It is unfortunate that the study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit, PNEUMATOLOGY, is given so little emphasis in many quarters of Christian thought. This could stem from the relatively small amount of text in the New Testament which speaks explicitly to the Holy Spirit. These texts are: John 14, John 16, Rom 8, and the book of Acts, which some commentators have said should be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit in the Apostles (instead of the Acts of the Apostles)
As noted above, the study of the Holy Spirit has been in some quarters the most ignored of the doctrines of God. However, as those who has read the above linked texts will realize, we should know the doctrine because it is the Holy Spirit who lives in, empowers and strengthens the believers who follow Jesus.
First we should consider that the Holy Spirit is indeed God. The Spirit was already present at creation and is therefore, like the other persons of the Trinity... eternal in nature.
In the work of the Holy Spirit, we note that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the helper, the comforter, the counselor. It is important for us to realize that the Holy Spirit knows our needs and our prayers because He indwells the believer. At the point of justification, the Holy Spirit comes to live IN the follower of Jesus, sealing us forever, and enhancing our conscience.
The Holy Spirit enhances our conscience to enable us to know, within our hearts, what is right. Every human has a conscience; but that conscience is impaired by the fall. Hence, when the Spirit indwells us, our conscience is awakened to that which God's wishes from us: His will. Thus we are better able to live for God.
We should further understand that this pleasing of God comes from growing more like Christ, this is sanctification. In that we are being sanctified, we understand that it is the Holy Spirit who is the agent of this sanctification. To fully understand what this is about, we must now consider human nature, sin and salvation... what we will term Biblical Anthropology.
TEXTS WE EXAMINED IN CLASS
John 16:5-16
John 15:26-27
Acts 2:1-4
1Cor 12:1-11
Gal. 5:16-26