The Holy Spirit is often misunderstood or overlooked in Christian teaching, yet He plays a vital role in the life of every believer. Understanding who the Holy Spirit is and how He works can transform our spiritual journey and effectiveness as witnesses for Christ.

First of all, we must understand the Holy Spirit is a person rather than an impersonal force. This changes how we relate to Him. We realize that He is someone we can commune with, someone who guides, teaches, and empowers us. Because He is a person we can also grieve Him through resisting His will, ignoring His promptings, and through disobedience to His Word.

Second, we must also recognize that the primary passion and purpose of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said, "When the Spirit of truth comes... He will glorify me" (John 16:13-14). Neo-Pentecostalism places an undue emphasis on the Spirit because they believe He’s been neglected and ignored. But when guided by Scripture, which was inspired by the Holy Spirit, the church corporately and believers individually will always seek to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ.

Third, we must also distinguish between the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the filling of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at the moment of salvation when a person repents and trusts in Jesus. This is a once-and-done event where believers are immersed into the body of Christ. Paul writes, "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body" (1 Corinthians 12:13).

The filling of the Holy Spirit is something that can happen repeatedly throughout a believer's life. The Bible never instructs us to seek the baptism of the Spirit, but we are commanded to "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). We see in the book of Acts that believers were repeatedly filled with the Spirit. This filling empowers believers for effective witness and service. The events at Pentecost in Acts 2 mark the birthday of the church and demonstrate powerful truths about the Holy Spirit's work. These truths were demonstrated by three powerful signs.

1. The sound of rushing wind symbolized the mysterious work of the Spirit breathing life into the church, just as God breathed life into Adam and as Ezekiel saw breath enter dry bones. (Ezekiel 37)

2. The tongues of fire represented both purification and passion. Fire in Scripture symbolizes how the Spirit purifies our hearts and ignites passion for God's Word and work.

3. Speaking in other languages demonstrated God's desire to communicate His truth to all people groups. This wasn't gibberish but actual languages that enabled the gospel to cross cultural barriers.

The filling of the Holy Spirit is intended for every Christian, not just a select few. In the Old Testament, the Spirit came upon specific individuals for particular tasks, but Moses longed for something more. When Joshua was concerned about others prophesying, Moses responded, "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!" (Numbers 11:29). That wish has been fulfilled in the church age. Now, every believer can be filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered for witness.

Ask yourself: Am I daily yielding to the leadership and control of the Holy Spirit in my life? Do I recognize when the Spirit is prompting me to speak or act? Am I grieving the Spirit by ignoring His guidance? What would change in my witness for Christ if I were more consistently filled with the Spirit?

This week, make it your goal to consciously surrender to the Holy Spirit each day. Ask Him to fill you with both purity and passion—purity of heart and passion for sharing Christ. Remember, we are utterly helpless to do anything for God's glory apart from the work of His Spirit. Vance Havner, a well-known evangelist, said, "We are not going to move this world by criticism of it, nor conformity to it, but by the combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God."