The Holy Spirit is a Person. He is not simply an influence or a force as the Mormons, JWs, and many cults would teach. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity.

When Jesus told His disciples that he was leaving them, they were naturally discouraged. To strengthen them, Jesus told them that in His place, He would send them, not a Book (although he did that as well), but a Person, the Holy Spirit and He would dwell with them forever “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever” (John 14:16).

The Holy Spirit, unlike Jesus in His humanity, would reside in their hearts forever, and would never leave them as Jesus was just about to do. They were to understand that they would not be losers when Christ left them to enter into His glory. In fact they were to see even greater things (John 1:50) and enjoy greater power (Luke 24:49).

We are in danger of neglecting the work of the Holy Spirit and relegating Him to the sidelines. We sometimes give the impression that the Holy Spirit only works when we read the Bible, that His only function is to illuminate the Word. But the Holy Spirit is omnipresent and active everywhere all of the time. He was present and active in the Old Testament but He is even more active and present now.

He was present at creation, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen 1:2). The Spirit was also active at that time on the souls of men “And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man” (Gen 6:3).

The Holy Spirit was also active in bestowing common gifts. God told Moses about Bezalel;

I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.Exodus 31:3-5

All the talents and skills of mankind everywhere are gifts of the Holy Spirit.

During the time of the Judges the Holy “Spirit of the Lord came upon” many of the judges (Jud 3:10, 6:34). The Holy Spirit inspired and encouraged and led and guided the saints of old. He is no less active today.

In our rightful concern over the extremes of the charismatic movement, we are in danger of downgrading His Person and His work today. It is a serious matter to deny the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and lives of God‘s people today.

Our neglect of His presence and power in the world today may well be the reason that there is so little fruit among some denomi­nations who downplay the work of the Spirit. It is possible that such denominations are grieving the Holy Spirit.

In the Old Testament when the Spirit was not fully poured out, He enabled the prophets to perform wonderful works. It was the power of the Holy Spirit upon them that gave the prophets their credibility among the public and brought a godly fear among all the people.

When Obadiah suddenly met Elijah, and was instructed to go to Ahab and say that Elijah was here, Obadiah was afraid to do so. Why? Because he knew that the Spirit of God could suddenly come and take Elijah away somewhere else;

 …as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where; and so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you he will kill me. 1 Kin 18:12

The Spirit of God operated very much in the Old Testament­ much more than we realise. Moses wished and prayed “that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” Moses wanted the people to have the same leadership Eldad and Medad had for “the Spirit rested on them” (Num 11:26, 29).

We need to be aware of the constant presence of the Lord in our daily lives. The Psalmist has this awareness. He could not escape from the presence of God;

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.Psalm 139:7-10

The Holy Spirit upheld and led the saints in the Old Testament. He does not do less now.

David was always conscious of being in the presence of God. This is true holiness. He was so much a part of their lives that David says;

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel, in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices. Ps 16:7-9

The awareness of God was the beginning of Jacob‘s spiritual life at Bethel when he said “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it” (Gen 28:16).

Since Pentecost there is a fullness of the Spirit‘s presence and work that was not there in the Old Testament. Peter immediately recognised when the promised pouring out of the Spirit had arrived. Such was excitement of those who enjoyed it, that they were mistaken as being drunk! “these men are not drunk as you suppose … this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel … I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh” (Acts 2:15 cf).

It is because of the Spirit‘s presence and work that believers today are always ‘God-conscious’. Throughout the whole day, the true believer is breathing prayers to God through the Spirit. It is not through the flesh or carnal consciousness that believers are aware of the omnipresence of God, but through the indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in and on their hearts.

We must not reduce the work of the Holy Spirit to a moment when we read the Bible and get ‘light‘ on it, as if this was His only role in life. We serve a living God. Not a God who was alive but has now left us. He has also given us His Spirit who communes with His people each day.

It is God‘s Spirit who takes care of us every day. In His Providence towards us, He is active and is ‘speaking‘ to us daily. Notice what the writer to the Hebrews says “See that you do not refuse Him who is speaking” and “who warns from heaven” (Heb 12:25), not ‘who has spoken’ or ‘who has warned’. The verbs are in the present tense. We need to realise more than we do, that God is alive and still communi­cates with His people by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit replaces Jesus.

In the final book of Scripture we have the ascended Lord Jesus communicating with His Church saying to each of the seven congregations “He who has ears let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev 2 and 3). The Spirit still ‘says’ things to us – in His Word, in His Providence, in His judgments. God‘s voice is not confined to the Bible, albeit an infallible Book. His voice is heard throughout the habitable world.

Every time we go outdoors, the whole creation speaks to us;

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Ps 191-3

Yes, the canon of Scripture is closed and shut forever, but God’s voice is not. He still speaks to us by His Spirit opening our eyes to see the spiritual realities of life.

Paul asked God that the Ephesians would have “the spirit of wisdom and revelation … the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you” (Eph 1:18cf). The Holy Spirit opens eyes.