# Introducing the Holy Spirit
*2016-02-02*

> Bill Young opens February with a brief theological introduction to the Holy Spirit, explaining its biblical identity, role in salvation, and the gifts it bestows on believers.

## Who the Holy Spirit Is

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, whom we adore together with the Father and the Son. The Church received this name directly from Christ and professes it in the baptism of every new Christian. Baptism grants us a new birth in God the Father, through His Son, in the Holy Spirit.

## The Spirit’s Role in Our Relationship with God

All who are touched by the Spirit are drawn to the Word, that is, to the Son. The Son presents us to the Father, and the Father grants us eternal life. Without the Spirit we cannot see the Son, and without the Son no one can approach the Father, because knowledge of the Father comes through the Son, and knowledge of the Son comes through the Holy Spirit.

## Biblical Foundations

The word “spirit” comes from the Hebrew *ruach*, meaning breath, wind, or air. Jesus uses the image of wind when speaking to Nicodemus, indicating that the Spirit is the breath of God. In Scripture the Holy Spirit is called the Comforter (Paraclete), the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Promise, the Spirit of Adoption, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Glory (cf. 1 Cor 12:4‑11; 2 Cor 1:21‑22; Romans 8:9; 1 Peter 1:2).

## The Spirit in the Life of the Church

The Holy Spirit is the source of love, the first gift that includes all other gifts. Through the Spirit our sins are forgiven, and we are restored to the divine likeness received at baptism. The Spirit empowers us to pray, teaches us how to pray, and draws us continually toward Christ.

## Living in the Spirit

The Spirit proceeds from the Father, was sent by the Father through the Son, and now dwells within each believer. He remains with us forever, teaching us truth, guiding us to bear witness to Christ, and leading us to the fullness of God’s glory.

*The Holy Spirit is the living presence of God who draws us into deeper communion with the Father and Son.*