None of the beatitudes can be done without the help of the Holy Spirit. It is not within man’s power to have any one of these “attitudes” within him. Not all people are born poor in spirit or mourning (yes, crying, but not mourning) or meek, as you and I well know; but all Christians are expected to be. All of them are; not one is left out. Even the most ill-tempered Christian, through the Holy Spirit can become poor in spirit, mourn and meek.
This is what I know about the Holy Spirit.
That He, the Spirit of God, was hovering over the waters in creation. “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Does this mean Holy Spirit? I think it does.
That He, God and Jesus were all present and involved in creation. “Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness ,” …. Genesis 1:26
That He existed in the Old Testament, not only in the New. David begged God in Psalm 51, “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me,” which is where we get the song Create in Me a Clean Heart. The words in the song are practically verbatim the words in this Psalm.
That He revealed to the Prophets what they spoke. “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21
That Jesus left Him as the “comforter.” “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor [Comforter] to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. John 14:15-16a.
That He guides us into all truth. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13
That He is the discerner of spiritual truths. “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor. 2:14
That He convicts the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. “In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:9-11. This purpose is the hardest one for me to grasp. I know I know something by how I can articulate it; I can’t articulate this.
That He helps us in our weakness AND intercedes for us. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26
The above scriptures are the ones that come to mind when I consider what the Holy Spirit does.
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