And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17

The Bible describes God, who is one in essence, as He is also three persons.  In the giving of the great commandments, Jesus says, “HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD.” (Mark 12:29, see also Deuteronomy 6:4) Then in giving the great commission, He would say for the church to be “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) Then while teaching the disciples Jesus would say, “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30) He would keep this tight connection of the three in one as He tells the disciples, “the Helper, the Counselor, the Comforter, the Companion, the Advocate”, (ESV, CSB, KJV, CEB, NIV) who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name. (John 14:26)

The Father sent Jesus to us to bring us to Him by His life, sacrifice on the cross and the resurrection. Now The Father and Jesus will send the Holy Spirit into our lives to provide what we will need to live this new life through faith.

God’s work in our lives comes to us with all three actively working. The task of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, as the “Helper,” is to teach us the truth of God. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (John 16:13 NASB)

The Holy Spirit will also provide for us a guidebook that we may learn the ways of God. We call this guidebook the Bible or the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit would use men to write this book over the years, through the Spirit’s inspiration. “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) In the Psalms, David would say, “Never take your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.” (Psalms 119:43) Joshua would say, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; . . . .so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” (Joshua 1:8) Scripture is the work of the Holy Spirit through the years and the personal connection through every believer.

The evidence of the Holy Spirit’s activity in our lives is shown by character of our lives as we walk with God every day. Paul gives us this evidence in what He calls the fruit of the Spirit. Just as a tree gives fruit as to the nature of the tree, examples of apple, cherry, or pecan. So the fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) Jesus tells us that the world will know that we are His disciples by our love, this love come from the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block