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The Holy Spirit - His Works


In Creation
This has to do with His work in relation to the universe. While Scripture does teach that the Son created all things, there are a number of references that indicate that the Spirit did have a part in the work of creation. The references include His part in regard to the creation of man (Job 33:4) and animals (Ps. 104:30). Job 26:13 tells us that the Spirit participated in “garnishing the heavens” (KJV) and according to Gen. 1:2, in the restoration of the earth.

In Revelation and Illumination
This is His work in relation to Scripture. Although the central theme of the Bible is Jesus Christ, the Bible’s inspiration is by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21; 2 Sam. 23:2, 3; Acts 1:16; 28:25; John 14:26; 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:10; 1 Tim. 4:1).
He is also the illuminator of Scripture. It is that ministry of the Holy Spirit in which He helps Christians understand the truth of Scripture. Our minds are enlightened and the text of Scripture becomes clear to the believer.

In the Incarnation
This is His work in relation to Christ. There are several ministries of the Spirit in reference to Christ that will be briefly mentioned here.
(1) The Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus after being conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:35).   
(2) Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18; John 1:32) which empowered Jesus for service for God (Acts 10:38).
(3) Christ was filled and led by the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1; John 3:34; Isa. 42:1).
(4) The Spirit empowered Christ to perform miracles ((Matt. 12:28).
(5) It was through the “eternal Spirit” that Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice (Heb. 9:14).
(6) After His death, Christ was “made alive by the Spirit” (1 Pet. 3:18), a reference to the Spirit’s work in Christ’s resurrection.
(7) It is the Spirit who causes the Church, the Bride of Christ, to yearn for the return of Christ (Rev. 22:17).

In Salvation

Conviction
This is the Spirit’s work in relation to the world. John 16:8-11 tells us that the Spirit is the One who brings conviction to the world. Ryrie states, “Thus the convicting work of the Spirit is the placing of the truth of the Gospel in a clear light before the unsaved person so he acknowledges it as truth whether or not he receives Christ as personal Saviour…What truth is it that He makes clear? It is the truth about sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8 ff.).”[1] This conviction is of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.

Regeneration
 This is the Spirit’s work in relation to the repentant sinner. Unger states that regeneration is “The spiritual change wrought in man by the Holy Spirit, by which he becomes the possessor of a new life.”[2] Warfield states that regeneration is “a radical and complete transformation wrought in the soul (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23) by God the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5; Eph. 4:24), by virtue of which we become ‘new men’ (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10), no longer conformed to this world (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9), but in knowledge and holiness of the truth created after the image of God (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10; Rom. 12:2).”[3] Titus 3:5 speaks of the Spirit’s work of regeneration. In this passage it refers to the new birth. It is the impartation of God’s life to those who receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior (cf. John 1:12, 13; 3:5, 6).

Sanctification
This is the Spirit’s work in relation to the Christian. Enns states, “Sanctification comes from the Greek verb meaning ‘to set apart.’ It is used in two ways: (1) the believer is positionally sanctified; he stands sanctified before God; (2)the believer grows in progressive sanctification in daily spiritual experience.”[4] As a person receives Christ as their Lord and Savior, that person is sanctified or set apart for God (John 10:36). Sanctification is also the daily process by which the Spirit, for the rest of the person’s life, is conforming the believer to the image of Christ (John 17:17; 1 Cor. 6:11; Heb. 13:12). Positional and practical sanctification are the work of the Spirit (1 Pet. 1:2), He baptizes the believer (1 Cor. 12:13), cleanses (Eph. 5:26), indwells the believer (1 Cor. 6:19; 1 John 2:27), produces fruit (Gal. 5:22-23), fills the believer (Eph. 5:18), and seals (Eph. 4:30).

[1] Charles C. Ryrie, A Survey of Bible Doctrine (Chicago: Moody, 1972), p. 75.
[2] Merrill F. Unger, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody, 1988), p. 1070.
[3] Benjamin B. Warfield, Biblical and Theological Studies, p. 351.
[4] Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago: Moody, 1989), p. 646.

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