The Role...or roles of the Holy Spirit

"Well, why don't you just unload a small topic to chew on Doug?" "Thanks I think I will."
That was the conversation in my mind over the last couple weeks as I taught this very topic to my youth group: The Role of the Holy Spirit. The great issue at stake is not whether I can rightly cover all the theological corners of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Rather, it is to give a rough idea of some of the functions of the Holy Spirit in an effort to increase our desire to live by it. In that vein then, I offer some excerpts of my notes. Four different functions of the Holy Spirit:

1. A guarantee or down payment: In Ephesians 1:13-14 Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit (HS) is a seal that is also a guarantee of our inheritance. When a person places faith and trust in the shed blood of Jesus they are marked with the HS as an identifier that they belong to God.
   
2. A helper or guide: Lets be honest, in this life it is categorically impossible to please God alone. Don't forget weathering life's intense trials, financial instability, moral dilemmas, the Bible and how difficult it is to understand at times, etc... However, in John 14:26 Jesus says to His disciples - "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." There is nothing left to say here but, "thank you Lord Jesus."
   
3. A sanctification agent: Sanctification is simply means God's continuing work to free believers from the bondage of sin - or - the process of being made holy like Jesus. Rom. 8:3-14 gives credence to this concept of our sinful nature being overcome by our spiritual nature because our lives are submitted to the Spirit. We cannot become like Christ on our own - yet 1 John 2:6 says that "anyone who claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." Not sure about you, but I want to be controlled by God and the Spirit He offers.
4. A provider of gifts and fruit: 1 Cor. 12 talks about how each person has been given a gift (or manifestation of the Holy Spirit) for the common good and strengthening of the body and glorification of Christ. No one has all the gifts (otherwise there would be no need for the body) and no one is devoid of at least one gift.
   While God is a provider of spiritual gifts and the gifts should never be elevated above the giver, this is not to be confused with fruits of the spirit. When we submit ourselves to the Lordship of Christ and give up our own agendas and seek to fulfill only that which brings glory and honor to God - there will be an evidence of that choice in our daily character: fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5..." but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
   

So, these are obviously not conclusive, just a way to get you started. I would at this point like to point out a resource I want to offer for those of you interested in taking your relationship with Christ deeper. CLICK HERE to download a free ebook. This is a great resource to get you started on the road to understanding the Spirit's role in your becoming more like Christ.
This is a conversation that can go on in the comment area - so if there are thoughts you have, please add them.