Who Is the Holy Spirit? Part 2

Pastor Walt continues Thinking Out Loud about the Holy Spirit, and tells us that the Holy Spirit was active throughout both the Old and New Testaments, not just after Pentecost. Pastor Walt explains that the Holy Spirit’s work can be seen in four main areas: regeneration, indwelling/filling, restraint of evil, and empowerment for service. He points to Old Testament figures such as Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Samson, and David as examples of people who had deep, personal relationships with God through the Spirit. He emphasizes that the Holy Spirit was present at creation, inspired the writing of Scripture, and actively worked through God’s people long before the New Testament era. While the New Covenant brought a new dimension of the Spirit dwelling within believers, Pastor Walt argues that the Spirit’s presence and activity were always central to God’s relationship with humanity. The early Church is presented as the clearest example of life empowered by the Holy Spirit. The coming of the Spirit at Pentecost fulfilled God’s plan to restore humanity’s relationship with Him, beginning the “already/not yet” reality of eternal life. Christians are called to walk daily in the Spirit, experiencing joy, victory, holiness, and close fellowship with God. Pastor Walt also addresses spiritual gifts. He rejects the idea that gifts such as healing, prophecy, tongues, and miracles ended with the Apostles. He argues that Church history shows these gifts continued after the New Testament period and the modern Church should combine strong Biblical teaching with openness to the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work. Pastor Walt encourages believers to view the Holy Spirit not as distant or occasional, but as actively involved in creation, Scripture, the Church, and everyday Christian life

Visit Walt McFadden at Cityview Church