Reasons the Holy Spirit Is Given

Most understand (at least somewhat) that Jesus Christ is our example (John 13:15; I Pet. 2:21), and that we are to copy His life in our own. The way He lived, His sufferings and His overcoming the world are all things that we must be aware of and partake of. Let’s consider His birth, death and Resurrection as examples from which to learn the role of the Holy Spirit in God’s Plan for mankind.

As we have seen, Christ was begotten by the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit. Unlike human beings, He had no physical father. What we can glean from this event, however, is that the Holy Spirit is the means by which the Father begets His sons. Just as Christ was begotten by the Father, Christians also are begotten by Him. The only difference is that Christians are begotten outside the womb. We do not possess the Holy Spirit until after baptism (Acts 2:38). Once we are baptised and receive the Holy Spirit, we become begotten sons of God—not yet born. But the time will come when we will be raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us—just as Christ was.

It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that God teaches us: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, [it] shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). “Howbeit when [it], the Spirit of truth, is come, [it] will guide you into all truth…” (John 16:13).

We repeat: A mind without the Holy Spirit cannot comprehend spiritual things and has no hope of understanding God’s Word—the Bible. It is only through the indwelling of the Spirit that one is able to understand the mind of God. Take a moment to reread I Corinthians 2:9-16.

The above scriptures, including I Corinthians 2:9-16, can be summarized in the following way: Those who are being guided by the Holy Spirit can understand spiritual things, and those who are not being led by the Holy Spirit cannot understand—it is impossible! Just as you cannot know the thoughts and ways of another man, neither can you know the thoughts and ways of God. If one could somehow “project” his spirit into the mind of another person, then he could know that person’s thoughts.

In a sense, it could be said that the “projection” of God’s Spirit into our minds is what allows us to comprehend “the things of God.”

The Holy Spirit also strengthens Christians in a number of important ways. The following longer scripture is one of the most inspiring in the entire Bible, and best describes how God’s Spirit directly empowers—strengthens—those who have it: “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…” (Eph. 3:16-20).

Christ gives His servants the strength needed to overcome what could be called the three “S’s”—self, Satan and society, which are the three things that produce a fourth “S,” sin. All real overcoming is done by the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as Christ could only overcome by the Father dwelling within Him through the Spirit, it is through that Spirit dwelling within a person, that overcoming anything spiritual is made possible.

Why Some WILL NOT Understand!

At this point, an inset must be added, and it will explain why some people literally cannot possibly understand what is contained in this volume. This point is connected to an earlier section, which discussed how the Holy Spirit is poured out and can fill people, thus disqualifying it to be a person.

Here is an example of how some will take that easy-to-understand explanation, and dismiss it by bringing in wrong “facts,” wrong logic, wrong reasoning and/or wrong understanding—thus trapping themselves in wrong teaching.

Some have suggested that Psalm 22:14 proves that a person can be poured, because Christ said that He was “poured out” and He was a person. The conclusion then is that the Holy Spirit can also be poured out and still be a person.

In this passage, Christ is speaking, describing His crucifixion. Let’s read it: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.”

It is probably immediately obvious to most that Christ is talking about how all of His blood poured out of His body, ending His life. Christians of every belief know that numerous verses reveal Christians are forgiven, or justified, by Christ’s shed blood (Rom. 5:9; Eph. 1:7; 2:13;Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:12). Isaiah 53:12 states that He “poured out His soul unto death.” Obviously, soul here means His blood—His life. (See Leviticus 17:11.) This passage does not prove that the Holy Spirit is a person that can also be poured out. To conclude such is a complete logical “disconnect”—but it is probably one such people will not be able to acknowledge.

We must ask: Why cannot the logic explained in the earlier section be accepted by some people? Why do some, indeed most, feel compelled to fight sound analysis, sound reasoning and sound logic when they see it? Why also will the plain explanations found throughout this book upset and confuse many of its readers? The answer lies in the fact that these things alone—sound analysis, sound reasoning and sound logic—are not sufficient to defeat the illogic of a mind to whom God has not revealed Himself (Rom. 1:28; 8:7). Remember, this book has explained several times how God must call a person (John 6:44, 65) and must reveal Himself to that person for him to be able to grasp spiritual truths and spiritual principles (I Cor. 2:11).

Therefore, it must be understood that this book is not written to or for the majority who may read it. At least grasp this point! Do not miss it. For you, the reader, to truly comprehend all that you are studying here, God must be opening your mind through the power of the very Holy Spirit discussed in this chapter. Otherwise, there is no hope of understanding. Perhaps take the time to read Matthew 7:7, however, for what you can also do.

All Are Deceived

The Bible is literally filled with instruction about the Holy Spirit. But in a world completely overcome with Satan’s “wiles” (Eph. 6:11) and “devices” (II Cor. 2:11), it is only through God’s help that you can be an exception.

But you must be willing to admit that the realm of traditional Christianity (and the world in general) has remained ignorant of what the Holy Spirit is. Naturally, this has directly contributed to why the nature of God so completely escapes their comprehension.

Just as the world has not understood the Holy Spirit or its role, or the Father and who He is, it has not understood the true Jesus Christ of the Bible. The apostle Paul warned of those who unknowingly follow “another Jesus.”

The next chapter could be the most stunning chapter in the book!