1. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8).
2. He guides us into all truth (John 16:13).
3. He regenerates us (John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5).
4. He glorifies and testifies of Christ (John 15:26; 16:14).
5. He reveals Christ to us and in us (John 16:14-15).
6. He leads us (Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:18; Matt. 4:1; Luke 4:1).
7. He sanctifies us (2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2; Rom. 5:16).
8. He empowers us (Luke 4:14; 24:49; Rom. 15:19; Acts 1:8).
9. He fills us (Eph. 5:18; Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 9:17).
10. He teaches us to pray (Rom. 8:26-27; Jude 1:20).
11. He bears witness in us that we are children of God (Rom. 8:16).
12. He produces in us the fruit or evidence of His work and presence (Gal. 5:22-23).
13. He distributes spiritual gifts and manifestations (the outshining) of His presence to and through the body (1 Cor. 12:4, 8-10; Heb. 2:4).
14. He anoints us for ministry (Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38).
15. He washes and renews us (Titus 3:5).
16. He brings unity and oneness to the body (Eph. 4:3; 2:14-18). Here He plays the same role that He plays in the Godhead. The Spirit is the life that unites Father and Son. He plays the same role in the church. When He is operating in a group of people, He unites them in love. Therefore, a sure evidence of the Holy Spirit working in a group is Love and Unity. Not signs and wonders (those are seasonal and can be counterfeited).
17. He is our guarantee and deposit of the future resurrection (2 Cor. 1:22; 2 Cor. 5:5).
18. He seals us unto the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13; 4:30).
19. He sets us free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2).
20. He quickens our mortal bodies (Rom. 8:11).
21. He reveals the deep things of God to us (1 Cor. 2:10).
22. He reveals what has been given to us from God (1 Cor. 2:12).
23. He dwells in us (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Tim. 1:14; John 14:17).
24. He speaks to, in, and through us (1 Cor. 12:3; 1 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 2:11; Heb 3:7; Matt. 10:20; Acts 2:4; 8:29; 10:19; 11:12, 28; 13:2; 16:6,7; 21:4,11).
25. He is the agent by which we are baptized into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13).
26. He brings liberty (2 Cor. 3:17).
27. He transforms us into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).
28. He cries in our hearts, “Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:6).
29. He enables us to wait (Gal. 5:5).
30. He supplies us with Christ (Phil. 1:19, KJV).
31. He grants everlasting life (Gal. 6:8).
32. He gives us access to God the Father (Eph. 2:18).
33. He makes us (corporately) God’s habitation (Eph. 2:22).
34. He reveals the mystery of God to us (Eph. 3:5).
35. He strengthens our spirits (Eph. 3:16).
36. He enables us to obey the truth (1 Pet. 1:22).
37. He enables us to know that Jesus abides in us (1 John 3:24; 4:13).
38. He confesses that Jesus came in the flesh (1 John 4:2).
39. He says “Come, Lord Jesus” along with the bride (Rev. 22:17).
40. He dispenses God’s love into our hearts (Rom. 5:5).
41. He bears witness to the truth in our conscience (Rom. 9:1).
42. He teaches us (1 Cor. 2:13; John 14:26).
43. He gives us joy (1 Thess. 1:6).
44. He enables some to preach the gospel (1 Pet. 1:12).
45. He moves us (2 Pet. 1:21).
46. He knows the things of God (1 Cor. 2:11).
47. He casts out demons (Matt. 12:28).
48. He brings things to our remembrance (John 14:26).
49. He comforts us (Acts 9:31).
50. He makes some overseers in the church and sends some out to the work of church planting [through the body] (Acts 20:28; 13:2).
Summary: The Holy Spirit unites us to Jesus Christ and to His body. He reveals Christ to us, gives us His life, and makes Christ alive in us. The Spirit takes the experiences of Jesus . . . His incarnation, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension . . . and brings them into our own experience. Because of the Holy Spirit, the history of Jesus Christ becomes our story and experience (see Jesus Manifesto for details). Unfortunately, some movements have become known for their excesses in regard to the Holy Spirit’s work (see Revise Us Again for details).
THANK YOU.
Fantastic List.
My wife and I have been unearthing the Holy Spirit in our lives a bit lately and our conversation always turns to this:
But it’s not like (enter uber-charasmastic practice of Holy Spirit life).
But it’s also not like (enter uber-stoic practice of Christian religion without Holy Spirit).
Beautiful.
What a list! Awesome, Frank.
I love this, Frank. Thanks for putting it together. I especially like your elaboration on #16!
Are you familiar with the blog app RefTagger by Logos? It is free and You really should consider installing it. As you place your cursor over a Bible reference, the full verse appears in a box above it. You can choose any translation too. This would be ideal for a post like this that lists so many verses. Just a suggestion!
What a wonderful reminder of all the Spirit is to us and for us. Thanks.
Wow, that is some list!!
Thanks Frank. Your list is a very creative idea. The point you make in #16 about the Holy Spirit plays the role of uniting/or is the life that unites the Father and the Son is new to me. Where do you find that taught in the Word? It’s a very intriguing thought. Grace & Peace…
Pete: It’s based on a theological understanding of texts like John 14,15,16, and 17 put together and interpreted in light of what the entire biblical canon has to say about the Spirit, oneness, and life.
Michele, I agree. The elaboration of #16 is a necessary balance for those of us coming from a charismatic background.
Frank, Thank you for putting this together.
awesome list. Not sure why every line has “He” before it, I don’t see that in all those scriptures.
John: “He” is used for the Spirit in most translations in places like John 14, 15, 16, etc. I realize that there’s some debate over this. No worries.
Love this frank, what a wonderful work the Holy Spirit does in helping us understand the deep things of God.
50 ways to love your Lover.
Going to translate to Spanish, nice!
Amen and amen! I really like #18, the Spirit’s sealing us. In that first chapter of Ephesians, there is the entire Triune God working on us. The Father predestinates and selects us (vv. 3-6), the Son redeems us (vv. 7-12), and the Spirit seals us (vv. 13-14)!
To me, this sealing is like a seal of paint on a piece of wood or something. When I paint something, I have to paint a small coat, let that dry and paint another small coat, and keep going. Day by day, the Spirit paints us with the death and resurrection of Christ. We get a little coat there, we get another little coat here. That’s the Spirit’s sealing. Anyway, that’s how I read it according to my own experience. It could be wrong, though.
Awesome list. Encouraging, edifying, lifting us up to glory. Let’s keep looking at the Bible. Thanks, Frank. You “put some mustard on” this post.
Nice picture, Clark. But I think it’s past tense – “…you were sealed…” What promise! What hope!
Yeah, good point Pete. Thanks for the note. Praise the Lord, brother!
You’re welcome, Clark. And YES! – Praise Jesus, brother.
Love it… Thank you for sharing with us your extensive compilation of verses concerning the Holy Spirit…
Thank you for NOT dirtying the Gospel by starting any one of those with,
“You”
“I”
or,
“We”
Soni
Erik: As I explain in REIMAGINING CHURCH, God will work in His people regardless of the systems to which they belong, if He can find open hearts. Remember the Babylonian captivity. Even though only a remnant return to the land to fulfill God’s highest will in rebuilding His temple, those who chose to remain in Babylon will still His people and He still loved them and worked with them as best He could. They just missed out on the fullest blessings. I don’t think that miracles, signs, and wonders are God’s highest by any means. They are quite elementary really.
Thanks Erik: Just a note that we aren’t arguing for church in the home. That’s not our emphasis. See my post in the archives “house church vs. organic church.”
Erik: the blog manager sent me your questions. They are all answered in REIMAGINING CHURCH. I’d encourage you to read it along with the whole ReChurch Library as they all answer your questions in depth. While you can pick it up at Family Christian, Borders, or Barnes & Noble, it’s presently on discount at http://www.ReimaginingChurch.org
It is a wonderful list, which helps clarify works from the Spirit. When I am not sure why the Spirit did things, I can check this list conveniently. I will share it with my Chinese friends.