Despite the explosive growth of charismatic and Pentecostal versions of Christianity, the person and work of the Holy Spirit remain a mystery to many. The Puritan John Owen noted that our communion with God includes “distinct communion with each person of the Trinity,” including the Holy Spirit. How many of us, though, act as if the Spirit is a sort of gauzy haze that permeates the Christian life instead of a distinct person with distinct actions with which he engages the world and the church? This Sunday, we look at Jesus’ first detailed description of the person and work of the Holy Spirit, the promised Helper who will remain with the disciples after he ascends into heaven.
