Holy Spirit

The Full Story

First, I want toThank God for giving us this knowledge from his word the Bible.

I've put together chapters from the Bible to show you how important the Holy Spirit is in our everyday lives. 

So, let's break it down into 3 parts:

1. The holy spirit together with father and son. 

2. Jesus sent the holy spirit to the disciples. 

3. The gifts of the holy spirit.

PART 1 The holy spirit together with father and son.

Matthew 3:11

I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 

My thoughts 

I really like this chapter. It explains that there are two kinds of baptism: one with water and one with the Holy Spirit and fire. The baptism with water is something we do physically, but the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire is special from God. 

Matthew 3:15-17

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”'

In Matthew 3:15-17, something amazing happens! It's the first time in the New Testament that we see the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Son all together. When Jesus gets baptized, God the Father speaks from heaven, the Holy Spirit appears as a dove.

John 14:15-17: 

"If you love me, keep my commands. 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 world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Jesus is talking about asking God the Father to send us another helper, which is the Holy Spirit. When you Google the word "advocate," it means someone who publicly supports or recommends. So, Jesus is saying that God will send the Holy Spirit to support us, defend us, and be with us all the time. This Spirit, Jesus explains, is the Spirit of Truth that the world can't see. It's for people who believe in Jesus, and when they believe, they can receive the Holy Spirit, who will live in them. So, it's like having a constant supporter and guide with us always.

John 14:25-26: 

"All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

The previous chapter talked about the Holy Spirit living inside us. Now, in this chapter, it's saying that the Holy Spirit will teach us and remind us of everything God said because it's living inside us. So, it's like having a personal teacher and reminder always with us. It's pretty cool that the Holy Spirit lives within us.

John 16:7-11:

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."

In simple terms, Jesus is telling us that when he leaves, he'll send us the Holy Spirit. And this Holy Spirit will show the world what's wrong and what's right. So, when we receive the Holy Spirit, we start seeing what's right and wrong in the world because of Him. It's like having a guide to help us know the difference between good and bad.

Acts 1:4-5: 

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For

John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'"

 In this chapter, Jesus promises his disciples that they'll receive the Holy Spirit in just a few days. This part is super important because it leads us to understand the connection between baptism and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is saying that after he leaves, he'll send the Holy Spirit to be with us. This fulfills his promise, and it's not just about sending the Holy Spirit, but also being baptized by it. It's like Jesus is making sure we're not left alone, but we're filled with the Holy Spirit's power and presence.

John 20:21-23

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.

PART 2 Jesus sent the holy spirit to the disciples.

In this part, we see that the disciples got the Holy Spirit just like Jesus promised. We can see how the Holy Spirit worked through them all their lives. There are a few chapters in the Bible we can read to see how powerful the Holy Spirit is when we're baptized with it and when we live guided by it. It's amazing to see what can happen when we let the Holy Spirit lead us!

Acts 2:1-4: 

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

Pentecost Day is a super important day in Christianity. If I ask myself why, I'd say it's because on that day, Humans have the chance to become really connected to God. All they have to do is believe in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit, and that's it. We will see here the Holy Spirit physically filled the house, seeming to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. Then the result is the start the speaking in tongues

Acts 2:38: 

Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"

Peter and the other disciples began teaching and sharing God's message. One of the most important things they said was that if you believe in Jesus, your sins will be forgiven, and you'll receive the Holy Spirit. So, getting the Holy Spirit after believing in Jesus is a really big part of the Christian faith. It's like a crucial step in becoming closer to God.

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Acts 4:31: 

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

When we sense the Holy Spirit and believe in God's words, our faith in Jesus grows stronger. Having the Holy Spirit inside us makes us more confident and enthusiastic. It's like having a strong power that increases our belief and makes us speak boldly about Jesus.

PART 3 The gifts of the holy spirit.

When we receive the Holy Spirit as our guide and leader, we'll notice a lot of changes in our lives. Our behavior will change, our relationships with others will improve, and we'll handle things differently – like with our family, friends, and coworkers. But there's more! We'll also receive gifts from the Holy Spirit, which I'll list for you.

Galatians 5:22-23 -

Although not typically referred to as "spiritual gifts," these verses list the fruits of the Spirit, which can be considered manifestations of the Holy Spirit's work in the life of a believer. The fruits mentioned include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Romans 12:6-8: "

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness."

1 Corinthians 12:8-10:

"For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues."

receiving the Holy Spirit will change our lives for the better. We've seen how the Holy Spirit played a role in Jesus' life, how Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide us, and how the disciples taught others about receiving the Holy Spirit through believing in Jesus. After we receive the Holy Spirit, we'll experience its fruits and gifts, which we'll learn about from chapters in the Bible provided. 

Life in the Spirit

Romans 8:1-17

'So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 

I hope you enjoy reading them and find them helpful in accepting the Holy Spirit into your life.