The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit and a Pastor’s Ministry

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. In this way, pastors will foster a better understanding of who the Spirit is and what he does. They will also avoid any misrepresentations that lead believers astray and detract from their full appreciation of the Spirit’s work.

1. Operates in tandem with Jesus.

The Spirit doesn’t act independently but works in tandem with Jesus. Jesus told his disciples that he would send the Spirit (15:26; 16:7; cf. 14:16, 26). He added that the Spirit would bear witness to him (15:26) and help them understand what Jesus had taught (16:12–15). So any unilateral focus on the Spirit’s work that doesn’t tie the work of the Spirit to that of Jesus is imbalanced and even unbiblical.

2. Does the work of sanctification.

We may not say this, but we often live as if sanctification depends at least to some extent on our efforts. Scripture makes clear, however, that sanctification is from beginning to end the work of the Holy Spirit. We can contribute nothing to our sanctification! Paul writes that believers are to walk by, be led by and filled with, and keep in step with the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16, 18, 25). The fruit of the Spirit (not of our hard work in sanctifying ourselves!) is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22–23).

3. Is evidence of salvation.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Rom 8:8–9). Elsewhere, he says that the Holy Spirit is the “seal of redemption” (Eph 1:13; 4:30), the evidence that someone has in fact become a Christian. Just like a signature seals a document, so the Holy Spirit seals our redemption in the Lord Jesus Christ. In this way, too, Jesus and the Spirit work in tandem.

4. Inspired the Scriptures.

The Spirit inspired the Scriptures, the inerrant, unfailing, trustworthy word of God: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16); “No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:21). The ultimate author of the Scriptures is not their human authors but the Spirit who inspired them.

5. Sovereignly distributes spiritual gifts.

One area of teaching concerning the Spirit that is often lacking is the Spirit’s sovereign impartation of spiritual gifts to every church member. There is a variety of spiritual gifts, and these are for the common good (1 Cor 12:4, 7). Within the context of two church offices, elder and deacon, church leaders are to facilitate the exercise of spiritual gifts by every church member so that the church can thrive and grow (Eph 4:11–12).

6. Can be quenched and grieved (the Holy Spirit is a person!).

We often act as if the Spirit is a force, not a person. But Scripture clearly teaches the personality of the Holy Spirit. Paul urges believers not to grieve (Eph 4:30) or quench (1 Thess 5:19) the Spirit, which implies the Spirit’s possession of emotions and a will. If we love the Spirit, like we love God the Father and Jesus the Son, we won’t want to grieve or quench him. We’ll want to please him and bring him joy, and we’ll want to allow him full expression in our lives.

7. Did not indwell believers in the OT but was poured out at Pentecost.

The indwelling of the Spirit is a phenomenon that belongs to the life of the New Testament church. Old Testament believers could put their trust in Israel’s covenant-keeping God and be saved, but the Spirit didn’t indwell them. The Spirit’s work is part of the new covenant where God would write his law on people’s hearts (Jer 31:31–34). Let us appreciate the way in which the Spirit transforms our lives from within and himself works out our sanctification!

Conclusion

Pastors, 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.

Note: This post originally appeared on the Focused Pastor website.