by Angela Moreno

Before Jesus ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father, He gave very specific instructions to His disciples: Once when he [Jesus] was eating with them [his disciples], he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5).

Why was this gift so important that Jesus specifically instructed His disciples not to leave Jerusalem until it arrived? Jesus knew the days ahead would be difficult for His disciples and they would need guidance and comfort among other things. They would need someone who would never leave their side and show them the way to go. They needed the gift of the Holy Spirit.

What does the Holy Spirit do for us? The Holy Spirit was sent for three specific reasons (John 16:8-10):

1. Convict the world of its sin. The world’s sin is refusing to believe in Jesus.
2. Convict the world God’s righteousness. Righteousness is available through Jesus who went to the Father to advocate on our behalf.
3. Convict the world of the coming judgment. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

The Bible also gives us a specific job description of the Holy Spirit:

1. To teach and remind us of everything we need to know. (John 14:27)
2. To intercede on our behalf with God. (Romans 8:26)
3. To lead our daily lives. (Romans 8:14)
4. To comfort us so we can comfort others. (John 16:7)
5. To seal God’s believers as His children. (Ephesians 1:13)
6. To give life to our mortal bodies. (Romans 8:11)
7. To give us new understanding of the scriptures. (Luke 24:45)

The Holy Spirit is a gift to us from our Heavenly Father. This is the very essence of God’s spirit. Once we accept Jesus, we are gifted with the Holy Spirit who will never leave us (John 14:6). Even if we chose to stray from the path of God, as believers, we still have the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us back to the right path. He will guide our decisions but ultimately we still have to make our own choices.

When you feel down or need some inspiration, look inside your heart. The Holy Spirit has taken up residence in your heart and will always guide you in the direction you need to go. He is our gift from God- one of the best gifts ever received.