The Holy Spirit: Who Is He?
The Holy Spirit is not a force, an energy, or an impersonal influence. He is the third person of the holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Bible presents Him with a complete personality: He thinks, feels, decides, and acts.
In John 14:16-17, Jesus speaks of Him as the "Paraclete" or "Comforter": "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth."
The Works of the Holy Spirit
- Conviction of sin (John 16:8)
- Regeneration and new birth (John 3:5-8)
- Permanent indwelling of the believer (1 Corinthians 6:19)
- Progressive sanctification (2 Thessalonians 2:13)
- Illumination of the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 2:10-14)
- Empowerment with gifts for service (1 Corinthians 12)
The Gifts of the Spirit: Pentecostal Perspective
From a biblical Pentecostal perspective, the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4 are fully active in the Church today. The cessation of gifts has no solid biblical basis; it is a theological position developed centuries after the apostolic era.
"Eagerly desire the greater gifts." — 1 Corinthians 12:31
