Who Is the Holy Spirit?
Summary
As God’s personal, animating presence, the Holy Spirit works in creation to bring life, beauty, and order out of chaos. Humanity then re-introduces chaos into God’s good world, causing corruption and death. But through Israel’s prophets, God reveals that the Spirit is renewing creation and transforming human hearts. This is so people can return to true life, know real love, and be free to love God and others. Here, we will not attempt to engage with all of the important Holy Spirit content in the Bible. Instead, we’ll trace the biblical theme along key points in the narrative to see how the Holy Spirit shows up in the storyline.
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The Big Picture
Chaos to Creation
If we want to understand the Holy Spirit, we have to start on page one of the Bible. Here, the uncreated world is depicted as a dark, chaotic place. But above the chaos, God’s Spirit hovers, ready to bring about life and order and beauty.
The Hebrew word for “Spirit” is ruakh, and it’s how the biblical authors talk about God’s personal presence. Ruakh can refer to a number of different things, but what they all have in common is energy.
But what do we mean by energy? Think of the invisible energy that makes the clouds move or the tree branches sway. Or the vitality we feel in our bodies when we take a deep breath. All of that is ruakh—and this is the same word used in the Bible to describe God’s personal presence. Just like wind and breath are invisible, God’s Spirit is invisible. Wind is powerful and God’s Spirit is powerful. And just as breath keeps us alive, God’s Spirit sustains all of life.
Empowering Humans
So what is the purpose of this personal presence of God? As we continue in the story of the Bible, we see God’s ruakh giving special empowerment to people for specific tasks. First, God’s Spirit enables Joseph to understand and interpret dreams. Then the artist Bezalel is empowered by God’s Spirit with wisdom, skills, and creative genius to make beautiful things in the tabernacle.
New Chaos to New Creation
God’s Spirit also empowers the prophets to see what’s happening in history from God’s point of view. And the prophets see a problem: While God’s ruakh created a really good world, humans unleashed chaos into it through evil and injustice. But that’s not the end of the story as the prophets see it. The Spirit will act again, just like in Genesis 1, but now to transform the human heart, to empower people to truly love God and others.
Empowering Jesus to Begin New Creation
How will this new act of God’s Spirit happen? Centuries after the prophets, we are introduced to Jesus. The Bible depicts a scene where Jesus is baptized in the waters of the Jordan River; the sky opens up and God’s Spirit comes and rests on Jesus like a bird. And in this event we are meant to see God’s Spirit empowering Jesus to begin the new creation. After this moment, whenever he heals people or forgives their sins, Jesus is creating life where there once was death.
Now Israel’s religious leaders oppose Jesus, and they eventually have him killed. But still, God’s Spirit is at work. The earliest disciples of Jesus, who see him alive from the dead, say it is God’s energizing Spirit that raises Jesus. This is the beginning of new creation.
And it’s still going! When Jesus appears to his closest followers, he breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Soon after that, the Spirit powerfully comes to rest upon and to fill all of his disciples, so they can become part of this new creation, share the good news, and learn how to live by the energy and influence of God’s Spirit.
New Creation
Today, the Spirit is still hovering in dark places, pointing people to Jesus, transforming and empowering them to love God and others. And the Christian hope is that God’s Spirit will finish the job. The story of the Bible ends with a vision of a new humanity living in a new world that’s permeated with God’s love and life-giving Spirit.
Dive Deeper
So far we’ve just skimmed the surface. Explore these studies to take a deeper dive into how this theme contributes to the whole story of the Bible.
Read
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
7 Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living person.
14 “If He were to determine to do so,
If He were to gather His spirit and His breath to Himself,
15 Humanity would perish together,
And mankind would return to dust.
Consider
In Genesis 1:2, the earth is covered with water, which is a symbol of chaos in the ancient world. God’s Spirit hovers over the waters like a bird, preparing to bring order out of the chaos. For the Spirit, chaos presents not a threat but an opportunity. God simply speaks, and light emerges from the darkness, land from the water, and creatures from the ground (see Gen. 1:6-31). Through his Spirit, God creates a beautiful world that’s teeming with life.
The Hebrew word for “spirit” is ruakh. It refers to an invisible energy that can take the form of “wind” (Gen. 3:8), “breath” (Job 27:3), or “spirit”—that is, the personal presence of God (Ezek. 37:1) or of a person (Ps. 32:2).
When God forms a human from the dust, he breathes into him “the breath of life” (Gen. 2:7). Although the Hebrew word in this case is neshamah, Job 34:14-15 uses ruakh and neshamah as synonyms to describe the life-force God gives humans. In other words, God’s ruakh animates people and is the source of all life.
Reflect
What does God’s Spirit do in Genesis 1:1-5? What does this tell us about how the Spirit approaches situations of chaos?
More Relevant Scripture References
Read
37 Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.
38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom there is a divine spirit?” 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people shall be obedient to you; only regarding the throne will I be greater than you.”
31 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 4 to create artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, 5 and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, so that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship.
9 But the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to set them free, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went to war, the Lord handed over to him Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia, so that he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.
8 On the other hand, I am filled with power—
With the Spirit of the Lord
And with justice and courage
To make known to Jacob his rebellious act,
And to Israel his sin.
Consider
God breathes his life-sustaining ruakh (“breath” or “spirit”) into all people (Job 34:14-15). But in the Hebrew Bible, God’s Spirit also empowers certain people to do specific tasks.
In Genesis 41, Pharaoh has dreams that puzzle all the wise men of Egypt. When Joseph interprets the dreams, Pharaoh recognizes that Joseph’s ability comes from God’s Spirit.
Later, God fills Bezalel with his Spirit so that he can create intricate designs for the tabernacle. The tabernacle was a moveable temple, intended to resemble Eden, where God could live with his people as they traveled through the wilderness. When God first created humans, his aim was for them to continue his creative work by being fruitful and multiplying life, which included cultivating the garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15). So, as God first acted through his Spirit to create the world, God’s Spirit now acts through Bezalel. He continues God’s creating work by designing the tabernacle as a new Eden.
God’s Spirit also empowers judges like Othniel to deliver the Israelites from their enemies (Judg. 3:9-10). And the Spirit empowers prophets like Micah (Mic. 3:8) to hear God’s words of judgment and hope and speak them to the people.
Reflect
What kinds of things did God’s Spirit empower people to do in the Hebrew Bible? Do you see any patterns or themes? Do you see ways that the Spirit does or does not seem to work? Why do you think people needed God’s Spirit to accomplish these tasks?
More Relevant Scripture References
Read
24 For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances. 28 And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29 Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. 30 Instead, I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations.
Consider
The Israelites end up in Babylonian exile because they do not honor the terms of their agreement with God. After delivering the people from Egypt (Exod. 19:4-8), God establishes a covenant with them, giving instructions designed to bring loving order and flourishing life to Israel. Instead, the people choose violence and injustice, unleashing chaos throughout their land.
But God doesn’t give up on them. Exile isn’t the end. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God promises to bring his people back from exile and give them a “new heart” and a “new spirit.” What does that mean? God says he will replace their stony hearts with soft, fleshy hearts that will respond to his voice. And the new spirit he will give them is his Spirit.
God’s Spirit will no longer empower only certain people for specific tasks. Now the Spirit will empower all kinds of people to understand and follow his teaching. The Spirit will transform the human heart so that people can truly love God and others.
Reflect
Imagine yourself as a hurting Israelite in exile. The Babylonian army has destroyed the temple where you encounter God. You’ve been torn from your homeland and forced to live under enemy control in a distant land. How might you feel when you hear the promise from God in Ezekiel 36:24-30?
More Relevant Scripture References
Read
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. 5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.
29 The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him, and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He in behalf of whom I said, ‘After me is coming a Man who has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’ 31 And I did not recognize Him, but so that He would be revealed to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32 And John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
Consider
Like Genesis, the Gospel of John starts with the words: “In the beginning.” John is reminding us about Genesis 1, suggesting that this moment is like that one—divine creation is happening. John identifies Jesus as the Word through whom God spoke the world into being, and we know from Genesis 1:2 that the Spirit was also part of the original creation, hovering over the waters.
At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit comes down from heaven like a dove and rests on him. Once again, God’s Spirit is hovering like a bird over the waters, preparing to bring order from chaos so that life can flourish.
God’s Spirit is empowering Jesus to begin the new creation. The Spirit is doing what the Spirit always does—giving and sustaining life—but in a new way. Light is once again entering the world, overcoming the darkness.
The dove-like Spirit resting on Jesus also anoints him as someone who will baptize others, but in the Holy Spirit rather than in water. John the Baptizer explains that Jesus will cleanse people from sin and give them the Holy Spirit, as Ezekiel promised (Ezek. 36:24-30). This will enable them to follow God’s ways, which lead to life.
Reflect
What connections do you see when you compare Genesis 1:1-5 with John 1:1-5, 29-34? How does this help you understand the Spirit’s work through Jesus?
More Relevant Scripture References
Read
61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord anointed me
To bring good news to the humble;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim release to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
20 And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all the people in the synagogue were intently directed at Him. 21 Now He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Consider
Isaiah 61:1-3 describes a prophetic figure who’s empowered by God’s Spirit to bring restoration. He declares the good news of God’s coming kingdom to the poor, liberates the oppressed, announces the “favorable year of the LORD,” and comforts those who are grieving.
The phrase “favorable year of the LORD” refers to the restorative Year of Jubilee. God told the Israelites that every 50th year they were to free slaves and return any land that had been sold to its original owner, breaking the cycle of generational poverty (see Lev. 25).
In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus reads part of that passage from the scroll of Isaiah. And then he declares that he’s bringing this prophetic promise to fulfillment right then, in their midst. The Spirit is empowering him to restore those who are weighed down by poverty, trapped by injustice, and bowed down in suffering and grief.
So Jesus heals the sick and oppressed, brings freedom from evil spirits, and calls people to lives of radical generosity so that all will have what they need. Jesus is creating life where there once was death. He is renewing all of creation, which means he’s working in union with the life-giving Holy Spirit.
Reflect
How does Isaiah 61:1-3 provide a framework for understanding Jesus’ ministry? What are some ways he fulfills these verses?
More Relevant Scripture References
Read
16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; 17 the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while remaining with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful.
26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, namely, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 and you are testifying as well, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, grief has filled your heart. 7 But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: 9 regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me; 11 and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.
Consider
Before Jesus’ arrest, he explains to his closest followers that it is better for them that he’s going away. But why? He says that when he leaves, he’ll send the Holy Spirit to them. The Spirit will be “another Helper” (Greek parakletos, John 14:16), like Jesus (see 1 John 2:1). But unlike Jesus, who was with them only for a season, this helper will live in them and will be with them continuously, forever.
As Jesus prepares his followers for his death, he refers three times to the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13). He does this to emphasize the Spirit’s role in helping people see the truth about God, his will, ourselves, and this world. So the Spirit is not only the life-giver, but also the truth-teller.
Jesus’ willingness to be crucified without fighting back might suggest his weakness before greater ruling powers. But the Spirit unveils a deeper truth. Jesus’ death and resurrection actually show the world an exponentially greater power—God’s love and forgiveness, which defeat “the ruler of this world” (16:11). And since Jesus’ return to heaven suggests that he represents and is inseparably connected to the Father, the Spirit helps people see that rejecting Jesus is also a rejection of God and, therefore, of true life itself.
The Spirit will remind Jesus’ followers of his words, teaching them everything they need to know and preparing them for what’s coming. Through the Spirit, they will live in unity, despite their different backgrounds and ways of life, “so that the world may know” Jesus through them (17:22-23; see Eph. 4:3).
Reflect
In what ways does the Holy Spirit help Jesus’ followers?
More Relevant Scripture References
Read
2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.
5 Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered, because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs— we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty deeds of God.” 12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others were jeering and saying, “They are full of sweet wine!”
14 But Peter, taking his stand with the other eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, know this, and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is only the third hour of the day; 16 but this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,
‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
And your young men will see visions,
And your old men will have dreams;
18 And even on My male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days,
And they will prophesy.
19 ‘And I will display wonders in the sky above
And signs on the earth below,
Blood, fire, and vapor of smoke.
20 ‘The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood,
Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 ‘And it shall be tha t everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Consider
In Genesis 11:1-9 God separates people by confusing their languages and ending their arrogant plans to build a tower that reaches Heaven. Centuries later, when the Spirit arrives at Pentecost, God brings separated peoples back together and—through the Holy Spirit—empowers them to understand and speak one another’s languages. God is restoring the harmony of creation, integrating all varieties of people into one good way of life.
Peter sees the arrival of the Holy Spirit as a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that “in the last days” God would send his Spirit on “all flesh”—young and old, men and women, rich and poor (Joel 2:28-32, BibleProject translation). Through the Spirit, all people will be able to know and communicate God’s words, like the prophets in the Hebrew Bible.
The fiery tongues marking the Spirit’s presence allude to God’s appearances in the Hebrew Bible (see Exod. 3:2, 19:18), which often include a visible fire that doesn’t consume or harm anything. Previously, God’s presence had settled in the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kgs. 8:10-11), but now God will dwell in his people through his Spirit. Their bodies will become living temples, where Heaven meets Earth (1 Cor. 3:16-17). And they will become the presence of God to the world around them.
Reflect
Often we consider physical and spiritual realities as separate from, or even opposed to, one another. But passages like this reveal a story about God joining human flesh and his own Spirit together as one. What does this teach you (or make you wonder) about God and his relationship with creation?
More Relevant Scripture References
Read
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, and various kinds of tongues. 29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? 31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
And yet, I am going to show you a far better way.
13 If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions to charity, and if I surrender my body so that I may glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.
Consider
In the Hebrew Bible, the Holy Spirit empowered certain people to do specific tasks. Now the Spirit empowers all of Jesus’ followers by giving them each spiritual gifts in order to care for each other. For example, some have a tenacious faith, others are agents of healing, while still others are compelling teachers.
In 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, Paul develops the metaphor of a “body” to describe the gathering of Christ’s people, or the church. Every follower of Christ is a body part, and each part functions differently. Just as individuals need all of their body parts working together for personal health, so the body of Christ needs all of its “parts” (its people) to use their different Spirit-enhanced gifts so the community can flourish.
Most importantly, Paul explains that these gifts only truly function when people exercise them from a heart of genuine love for others. Even the most powerful and effective gifts are, at best, worthless and, at worst, harmful (like a “clanging cymbal”) if they are not exercised in love. Paul repeats this point three times in three verses (1 Cor. 13:1-3) to boldly emphasize that exercising spiritual gifts is only helpful when the action is motivated by genuine love.
Reflect
What are a few ways you might see the gifts of the Spirit being helpful for community life and flourishing? Why is love for others so crucial when using spiritual gifts?
More Relevant Scripture References
Read
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, 20 idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well. 26 Let’s not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
Consider
Sometimes “life” is equated with a beating heart and blinking eyes. But the Bible suggests over and over that real life is much more. Writing to the churches in Galatia, the Apostle Paul sets up a sharp contrast between walking “by the Spirit” and carrying out the “desire of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). The first is about true human life; the latter is more like a “dead” person walking.
When Paul writes about the “flesh” here, he is not talking about our physical bodies, but our selfish tendencies to choose what’s right in our own eyes, or to give into harmful cravings of our flesh. This way of life produces bad fruit and broken relationships.
But when we’re trusting the Holy Spirit’s guidance and allowing God to determine what’s right, our lives begin to heal. We start producing good fruit, like loving words and actions that bring healing to our communities. We radiate joy in the midst of despair, create peace when conflicts arise, and show kindness even when people treat us harshly.
When Paul says that we “are not under the Law” if we are “led by the Spirit” (5:18), he doesn’t mean that God’s torah (Hebrew for “law” or “instruction”) is now invalid. He’s saying that people who are led by the Spirit are no longer compelled by fear of punishment but are compelled by the love of Christ.
As God promised in Ezekiel 36:27, the Spirit works in us so that we can fulfill the heart of the torah. And we do this by taking care of one another—by loving our neighbor as ourselves (Gal. 5:14).
Reflect
Imagine a community full of people engaging in the “deeds of the flesh” in Galatians 5:19-21. What would that look like? How would you envision a community marked by the “fruit of the Spirit” in verses 22-23?
More Relevant Scripture References
Frequently Asked Questions
The Holy Spirit is a complex topic, and you probably still have questions. Here are some of the ones we hear most often.
The Holy Spirit created the world and all life within it (Gen. 1:2). And as God’s animating presence, sometimes referred to as God's “breath,” the Holy Spirit continues creating and sustaining life and everything that exists (Job 34:14-15; Ps. 33:6; Ps. 104:29-30).
The Holy Spirit also energizes human work. In the Hebrew Bible, the Spirit empowers certain people to accomplish particular tasks (e.g., Gen. 41:37-40; Exod. 31:1-5). Then, in the New Testament, the Spirit joins with all Jesus’ followers to empower them (Acts 2:1-21), giving them spiritual gifts to be used for serving others (1 Cor. 12).
Since human corruption has harmed our world, resulting in chaos and suffering, the life-giving presence of the Spirit is also at work to restore all of creation’s original beauty and goodness. In the Hebrew Bible, God promises that through the Spirit he will bring people back from the death of exile (Ezek. 37:1-14) and replace their hard, deadened hearts with soft, fleshy hearts (Ezek. 36:24-30).
In the New Testament, the Spirit empowers Jesus to bring about new creation life (John 1:29-34; Luke 4:16-21). After his crucifixion, the Spirit is involved in raising Jesus from the dead, demonstrating the resurrection life that is available to all people (Rom. 8:11). The Spirit gives Jesus’ followers a new birth into new life (John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5) so they can live the way God desires and build healthy, thriving communities (Gal. 5:13-26). And one day the Spirit will raise them from death and grant a renewed, indestructible life in the new Heaven and new Earth (1 Cor. 15).
The Spirit also helps Jesus’ followers by reminding them about the things Jesus taught (John 14:26), by revealing God’s truth (John 16:5-15), by reminding them of their status as God’s children (Rom. 8:16), and by interceding for them “with groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26, NASB).
The Holy Spirit is both invisible and, at times, seemingly visible. The Spirit is said to look “like” a dove descending from the sky during Jesus’ baptism (John 1:32), echoing the Spirit’s bird-like hovering over the chaotic waters at creation (Gen. 1:2). In other places, the Spirit is connected to life-giving water (Isa. 44:3; John 3:5; John 7:37-39) or the oil of anointing (1 Sam. 16:13). And at Pentecost, the Spirit appears to Jesus’ followers as tongues of fire (Acts 2:1-4), reflecting God’s fiery appearances in the Hebrew Bible (Exod. 3:1-5; Exod. 13:21-22; Exod. 19:16-18).
But Jesus also describes the “Spirit” (Greek pneuma) as like the “wind” (also pneuma), which “blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going” (John 3:8, NASB). Often we don’t see the Spirit, but instead we see the effects of the Spirit’s life-giving and empowering work.
No image can completely capture the Spirit’s essence. Doves, water, oil, and fire each tell us something about the Spirit, but the Spirit is beyond all these things. And the Spirit is also beyond gender. Although people sometimes refer to the Holy Spirit as a “he,” the Hebrew word for “Spirit” (ruakh) is feminine and the Greek word (pneuma) is neuter.
“Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control”—these qualities are the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23a, NASB). The Apostle Paul says that our lives will produce this fruit when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our decisions and actions. When we show love to people around us, even if they don’t love us in return, we are demonstrating the Spirit’s work in us. When we’re patient with others’ faults or with things that don’t go the way we planned, we’re bearing spiritual fruit. When we display self-control instead of letting our desires control us, bringing harm to ourselves and others, spiritual fruit is growing in us. Together, these fruits are the natural produce of a life lived in the Spirit.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit, which the New Testament often calls “spiritual gifts,” are given to Jesus’ followers so they can care for one another and build each other up. These gifts include teaching, service, pastoring (which means “shepherding” people), giving, leading, healing, faith, prophecy, words of wisdom, and many more. The New Testament offers several lists of spiritual gifts that are overlapping, but not identical (1 Cor. 12:8-10; 1 Cor. 12:29-31; 1 Cor. 14:1-2; Rom. 12:6-8; Eph. 4:11; 1 Pet. 4:10-11). This suggests that the New Testament authors were not trying to be exhaustive about what kinds of gifts the Spirit gives. Instead, they focused on explaining the purpose of spiritual gifts and the ways people should use them. Spiritual gifts are designed to help individuals and communities flourish (Eph. 4:11-13; 1 Cor. 12:4-30; 1 Cor. 14:1-5). But they can fulfill that purpose only when they’re exercised in love (1 Cor. 13:1-3) and in an orderly way (1 Cor. 14:26-32; 1 Cor. 14:40).
Christian traditions hold different views about what it means to be “filled with” the Spirit (see Acts 2:4; Acts 9:17) and when such an event takes place in a person’s life. Some see being “filled with,” “baptized with” (see Matt. 3:11; Acts 1:5), and “receiving” (see John 20:22; Acts 8:17) the Holy Spirit as ways of referring to the same event, while others suggest distinctions.
In any case, New Testament authors repeatedly teach that the Holy Spirit empowers people to live according to God’s ways by loving and caring for each other (e.g., Gal. 5:13-26). Jesus’ followers cooperate with the Spirit’s work in them when they “walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16). The Apostle Paul’s instruction to “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18) also suggests that people can choose to cooperate with the Spirit and allow the Spirit’s power to affect or fill every area of their life. This, Paul says, is the way to new life.
Being filled with the Spirit can also be a way to talk about receiving spiritual gifts from God, so that through the Spirit’s strengthening power, people can offer healing and encouragement to one another (1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4:11-13) And at times the Spirit fills people with power to speak or act in particular ways (see Isa. 61:1; Judg. 3:10; Judg. 14:6; Acts 8:29; Acts 13:4; Acts 16:6).
In Matthew 12:31, Jesus says, “every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven” (NASB). In this instance, Jesus is responding to some Pharisees who think he’s using demonic power to cast out demons (Matt. 12:24; see also Mark 3:22-30). In other words, they don’t recognize the Holy Spirit’s power when they see it.
A similar saying in Luke 12 comes in a different context. Here Jesus explains that his followers will be persecuted and dragged before authorities, but he reassures them that the Holy Spirit will give them the words to faithfully represent him (Luke 12:12). And Jesus says that “everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him” (Luke 12:10, NASB).
Jesus’ statements about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit are not intended to strike fear in the hearts of people who are genuinely seeking to follow God. He’s talking about an ongoing way of rejecting the Holy Spirit, not about a moment where you say or think something blasphemous.
Jesus says that the Spirit shows people what is good and brings conviction (not condemnation) to human beings who have turned against God (John 16:8-9). The Apostle Paul also says that because of the Spirit, people can understand and accept that Jesus is the ruler, or “Lord” over all creation (1 Cor. 12:3). So when people are rejecting the work of the Spirit as bad or wrong, thereby “blaspheming against the Holy Spirit,” they’re also rejecting the forgiveness and life found in Jesus.
“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph. 4:30, NASB) comes right after a warning against destructive speech (Eph. 4:29) and before a call to avoid “bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander” (Eph. 4:31, NASB). So behaviors that harm oneself, others, or creation, and actions or attitudes that foster malice and create hostility or division all grieve the Holy Spirit.
In fact, the passage begins by challenging Jesus’ followers to flourish as God intended by recognizing that God called them to be his partners in the work of restoring all things (Eph. 4:1). Living like this involves “being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3, NASB). If Jesus’ followers tear each other down, they’re contributing to the world’s brokenness, which grieves the Holy Spirit. But when they seek to build each other up, they become loving signposts of the better way of life found in God’s Kingdom.
Ephesians 4:30 may also allude to Isaiah 63:10, which says that the Israelites “grieved” the Holy Spirit when they turned away from God. Though God called them to reflect his justice and righteousness, they chose oppression and violence instead (Isa. 5:7). The Scriptures suggest that the Spirit experiences suffering and real sorrow when people are wounded and relationships fractured.