What is the holy spirit. The Holy Spirit: how and why He dwells with Christians What is the spirit in Christianity

The ancient Orthodox doctrine of the personal properties of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is distorted in the Latin Church by the creation of the doctrine of the timeless, eternal descent of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son (Filioque). The expression that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son originates from the blessed. Augustine, who in the course of his theological reasoning found it possible to express himself in this way in some places of his writings, although in other places he confesses that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. Having thus appeared in the West, it began to spread there around the seventh century; it was established there, as obligatory, in the ninth century.

As early as the beginning of the 9th century, Pope Leo the 3rd - although he himself personally leaned towards this doctrine - forbade changing the text of the Nicene Constantinople Creed in favor of this doctrine, and for this he ordered the Creed to be drawn in its ancient Orthodox reading (that is, without Filioque) on two metal boards: on one - in Greek, and on the other - in Latin, - and exhibited in the Basilica of St. Peter with the inscription: "" This was done by the pope after the Council of Aachen (which was in the ninth century, under the presidency of Emperor Charlemagne) in response to the request of this council that the pope declare Filioque a general church doctrine.

Nevertheless, the newly created dogma continued to spread in the West, and when Latin missionaries came to the Bulgarians in the middle of the ninth century, the Filioque stood in their creed.

As relations between the papacy and the Orthodox East became more acute, the Latin dogma was more and more strengthened in the West and, finally, was recognized there as a universally binding dogma. Protestantism also inherited this teaching from the Roman Church.

The Latin dogma Filioque represents a significant and important deviation from Orthodox truth. He was subjected to a detailed analysis and denunciation, especially by Patriarchs Photius and Michael Kerullarius, as well as Bishop. Mark of Ephesus, member of the Council of Florence. Adam Zernikav (in the 18th century), who converted from Roman Catholicism to Orthodoxy, in his essay "On the Descent of the Holy Spirit" cites about a thousand testimonies from the works of Sts. Church Fathers in favor of the Orthodox doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

In modern times, the Roman Church, from the goals of "missionary" obscures the difference (or rather, its essentiality) between the Orthodox teaching about the Holy Spirit and the Roman one; to this end, the popes left for the "Eastern rite" the ancient Orthodox text of the Creed, without the words "and from the Son." Such a device cannot be understood as a semi-repudiation of Rome from her dogma; at best, this is only a covert view of Rome, that the Orthodox East is backward in the sense of dogmatic development, and this backwardness must be treated with condescension, and that dogma, expressed in the West in a developed form (explicite, according to the Roman theory of "development of dogmas"), hidden in the Orthodox dogma in an as yet undiscovered state (implicite). But in the Latin dogma, intended for internal use, we meet a certain interpretation of the Orthodox dogma about the procession of the Holy Spirit as "heresy."

In the Latin dogma of the doctor of theology A. Sanda, officially approved, we read: “The opponents (of this Roman teaching) are the schismatic Greeks, who teach that the Holy Spirit comes from one Father. As early as 808, the Greek monks protested against the introduction by the Latins of the word Filioque into the Symbol ... Who was the founder of this heresy is unknown ”(Sinopsis Theologie Dogmaticae specialist. Autore D-re A. Sanda. Volum. I, p. 100, Ed. Herder, 1916).

Meanwhile, the Latin dogma is inconsistent neither with the Holy Scriptures nor with the Holy Tradition of the Church as a whole, it does not even agree with the most ancient tradition of the local Roman Church.

Roman theologians cite in his defense a number of places from the Holy Scriptures, where the Holy Spirit is called "Christ's," where it is said that He is given by the Son of God: from this they conclude that He proceeds from the Son.

(The most important of these places cited by Roman theologians: the words of the Savior to the disciples about the Holy Spirit the Comforter: “He will take from Mine and declare to you” (John 16:14); the words of the Apostle Paul: “God sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts (Gal 4:6); the same Apostle “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Rom. 8:9); the Gospel of John: “He blew and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22 )).

Similarly, Roman theologians find in the works of Sts. of the Church Fathers, where it is often spoken of the sending of the Holy Spirit "through the Son," and sometimes even of "descent through the Son."

However, no reasoning can close the absolutely definite words of the Savior: “The Comforter, whom I will send you from the Father” – and next to it – other words: “The Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father.” The Holy Fathers of the Church could not put anything else into the words "through the Son," as only what is contained in Holy Scripture.

In this case, Roman Catholic theologians confuse two dogmas: the dogma of the personal existence of Hypostases and the dogma of consubstantiality, directly connected with it, but special. That the Holy Spirit is consubstantial with the Father and the Son, that therefore He is the Spirit of the Father and the Son, is an indisputable Christian truth, for God is a Trinity consubstantial and indivisible.

Clearly expresses this thought. Theodoret: “It is said about the Holy Spirit that He does not come from the Son or through the Son, but that He proceeds from the Father, is peculiar to the Son, as being called consubstantial with Him” (Blessed Theodoret: On the Third Ecumenical Council).

And in Orthodox worship we often hear the words addressed to the Lord Jesus Christ: Enlighten us with Your Holy Spirit, instruct us, preserve us… The expression “Spirit of the Father and the Son” is also Orthodox in itself. But these expressions refer to the dogma of consubstantiality, and it must be distinguished from another dogma, the dogma of birth and descent, in which it is indicated, according to Sts. Fathers, the existential Cause of the Son and the Spirit. All the Eastern Fathers acknowledge that the Father is the only Cause of the Son and the Spirit. Therefore, when some Church Fathers use the expression "through the Son," it is precisely with this expression that they protect the dogma of descent from the Father and the inviolability of the dogmatic formula "he proceeds from the Father." The Fathers speak of the Son "through" to protect the expression "from," referring only to the Father.

To this it should also be added that, found in some St. The patristic expression "through the Son" in most cases definitely refers to the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the world, that is, to the providential actions of the Holy Trinity, and not to the life of God in Himself. When the Eastern Church first noticed the distortion of the dogma about the Holy Spirit in the West and began to reproach Western theologians for their innovations, St. Maximus the Confessor (in the 7th century), wishing to protect the Westerners, justified them by saying that they mean by the words “from the Son” to indicate that the Holy Spirit “through the Son is given to creatures, appears, is sent,” but not that The Holy Spirit comes from Him. St. himself Maximus the Confessor strictly adhered to the teaching of the Eastern Church on the descent of the Holy Spirit from the Father and wrote a special treatise on this dogma.

The providential sending of the Spirit by the Son of God is spoken of in the words: “I will send him to you from the Father.” So we pray: Lord, even Thy Most Holy Spirit at the third hour sent down to Thy apostles, the Good One, do not take away from us, but renew in us who pray to Thee.

Mixing the texts of Holy Scripture that speak of "descent" and "sending down," Roman theologians transfer the concept of providential relationships to the very depths of the existential relationships of the Persons of the Holy Trinity.

By introducing a new dogma, the Roman Church, apart from the dogmatic side, violated the decree of the Third and subsequent councils (4-7 councils), which forbids making any changes to the Nicene Creed after the second ecumenical council gave it its final form. Thus, she also committed a sharp canonical offense.

When Roman theologians try to suggest that the whole difference between Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is that the first teaches about the descent “and from the Son,” and the second “through the Son,” then in such a statement lies at least misunderstanding (although sometimes our church writers, following the Catholic ones, allow themselves to repeat this idea): for the expression “through the Son” does not constitute a dogma of the Orthodox Church at all, but is only an explanatory device of some Sts. Fathers in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity; the very meaning of the teachings of the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church is essentially different.

about. Mikhail Pomazansky

Yesterday the Church celebrated its birthday. This is the day when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and gave them strength and wisdom to preach the Gospel throughout the world, according to the word of Christ: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit descends on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).

What has always been incomprehensible to me is the “separation of functions” among the persons of the Holy Trinity. If God is one, then what does it matter to me which Person did this or that action? Is there some kind of "separation of powers", or simply - to whom in what situation does one pray? The day of the Holy Spirit is a great opportunity to sort things out.

In Holy Scripture

Christ told the apostles: “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of everything that I have said to you” (John 14:26). So, the Spirit had to teach the apostles “everything” (apparently, first of all, necessary for preaching) and recall the words of Christ that they heard during his stay on earth. According to Archbishop Averky, the presence of the Spirit will, as it were, replace their direct communion with Christ to which they are accustomed.

The word “Parakletos”, translated here as “Comforter”, is a legal term, the closest to which will be the modern concept of a lawyer (in fact, the word “ad-vocat” is a literal translation of the Greek “para-kletos”, literally - “called by someone "). The same word was called a special person who, in his own words, inspired the soldiers on the battlefield. Some researchers believe that at the time of the translation of the Bible into Slavonic, the legal practices of these peoples were so poorly developed that the concepts of a lawyer were simply absent in their languages, so they were replaced by some words understandable to these ordinary people. After all, consolation, support - indeed, one of the functions of a lawyer. Similarly, the word "witness" ("martiros") was usually translated as "martyr".

So, the "functions" of the Holy Spirit, according to Scripture, are related to the support teaching, reminding of the presence of Christ and His protection and help which He provides to man.

In worship

And what do the liturgical texts of today say on this topic? “The Holy Spirit ... Life and Life-giving, Light and Giver of light, He is good and the Source of goodness”, “The Holy Spirit is light and life, and a living intelligent source. Spirit of wisdom, Spirit of reason, good, right, thinking, dominating, purifying sins; God - and deifying; Fire - outgoing from Fire; speaking, acting, distributing gifts.

Here appears the theme of power, light, with which the Holy Spirit fills a person's life, various gifts (gifts, talents) that He sends to people; “goodness” (that is, kindness and sensitivity to other people). Ultimately Holy Spirit - "worshipping", that is, making people gods, in the words of St. Athanasius the Great.

Another important aspect is that The Holy Spirit dwells in the Church, He ensures its unity and wholeness. The Spirit helps to overcome disunity: “when he distributed fiery tongues, / He called everyone to unity, / and we glorify the All-Holy Spirit in accordance” (kontakion of the feast of the Trinity) and makes those who obey him one Church.

At the holy fathers

“The Holy Spirit is an immaterial fire: the light of faith, the warmth of love, fiery tongues that pronounce the law of God in the heart ... He awakens from the enchantment of the world, leads to trust in God, induces repentance ... If we do not interfere with His action, He directs in a narrow way selflessness…” (Filaret of Moscow)

“Now God gives man a new Spirit (Ezek. 36, 26), breathes into him a new breath of life… The apostles were the first vessels of the Holy Spirit… Just as life in plants freezes from the winter cold, so the spirit of a person freezes when he is given over to sin… In the seed there is a sprout of life, and in plants dying for the winter there is life; but if the Lord does not send the spirit of spring, then they will not be created and the face of the earth will not be renewed (Ps. 103, 30) ”(Theophan the Recluse)

So, the action of the Holy Spirit in a person is similar to some representation, the voice of God in man. Indeed, we see that the word "parakletos" is used consciously, and the legal analogy is not accidental.

In addition, the Holy Spirit helps a person to change ("spirit of spring"), gives him the strength to grow.

Summary

So the Holy Spirit:

ensures the unity of believers among themselves;

fills a person with strength, light; gives "the fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22);

· is the source of "gifts of the Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:1-10) - human and superhuman talents and abilities.

What should I do?

What must I do to have the Holy Spirit in me? On the one hand, as St. Philaret, for this you need to be “born again” (John 3:3). The presence of the Spirit in a person is a sign of his election by God, as it was in the days of the Old Testament, when the Holy Spirit Himself chose the prophets and spoke through them.

On the other hand, Christ promised that “your Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him,” and in this regard, the inner aspirations of a person come to the fore: what does he truly strive for, what does he desire, what is he doing in the first place. “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap: he who sows to his own flesh from the flesh will reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit from the Spirit will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:7-8),” St. Theophan the Recluse words of the Apostle Paul.

How do you understand the work of the Holy Spirit in you? What are you doing to be with Him? Tell us on our blog!

Involuntarily you ask yourself: what am I really striving for?

Looking inside myself, I realize that First of all, I want happiness: peace, joy, peace, love, creativity, freedom. Often I start looking for all this “on the side”, but deep down I understand that I can only get all this from God.

However, is this motivation for spiritual life the right one, the kind that the Lord expects from me? It looks like not quite. I have two separate concepts in my head: "happiness" and "God", and they are connected logically: God is the source of happiness, so I strive for God. Reading what the righteous wrote - ancient and modern - you understand that they had no such division. They only saw God- as the source of all joy, all happiness, and aspired directly to Him.

The most famous prayer ends with these words: "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit", while few people have a complete understanding of all three participants described. In fact, these are important personalities in Christianity who are an inseparable part of the Lord.

The Holy Spirit - Mystery or Reality?

There are different options for describing and representing the Holy Spirit, but in fact it is the third hypostasis of the one God. Many priests describe him as the active force of the Lord and he can send it to any place to fulfill his own will. Many explanations regarding what the Holy Spirit looks like agree that it is something invisible, but with visible manifestations. It is worth noting that in the Bible he is represented by the hands or fingers of the Almighty, and his name is not described anywhere, so we can conclude that he is not a person.

Another important point that interests many is the symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. In most cases, it is represented by a dove, which in the world symbolizes peace, truth and innocence. An exception is the icon "The Descent of the Holy Spirit", where it is represented by flames located above the heads of the Virgin and the Apostles. According to the rules of Orthodox cathedrals, it is forbidden to represent the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove on the walls, with the exception of the icon of the Epiphany. This bird is also used to describe the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which will be discussed below.

Holy Spirit in Orthodoxy

For a long time, theologians have been discussing the nature of God, trying to decide whether he is a single person or whether it is appropriate to dwell on a trinity. The importance of the Holy Spirit is related to the fact that through him the Lord can act in the world of people. Many believers are sure that he descended several times in the history of mankind on some people who received.

Another important theme is the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which refers to the operation of grace leading to salvation and perfection. They are an important part of the spiritual life of every Christian. The acquired gift of the Holy Spirit should bear fruit, helping a person to cope with various passions. These include love, temperance, faith, mercy, and so on.

Signs of the absence of the Holy Spirit

Believers will never exaggerate their own merits, be proud, try to be higher, deceive and commit other actions that are considered sinful. This indicates that the Holy Spirit is present in them. Those who are sinful are deprived of the help of the Lord and the chance of their salvation. The presence of the Holy Spirit can be identified in several ways.

1. A person easily identifies his weaknesses that require adjustment.
2. Jesus Christ is accepted as Savior.
3. There is a desire to study God's word and a thirst for fellowship with the Lord.
4. The desire to glorify God in your words, songs, actions, and so on.
5. There is a change in character and bad qualities are replaced by good ones, which makes a person better.
6. The believer understands that he cannot continue to live for himself, so he begins to create the Kingdom of God around him.
7. The desire to communicate with other people, for example, in church. This is necessary for common prayer, support for each other, joint glorification of the Lord, and so on.

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit - Orthodoxy

Special actions of divine grace that occur in the soul of a believer and give strength to perform actions for the sake of one's neighbor and the Higher powers are usually called the gifts of the Holy Spirit. There are many, but the main ones are seven:

1. The Gift of God's Fear. Many people see this wording as a kind of contradiction, since two words such as gift and fear are used together. This is explained by the fact that a person has a tendency to feel self-sufficient and perfect, and this alienates him from the Lord. Only by realizing the greatness of God, one can see the reality of the world, avoiding making serious mistakes, therefore fear is a source of good.
2. The Gift of Piety. The Lord forgives sins and constantly saves people by showing mercy. The gifts of the Holy Spirit in Orthodoxy are realized through prayer, celebration of the liturgy, and so on. Piety also implies mercy, that is, helping those in need. Showing condescension to others, a person acts as God does in relation to people.
3. The gift of guidance. It stands for the knowledge of truths based on faith and love. It is worth noting that the intellect, heart and will are implied here. The gifts of the Holy Spirit show that it is necessary to know the world through God, and then no temptations will lead you astray from the righteous path.
4. Gift of Courage. It is very important for salvation and resistance to various temptations that are encountered on the way during life.
5. Gift of advice. Every day a person faces different situations where you need to make a choice and sometimes spiritual advice is useful for making the right decision. The Holy Spirit helps you stay in tune with God's plan of salvation.
6. gift of reason. It is necessary in order to know God, who is revealed in Holy Scripture and in the Liturgy. The first option is a source of inspiration for the transition to divine knowledge, and the second implies the acceptance of the Body and Blood of the Lord. All this helps a person.
7. The Gift of Wisdom. Having reached this last step, man will be in unity with God.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

Many religious terms are unfamiliar to a large number of people, so there are those who do not know that blasphemy is a conscious rejection of the grace of the Lord in its obvious effect on a person, that is, it is blasphemy. Jesus Christ spoke of the fact that it implies denial and insult. He also asserted that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, since the Lord puts His Divinity into it.

How to acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit?

The phrase was introduced into use by Seraphim of Sarov during a conversation concerning the essence of faith. To acquire the Holy Spirit is to acquire grace. In order for this term to be understood by all believers, Sarovskiy interpreted it in as much detail as possible: each person has three sources of desires: spiritual, personal and demonic. The third forces a person to do things out of pride and self-interest, and the second provides a choice between good and bad. The first will is from the Lord and it pushes the believer to do good deeds, accumulating eternal wealth.

How to communicate with the Holy Spirit?

The saints and the three persons of God can be addressed in several ways, such as through prayers, reading the Word of God, or Holy Scripture. Allows the church to communicate in a normal dialogue. Invoking the Holy Spirit can be done with a few tips.

1. It is necessary to retire by taking and reading a few leaves of the Bible. It is important to relax and free yourself from all thoughts.
2. Communication begins with a regular conversation, so you need to introduce yourself.
3. A person must understand and feel that the Holy Spirit lives within him.
4. During communication, you can ask different questions, ask for training, and so on. Listen to whispers and inner voice.
5. The more often a believer conducts such seances, the stronger he feels the voice of the Lord.

Orthodox prayers to the Holy Spirit

To date, there are many prayer texts that help people in difficult times. The topic is relevant - is it possible to pray to the Holy Spirit, and what requests can be addressed to him. It is allowed to use both special texts and to say everything in your own words. Sincere faith and the absence of evil thoughts are of great importance. You can pray in church and at home.

Prayer for invoking the Holy Spirit

The most common prayer text that can be said at any time when it is felt that the help of the Higher Forces is needed. It helps to live the day in spiritual purity and tranquility. Prayer for receiving the Holy Spirit is directed to God, and it helps to receive the seven gifts described above. The text is short, but at the same time, a huge power is concentrated in it, helping to find solace and find peace.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit for the fulfillment of desire

It is difficult to meet a person who does not dream of a better life, and the hope that when this all becomes a reality always remains in the heart. If desires have only good intentions, then the power of the Holy Spirit can help make them a reality. It is important to use the presented text only if the need to realize your desire is huge. You need to turn to the Holy Spirit at dawn, repeating the text of the prayer three times.

Prayer for the help of the Holy Spirit

Difficult times periodically come in the lives of many people, and in order to cope with the problems that have arisen, one can turn to the Higher Forces. There is a special prayer to the Holy Spirit, which will help you gain confidence in your abilities, understand the current situation and become. You can say it anywhere and anytime you want. It is better to memorize the text and repeat it three times.

Who is this wonderful Holy Spirit of grace? In order to communicate and work with Him, we need to know Him well. Although impersonal metaphors representing the Holy Spirit—fire, wind, water, oil, etc.—have a biblical basis, they have been used so often that people simply do not know who He really is. Let's get to the real truth.

The Holy Spirit is God

Like God the Father and God the Son, the Holy Spirit is part of the Godhead. The Arians and some other sects regarded the Holy Spirit simply as a power descended from the eternal God. But in the orthodox church, these currents have always been considered heretical.

The Bible itself calls the Holy Spirit God. One of Jesus' commands to His disciples, which He gave them before His ascension, was: "Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). Here Jesus clearly indicates that the Holy Spirit occupies the same position as the Father and the Son. He said that the Spirit has the same authority, power, and glory as the Father and the Son.

The same is said throughout the Bible. In the Book of Acts, a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold the estate and brought some of the proceeds to the apostles, pretending to have brought everything. But the apostle Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, reproached Ananias: "Why did you allow Satan to put into your heart the idea of ​​lying to the Holy Spirit and hiding from the price of the earth?.. You lied not to men, but to God" (Acts 5:3,4) . By this Peter testified that the Holy Spirit is God, saying that Ananias lied to God and the Holy Spirit. Peter used these words interchangeably.

Certain Old Testament verses spoken by the Lord are referred to in the New Testament as being written by the Holy Spirit. For example, Isaiah 6:9 says, "And He (the Lord) said, Go and say to this people, Hear with your ears, and you will not understand, and with your eyes you will see, and you will not see." When Paul quoted this verse in the New Testament, he attributed these words to the Holy Spirit: "Well, the Holy Spirit said to our fathers through the prophet Isaiah, 'Go to this people and say, 'Hear with your ears, and you will not understand; and with your eyes you will see, and you will not see. "" (Acts 28:25,2b).

Through these and similar passages of Scripture, I clearly understand that the Holy Spirit is truly one of the Holy Trinity. The word of the Lord God in the Old Testament is the same as the word of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament (see also Jer.3.33 and Heb.10:15,16).

That the Holy Spirit is God is evident from the fact that He does a work that no one but God can do. The Holy Spirit created the heavens and the earth according to the will of God (cf. Gen. 1:2; Job. 26:13). He raised the dead (see Rom. 1:4; 6:11); determined the birth of people from above (see John 3:57); rebuked the world about sin, righteousness and judgment (cf. John 16:8) and cast out demons (cf. Matt. 12:28).

Moreover, the Holy Spirit has all the attributes of the Godhead. Only God is eternal, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent - all this applies to the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 9:14 says that the Holy Spirit is eternal: “How much more will the blood of Christ, who by the eternal Holy Spirit offered Himself blameless to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living and true God!” (in the English Bible).

The Holy Spirit is omniscient: "But God has revealed these things to us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10). The Holy Spirit knows everything, even the depths of God.

The Holy Spirit is omnipotent: "The angel said to her (Mary) in answer: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" (Luke 1:35). It is clear that the Holy Spirit is the power of the Most High, and nothing is impossible for God.

And finally. The Holy Spirit is omnipresent. Psalm 139 speaks very vividly of the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit. David said to the Lord: "Where can I go from Your Spirit, and where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to hell, You are there" (vv. 7,8).

So, isn't the Holy Spirit - eternal, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent - God? He is as majestic, holy and glorious as the Father and the Son.

The Holy Spirit has a personality

When we realize that the Holy Spirit is a person, an entity that has an individuality, like the Father and the Son, our attitude towards the Holy Spirit will completely change. The personal nature of the Holy Spirit affects our relationship with Him in several ways. In his book The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, the evangelist and biblical scholar Torrei, a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, pointed out the importance of the individuality of the Holy Spirit. He emphasized that only an entity with an individuality can understand our problems and help us.

We cannot talk to rocks, trees, or some impersonal force. But, being a Divine person. The Holy Spirit goes deep into our affairs to help us. This allows us to seek His help.

The Korean Hymnbook includes several hymns of prayers to the Holy Spirit asking for His help. The first line of one of these hymns of petition is: "Spirit of the Living God, come upon me again." What an ardent prayer and song of petition to the Holy Spirit! And here are the names of some of the hymns from this collection: "Eternal Holy Spirit", "Glorious Spirit", "Come, Glorious Spirit", "Holy Spirit with wonderful light", "Holy Spirit, faithful guide". And all these songs are prayers to the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit were not a person, how could He know our life circumstances and help us? If this were not the case, our hymns of prayer to the Holy Spirit would be sheer foolishness.

Biblical foundation

You may ask, how do we know that the Holy Spirit is a person? This is clear to us from the Bible.

Often people do not see the difference between a person and a material entity. When we say that an entity is a person, some mistakenly believe that this entity must necessarily be flesh. But Jesus, after His resurrection, did not have a body like ours.

As the apostle Paul said, "And if we knew Christ in the flesh, we know it no more" (see 1 Corinthians 15:44). Does this mean that Jesus ceased to be a person? Of course not. I do not know of believers who would deny that the Father is a living person, although no one has ever seen God, for God is a Spirit (see John 4:24). An entity is a person, whether or not it is material, as long as it has the attributes of a person. Since the Holy Spirit has all the characteristics of a person, although invisible, He is a person. Now let's look at the biblical evidence.

We know that the Holy Spirit is a person because the Bible constantly uses personal pronouns when talking about the Holy Spirit. "The Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me" (John 15:26). "If I do not go, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you, and when He comes, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:7, 8). "When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).

Many actions that only a person can perform are related to the Holy Spirit. Here is a short list of these activities.

1. The Holy Spirit says: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Rev. 2:7).

2. The Holy Spirit helps us in our infirmities: "Likewise the Spirit strengthens us in our infirmities." (Rom. 8:26).

3. The Holy Spirit prays for us: "The Spirit Himself intercedes for us..." (Rom. 8:26).

4. The Holy Spirit teaches us: "But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of all that I have said to you" (John 14:26).

5. The Holy Spirit testifies about the Lord: "When the Comforter comes ... He will testify about Me" (John 15:26).

6. The Holy Spirit guides us: "When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth..." (John 1b:13).

7. The Holy Spirit guides believers in their service to Jesus Christ: "Now that they were not permitted by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia...they tried to go to Bethany; but the Spirit would not" (Acts 16:6, 7).

8. The Holy Spirit calls people to the work of God and puts them into service: "The Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them" (Acts 13:2).

9. The Holy Spirit comforts the believers: "The churches were at rest, being edified and walking in the fear of the Lord, and being comforted by the Holy Spirit, they multiplied" (Acts 9:31).

In fact, entire chapters in the Bible were written in the garments of the Holy Spirit. The list I have given includes only some of the points that prove the claim that the Holy Spirit is a Person.

The characterization of a person is given to the Holy Spirit. To be a person, an entity must be aware of events and facts, have feelings such as joy, anger, pleasure, and sadness; have the will to decide how and when to express those feelings. Does the Holy Spirit have all these attributes?

First, knowledge is given to the Holy Spirit, as the following passages of the Bible say: "But God has revealed these things to us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10); "He who searches the heart knows what the mind of the Spirit is" (Rom. 8:27). Think about it. The Holy Spirit has such a deep mind that he penetrates the depths of God just as he penetrates and understands the heart of man. Let me tell you about my personal experience of knowing the Holy Spirit. One hot summer day, I was preaching to an audience of 1,300 people who had come to an evening service at my church. In the middle of my sermon, I was suddenly kindled in my spirit by a strong prompting from the Holy Spirit. He revealed to me that among my listeners there is a man who has decided to commit suicide, and if he does not escape tonight, he will perish. After receiving the word of knowledge, I tried to continue preaching as if nothing had happened. But I felt very constrained. Finally he interrupted the sermon for a few minutes and explained why: "If such a person is here, please raise your hand." The young woman raised her hand. After the service, I spoke with her in my office. This woman left her home with the intention of never returning there, but a friend persuaded her to come to the service. Until the moment she heard that God was interested in her and wanted to help her, this woman thought only of suicide.

During our conversation, the young woman was crying all the time. When we finished talking, she confessed her sins and returned home saved. A year later I received a letter in which she wrote that she was leading a happy life in the Lord. This incident fully convinces me that the Holy Spirit knows all our innermost thoughts and our life circumstances. Yes, the Holy Spirit has knowledge.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit has emotions and feelings, which are mentioned in the following passages of the Bible: "But hope does not put us to shame, because the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Rom. 5:5); "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God" (Eph. 4:30); "But the Spirit Himself intercedes for you with groanings that cannot be expressed" (Rom. 8:26). These quotes prove that the Holy Spirit has different emotions: He pours the love of God into our spirit, He can be offended and sighs in sincere prayer for us.

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit has a will, and He acts according to His will and according to His plans. "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He pleases" (1 Corinthians 12:11); "Now that they were not allowed by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia...they tried to go to Bethany; but the Spirit did not allow them" (Acts 16:6, 7). One of the most foolish things people do today is to try to use the Holy Spirit for their own purposes. The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal entity, not some lifeless object or some unknown force to use Him. He is a real person. He Himself uses people according to His will. I realized this in the summer of 1964.

At that time, I was preaching for a week in some churches and had already bought a plane ticket to fly to Washington State, when I suddenly felt heavy and uneasy in my spirit. I tried to calm down, but I couldn't. Before I left the state, I made plans to attend an evening hosted by the Women's Missionary Council. When I arrived there, I asked the women's congregation leader to show me a quiet place where I could pray. I knelt before the Lord, and immediately the Holy Spirit clearly indicated to me that His will for me was to stay in California for another week. I listed to God many reasons why I could not stay, but there was no peace in my heart. Finally, when I submitted to the Lord and said that I would obey Him, peace filled my heart and mind. Thinking back to that summer, I see that my obedience to the voice of the Lord brought wonderful results in evangelism and fruits for the Kingdom of God.

From experience, I can say that the Holy Spirit knows God's plan for us, and He has a way to reveal that plan to us.

The Bible clearly and distinctly shows that the Holy Spirit is a real person who has knowledge, feelings and will. He dwells and works with us and in us. Knowing this, we should perfect our gospel work with His supernatural power, recognizing, inviting, and worshiping Him in our daily activities and in our public service.

The Holy Spirit is a person, and our worship is important to Him. How could we worship an impersonal power? But, glory to His holy name, He answers us as a perfect person, because He is God.

She lived in fear for 15 years, but the Lord gave her complete freedom - evidence of miracles and healings in the Father's Blessing Church

Hello, my name is Lena. I have a testimony of deliverance, how the Lord freed me from fear. 15 years ago, my father's relatives were robbed, several people in masks broke into their family in the evening, stunned the head of the family, demanded money from his wife, putting a gun to a small child, demanded that they give all the money. When the wife of a relative gave these finances, after this situation, my father invited relatives to live in our house, he understood that it would be difficult for them to live at home. When they lived with us for a whole year at home, my aunt had constant attacks of fear because of what was happening, because she saw what was happening, the bandits talked to her. I constantly replayed these situations, after a year later they left us, this fear began to haunt me, that the same thing could happen to my parents, I was afraid for the life of my parents, when some finances appeared in the house, even a small amount, I was afraid that the same situation could happen with my parents. This continued, I went to study in another city, but being in another city, this fear constantly haunted me, it paralyzed me for several days a month, sometimes I even came to my parents to be with them, to make sure that everything was in order, but this fear haunted them at home as well. I didn't know that I needed to be released from it, I lived and thought that it was normal. On the prayer line, I fell under the hand of a man of God and felt that there was something inside me, but it did not come out of me, it sat strongly in me.

I began to cry out to God and ask for release, I repented of all kinds of sins, asked for forgiveness for things for which I asked for forgiveness dozens of times, cast out an unclean spirit, called me different names, but nothing happened. I began to cry out for the mercy of God, so that God would set me free, because. I am a man of God and this should not be in me. When God freed me, He showed that He freed me from fear. The liberation took place at my house, I came to visit my parents, it was the second hour of the night, I didn’t sleep and a very strong fear began to come up inside me, there were thousands of thoughts, pictures, I didn’t have time to digest them, at some point the Holy Spirit unfolded inside me and started pushing it all off of me. At that moment, when the unclean spirit manifested, I had a feeling that my head would be torn into thousands of pieces, there was pain and fear at the same time. In a split second, the Holy Spirit freed me from this, lying on the bed, no one prayed for me, God himself did it, when the release took place, I could not speak, I was paralyzed by this fear, the spirit that was inside me. Inside myself, I heard my physical voice as I ordered the unclean spirit to leave my body and in a split second I got freedom. For several days I walk in this freedom, I do not feel any fear, constraint, physical spasms from fear that I experienced all the time, I thank God for the release from the spirit of fear, for complete healing, for the fact that I became a free person, as the word of God says , all glory to Him.

The Holy Spirit has given gifts to every Christian. One of these gifts is the discernment of spirits, it helps to pray correctly for the exorcism of demons. Learn more about spiritual gifts in the Christian Foundation lesson. In the video mix Don't Be Afraid, Just Believe, Dimitri Leo talks about the importance of being able to sacrifice your pride and kneel before the Lord, as Jairus did in order to receive a miracle.

We continue our conversation about the sacrament of chrismation. What does the Holy Spirit bring into our lives?

Holy Spirit. Mosaic of Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice. XI-XIII centuries.

Human can to know Godonly in the Holy Spirit.

Human can win sinonly by the Holy Spirit.

Human can become like Christonly by the power of the Holy Spirit.

These three actions of the Third Person of the Holy Trinity determine His role in our lives. He is the only "Mediator" between us and God. The Holy Spirit is a bridge spread over the abyss of original sin that once separated man from the Creator; a bridge over which we move from a state of guilt, sin, shame, and fear (see Gen. 3) to a state of filial and intimate relationship with God. In the Holy Spirit, our Lord is revealed and experienced as the Father (Rom. 8:15).

That is why it was obvious and evident to the early Church that the sons and daughters of God are those who in their lives are "led" by the Holy Spirit; and “whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ is not His” (Rom. 8:9). The daily guidance of the Holy Spirit was to be experienced (see Acts 8:29).

Without the Holy Spirit, the Church would be just one of the many religious institutions on our planet, and every Christian would be just an adherent of this religious organization. Unfortunately, it was precisely this view of Christianity that predetermined its “crisis” in modern society. Without “recognizing” the mysterious action of the Holy Spirit in the Church, without listening to His voice, without following His guidance, believers lose that very “salt” that alone makes Christianity New Life, joyful News, and not just another “human, all too human” » system.

The Church is the community of Christ's disciples, filled and continually filled with the Holy Spirit. The Church is a family of God's children, those who have trusted in Him and whom the Spirit takes by the hand, leading through their whole lives to complete and perfect likeness to Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven (in Eternity). This is how the Church was conceived, this is how it was created. The historical path of the Church from century to century is a thorny path, during which betrayals and deviations from the original Intention are constantly and patiently healed, healed by the same grace of the Holy Spirit, which invariably resides in the very heart of the Church.

So, the Holy Spirit reveals to us God the Father and Christ as our Lord and Savior - yes; He reveals the Church to us as our common family, gathered around Christ and His Eucharistic Supper.

The Last Supper. Miniature from the Armenian Gospel of 1232

But the Spirit reveals us and ourselves! It reveals the richness and beauty of our personality, with all its fragility and gifts. He seeks to gradually transform our whole being. Because He loves us. And more and more highlights those facets by which each of us begins to become remotely similar to Christ ...

In this sense, it can be said that the gift of the Holy Spirit is given for the service of others, for the full disclosure of a person's personality in such service. The early Church was well aware of this: very often, at the moment of the descent of the Spirit, believers immediately experienced extraordinary actions in themselves of spiritual gifts: prophecy, special inspired prayer, healings, etc. (1 Cor 12). The gift, through which the Holy Spirit manifests itself in each individual believer, partly corresponds to his natural inclinations, character traits, and partly reflects the inscrutable ways of Providence about this person.

And now, as well as 2000 years ago, the Holy Spirit still shines upon the believers and those who seek Him, although this does not always happen so clearly and brightly - however, if grace has touched the heart, it will certainly leave in it some kind of “inner testimony”, knowledge (cf. 1 John 2:20). To think otherwise would mean to reject the Church as such, depreciate the whole work of Christ and, according to the great Byzantine mysticRev. Simeon the New Theologian fall into the worst of heresies.

But, just as in the case of Baptism, the grace of Confirmation must be deepened and revealed in oneself throughout the rest of one's life. Otherwise, the Christian will remain a barren fig tree (Matthew 21:18-19). What fruit should the indwelling of the Holy Spirit have in a Christian? They are listed by App. Paul: "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Gal 5:22-23).

These fruits ripen only on the condition of the closest communion with the Holy Spirit, in the direct sense of cooperation with Him. And it, in turn, passes through four main channels:

- prayer;

- Sacraments (especially the Eucharist);

- reading the Word of God;

- communication with people, with brothers and sisters in faith, and all the actions, words and thoughts that follow from this.

Of course, such a division is conditional: in the end, absolutely everything in our life must be spiritualized - become "spiritual", that is, participate in the grace-filled action of the Holy Spirit. But this is Christian perfection. And as long as we are on the way to it, it is necessary to use these "tools". holy Theophan the Recluse expresses the idea that the grace of Confirmation is like a fire hiding under the ashes of our passions, oblivion, negligence: this fire should be fanned with the labor of prayer and other Christian virtues. BUTRev. Seraphim of Sarov even taught , using visual images from the life of merchants, that these virtues need to be “traded spiritually”, i.e., to see which of them give each of us more grace of the Holy Spirit: “prayer and vigil give you more grace of God - watch and pray; fasting gives the Spirit of God a lot, fast, almsgiving gives more, do almsgiving, and thus talk about every virtue done for Christ’s sake” (conversation of St. Seraphim of Sarov with N. A. Motovilov). These images can confuse someone with their seeming "commercialism", as if the whole life of a Christian revolves around his own ego and its spiritual benefit. In fact, there is a profound truth here: that deed, that work, in the performance of which a person feels grace to a greater extent than in other occupations, points to his calling and service in the Church and in the world, forms him as a person. This is that personal and unique gift (or gifts) of the Holy Spirit to a specific person, which is given, in the end, for one purpose: growth in love. If you listen carefully, with reasoning and advice from spiritual mentors, brothers and sisters in Christ, to this quiet breath of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Kings 19:12), you can - and certainly need to! – to find the answer to the frequently asked question: “What is God calling me to?”

And it's not as difficult as it sometimes seems. On a witty notearch. Alexy Uminsky , God does not hide His will from us (and His calling is always the greatest joy for the person himself!), like a kind of rebus. The Father is interested in His children being happy. The realization of a Christian's personality is nothing but his response to God's call to him personally, and the fullness of this realization depends on the fullness of self-giving in following the leading of the Spirit.

This is how many gifts, meanings and purposes are contained in the least known Sacrament of the Church. If Baptism is the starting point of the Christian path, then Confirmation in itself contains the seed of its ultimate goal - “deification”, when the whole human being is transformed, transformed and renewed by the uncreated energies of the Holy Spirit. All the subsequent Sacraments of the Church, as well as all his works, are called upon to reveal the potential that is given in Chrismation. And if a disciple of Christ becomes like a sponge filled with grace, so that it flows and pours out of his whole being in rivers of living water (John 7:38-39) - in other words, if he becomes a saint - this is that perfect fruit, growth and the maturation of which began in the sacrament of Chrismation. But the lesser gospel does not agree ...

P.S. In conclusion, here is the most famous hymn of Simeon the New Theologian about the Holy Spirit:

Don't say it's impossible to receive the Divine Spirit,

Do not say that without Him it is possible to be saved,

Do not say that someone is involved in Him without knowing it,

Do not say that God is invisible to people,

Don't say people don't see the Divine Light

Or that it is currently impossible!

It's never impossible, friends!

But it is very possible for those who wish.

Conversation with Motovilov of Seraphim of Sarovskyabout the purpose of the Christian life

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