Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He proceeds from the Father and the Son (John 15:26 [show]John 15:26
[26]"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. (ESV)
). His principle ministries since his advent at Pentecost are: to reveal Christ to all in the regeneration and sanctification of souls (John 16:12-16 [show]John 16:12-16
[12]"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. [13]When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. [14]He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. [15]All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
[16]"A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me." (ESV)); to reprove or convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8-11 [show]John 16:8-11
[8]And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: [9]concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; [10]concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; [11]concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. (ESV)); to restrain the progress of evil until God’s purposes are accomplished (II Thess. 2:7 [show]2 Thessalonians 2:7
[7]For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. (ESV)); to bear witness to the truth preached (Acts 5:30-32 [show]Acts 5:30-32
[30]The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. [31]God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. [32]And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." (ESV)); to regenerate those who repent of their sins and exercise faith in Christ (John 3:3-8 [show]John 3:3-8
[3]Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." [4]Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" [5]Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [6]That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7]Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' [8]The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (ESV); Tit. 3:5 [show]Titus 3:5
[5]he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, (ESV)); to instruct, comfort, and guide God’s children (John 14:16-18, 14 [show]John 14:16-18
[16]And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, [17]even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
[18]"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (ESV)
John 14:14
[14]If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (ESV):26, 16:13); to sanctify them (II Thess. 2:13 [show]2 Thessalonians 2:13
[13]But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. (ESV); I Pet. 1:1-2 [show]1 Peter 1:1-2
[1:1]Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2]according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (ESV)); to empower them for life and service (Rom. 8:2 [show]Romans 8:2
[2]For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (ESV); Acts 1:8 [show]Acts 1:8
[8]But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (ESV); Eph. 3:16 [show]Ephesians 3:16
[16]that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, (ESV); I Cor. 2:1-4 [show]1 Corinthians 2:1-4
[2:1]And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. [2]For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3]And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, [4]and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, (ESV); I Thess. 1:5 [show]1 Thessalonians 1:5
[5]because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. (ESV)); to give life to their mortal bodies that he seals (Rom. 8:11 [show]Romans 8:11
[11]If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (ESV); Eph. 1:13 [show]Ephesians 1:13
[13]In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, (ESV)); to indwell the believer (Rom. 8:11 [show]Romans 8:11
[11]If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (ESV)); to intercede for the believer in his prayer life (Rom. 8:26-27 [show]Romans 8:26-27
[26]Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. [27]And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (ESV)); and, to bestow gifts sovereignly upon each believer (I Cor. 12:7-11 [show]1 Corinthians 12:7-11
[7]To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. [8]For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, [9]to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, [10]to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. [11]All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (ESV)). While certainly not a part of the modern-day charismatic movement, we do believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is available in our day and is absolutely necessary for the believer to live a holy life.