Fellowship with the Spirit

By Danny Saavedra

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”—2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)

Who Is the Holy Spirit? As simply as I can put this, the Holy Spirit is the third person in the triune Godhead. The title given to the Holy Spirit throughout Scripture give us a clear indication of His relationship to the Father and Son while also confirming His deity and place in the Trinity.

What Does the Spirit Do?

He teaches. Just as Jesus taught the disciples, the Holy Spirit would also teach them and us. In fact, Jesus said He “will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26 HCSB). And His teaching is so powerful, because it’s spoken directly to our hearts as He brings revelation and understanding of the things of God.

He guides. Jesus proclaimed that when the Spirit would come, He would guide them into all truth (John 16:13). The picture Christ paints here is of an expert tour guide leading a searching traveler into unfamiliar territory. And not only does He guide us into all truth, but He guides us into the work God has called us to accomplish and helps us carry it out!

He convicts. John 16:8 speaks of the future ministry of the Spirit to convict the world. The word “convict” here means to “convince someone of something; to point something out to someone.” The Spirit is purposed with convincing sinners to repent, with persuading them to pursue the righteousness that comes by faith in Christ, to receive Christ, and to be spared His judgment.

He intercedes. This is such a beautiful and important aspect of the Spirit’s work. In Romans 8:26, Paul tells us the Spirit helps us in our weakness. You see, we don’t always know what we should pray for, what we need, or what is best for us, but the Spirit does! So, He intercedes on our behalf with “wordless groans.”

He sanctifies. In John 17, Jesus prays and asks the Father to sanctify us in His truth, which is done by the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is a lifelong work the Spirit works out in us and carries to completion (Philippians 1:6). It’s the process by which God, through the Holy Spirit, guides us to maturity in Christ.

He fills us. The filling of the Holy Spirit is different from His other functions in that it’s conditional. This unique work of the Spirit is experiential and situation based. It’s based on the will of God to accomplish a specific work in any given situation through us. Now, in order for us to be filled with the Spirit, we must be attuned to the Spirit, seeking the Lord daily, growing in Him, and living in obedience and devotion. Obedience to Christ and His Word, to the commands and principles of Scripture, are necessary in order to be filled. So, when Paul commands us to be continually filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), he’s also indicating we must be engaged in a healthy, growing, and surrendered relationship with Christ. This means not grieving (Ephesians 4:30) or quenching (1 Thessalonians 5:19) the Spirit and walking by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16).

Pause: How have you seen the Holy Spirit work in your life?

Practice: Be intentional in your prayer time to remember the Spirit is with you and to speak to Him.

Pray: Holy Spirit, I thank You for the amazing work You do in my heart and life by the will of the Father and the grace of the Son. Thank You for always teaching me, guiding me, interceding for me, convicting me, and comforting me. Use me, dear Spirit, to accomplish the work of the Lord and to display the glory of Christ to the world around me. Amen.