Unless we give the Holy Spirit his due in our teaching and preaching, we settle for an anemic picture of the Christian life and ministry. We must navigate the tension between exaggerating the Spirit’s independent operations and diminishing his importance. Let us gratefully appreciate the Spirit’s vital contribution and be diligent to teach our people what the Bible says about the Spirit so he can energize their individual lives and their relationships in the body of Christ.

The Holy Spirit has engendered a fair amount of controversy in Christian circles and continues to do so today. This is somewhat ironic, as the Holy Spirit doesn’t draw attention to himself. He is content to stay in the background as he witnesses to Christ, transforms our inner being, and empowers the mission of the church. Our natural tendency may be to shy away from controversy and to avoid the topic altogether. This would be a serious mistake, however, as the Holy Spirit is massively important. Just as there is no salvation without Jesus, there is no sanctification without the Holy Spirit. How does the doctrine of the Holy Spirit relate to a pastor’s ministry?

Why the Holy Spirit Matters

The Bible refers to the Spirit from beginning to end. The first reference to the Spirit is found in Genesis 1:2, which says that “the Spirit was hovering over the waters.” Later, God puts his Spirit on designated craftsmen and leaders to accomplish a given task. Such tasks include building the tabernacle or conveying his word to his people. Thus the Spirit comes on Bezalel and Oholiab, Gideon and Samson, Saul and David, and other leaders of God’s people.

The Holy Spirit in the Bible

The term “Holy Spirit” occurs in only two Old Testament passages. The first is Psalm 51:11, where David pleads with God not to take his Holy Spirit away from him after committing adultery with Bathsheba. The second is Isaiah 63:10–11, which says that the Israelites “rebelled and grieved the Holy Spirit” at the exodus. They did this even though God “put in the midst of them his Holy Spirit” and miraculously delivered them by parting the Red Sea. In addition, there are many other references to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of the LORD.” This shows his close connection with the covenant God of Israel.

However, it is only in the New Testament that the full and distinct personhood and deity of the Spirit come into full view. First, the Spirit conceives Jesus, the Messiah, in Mary’s womb. Later, he descends on Jesus at Jesus’ baptism and remains on him through his entire ministry. Then, at Pentecost, the Spirit is poured on all believers. From here on out, he comes to live in all believers to perform in them the work of regeneration, sanctification, and glorification. Paul’s letters are full of references to the work of the Spirit in believers’ lives (see esp. Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 12–14, and Galatians 5).

7 Truths to Teach about the Holy Spirit

It’s impossible in a short article such as this to do full justice to the person and work of the Holy Spirit. That said, here are seven truths every pastor should be careful to teach the people in his congregation.

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