The role of the Holy Spirit in the church today is to indwell believers, helping them to become more Christ-like and empowering them to continue the ministry that Jesus began on Earth, as seen in Acts 2:1-4.
Many believers tend to focus primarily on God the Father and Jesus the Son, often neglecting the Holy Spirit, who plays an essential role. However, the Holy Spirit is actively at work, contributing more to the transformation of believers than both God the Father and Jesus combined. His primary work is to shape believers’ character and inner lives to reflect the image of Christ.
Although it can be fascinating to ponder what Jesus looked like during His earthly life, the Holy Spirit’s work is not about external appearances but about developing the character and inner qualities of Christ within us, which should be evident to others.
The Holy Spirit fulfills several roles, including convicting believers of sin, guiding them away from temptation, and leading them toward repentance. He is a source of wisdom and revelation, revealing truths to believers, and offering guidance to align their lives with God’s will. In times of weakness, the Holy Spirit provides supernatural strength through intercession and grace, as described in Romans 8:26-27.
At salvation, believers are renewed by the Holy Spirit, enabling them to pursue sanctification. The Holy Spirit produces the “Fruit of the Spirit,” which encompasses virtues like love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faith, and self-control, as outlined in Galatians 5:22-25.
Additionally, the Holy Spirit imparts spiritual gifts to believers for the common good, as detailed in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. These gifts support and edify the body of Christ, including wisdom, faith, healing, prophecy, knowledge, discernment, teaching, giving, mercy, leadership, and more.
Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, believers collectively embody the image of God on Earth, living out the life of Christ in various locations and contexts. This transformation is possible because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the lives of believers, as He works to shape them into the likeness of Christ.
In summary, the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in the lives of believers, working to make them more Christ-like and empowering them to continue the ministry initiated by Jesus. His work is primarily focused on transforming the character and inner lives of believers, making the image of God visible in their actions and attitudes, just as Jesus’ life displayed God’s image when He was on Earth.