I know I said I was taking a break, but Sunday’s sermon inspired me. There was talk of the Holy Spirit as a person of the Trinity. Not a ghost or a wind, but a very real expression of God. So I had a few scriptures that came to mind and I want to explore the role of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life.

John 15:5 NLT
[5] “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

As my title shows, I was inspired by the last sentence of this verse, with emphasis on the “apart from me”. For are we not apart from Jesus? After all, Jesus has ascended into heaven and is seated at the right-hand of the Father.

I can only conclude that Jesus knew he would be sending the Holy Spirit as our connection of unity with God. Thereby, remaining in Jesus and Jesus remaining in us.

So we learn the first role of the Holy Spirit – uniting us with God.

John 14:16-18 NLT
[16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. [17] He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. [18] No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.

We are not apart from Jesus, for when he sent the Holy Spirit, Jesus was now able to be with all believers. Something he couldn’t do in the flesh. Jesus, Holy Spirit, and Father are one God. Each Person playing an important role in our lives.

In this verse the Holy Spirit is our Advocate who never leaves and leads us into all truth. The title of Advocate echoes the verse that God is for us.

I’d like to look at another verse in a new light.

Isaiah 9:6 NLT
[6] For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

We know this refers to the birth of Jesus, but what if this is preparing us to see all the facets of who our God is. For the Holy Spirit represents all these roles in our lives. He leads us into all the truth of God, with the purpose that we will come to know God more and more.

2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT
[18] So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

So I guess what inspired me is the oneness of God. How with the Holy Spirit living in us we are connected to all the fullness of God in all his representations.

Can you see it? I hope so.

Grace & Peace,

Sandy