“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.” (1 Corinthians 2:11)
A biblical discussion on the Holy Spirit must acknowledge that the Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. The Spirit was with God at creation (Gen 1:2), and was the breath of God, giving life to Adam (Gen 2:7). The Spirit was active in the beginning; it should not surprise us that He is active in the restoration of all things.
This is the Spirit that descended on the day of Pentecost, fulfilling what was spoken by the prophet (Joel 2:28-29), that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit on humanity, upon all who believe.
The Spirit is not a mystical power like The Force in the Star Wars saga, nor a ghost, but a person. Jesus referred to the Spirit as another helper, comforter, and counselor, and Paul warned against grieving the Spirit. We can only grieve a person, not a force or ghost.
The Spirit knows the thoughts and the depths of God. The Spirit is not silent; He spoke through the prophets in the OT and the apostles in the NT. The Spirit is the author of the Scriptures, the revealer, and the teacher of the things of God to us.
And the most amazing and mind-blowing reality is that the Spirit, who knows God like no one else, is given to each believer at the moment he or she believes. This is an outstanding reality: the Spirit of God lives in you!
God sent His Spirit to earth so that we may know Him intimately and relationally; in fact, this is what He wants, and this is encouraging.
When we are weak, the Spirit strengthens us; when we do not know how to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us; when we feel like throwing in the towel, the Spirit carries us through. The Holy Spirit is the dispenser of grace, and He gives it in abundance.
In preparation for this Sunday, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any blind spots in your Christian walk or anything that may be hindering your growth and fellowship with the Spirit. Also, pray to the Lord to help you walk by the Spirit and understand the things of God.