Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
The third Person of the Trinity, often called either the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit in the Bible, is seen throughout the Bible. He is co-equal with the Father and the Son in every way, but there are fewer references to Him in the Bible, not because of a lesser rank, but because He has a different ministry.
The Spirit of God is much more than an impersonal force. He is a Person. As such, He has Divine Names, Divine attributes, and Divine works. He is considered equal in the Baptismal formula: “in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” All three Persons of the Trinity were manifest at Christ’s baptism.
He is first seen at creation in Genesis 1:2, then again before the Flood (Genesis 6:3), apparently striving in the hearts of wicked men to bring them to repentance. After this, the Holy Spirit is seen in the Old Testament as coming on certain men temporarily for different purposes. He empowers them to do a task and then leaves. He came upon Bezaleel to make things for the Tabernacle, Gideon to blow the trumpet, Samson to give him supernatural strength, some to prophecy (Saul, David, etc.), to work miracles, etc. Christ did all His works through the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18).
In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is given, as the text verse declares, to every believer to seal them into the Body of Christ. He enters at the moment of salvation and is there until they are redeemed to glory. He is a permanent seal that can never be removed – guaranteeing our final destination – Heaven.
The Holy Spirit in the life of the believer has several additional responsibilities. His working in and through us cannot be duplicated – we are dependent on Him at all times. They include:
1. Teaching and interpreting the Word of God to us (John 16:13)
2. Helping us to pray (Romans 8:26)
3. Comforting us (John 14:16)
4. Empowering our witness (Acts 1:8)
5. Guiding us (Romans 8:14)
6. Producing Christ-like fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22,23, I Corinthians 3:18)
7. Giving us victory as we serve Christ (I John 4:4)
8. Giving every believer a spiritual gift
According to John 16:8, He also has a three-fold ministry concerning the world:
1. Reproving of sin
2. Convicting of righteousness
3. Convicting of judgment
In our relationship to God, believers are commanded not to grieve, resist, or quench (silence) the Holy Ghost. We do this by disobedience. Instead, we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), which will make us like Christ. Because of His presence within, the Bible says, “know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (I Corinthians 6:19).
Thank God that forgiveness is available when we do resist Him. We just need to sincerely confess our sin and desire to turn from them (I John 1:9).