Why did the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit?
You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you. Romans 8:9-11
If you love me, you will keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you. John 14:15-17
I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:25-26
I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you. John 16:12-15
The Spirit was sent into the world to fulfill God’s promise to give life to his people and dwell with them forever.
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave his people the gift of the Holy Spirit. He even claimed that having the Holy Spirit would be better than having Jesus with us in person. How could that be true?
Well, there are several reasons.
First of all, we were broken and sinful and needed forgiveness. So Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to bring forgiveness and healing.
Second of all, we were without life and joy, separated from God. So Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to give us life and joy.
Third, Jesus called us to be his witnesses for the world. But, for that, we needed his Spirit. So Jesus sent his Spirit to make us effective witnesses in the world.
Fourth, Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to make us holy. God wants us to be holy so that one day we can live forever with a holy God.
The Holy Spirit does all of that?
Yes! Because the Holy Spirit is not that warm and fuzzy feeling you get sometimes, or an energy source like “The Force” from Star Wars. He is the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is God. And God can do anything.
And God promises, by the Spirit, to make us fit for the life of heaven.
Take a moment to thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit and how he impacts your day. Ask God to fill you with the Spirit more and more each day.