canada, the Lord’s Prayer has been replaced with an invite to the “Gay Straight Alliance Room” at lunch time. https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/03/michael-jaco-we-are-awakening-recognize-we-control-the-movie-as-disney-gets-exposed-taken-down-in-florida-must-video-3656306.html

Lula Vs. Reality: Links 1, March 1, 2023 - Wednesday, March 1, 2023 10:17 - 1. The usurper leader of Brazil, Lula, has started a new Covid vaccination campaign today. Watch the video below and think in terms of today’s Alex Berenson post. https://beforeitsnews.com/eu/2023/03/lula-vs-reality-links-1-march-1-2023-2700959.html

Kerry Cassidy Big Intel 3/01/23: "Bombshell"! - Must Video - Wednesday, March 1, 2023 10:52 - https://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2023/03/kerry-cassidy-big-intel-30123-bombshell-must-video-3656304.html

ALL NEWS PIPELINE: The Orchestrated Destruction Of America Is Exploding Before Our Eyes In These Darkening Days Of Mass Carnage As Humanity Is Culled By Coordinated Attacks Upon Our Food Supply, Water And Air - This Is What Happens When A Nation Turns Away From God - By Rob Pue of Wisconsin Christian News for All News Pipeline - Something strange is happening in America, though it’s hard to say what’s “strange” and what is now the “new normal.” Over the past year, we’ve seen our food processing plants destroyed. There have been alleged outbreaks of avian flu, supposedly requiring the killing of tens of thousands of chickens and turkeys. Massive amounts of farmland have been purchased by foreign investors. And then last June — thousands of heads of cattle were found suddenly dead in Kansas overnight. Authorities claimed it was due to an intense heat wave. https://allnewspipeline.com/This_Is_What_Happens_When_A_Nation_Turns_Away_From_God.php

Berlin left unprotected as air defense systems sent to Ukraine – arms maker - The Skynex and Skyranger air defense systems were intended to defend the German capital – Feb. 28^th 2023 - Germany is sending two air defense systems to Kiev in a move that may leave Berlin unprotected, Armin Papperger, the CEO of leading German military contractor Rheinmetall, said in an interview with the Pioneer podcast on Tuesday. The two systems in question, Skynex and Skyranger, were commissioned by the German government to protect the airspace over Berlin, the arms manufacturer revealed. The two units cost around €200 million ($212 million) and will be sent to Kiev within the year. - https://www.rt.com/news/572226-berlin-air-defense-unprotected/

ALL NEWS PIPELINE: Will The REAL Joe Biden Impersonators Please Stand Up? As A 'Grand Delusion' Is Played On Americans, When 'Biden Body Doubles' Speak, Barack Obama Is Telling Them What To Say - By Stefan Stanford - All News Pipeline - Live Free Or Die – Feb. 28^th 2023 - Over the past decade+, we've all learned that whenever the mainstream media 'piles on' a certain 'crazy conspiracy theory' in attempts to 'debunk it,' that 'conspiracy theory' is generally eventually proven to be 'true,' such as the 'crazy conspiracy theory' that COVID-19 had 'leaked from a lab in Wuhan,' labeled by the MSM a 'conspiracy theory' up until days ago when they finally admitted that was the most likely probability. ANP had reported that all the way back in February of 2020 after interviewing bioweapons expert Dr. Francis Boyle, who drafted the legislation for the Biological Weapons Convention, known as the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989 that was approved unanimously by both Houses of the US Congress and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush, and who warned us back then what we'd been witnessing was nothing less than 'Nazi Death Science Biological Warfare Work' going on, payed for by the American taxpayer. So why'd it take the MSM so long to admit what the independent news knew years ago? https://allnewspipeline.com/Will_The_REAL_Joe_Biden_Impersonators_Please_Stand_Up.php

9/11, Covid & The Ohio Train PSYOPS Exposed By Richard Gage! Founder of Architects For 911 Truth! - DeAnna Lorraine - Must Video - Wednesday, March 1, 2023 13:46 - The world-famous Richard Gage, Founder of Architects and Engineers for 911 Truth and one of the original Godfathers of the Truther movement joins DeAnna Lorraine in an intense discussion analyzing all the evidence that 911 World Trade Center attack was a huge false flag Psyop operation, he goes into the in-depth evidence exposing the shadow government behind it, and we go down other rabbit holes compasing 911 to the Covid-19 False Flag operation the Ohio Train derailment, the Food shortage, and more. Don’t miss this incredible conversation! - https://beforeitsnews.com/9-11-and-ground-zero/2023/03/911-covid-the-ohio-train-psyops-exposed-by-richard-gage-founder-of-architects-for-911-truth-deanna-lorraine-must-video-2443087.html

 

 

The Holy Spirit in the End Times

by Dr. David R. Reagan

Published on: May 7, 2014

Researched by Pastor Gary Boyd

March 1^st 2023

 

One hundred years ago, as the 20th Century began, the Holy Spirit was not alive and well in the Church. Christendom was in bondage to the theology of Deism which held that miracles had ceased, all aspects of the supernatural (such as angels and demons) had been laid to rest, and that God was a grand old man in the sky, best identified as “The Great I Was.”

 

A Deceptive Doctrine

 

The Church had been deceived into adopting a theological argument which had the effect of stifling and quenching the Holy Spirit. The argument was based on a statement in 1 Corinthians 13:10 — “. . . when the perfect comes, the partial [prophecy, tongues, and knowledge] will be done away.” It was argued that the “perfect” was the completion of the perfect, inerrant Word of God. Thus, it was argued, all supernatural gifts of the Spirit, as well as other manifestations of the supernatural, ended with the completion of the New Testament canon around 95 AD.

 

To this was added the argument that gifts of the Spirit could only be passed along to others by the Apostles through the laying on of hands. Therefore, when the last Apostle died (John in about 95 AD), the gifts ceased.

 

Flawed Arguments

 

The arguments were so neat. But they were full of holes. For one thing, they flew in the face of experience. Throughout Church history, there is abundant evidence of spiritual gifts being experienced on the part of the small minority who continued to believe in them. There had also been major outbreaks of the supernatural, as in the camp meetings on the American frontier in the early 1800’s.

 

The argument revolving around 1 Corinthians 13:10 was faulty because it denied the contextual meaning of the word “perfect.” In context, the word refers to the return of Jesus. This is made clear in verse 12: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then [when the perfect comes] face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully . . .” The argument also overlooked the clear teaching of 1 Corinthians 1:7 that all the gifts of the Spirit will continue to be operative until Jesus returns: “. . . you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Finally, the argument about the Apostles passing the gifts along to others was a sham because it attempted to convert the gifts of the Spirit into gifts of the Apostles. The Apostles may have been able to lay their hands on people and pray for them to receive certain gifts, but the gifts came from the Holy Spirit, not from the Apostles. Furthermore, every believer receives at least one supernatural gift of the Spirit at the time of his or her salvation (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Paul put it this way: “To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).

 

An Important Prophecy

 

The anti-Holy Spirit mentality of the Church in 1900 also ignored the clear teaching of Bible prophecy that the end times would be characterized by a great outpouring of God’s Spirit. The key passage is found in Joel 2:28-29:

 

It will come about after this

That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;

And your sons and daughters will prophesy,

Your old men will dream dreams,

Your young men will see visions.

Even on the male and female servants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

The Church’s position in 1900 was that this prophecy had been fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost in 31 AD and was no longer applicable. It was argued that the “last days” began at Pentecost when the Church was established (Hebrews 1:2 and 1 Peter 1:20). Also, it was pointed out that the Apostles themselves quoted this passage from Joel when they were asked what was going on as they began “to speak with other tongues” (Acts 2:4).

 

More Flawed Arguments

 

But again, these arguments about Joel 2:28-29 ignored the context of the passage. Note that the passage beings with the words, “It will come about after this . .” After what? If you back up and read verses 18 through 27 you will see that the chapter is talking about the regathering and resettlement of the Jews in the land of Israel — something that did not occur until the 20th Century.

 

Also, the preceding verses speak of the outpouring of the Spirit symbolically as the “early and latter rain,” referring to the two rainy seasons of Israel. In other words, the prophet was saying there will be two great outpourings of the Spirit. The “early rain” was at Pentecost and continued throughout the early history of the Church, as recorded in the book of Acts. The “latter rain” would immediately precede the return of the Messiah in judgment. This is made clear again by the passage itself in verses 30-31: “And I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire, and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” This is classic language about the Second Coming of the Messiah.

 

Yes, the Bible speaks of the Church Age as the last days: “He [Jesus] was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you” (1 Peter 1:20). But it also speaks of the Lord’s return as the last days when it says Christians are being protected “by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time . . . at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:5, 7).

 

We have been in the “last times” since the Day of Pentecost. We are now in the latter part of the last times.

 

Joel 2:28-29 was fulfilled in part on the Day of Pentecost. Its total fulfillment was yet future in 1900, awaiting the “latter rain” that would be one of the signs of the Lord’s soon return.

 

A Move of God

 

The Church had its jaw set against the Holy Spirit as the 20thCentury began. But God was ready to burst on the scene with a great move of the Spirit in order to prepare the way for the return of His Son. That move began at a poverty-stricken school in Topeka, Kansas in January 1901 when a student named Agnes Ozman received the gift of tongues. A year later a great Holy Spirit revival broke out in the English area of Wales, led by a remarkable young man named Evan Roberts. Then, in 1906, the Spirit fell with great power on a home meeting in Los Angeles led by a black preacher named William J. Seymour.

 

At Seymour’s meeting, spiritual gifts were manifested, spectacular healings occurred, people were “slain in the Spirit,” and sinners were saved. The meeting grew quickly and had to be moved to a dilapidated building on Azusa Street. It continued for almost four years, with preaching every day, three times a day!

 

The Azusa Street meeting gave birth to the Pentecostal Movement. The latter rain had begun. But it was only a sprinkle in terms of its impact on Christendom at large. The Pentecostals were written off as “Holy Rollers,” and their religion was considered appropriate only for the superstitious and uneducated. But they were paving the way for a rediscovery of the Spirit.

 

The Latter Rain

 

The latter rain did not become a downpour until after the regathering of the Jewish people to the land of Israel (1900 – 1945) and the re-establishment of the state (May 14, 1948). Then, just as Joel had prophesied, the heavens opened and the downpour began — first, with the anointing of Billy Graham’s ministry in 1949 and then with the emergence of the Charismatic Movement in the 1950’s and 60’s.

 

Today, much of Christendom is caught up in the Third Wave Movement that grew out of the Charismatic Movement in the 1970’s and 80’s. It is made up of churches that fully recognize the ministry of the Holy Spirit, including the significance of Spirit-led worship, the continuing validity of spiritual gifts, the reality of spiritual warfare, and the importance of a Spirit-filled life in winning that warfare. However, unlike the Pentecostals and Charismatics, the Third Wave Movement does not put an emphasis on the gift of tongues as the sign of having been baptized in the Spirit.

 

Confusion About the Spirit

 

The 20th Century has been the century of the rediscovery of the Holy Spirit. Yet, widespread ignorance and confusion about the Holy Spirit still characterizes the Church. A 1997 poll by the Barna Research Group showed that only 40% of Americans believe in the existence of the Holy Spirit (as opposed to 90% who believe in the existence of God). But what was even more stunning was the response of “born-again Christians.” More than 5 out of 10 born-again Christians (55%) agreed that the Holy Spirit is a symbol of God’s presence or power but not a living entity! It appears that Christians have been brainwashed into believing that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal power like “The Force” in Star Wars.

 

Why is there so much continuing confusion about the Spirit? I think it relates in part to the self-effacing role of the Spirit. As we will see, one of the primary roles of the Spirit is to point people to Jesus as Savior and Lord. He does not draw attention to Himself. He works behind the scenes. Another factor relates to the many symbols that are used of the Spirit in Scripture — things like wind, rain, and fire. These symbols seem to communicate an impersonal force.

 

Our Creator God has been revealed to us as our Father. That is a concept we can grasp. Jesus took on a human body and lived among us. We have biographies of Him by eye witnesses. But for most people, the Holy Spirit is a shadowy entity difficult to grasp. Trying to get hold of the concept for many is like trying to nail jello to a wall.

 

The Identity of the Spirit

 

So, let’s look for a moment at the identify of the Holy Spirit. The first thing you need to keep in mind is that the Spirit is never referred to as an “it.” The Spirit is not an inanimate object. The Spirit is not, for example, the Bible, as some contend. The Spirit is intimately related to the Bible because it was the Spirit who inspired the biblical writers (2 Timothy 3:16), but the Bible is the “sword of the Spirit,” not the Spirit Himself (Ephesians 6:17). The Spirit works through the Bible to draw people to Jesus, although the work of the Spirit is not confined to the testimony of the Scriptures. The Spirit can witness directly to our spirits (Romans 8:16).

 

The Holy Spirit is a person. The Spirit is always referred to directly in the Scriptures as “He.” Referring to the Spirit, Jesus told His disciples that when He left, He would send a “Helper.” (“Paracletos” in Greek, meaning a helper or intercessor.) Jesus added, “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:7-8). To Jesus, the Holy Spirit was “He” not “it.”

 

The Bible says the Holy Spirit can be lied to (Acts 5:3-4). It also says the Holy Spirit can be quenched (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and grieved (Ephesians 4:30). These are characteristics of a personality. You cannot lie to a chair, or quench a wall, or grieve a light fixture.

 

The Holy Spirit is the supernatural presence of God in the world today. Paul put it this way: “The Lord is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Luke stated that the Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of Jesus” (Acts 16:6-7). Peter equated the Holy Spirit with God the Father when he told Ananias and Sapphira that they had lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3) and then added, “You have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5:4). Remember that old axiom in geometry: “Things equal to the same thing are equal to each other.”

 

The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons who constitute the One God. That’s the reason we are told to be baptized “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). As such He is co-equal to Jesus and the Father, but He plays a different role.

 

The Work of the Spirit

 

This brings us to the work of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has two roles — one toward the unbeliever and another within the believer. With regard to the unbeliever, the Holy Spirit is the Father’s Evangelist. With regard to the believer, He is the Father’s Potter. Let’s consider these two roles in detail.

 

Jesus summarized the work of the Spirit regarding unbelievers. He said that the Holy Spirit would “convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:8). Specifically, the Spirit convicts unbelievers of their sinfulness, impresses upon them the righteousness of Jesus, and points them to the judgment of Satan (John 16:9-11). The Bible makes it clear that no person can come to Jesus apart from the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Jesus put it this way: “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). And how does the Father draw unbelievers to Jesus? Through the Holy Spirit who bears witness of Jesus as the Father’s only begotten Son (John 15:26 and 1 John 5:7).

 

When a person responds to the witness of the Spirit by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, he is “born-again” (John 3:3), and the Father gives that person a very special birthday present — the Holy Spirit! That’s right, the Holy Spirit ceases to be on the outside drawing the person to Jesus. Instead, He moves inside the person and takes up residence within him (Romans 8:9). And when He does so, His role changes.

 

The Spirit in the Believer

 

Within the believer, the Holy Spirit is the Father’s Potter. His role is to shape each believer into the image of Jesus (Romans 8: 29 and Galatians 4:19), a process which the Bible refers to as sanctification (Romans 6:22 and 2 Thessalonians 2:13). The Spirit does this by first of all gifting us. Each person, when he or she is born- again, is given at least one gift of the Spirit, and sometimes more than one (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). And if we are good stewards of our gifts, using them to advance the Lord’s kingdom, we may be given additional gifts during our spiritual walk with the Lord.

 

The Spirit also accomplishes His work of sanctification by guiding us (Romans 8:14), comforting us (Acts 9:31), strengthening us (Philippians 4:13 and 1 John 4:4), praying for us (Romans 8:26-27), encouraging us (Romans 15:5), defending us (Luke 12:11-12), and illuminating us as we study the Word (1 John 2:27).

 

The work of sanctification is life long. It continues until we die or we are raptured to meet the Lord in the sky. The Holy Spirit wants to fine tune us into the image of Jesus because the Father is interested in nothing less than perfection in our lives (James 1:4 and 1 Peter 1:13-16). Yes, He is a God of grace who will accept us in all our imperfections, but He desires that we be perfected (Matthew 5:48).

 

Think of it this way — when a child takes his first step, his father rejoices. But no father is going to be satisfied with that one step. He will not be satisfied until the child can walk and then run without falling. For this reason, Christians are commanded to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).