The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity. It is a kind of divine power or drive which finds its way to reside permanently in the believer. Jesus Christ promised His apostles that after His ascension, the Holy Spirit would come to live in them, and this promise extends to all who believe in Him.
The work, power, and influence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer are known as the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Unlike in the Old Testament, where the Spirit often came upon individuals for specific purposes and times, the Holy Spirit now takes up permanent residence in every believer. What an amazing expression of God's grace!
This means that during Christ's earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit had not yet come to permanently dwell in the apostles. Although the Holy Spirit was at work through Christ empowering miracles, healing the sick, and accomplishing the Father's will, the promise of the Spirit's permanent indwelling had not yet been fulfilled.
As Jesus promised before His ascension, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" (Acts 1:8). On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to dwell in the apostles and the other believers, empowering them to be Christ's witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. From that moment, they boldly proclaimed the gospel everywhere, and the Lord confirmed His Word by working through them with signs, wonders, and miracles.
".... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:4)
It is therefore essential for every believer to recognize the truth of the Holy Spirit's permanent indwelling. His abiding presence in us is God's seal upon our salvation. A lot of believers are ignorant about this causing a lot of confusions in their spiritual life making service and worship difficult. As a result, their service to God and their worship can become burdensome rather than joyful.
Ignorance of the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence can also lead a believer to grieve and quench the Spirit by failing to yield to His guidance and make use of His power in daily life.
This can be compared to someone who has money in a mobile wallet or bank account but is unaware of it. Although the money is available, ignorance prevents the person from enjoying its benefits, making life unnecessarily difficult. However, grieving or quenching the Holy Spirit does not mean that a believer loses his or her salvation.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ gave His disciples a pattern of the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit would teach and strengthen them, enable them to grow in sound doctrine. The Spirit would also teach them to love one another through meeting each other’s needs while at the same time empowering them to witness the Gospel.
However, since man has assumed the place of the Holy Spirit, His authority, and His power, very little is known about Christ.
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