The Sanctifier

The Holy Spirit is first to be sought,
When God's children plan a Kingdom advance;
Expect no victory in battles fought,
Unless His counsel your efforts enhance!
Jesus told His faithful that He would send
The Spirit to tell them what words to say;
When He appeared, a rushing, mighty wind,
All spoke in tongues unknown to such as they!
Each believer the Spirit does indwell,
And guides him in paths Jesus does approve;
He supplies right words of the truth to tell,
Which sway lost ones toward the Lord to move!
"Dear Spirit, Speak oft and bold; be not shy;
Your words will I heed; your counsel, comply!"

"It is for your good that I [Jesus speaking to apostles] am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment... But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth." (John 15:7-9, 13) [Brackets added]

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what appeared to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues [languages] as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:1-4) [Brackets added]

"But the fruit [effects produced] of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control, ,,, Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified [gotten rid of] the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (Galations 5:22-24) [Brackets added]

Most of us have attended a church worship service, a Billy Graham crusade service, a Christian wedding or Christian funeral, whether a believer or not. Think back to that experience. Didn't you feel a gentle tug at your heart when the speaker offered any who desired to accept Jesus a chance to come forward? That gentle urge was the Holy Spirit, one of whose tasks is to tenderly nudge the non-believer towards acceptance of Christ and a guilt feeling for having neglected Him.

The Holy Spirit is the third manifestation of God in the world. He, Jesus Christ and the Father are one and the same; He is God being made known in three different beings. He is sometimes called the "Sanctifier", for He indwells the believer as a guide to purifying his life from worldly preoccupation to one described by Paul in Galations above. Does your life possess love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control? Are these traits noticeable to all your friends and family? If not, the Holy Spirit will help you to acquire them.