This October at Ignite, we're launching our sermon series on the Holy Spirit.
To accompany this series, I’ve created a six-day devotional designed to help us explore five foundational questions about the Holy Spirit. This devotional will provide key insights and background to deepen our understanding throughout the month.

Our anchor scripture is found in John 16:13, which says:
“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

Over the next six days, we’ll reflect on this powerful verse and walk through the “5 W’s”: Who, What, When, Where, and Why as they relate to the Holy Spirit.

So buckle up and join us on this six-day journey as we seek a deeper, clearer understanding of the Holy Spirit and His role in our lives.

In John chapter 16, Jesus is seen and heard here recording His farewell teaching to His disciples, preparing them for His departure, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the trials they will soon face.

Warning of Persecution (vv.1-4)
Jesus is speaking here, letting His disciples know they will face opposition when going out and picking up where He left off—whether it is from religious people who think they are serving God or from spirits manifesting in people.

The Holy Spirit’s Work (vv.5-15)

This section of Scripture (where our anchor verse is drawn from) was likely one of the most difficult moments for the disciples to hear: that Jesus would soon be leaving them. Jesus explained that His departure was for their benefit, because once He returned to the Father, the Helper (the Holy Spirit) would come to dwell in God’s people. The Spirit would convict the world of sin, reveal God’s standard of righteousness, and declare the reality of coming judgment. For the disciples, the Spirit would also serve as their Guide, leading them into all truth and reminding them of everything Jesus had taught.

Sorrow Turned to Joy (vv.16-24)
Jesus highlighted His coming death and resurrection by comparing it to a woman in labor. During childbirth she experiences pain, but when the child is born those pains are forgotten in comparison to the joy of new life. Though the disciples would grieve and experience the pain of the Chosen One’s death, their grief would soon turn to joy that no one could ever take away.

Prayer in His Name (vv.23-28)
We know the disciples often questioned Jesus’ actions in the past, but here He assured them that after His resurrection they would have direct access to the Father in His name, and that the Father Himself loved them. This reminds me of another scripture found in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” The righteousness of the Blameless One covers the multitude of sins of us the fallen ones.

Final Encouragement (vv.29-33)
Jesus acknowledged that they now believed, but soon they would scatter and leave Him alone. He concluded with a promise: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Reflection Question: 

What are your initial thoughts, when you read this chapter?

2 Corinthians 3:17 — “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

There are many verses that speak about  the Holy Spirit and help portray who He is, but I believe this verse is the core: the Holy Spirit is the Lord. Often called the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit is God Himself.,He is first introduced during creation in Genesis 1:2: “The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” The first expression of God made available here on earth.

Another case in point is the story in Acts 5, where Peter rebuked Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit: “Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” The Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God is that part of God that dwells and lives within mankind. We’ll cover this more in depth on another day.

Before closing out our discussion on who He is, here are three important truths to acknowledge about the Holy Spirit: The Spirit is One’s Own, The Spirit is Divine, The Spirit is Active.

The Holy Spirit is One’s Own
The Holy Spirit thinks and knows, as it says in 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” The Spirit has the ability to search the deep things of God. Just as no one knows the thoughts of a man except his own spirit, so no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is God in you. 

The Holy Spirit is Divine
As we said earlier, the Holy Spirit is a member of the Holy Trinity. Jesus declared  that when a believer comes into the faith and is baptized, they are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This demonstrates that the Holy Spirit is divine and part of the eternal Godhead, and therefore worthy of worship and reverence.

The Holy Spirit is Active
The Holy Spirit is active in the work of  sanctification, which simply means transforming one's life to make it more holy. The Spirit daily leads us away from the things God detests and makes us more like Him. Scripture says, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31), showing us that sanctification is an ongoing process accomplished through the help of the Holy Spirit alive and active in our lives.

Because the Holy Spirit is one’s own, we can make Him personal, learning from Him, growing with Him, and fellowshipping with Him. Because the Holy Spirit is divine, we worship Him and yield to His authority. Because the Holy Spirit is active, we trust and submit to Him daily to transform our lives.

Reflection Question:

Who is the Holy Spirit to me?

John 14:26 — “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

The Holy Spirit plays many roles in our lives, some of which we highlighted yesterday. One of His main roles is that of a Helper.

Jesus, who lived on earth for 33 years, did many things. In our day, we don’t often hear of His early life except for His birth and the time He was in the temple at age 12, before the start of His ministry at 30.

Jesus was our earthly example of how to live a life pleasing to the Father. 

Before Jesus came, people were always trying to figure God out. When His work on earth was completed, He told His disciples that although His race was finished, theirs was just beginning. He promised not to leave them alone, and that He would send them a Helper, the Holy Spirit, to aid them in carrying out the work bestowed upon them, as found in Matthew 28:18-20.

In our passage today, we see that the Spirit reminded the disciples of the teachings of Jesus. This was not only for their own edification but also for the development of the Gospels. Today, the Holy Spirit continues that same work  in us, acting as the Spirit of Continuation, enabling us to carry on the mission of Christ as the disciples once did.

The Holy Spirit also brings back to our remembrance scriptures we have read. Think of Him like a “spiritual bank.” When we read scriptures, they are stored in our “Spirit bank,” and the Holy Spirit draws them out when needed.

Through the Spirit, we are also able to manifest Christ-like character such as peace, joy, and love, as found in Galatians 5:22. The Holy Spirit guides us into truth, teaches us, helps us, comforts us, convicts us, shows us, and gives us the power to live out our faith and continue the works of Jesus.

Reflection Question:

In what ways am I allowing the Holy Spirit to guide, comfort, and empower me in my daily decisions, relationships, and challenges?

Genesis 1:2 — “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

If you were to ask today’s question to most believers, they would answer with Acts 2:4: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” While Acts 2 is indeed the first time the Spirit was poured out on all flesh, this wasn’t the first time we were introduced to the Holy Spirit in the Scripture.

In Genesis 1:2, the Bible says (as we learned on Day 1, the Spirit of God and the Holy Spirit are interchangeable names used to describe the Third Member of the Trinity), that God’s Spirit was active at the very beginning of creation. From the limited knowledge we have about God’s nature, this might seem surprising. Genesis 1:2 describes  attributes we don’t usually associate with Him:

• “…without form” — out of formal order, or disorder (Colossians 1:17 / Mark 7:37)
  
  

• “And void” — void in Hebrew means chaos or confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33)
  
  

• “And darkness” — darkness is the absence of light (1 John 1:5)
  
  

 These descriptions highlight the state of the earth before God brought His creative order. So if these are things we don’t associate with God, what is actually happening here? This devotional is not meant to interfere with theology, but I encourage you to read Ezekiel 28. In this passage I believe we are being introduced to this the Spirit of God as a Restorer.

One thing the Holy Spirit enables us to do is to receive personal revelations. I believe one such revelation is found in the contrast between Genesis 1:2 and Matthew 14:22-33. Water in its natural state is without form, but Jesus’ ability to walk on water shows that the Spirit, manifested in His life, gave Him power to walk over, have dominion over, and bring order to what seems chaotic.

In the Old Testament we read that the Spirit of the Lord came upon people like Gideon (Judges 6:34), Othniel (Judges 3:10), Jahaziel (2 Chronicles 20:14), Saul and David (in Samuel), and many others. The Spirit’s coming upon individuals in the Old Testament was often temporary, providing spiritual empowerment for a specific time or task. But in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit not only came upon us, but now dwells within us, empowering us continually for every moment and every task.

Reflection Question:

When was the Holy Spirit first introduced to you personally in your life?

1 Corinthians 6:19 — “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

Point. Blank. Simple. The Holy Spirit dwells in the life of believers in Jesus Christ.

Let’s look back to yesterday’s example of water and highlight a couple of things. From Old Testament times to today, bodies of water large or small have been used for transportation, provision, resources, and even protection.

Take two nations as examples: Babylon and Jerusalem. Babylon’s provision and protection were tied to the great rivers the Euphrates and the Tigris. Their greatness depended on them. By contrast, Jerusalem did not rely on an earthly body of water, but on the waters of God for provision and protection.

The psalmist says in Psalm 46:4: “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.” This should bring gladness to our spirits, because we are the city of God, the place where God dwells.

If the Spirit of God dwells in us, then God is our provider and our defender. While the world chooses to protect themselves based on what their hearts desire, we do not rely on what we can see. We have One who supplies our every need (Philippians 4:19). We walk not by sight but by faith, trusting not in external resources but in the internal Spirit of God dwelling in us.

This earthen vessel is not our own. When we commit acts against the dwelling place of God, we pollute His temple. Verse 20 of our scripture says: “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

As I reflected on today’s message, my spirit was drawn to 2 Samuel 6:6-7: “And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.”

Was Uzzah wrong? Uzzah’s instinct was understandable, but disobedience to God’s holy command, even if unintentional, carried consequences under the Old Covenant, he reacted as most of us would, with the instinct to steady what was falling. But his error in judgment cost him his life. How much more serious is it for us, who have the Spirit dwelling within, and yet commit many offenses against Him? Thank God for His mercy!

Daily Reflection:
While writing Day 5 of this devotional, so fittingly, the song Earthen Vessel by Theophilus Sunday came on. I encourage you to meditate on that song today.

Galatians 5:22-23 — “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

The Holy Spirit transforms us and influences us by making us more like Jesus and more Christlike.

When sin entered the world through the fall of man, we were not only born into sin but also naturally turned away from  God. The Bible says in Psalm 51:5: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” David is acknowledging here that sinfulness has been present since birth.

Without a sacrifice, man had no way of being reconciled with God. In the Old Testament, men would sacrifice animals, but it was never enough because the blood of a lesser vessel cannot cover that which is greater. This is why Jesus was the perfect sacrifice.

Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and intercession are so important to a believer’s life because they gave us the ability to represent God here on earth by carrying on the work He started.

• Jesus’ Life — our example of how to act and represent the Father.
  
  

• Jesus’ Death —  the sacrifice that broke the power of sin over our lives.
  
  

• Jesus’ Resurrection — the victory over death, giving us confidence that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).
  
  

Reflection Question:

With the Holy Spirit’s continual work in our lives, as this devotional comes to an end, how has the inner workings of the Holy Spirit transformed your life?