Holy Spirit - Part 8: The Holy Spirit in the World

When Jesus came to earth in the likeness of human flesh, he ministered in human form, not in his glorified form that was seen at the Transfiguration by Peter, James, and John, and was later seen after His resurrection by more than a few very fortunate people.

In that human form He had control over all natural things, but chose to limit the display of that control to miracles of healing and creation of some things (such as the wine at Cana) and the multiplication of other things (such as the food to feed thousands). He chose during His earthly ministry to forego His omnipresence (being in all places at once) in order to relate to those He chose to be His disciples.

Because of that self limitation, He restricted Himself to being in one place at one time. But the Holy Spirit given by the Lord was not so limited and was not visible, being not incarnated into the likeness of a human form. 

John 16:7

The Comforter is announced by Jesus.

In the conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, Jesus compared the Holy Spirit to the wind. 

John 3:8

“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hears the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone who is born of the Spirit”.

Since the Word was to go out into all parts of the earth, even the uttermost parts, Jesus brought the Holy Spirit to minister more effectively to the church, unlimited by human body restrictions.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would reprove the world of sin meaning to correct it. All sin can be corrected except one as all is forgivable except one, which is being in blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, which is rejecting the divinity and salvation of the Lord.

John 3:18

“... he that believeth not is condemned already...”.

This same Spirit reproves the world of both righteousness and judgment, of righteousness because the standard of righteousness is to believe in Jesus, who fulfilled all the law and lived a sinless life, and thereby provides through His sacrifice for our sins the righteousness we must have when we come into the presence of God at the end of our mortal lives.

He reproves of judgment because through the same act, Satan has been judged forever so clearly stated in John 16:11:

“Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged”.

From the moment of resurrection, Satan lost his power over us to force us to do his wishes, which are contrary to the Lord. Therefore when we sin, after we are saved, we are not using the power God has provided us in His Holy Spirit. We must consistently yield to that Spirit to gain any victory over Satan. Remember the three persons of the Godhead are one and Jesus taught us in John 15:5 that without Him, we can do nothing.

Any power Satan exercises over the Lord's chosen and saved ones is power relinquished to him by us willingly. His authority and control was removed on that wonderful first morning when the tomb was empty.

Our prayers must be serious and specific as to the challenges of Satan as we seek to be unyielding to his temptations. The battle is a daily one, sometimes hour to hour. But the power is within us to gain that victory.

1 John 4:4

“... greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world”.

This is how the Spirit works in the world. He is always convicting those lost of their sin, and constantly renewing the saved as they witness for Jesus Christ by their lips and their lives.