I gotta tell you that I used to be kind of afraid of the Holy Spirit (like many of us conservatives) … I had only seen the “wacked out (nice suit though), shouting (nice hair though), sweaty, incoherent, TV preacher kind of “Holy Ghost” and I really did not want to have much to do with Him. I knew He was important so for a while I just created my own Holy Spirit….you know the one… nothing too far fetched or crazy. The one that illuminated the Scriptures, helped me make big decisions and worked quietly behind the scenes to comfort and prompt believers into being good citizens.

It was not until I read Billy Graham’s book the Holy Spirit, that I embraced the Holy Spirit as the very Spirit of God. He is not some “3rd stringer” or a “trick pony” to be paraded around. He is certainly not some emotional worship song to be “caught up” in. He is the following… 

He is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He is the divine helper, assistant, counselor and instructor. He is present in the world to make man aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. At that moment He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls people to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church.

Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Acts 1:8
Ephesians 1:13; 5:18
John 16:7-13; 14:16-27
1 Corinthians 2:12; 3:16
Galatians 5:25