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The Holy Spirit's Role in Building God's Church

The Holy Spirit plays a foundational and ongoing role in the building of God's church, acting as the divine agent through whom believers are united and sanctified. The Apostle Paul states that believers are "built together to be the habitation of God by the Spirit" [1]. This indicates that the church, as a collective body, becomes a dwelling place for God through the Spirit's presence and work.

The Holy Spirit's involvement begins with the spiritual regeneration of individuals, often referred to as the "new birth" [4]. This new birth is essential, as "none can enter heaven without" it, and it is "effected by God... The Holy Spirit" [4]. This process transforms human nature, which is inherently corrupt, and is described as a "new creation" and "newness of life" [4]. This initial work of the Spirit lays the groundwork for the church by bringing individuals into a saving relationship with God.

Beyond regeneration, the Holy Spirit continues to work in the lives of believers through sanctification, which is the process of becoming more like Christ [5]. Sanctification is "the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration" [5]. This work extends to the "whole man" and is considered the "special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption" [5]. The fruit of the Spirit, described in Galatians 5:22 as "goodness, righteousness, and truth," is evidence of this ongoing work in believers' lives [7, 8, 10]. This fruit is seen as a unified whole, "the fruit of the Spirit" [9].

The Spirit also empowers and guides the church in its mission and ministry. The Holy Spirit is described as having attributes of personality, such as intelligence and volition, and executes offices unique to a person, including reproving, helping, glorifying, and interceding [3]. The Spirit appoints and commissions ministers, directs them where to preach and where not to preach, and instructs them on what to preach [2]. This guidance ensures that the church's leadership and message are aligned with God's will.

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit provides the power necessary for the church's work. This power is identified as "the power of God" itself, exhibited in creation, the conception of Christ, and raising Christ from the dead [6]. It is through this power that the gospel becomes efficacious, and all difficulties are overcome [6]. Believers are encouraged to build themselves up "in the Holy Ghost," praying in the Spirit, who teaches what to pray for and how to pray effectively [11]. The church itself is understood as the "temple of God" because "the Spirit of God dwelleth in" it [12].

Sources

  1. Ephesians “Ephesians 2:22 (Geneva1599) — In whom ye also are built together to be the habitation of God by the Spirit.”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Holy Spirit, the Personality Of — He creates and gives life -- Job 33:4. He appoints and commissions ministers -- Isa 48:16; Ac 13:2; 20:28. He directs ministers where to preach -- Ac 8:29; 10:19,20. He directs ministers where not to preach -- Ac 16:6,7. He instructs ministers what to preach -- 1Co 2:13. He spoke in, and by, the prophets -- Ac 1:16; 1Pe 1:11,12; 2Pe 1:21. He strives with sinners -- Ge 6:3. He reproves -- Joh 16:8. He comforts -- Ac 9:31. He helps our infirmities -- Ro 8:26. He teaches -- Joh 14:26; 1Co 12:3. He guides -- Joh 16:13. He sanctifies -- R”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Holy Ghost — The third Person of the adorable Trinity. His personality is proved (1) from the fact that the attributes of personality, as intelligence and volition, are ascribed to him (John 14:17, 26; 15:26; 1 Cor. 2:10, 11; 12:11). He reproves, helps, glorifies, intercedes (John 16:7-13; Rom. 8:26). (2) He executes the offices peculiar only to a person. The very nature of these offices involves personal distinction (Luke 12:12; Acts 5:32; 15:28; 16:6; 28:25; 1 Cor. 2:13; Heb. 2:4; 3:7; 2 Pet. 1:21). His divinity is established (1) from the fact that the names of Go”
  4. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: New Birth, The — The corruption of human nature requires -- Joh 3:6; Ro 8:7,8. None can enter heaven without -- Joh 3:3. Effected by God. -- Joh 1:13; 1Pe 1:3. Christ. -- 1Jo 2:29. The Holy Spirit. -- Joh 3:6; Tit 3:5. Through the instrumentality of The word of God. -- Jas 1:18; 1Pe 1:23. The resurrection of Christ. -- 1Pe 1:3. The ministry of the gospel. -- 1Co 4:15. Is of the will of God -- Jas 1:18. Is of the mercy of God -- Tit 3:5. Is for the glory of God -- Isa 43:7. Described as A new creation. -- 2Co 5:17; Ga 6:15; Eph 2:10. Newness of life. -- Ro 6:4. A spir”
  5. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sanctification — Involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Rom. 6:13; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 3:10; 1 John 4:7; 1 Cor. 6:19). It is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1 Cor. 6:1”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Power of the Holy Spirit, The — Is the power of God -- Mt 12:28; Lu 11:20. Christ commenced his ministry in -- Lu 4:14. Christ wrought his miracles by -- Mt 12:28. Exhibited in Creation. -- Ge 1:2; Job 26:13; Ps 104:30. The conception of Christ. -- Lu 1:35. Raising Christ from the dead. -- 1Pe 3:18. Giving spiritual life. -- Eze 37:11-14; Ro 8:11. Working miracles. -- Ro 15:19. Making the gospel efficacious. -- 1Co 2:4; 1Th 1:5. Overcoming all difficulties. -- Zec 4:6,7. Promised by the Father. -- Lu 24:49. Promised by Christ. -- Ac 1:8. Saints Upheld by. -- Ps 51:12”
  7. Galatians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Galatians 5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit - Both flesh - the sinful dispositions of the human heart and spirit - the changed or purified state of the soul, by the grace and Spirit of God, are represented by the apostle as trees, one yielding good the other bad fruit; the productions of each being according to the nature of the tree, as the tree is according to the nature of the seed from which it sprung. The bad seed produced a bad tree, yielding all manner of bad fruit; the good seed produced a good tree, bringing forth fruits of the most excellent kind. The tree of the flesh”
  8. Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 5:8: For the fruit of the Spirit,.... Either of the spirit of man, as renewed, or rather of the Spirit of God; the allusion is to fruits of trees: the believer is a tree of righteousness; Christ is his root; the Spirit is the sap, which supports and nourishes; and good works, under the influence of his grace, are the fruit: the Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, read "the fruit of light"; which agrees with the preceding words: and the genuine fruit of internal grace, or light, is in all goodness, and righteousness, ”
  9. Philippians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Philippians 1:11: The oldest manuscripts read the singular, "fruit." So Gal 5:22 (see on Gal 5:22); regarding the works of righteousness, however manifold, as one harmonious whole, "the fruit of the Spirit" (Eph 5:9) Jam 3:18, "the fruit of righteousness" (Heb 12:11); Rom 6:22, "fruit unto holiness." which are--"which is by (Greek, 'through') Jesus Christ." Through His sending to us the Spirit from the Father. "We are wild and useless olive trees till we are grafted into Christ, who, by His living root, makes us fruit-bearing branches" [CALVIN].”
  10. Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 5:9: fruit of the Spirit--taken by transcribers from Gal 5:22. The true reading is that of the oldest manuscripts, "The fruit of THE LIGHT"; in contrast with "the unfruitful works of darkness" (Eph 5:11). This verse is parenthetic. Walk as children of light, that is, in all good works and words, "FOR the fruit of the light is [borne] in [ALFORD; but BENGEL, 'consists in'] all goodness [opposed to 'malice,' Eph 4:31], righteousness [opposed to 'covetousness,' Eph 5:3] and truth [opposed to 'lying,' Eph 4:25]."”
  11. Jude (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jude 1:20: Resuming Jde 1:17. building up yourselves--the opposite to the "separate themselves" (Jde 1:19): as "in the Holy Ghost" is opposed to "having not the Spirit." on--as on a foundation. Building on THE FAITH is equivalent to building on Christ, the object of faith. praying in the Holy Ghost-- (Rom 8:26; Eph 6:18). The Holy Spirit teaches what we are to pray for, and how. None can pray aright save by being in the Spirit, that is, in the element of His influence. CHRYSOSTOM states that, among the charisms bestowed at the beginning of the New Testament d”
  12. 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 3:16: Know ye not that ye are the temple of God,.... The apostle having spoken of the saints as God's building, of himself as a wise master builder, of Christ as the only foundation, and of various doctrines as the materials laid thereon, proceeds to observe to this church, and the members of it, that they being incorporated together in a Gospel church state, were the temple of God; and which was what they could not, or at least ought not, to be ignorant of: and they are so called, in allusion to Solomon's temple; which as it was a type of the natural, so of the myst”
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