How to Understand the Holy Spirit

Last Updated: October 27, 2020 Approved

Most Christians don't really understand the nature of the Holy Spirit. The reason for this is that either churches never talk about the Holy Spirit, or they teach incorrect things about the Holy Spirit. Some teach that the Holy Spirit is a feeling, when actually he is more of a teacher that makes us more wise. This article will help you understand what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit and what he does in the life of a Christian.

Steps

1
Understand that the Holy Spirit is given to us to teach us.
- John 14:26 says, "The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
- The Holy Spirit's job is to bring to our minds what Jesus said, and also to lead us into all truth about the Bible. He is given to us to increase our wisdom. He is not given to us to make us feel things or for us to listen to our heart, nor to stop our thinking. He is given to us to increase our brain power so that we can understand spiritual truths.
- He is given to us to give us eyes to see things in the Bible that we wouldn't be able to really see without him. He is God's spirit, so he is able to teach us everything we might need to know about God the Father. Amen.
2
Know that the Holy Spirit is able to pray for us.
- Romans 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."
- This verse is not referring to praying in tongues, as so many often misinterpret it as. This is talking about the Holy Spirit praying things for us that we don't even think of. It says that these are "groaning too deep for words." No words in any language would be able to express these things. They are silent prayers that the Holy Spirit knows that we want to request, but we do not have the words to ask.
- When we are weak and can't communicate to God what we want or need, the Holy Spirit prays for us.
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3
Realize that the Holy Spirit always points us to God the Father.
- John 16:12-15 says, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you."
- This is a tricky passage to understand fully, because the Holy Spirit is God's spirit. However, there seems to be a ranking within the Trinity. God the Father is like the president; Jesus is like the vice president, and the Holy Spirit is like the Secretary General.
- Both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are in subjection to God the Father. That is why this says that the Holy Spirit "will not speak on his own authority." He has to answer to the authority of God the Father. He has to glorify and exalt God the Father.
- This is why, if you are in a church that glorifies, or talks more about, the Holy Spirit more than God the Father, they are getting it wrong. The main star of the show, so to speak, is God the Father. He is and always will be, the most important member of the trinity. They are all one, but they are still different entities.
4
Remember that the Holy Spirit gives us power to witness to others.
- Acts 1:8 says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
- The Holy Spirit does not give us power arbitrarily, or for no reason. It has a purpose; to witness to the lost and share the gospel about Jesus. If God does perform a miracle through the Holy Spirit, the intended purpose is to witness to others, not to have a magic show.
- We need to not focus on the word power in this verse but rather the part about witnessing. If someone seems to have a lot of Holy Spirit power, but they aren't witnessing, then that power isn't from the Holy Spirit.
5
Always know that the Holy Spirit brings freedom.
- 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
- If you are in a church that is very controlling, the Holy Spirit isn't there, at least not very much. If God's spirit were truly there, there would be total and complete freedom. No one would try to tell other people what to do, etc.
- If we are truly full of God's Holy Spirit, we will give other people freedom. We won't try to control other people. A good test to know how much of the Holy Spirit you have is to know how controlling you are.
6
Realize that the Holy Spirit is meant to convict us of our sin.
- John 16:8 says, "When he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment."
- The Holy Spirit does not generally make us feel good about ourselves. He convicts us of our sins. He is our conscience. When we do something wrong, he lets us acutely feel it that we did. The Holy Spirit is always pointing out to us ways in which we can improve. Since all Christians struggle with the flesh still, we all have a lot to improve on. This is one of the main roles of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
7
Never forget that the Holy Spirit causes us to obey God's commandments.
- Ezekiel 36:26-27 says, "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."
- The Holy Spirit gives freedom, but not so much freedom that we don't follow God's commandments and Jesus' teachings.
- There is a popular teaching now in Christianity called "Grace Teaching." They teach that we can do almost whatever we want because of God's grace. But on the contrary, the Bible says we will have to give an account for every wrong thing we have done when Jesus comes back, whether we are Christian or not.
- Being a Christian doesn't mean that since we are now saved, we can live however we want. No, the true mark of a Christian is whether they are living by God's commandments or not. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Amen.

Community Q&A

Question

If I'm filled with the Holy Spirit and I sin again, can I ask God for forgiveness? Will the Holy Spirit leave me?

Community Answer

The Holy Ghost doesn't leave you. If your confession and repentance are sincere, God will forgive you. Everyone sins, you just have to do your best to avoid it and apologize to God when you make a mistake.
Question

How will I know that the Holy Ghost has come upon me?

Community Answer

When you have changed your way of life and walk on the path Jesus has given you, then you will know that you're being guided by the Holy Ghost.
Question

How can I hear the voice of the Holy Spirit?

Community Answer

The Holy Spirit often speaks by planting thoughts in our minds we wouldn't have thought of on our own and by unctions (inclinations) toward a particular course of action. If you pray for God to lead you by the Holy Spirit and pay attention to that "still, small voice" of thoughts or unctions, you will gradually learn to recognize his voice.

Warnings

Be careful of fixating on the verse about receiving power from the Holy Spirit. This power is not for ourselves, it is to enable us to witness to others. Amen.

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