The fact of importance of the Holy Spirit for humanity is one of the most ignored Christian truths by all people and from which we receive the greatest benefits. In many places there is talk of the Father and the Son, highlighting their role in humanity, but we receive little information from the Holy Spirit.
It is one of the most forgotten doctrines of the church, therefore, we see many churches loaded with carnality and low passions that do not benefit at all from the testimony of the people of God on earth.
Today we are going to highlight three aspects of the importance of the Holy Spirit for humanity that will help us better understand and take advantage of it to live our Christian lives in a more consecrated way.
Importance of the Holy Spirit to the world
The world is not aware of the active presence of the Holy Spirit and his ministry in it. People enjoy its benefits without knowing it. Let’s see:
1. Reprove the world of sin
People on the street are convinced in one way or another that there is something wrong with each of us. There is something internal that is wrong. And we are able to see it in ourselves and in others. We easily criticize these faults in the people around us, but we find it difficult to recognize them in ourselves, even knowing that we fail.
This knowledge of good and evil is something instinctive in every human being. No one escapes it. Because this knowledge of good and evil that derives from the law of God is planted in our hearts, because God planted it, and we do not need anyone to teach it to us, nor can we excuse ourselves for not knowing it.
The text of the letter to the Romans 2.14-16 reveals it to us in a masterful way:
First, it says that God wrote his law in our minds and in our hearts (Rom. 2.15), and that this law that we have planted in us, and therefore, we have knowledge of what we do, is good or bad based on that law. And we can reason and deduce from what is wrong or right, without the need to have a deep knowledge of the Law of God embodied in the Scriptures.
Then he says that with that law those who did not receive the gospel will be judged on the day of final judgment (Rom 2.16), in such a way that no one can be excused for not having received Christian preaching for salvation. There is no excuse.
The fact that this is planted in us does not allow us to have it as inert knowledge, or a piece of mere information stored in the registry of our memory.
The Holy Spirit uses this intrinsic knowledge to convince us that we are sinners, and will expose and refute our claims or arguments that try to defend our sinful attitude toward others, and that our sin consists in knowing that we are under the just judgment of God, we do not believe in Jesus Christ as our total and sufficient Savior (In 16.9).
When we receive the gospel then the importance of the Holy Spirit for humanity is highlighted when it shows us our unbelief and compels us to repent and confess and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. It is up to the believer now, to believe or not. Freeing God of that responsibility.
2. Convince the world of justice
The Lord Jesus Christ continues making us the exposition of the importance of the presence of the Holy Spirit for Humanity when he tells us that the Holy Spirit convinces the world of justice (Jn 16.10), and relates it to his going to the Father. What exactly did the Lord Jesus Christ want to tell us? Let’s see:
The Lord Jesus Christ said that the Holy Spirit would convince the world of justice because he went to the Father (Jn 16.10). Jesus’ ascension to the Father demonstrates that he perfectly fulfilled God’s righteousness which is by law. No one who has committed sin can be in the presence of God (Rom 3.23).
It means that Jesus did not commit sin and that through his example he teaches us that we are sinners and that we need that justice that he fulfilled before the Father so that we can also go to the Father. The Holy Spirit convinces us and persuades us that we need that justice for the satisfaction of the Father
3. Convince the world of judgment
The Lord goes on to say that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of judgment because the prince of this world has already been judged (Jn 16.11).
With the coming of Christ, Satan is separated from the presence of God where he continually came to accuse the saints. He has already been judged and awaits his final condemnation. He can no longer deceive people and now he is engaged in waging war against God’s creation.
The Lord says that he who does not believe in his work of justice has already been judged because he does not believe in the justice that Christ won for us and is the only one that can reestablish our communion with the Father.
The Holy Spirit exposes this truth to us so that we can make the right decisions, otherwise, the judgment of God will be imminent upon us.
The Lord Jesus Christ did not send the Holy Spirit into the world to do nothing. He is a living and active person in the world, with the ministry of curbing sin in the world, of convincing us to repent and confess Jesus Christ as our only Savior in order to escape the imminent judgment, and thus extend God’s grace to all. us, good and bad, urging us to repentance.
Let’s not wait for the day of judgment to remove the Holy Spirit, and then, God will pour out his unrelenting wrath on the world without any chance of salvation then.
Thank God for showing us the importance of the Holy Spirit for humanity and God willing that we take advantage of the gifts and grace of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our salvation.
Importance of the Holy Spirit for the believer
The Holy Spirit acts in the believer in a special and particular way. While in the world he convinces people of their sin and their need to be saved in Christ, for the believer he has the special grace of God to come and dwell with him and enable him throughout his life on earth to give glory to God with her. There are two outstanding aspects that we are going to touch on now based on what we have just said.
Importance of the Holy Spirit in enabling the believer to confess Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior
Here we are going to take as a basis the text of 1 Cor. 12:3, which we present below:
Here the Scriptures show us a direct and unique way to confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The text tells us that in the first place, no one who speaks by the illumination of the Holy Spirit can curse or blaspheme the name of Jesus.
That possibility does not exist in the person who is enlightened by the Holy Spirit. And he ends by saying that no one can call Jesus Lord if it is not for the illumination of the Holy Spirit.
In other words, the Holy Spirit is the only one who can enlighten us and enable us to confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. There’s no other way.
And this is logical because the general ministry of the Holy Spirit is to enable believers to glorify Jesus Christ (Jn 15.26). Thus, any work carried out by the Holy Spirit must have this end as its objective.
Therefore, the Holy Spirit empowers us, infuses new properties into our sinful nature, makes what we previously did not want in rebellion with God, now what we want and moves us from a state of spiritual death to live a life in communion with God through Jesus Christ. thus the Holy Spirit begins to work in the life of the new believer.
Importance of the Holy Spirit in the formation of the believer in the image of Jesus Christ through the fruit of his transforming work in the believer
When a believer confesses Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, immediately the Holy Spirit comes to dwell with his spirit. Both begin to work on the improvement of the person of the believer in perfect symbiosis:
The believer must abandon and crucify the flesh and its desires, that is, eliminate from his life the works of the flesh described in Gal. 5.19-21; and he concludes by saying that those who practice these things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Therefore, it is essential to annul the works of the flesh with all the strength of our personality and fertilize the ground so that the fruit of the Holy Spirit begins to grow in us.
A field that is not clear of weeds and poorly prepared will bear poor fruit.
The Scriptures in Gal 5.22 show us the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit that God wants to form in us to grow in the image of his Son for his own glory:
Love:
The Greek language has four words to define the types of love it recognizes:
- Eros: It was used to define romantic and passionate love, perhaps between couples.
- Philia: It was family or filial love, that is, between father and children, brothers and sisters. It is the love that compromises by family ties
- Ergos: The love of good deeds, of altruistic people.
- Agape: The love that dominates the mind and heart of those who are willing to put their gifts and resources at the service of others for their happiness, without expecting anything in return.
God showed his love for us by giving his beloved son even for the salvation of those who oppose him. Let’s put it this way: Would you be willing to die for his child? Surely your answer will be an emphatic yes.
Now, would you be willing to give your son to die for others? Surely you are hesitating to give us an affirmative answer. That is the size of God’s agape love, and the one He wants us to practice.
This love is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us, the Holy Spirit sows it and develops it in the believer for his likeness to Christ, for the glory of the Father.
Joy:
Joy is the joy that is grounded in the knowledge and action of God in our lives. It is the joy that does not come from earthly things, that is why it is always lasting in the life of the believer.
The Holy Spirit feeds us a life of joy and strength to live the Christian life with excellence and rigging. It does not depend on the passing successes of life, it depends on a life of victory in Christ.
Peace:
It does not mean the absence of problems or conflicts, but everything that is done for the highest good of the Christian. It is the tranquillity of the heart knowing that our times are in the hands of the Eternal, Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty God, who is faithful and fulfils his promises to us. Amen.
Patience:
It is not only to endure irritable situations calmly but also to function in the midst of the various tests to which God submits our faith in order to improve it, in order to present ourselves as perfect men in his presence (Stg 1.2-4).
It is one of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit that works the most in us. The Holy Spirit helps us through her to be perfect and complete men.
Benignity:
It is about the gentleness and kindness that goes together with the moral integrity of the person. It is not about flattering the other with morbid reasons, but with the purity of heart.
The one who dwells with the Holy Spirit highlights in his person this quality of the fruit of the Spirit. No believer is called to treat his neighbour with malice or harshness.
Goodness:
It is a quality of benefactor that characterizes the believer and impels him to do good to others, although in one extreme it is not by gentle means. For example, making others see the truth for his own good, although this is painful, also becomes a gesture of kindness.
It is a distinguishing mark of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
Faith:
Here it is about the sense of the ability to be faithful and a trustworthy person. The Holy Spirit develops the quality of faithfulness in the believer as a characteristic of the fruit that he sows in us.
It enables us to faithfully serve God through the years and through temptations. Without the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us, we would not be able to develop such virtue.
Meekness:
The word carries the idea of being teachable and not self-sufficient, believing that we know them all. To consider the other in the first place in a humble way.
It should not be confused with shyness or passivity, but with the considered and correct reaction according to the circumstance. It is being restrained.
The Holy Spirit teaches us not to be self-sufficient or have a sense of superiority, but to react in the right way in order to respect the position of the other, even if we do not share it.
Temperance:
It is about the believer’s self-control, especially in the appetites of the flesh. In the desires of our own base passions, the Holy Spirit helps us to have control over them.
When we crucify the desires of our carnality, the fruit of the Holy Spirit sprouts abundantly in us.
We thank God for the importance of the Holy Spirit for humanity by giving purpose to our lives and keeping us busy in the things of the Spirit, not giving chance to carnality, nor to the low passions that try to rule our hearts.
The importance of the Holy Spirit in the training of the believer to exercise their gifts and ministries in the church
Trains him for the preaching of the gospel
Just as the believer is enabled by the Holy Spirit to confess Christ as his personal Savior, he is also enabled by the same Spirit to speak the gospel of Christ to others.
The testimony of Scripture is abundant on this. In Peter’s speech and the formation of the first church, the power and influence of the Holy Spirit is seen (Acts 2.1-42). Paul was trained for his apostolic ministry by the Holy Spirit (Acts 9.17).
The Holy Spirit was poured out on Jews and non-Jews in the preaching of the gospel and the founding of the visible Christian church. (Acts 10.44-45; Acts 9.31).
There can be no correct preaching of the gospel without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The preparation of believers called by God for this is necessary. The church is formed by believers under the power of the Holy Spirit
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Enables you to exercise the gifts that edify the church
The first thing we can highlight is that the diversity of gifts, ministries and operations that are observed in the church is given by the Holy Spirit in the way that he wants and disposes of.
The Holy Spirit is the one who determines the needs of a local church and equips it with the gifts that are necessary for its edification (1 Cor 12.4-6).
Then, the apostle Paul makes it clear to us that all the gifts are manifestations of the Holy Spirit.
This is important to know because charismatic churches only highlight the gift of tongues as the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, this is a misrepresentation of Scripture because all gifts are a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
Good and healthy teaching of the Scripture full of words of wisdom and science and knowledge is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
The gifts of healing, of prophecy or preaching, of discernment, of tongues and the interpretation of tongues, of performing miracles, the gift of faith, all of them are a manifestation of the Holy Spirit necessary in all churches for their edification.
They are given by the Holy Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to manifest in all of them, and not in anyone in particular.
They are used for the growth of the church, it is important to exercise the gifts in love, putting them at the service of the church and for the glory of God, and not boast of possessing and exercising gifts or talents for the elevation of the personal ego. This is not putting him at the service of God, but for his own glory.
Brothers, it must be of great benefit that you reflect more on the importance of the Holy Spirit for humanity so that your growth in the image of Christ is facilitated and you achieve greater objectivity in your Christian life. God bless us.
