Spirit came upon the people in the Old Covenant instead of actually filling them with His presence. When it is said that He did fill them, it was only for a certain period of time rather than having His continuous presence. The continuous abiding presence of the Holy Spirit could only be given after the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of Christ. … “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you” (John 16:7) … “He that believeth in me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:38-39). Such a promise is misleading if the Holy Spirit dwelt within Old Testament prophets on a continuous basis. The Spirit of God was however continuous on earth prior to the day of Pentecost. His Old Testament ministry was predominately amongst the nation of Israel. God said, “For I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my Spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not(Hag.2:4-5).
The spirit leads and guides us as He did even in the Old Testament. If we read the account of Israel’s history, we will find out that the Israelites often fell away from God because they refused to obey the voice of His Spirit … “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness” (Heb. 3:7-8). However , He never took His Spirit away from them, for they still needed His guidance and leadership even though Moses was there for them… “As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever” (Isaiah 59:21). The punishment for disobedience included falling into the hands of their enemies, but even when God withdrew divine protection and aid, He was still working to bring Israel to repentance. This is exactly what the Holy Spirit has been doing since the Jews rejected Christ as Messiah and Lord. One day, through His ministry, “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26). Therefore, the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament cannot be over emphasized. He worked as the creator, as the inspirer of men like: Men like Moses, David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah wrote under His inspiration, for we are told by the apostle Peter that “the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21). The apostle Paul adds, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16), therefore the inspiration must have been the work of the God the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit also guided the Israelites through the wilderness.
Now, in the New Testament, the Holy Ghost is often referred to as Holy Guest. The word “ghost” in this case was an old English word supplied by the King James translators to indicate a (guest.) In those days if one was invited for a meal, a place was set at the table for that unseen guest. He was referred to as a “ghost” because he was yet unseen. The Holy Spirit is the “unseen invited guest†who comes to dwell in us with the character of God; providing partnership in prayer. He is the character of the Holiness of God for He is God’s nature revealed through the personage and ministry of the Holy Spirit’s occupation of the regenerated human spirit. The Holy Spirit as promised by our Lord Jesus is the comforter. While preparing His disciples for His ascension, our Lord promised the provision of a Holy partnership which would come shortly after His departure. The “Comforter,” (Paraklete), would be sent as The (One called along side). He, the Holy Spirit, would parallel our lives; affording us oneness with God through His ministries of comfort. He would be sent, not to speak of Himself, but rather to glorify our Lord as well as to guide us into all truth. This partnership with the Holy Spirit would constitute a new and unique relationship with God hitherto unknown to Believers for He would “dwell with us and in us.” We enjoy an association with our Heavenly Father through partnership with the Holy Spirit. We have been eternally joined together with the Holy Spirit through the finished work of Christ upon the cross. The purpose of our partnership with the Holy Spirit of God is for spiritual unanimity and completeness through revealed truth. He arranges spiritual mutuality and even provides a language of agreement, “groaning which cannot be uttered,” to assure precise communication with God in our behalf.
The Holy Spirit is also the Helper who has been sent to us by our Lord Jesus Christ to help us. Know that the primary work of any helper is to make work or activities easier for the person being helped. The Greek word translated “helpeth” in (Rom.8:26). “Likewise the Holy Spirit also helpeth our infirmities,” means to take hold, together, against. The ministry of the Holy Spirit therefore is one of intercessory prayer which parallels our own. It is interesting to compare the interpretation of “helpeth” with the word translated “Comforter” in John’s gospel; (Paraclete.) “clete,” and “para,” (along side). Literally the One who (parallels). He is sent to parallel our prayers by providing counteracting spiritual balance through intercession. In this way we can achieve greater supernatural distance when we pray. Without His help, we will fall time and time again; unable to maintain continuity or direction when we pray. It is additionally important to note that the Holy Spirit “Helps our deficiency: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought.” Our human inability to pray does not give us license to neglect prayer. The Holy Spirit parallels, or takes hold with us, as we pray. If we do not pray, He does not pray. His ministry of intercession is engaged as we fellowship with God. We must learn the importance of reaching out in partnership with the Holy Spirit when petitioning God. We must learn to pray in the Spirit. And God that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
As the advocate and the spirit of truth, Jesus summarizes the role of the Holy spirit to the disciples:
I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.(John 16:4-15).
St.Paul, as a well-enlightened scholar of the law immediately continues his letter, emphasizing the Defense Attorney function of “the Spirit” in language that evokes images of court proceedings. Further describing the interceding, protective, guiding, and triumphant activity of that “Spirit of truth” (the Comforter, the Advocate) on our behalf in the defeat of Satan (the devil, the Accuser, the Slanderer, the Prosecuting Attorney). Apostle Paul writes:
Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.†No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8: 33-39).
Another important ministry of the Holy spirit is that of gift-giver. First Corinthians 12 describes the spiritual gifts given to believers in order that we may function as the body of Christ on earth. All these gifts, both great and small, are given by the Spirit so that we may be His ambassadors to the world, showing forth His grace and glorifying Him. The Spirit also functions as fruit-producer in our lives. When He indwells us, He begins the work of harvesting His fruit in our lives – love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness,