The Holy Spirit is not simply a force or power, but is a person who possesses a mind, will, and emotions. There are many unique characteristics that can be attributed to the Holy Spirit that show that He is not simply a thing, but that He is, indeed, a living being. One characteristic attributed to the personality of the Holy Spirit is knowledge. The Word of God says: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay“For the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, probing even the deep and bottomless things of God [divine counsels and things hidden and beyond the human gaze]. For who perceives (knows and understands) what passes through a man's thoughts but the man's spirit within him? Just so no one discerns (comes to know and understand) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God (Amplified Bible, 1 Corinthians 2:10-11).”The Holy Spirit has knowledge of the thoughts of God and therefore possesses an unlimited supply of understanding. He does not keep that knowledge to himself, but transmits it to man by demonstrating his ability to teach. “Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand things freely. given to us by God. And this we impart in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual (English Standard Version, 1 Corinthians 2:12-13).” For a capacity for knowledge and instruction to exist, a mind must be present and functioning. We can therefore conclude that the Holy Spirit is a person because he has a mind. Another aspect of personal being that the Holy Spirit possesses is active will. Speaking of the distribution of the gifts of the Spirit, the Bible says: “All these have the power of one and the same Spirit, who distributes to each one individually as he wills (English Standard Version, 1 Corinthians 12:11).” This verse clearly shows that the Holy Spirit makes a voluntary decision about which gifts to pour out on which people. It is not an object to be used to achieve our will, but it is God whose will is perfect and requires submission. The Holy Spirit is also a person in that he has emotions. He feels sad. “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).” He loves. “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, and for the sake of the Spirit, that ye contend with me in [your] prayers to God for me (King James Version, Romans 15:30).” Bring joy. “You have become imitators of us and of the Lord; despite grave suffering, you received the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit (New International Version, 1 Thessalonians 1:6).” The reason it is important to identify the Holy Spirit as a person with unique characteristics is because He desires to have a personal relationship with man. We cannot establish a relationship with a force or power, but only with a personal being. It is important to not only understand who the Holy Spirit is, but also why he exists. When we discover the functions and purpose of the Holy Spirit, we open ourselves to a completely different aspect of the Kingdom of God. We are able to go deeper, get closer, and run faster than ever before. One function of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment and guide us into all truth (John 16:8,13). Without the work of the Spirit, man would be lost in his sin with no sense of his need for redemption. The Spirit exposes the reality of man's desperation and then leads him toTruth. Jesus said, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, he will bear witness about me (English Standard Version, John 15:26).” Another thing the Holy Spirit does is guide us. Indeed, the guidance of the Holy Spirit identifies us as sons and daughters of God (Romans 8:14). The Holy Spirit is also at work sanctifying us. “But we must always give thanks for you, brothers beloved of the Lord, because God has chosen you as the firstfruits to be saved, through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit and faith in the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13).” To be sanctified by the Holy Spirit means to be transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus. As the Holy Spirit fills our lives, we are refined and reshaped into the person God originally intended us to be. Another function of the Holy Spirit is to empower us. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in all Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (English Standard Version).” When the Holy Spirit empowers us, He empowers us for a purpose. Not for any purpose of our own, but for the purposes of the Kingdom of God. The power of the Holy Spirit gives us the boldness to proclaim the Gospel to the world. When we open our mouths to proclaim the truth, God's Spirit wells up within us and gives us everything we need to preach the good news about Jesus without hindrance or hesitation. The Holy Spirit also gives us the power to show signs and wonders so that many will come to believe in God (Romans 15:19). Another thing the Holy Spirit does is teach us to pray. «But you, dear friends, must edify each other in your most holy faith, pray with the power of the Holy Spirit and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus. Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way you will keep yourselves safe in the love of God (New Living Translation, Jude 1:20-21).”He not only teaches us to pray for ourselves, but also intercedes for us.“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groans that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit says, for the Spirit intercedes for us believers in harmony with the will of God (New Living Translation, Romans 8:26-27).” The powerful thing about the way the Holy Spirit prays for us is that He does so according to God's will. We know that when requests are made to the Father according to His will, He is always faithful to give us what we ask for. The Holy Spirit is our greatest defender. Another function of the Holy Spirit is to impart the fruit and evidence of His work in our lives. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness. and self-control. There is no law against these things (New Living Translation, Galatians 5:22-23).” When the Spirit is active in the life of a believer, these things mentioned above should be characteristics manifested in that person's life. The Holy Spirit enables us to love others the same way Christ loves the church. It allows us to feel joy and peace in the midst of the most undesirable circumstances. The Holy Spirit teaches us to be patient as we wait for the Lord to fulfill His plans and purposes for our lives. It teaches us to respond to those around us with a kind and pure heart, and to correct and respond to others with kindness. The Holy Spirit helps us to be true to our word and honor the commitments we have made. It also gives us the discipline we need to live a life that honors the Father in our thoughts, actions, and words. One thing the Holy Spirit did in thethroughout history and continues to do today as part of his work on earth is to reveal to us the profound things of God. He tells us about the plans and purposes that God has prepared for each of us. 2 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, "This is what the Scriptures mean when they say, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.' But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches all things and shows us the deep secrets of God (New Living Translation).” There was a man named Gordon Lindsay who understood greatly the ultimate function of the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit, God revealed to Mr. Lindsay a master plan that had a great impact on the Church both in his day and today. In all that Gordon Lindsay did, he was guided by the Holy Spirit, and as a result, the Lord greatly blessed his ministry. After meeting Jesus at a tent meeting in Charles Parham, Gordon Lindsay joined the healing and evangelism campaigns of a South African missionary named John G. Lago. Soon after, Lindsay pastored a couple of small churches in Avenal and San Fernando. For eighteen years he toured the country and led revivals in full Gospel churches. When World War II began, Lindsay gave up his evangelistic ministry because it was too much for his family, and accepted the position of senior pastor at a church in Oregon (Cauchi). The Lord did not allow Gordon Lindsay to stay away from evangelistic ministry for a long time. In December 1949, after a prompting from the Holy Spirit, Lindsay organized the first convention of revivalist healers held in Dallas, Texas, called The Voice of Healing. This conference signified the life and unity of the new awakening in America. The following year, when the convention met in Kansas City, nearly 1,000 healing evangelists attended. Lindsay used the Voice of Healing convention to “expose several points of danger and tension in the movement” and “propose guidelines for the future (Cauchi).” The 1950 meeting in Kansas City transformed the convention into a “free association of revivalist healers ( Cauchi).” Conference programs served to train healing evangelists on how to address problems that tend to occur in their field of ministry. There were teachings on healing and fasting and how to establish strong follow-up after a campaign. As the association gained prominence in the 1950s, Lindsay was able to convince his good friend Oral Roberts to lead many of the meetings. Although Lindsay did some healing crusades of his own, his main goal was to train and support other evangelists in their work (Cauchi). After about 10 years of success with The Voice of Healing campaign, the Holy Spirit led Lindsay to reconsider the goals of his ministry. He began to focus on missionary work and produced evangelistic materials that were sent around the world. Lindsay's organization was transformed by healing evangelists into a highly effective missionary society called Christ for the Nations that still thrives today (Cauchi). Because Gordon Lindsay allowed his life to be directed by the Holy Spirit, hundreds of thousands of people have encountered life and healing through Jesus Christ. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Customize EssayIt is important to remember that the Holy Spirit does not limit His work exclusively to great men of faith like Gordon Lindsay. He also longs to work in and through people like me. I have experienced a relationship with the Holy Spirit in my life that has produced absolutely incredible things. Thanks to the faithfulness of the Spirit.