The Holy Spirit is not an it. He is a person. He has knowledge (1 Cor 2:11). He has a will (1 Cor 12:11). He has a mind (Rom 8:27). He has affections (Rom 15:30). You can lie to him (Acts 5:3-4). You can insult him (Heb 10:29). You can grieve him (Eph 4:30).
The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force. He is not Popeye's spinach or the surfer's wave. He is God within you to help you. In fact, John calls him the Helper.
Here's a word picture to use. Envision a father helping his son learn to ride a bicycle. The father stays at the son's side. He pushes the bike and steadies it if the boy starts to tumble. The Spirit does the same for us; he stays our step and strengthens our stride. Unlike the earthly father who eventually releases his grip on the bike and allows his son to journey down the road on his own, the Holy Spirit never leaves. He is with us to the end of the age.
What does he look like? "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Since the Holy Spirit is spirit, he is invisible, unseen by the human eye. But that doesn't mean his work is unseen or unfelt.
He comforts the saved. "When I go away, I will send the Helper to you" (John 16:7).
He convicts the lost. "When the Helper comes, he will prove to the people of the world the truth about sin, about being right with God, and about judgment" (John 16:8).
He conveys the truth. "I have many more things to say to you, but they are too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth" (John 16:12-13).
So think about it. Have you ever been comforted? Has God ever brought you peace when the world brought you pain?
Have you ever been convicted? Have you ever sensed a stab of sorrow for your actions?
Have you ever understood a new truth? Or seen an old principle in a new way? The light comes on. Your eyes pop open. "Aha, now I understand". Ever happen to you? If so, then the Holy Spirit has been working inside you.
Finally, the Holy Spirit is the heartbeat of the believer. He is the resurrection power that raised Jesus. "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you" (Rom 8:11).
The Holy Spirit not only resurrects your old life into a new life but keeps all believers on a steady track until they reach heaven.
By: Max Lucado
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