We are looking at the one hundred (plus) references to the Holy Spirit in the letters of the New Testament, from Romans through Revelation. Here, we consider His role as it is laid out in 2 Corinthians through Colossians.
“The Holy Spirit in 2 Corinthians”
1:22 (5:5) – The “sealing” is an indication of security and ownership. The giving of the Holy Spirit is God’s pledge, His “down payment,” that more is to come. We accept that fact on faith, just as we accept the forgiveness of our sins on faith. There is no sensory perception of this sealing.
3:3, 6, 8, 17-18 – This whole extended context deals with the contrast between the law of Moses and the law of the Spirit. Our lives are letters from Jesus Christ, letters written by the Spirit of the living God. Therefore, we are servants of the new covenant, servants of the Spirit, the covenant given by the Spirit, the Spirit who gives life (see Rom. 8:2).
In a real way, you cannot separate the Holy Spirit from the Lord Jesus Christ. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, just as Isaiah prophesied (61:1ff) and Jesus preached (Luke 4:18ff).
6:6 – Paul is emphasizing that he did all he could, not to discredit his ministry. Rather, he and his co-workers commended themselves to God in their ministry in purity, etc., and in the Holy Spirit. He could verify that Paul’s ministry was in complete accordance with the will of God.
13:14 – These are all practically synonymous terms suggesting a relationship with the entire Godhead.
“The Holy Spirit in Galatians”
3:2, 3, 5, 14 – Paul wants to know if they received the Holy Spirit by obeying the Law of Moses or by their faithful response to Jesus Christ? If by the Spirit of God they began their Christian walk, would they become perfect by engaging in fleshly ordinances? It was through the Spirit that they were able to work miracles, not by having obeyed the Law.
4:6, 29 – One cannot call God “Abba, Father,” or otherwise have a relationship with God except that it is provided by the Holy Spirit. Speaking of Isaac and using him as a metaphor for Christians, Paul says he was born “according to the Spirit,” that is, in keeping with the Spirit’s promise &/or work through the aged and barren Sarah. So it is that Christians today can be born again without the works of the law of Moses.
5:5, 16-18, 22, 25 – The Spirit has revealed to us the hope that is waiting for us, the hope of righteousness. But, we must continue to walk by the message of the Spirit and not living according to fleshly desires and urges. Being led by the Spirit, we do not live under the law of Moses. With the Spirit in our lives, certain fruit are produced.
6:8 – If you live by the Spirit and walk by the Spirit, then you will sow spiritual fruit in your life and the Holy Spirit will see that you reap eternal life.
“The Holy Spirit in Ephesians”
1:13 – This sealing happens after we listen to the message of truth, the gospel, and after we believe & obey it. It is only when we have fulfilled the conditions set forth by the Holy Spirit that we will belong to God, that is, have His “seal” over us. Again, you cannot have the Holy Spirit in your life until His Word is in your mind.
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2:18, 22 – It is through the mediation of the Holy Spirit that we have access to God the Father. Whether Jew or Gentile, the Holy Spirit has taught us the way to God and it is through His direction that we approach God, in Jesus Christ, for salvation and in prayer.
3:5, 16 – Verse 5 is a description of the process of inspiration and revelation. Verse 16 shows that our spiritual strength comes through the Holy Spirit working in the inner person. You can have the Bible in your head without having the Spirit in your heart. But you cannot have the Spirit in your heart without obeying the Bible in your head.
4:3, 4, 30 – The Spirit brings us together into one body, so that we need to force ourselves to maintain unity. In verse 30, we “grieve” the Spirit any time we do not fulfill the Spirit’s directions to us.
5:18 – Rather than being filled with wine, Paul here says we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit which is described in verse 19 as singing to one another in Scripture-filled songs.
6:17-18 – This text, obviously, has to do with the Christians’ armor in his battle against Satan. The one offensive weapon we have is the Sword, which is the Word of God, described as the Sword of the Spirit. The word of God is the tool that the Spirit uses to convict the world and convert them to Christ. As a part of our spiritual warfare, we need to pray. Prayer is not a physical act. It is a spiritual act. It is our inner spirit communing with the divine Spirit, the Godhead.
“The Holy Spirit in Philippians”
1:19 – Getting out of prison, Paul believes, will be through their prayers and the “provision” of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. What role the Spirit would have, Paul does not say but we presume he had some type of providential work in mind.
2:1 – We can have fellowship with the Spirit as members of Christ’s body. The Spirit brings about fellowship between us and between us and God.
3:3 – Being in Christ (Col. 2:11-12), we are able to offer true worship to God, a spiritual action rather than physical. Worship is our spirit communing with the Spirit of God.
“The Holy Spirit in Colossians”
1:8 – Paul speaks of the love of the Colossians, a “love in the Spirit,” or a “spiritual love.” It was a love on the highest plane, motivated by the love of God, animated by their love for Jesus Christ.
We are moving right along and getting a picture of what the Holy Spirit does for Christians…
–Paul Holland
