John 14:26  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Before Christ went to the Cross, in the most intimate of settings, he sat down with his disciples and communed with them. He explained the degree to which he loved them. He explained that he would be leaving them soon but that when he was gone, God the Father would send them someone in his name who would be with them to teach and remind them of everything he had said to them. That someone is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also referred to as “the Holy Ghost” or the “Comforter” or “Counselor” and sometimes as the “Spirit of Truth.” These names are simply the embodiment of his character and work so no need to be confused.

There is no truth apart from God. The Holy Spirit helps you to discern what is true. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14: 6). So if someone is teaching you something about God that does not line up with what Jesus taught in the New Testament or does not correspond in principle to what is written in the Old Testament in the Bible, then you must question it. That is why you must read the Bible through for yourself as early as you can and find a place to worship where the Bible is being taught, book by book or better yet, line by line. That is not as easy as you might think.

In John 16: 8 – 11 Speaking about the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus also said: “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world (Satan) now stands condemned.” So the Holy Spirit is the representative of the Father and Son to carry out their agenda both in the lives of those who believe in God and those who reject him.

If you are now a believer, you have experienced the work of the Holy Spirit already. He awakened in you the consciousness of sin and your need for the Savior. He gives you the hunger to want to know more about God’s Word and his love for you. Cherish his presence and respond to his guidance.