The indwelling of the Spirit of God within an individual has profound implications. On one hand, having the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More means we are blessed with an abundance of gifts; on the other hand, it also brings responsibilities. Let us take a closer look at the blessings we receive because the Spirit resides within us. While we cannot fully exhaust our richness through the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More, we can and should engage with these blessings and find joy in them.

Here are four key blessings:

• The Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More as Our AdvocateAn advocate is a person who helps and comforts someone. Advocates in the Bible: • The glorified man Jesus Christ is active in heaven for the children of God in... More
• The Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More as a SealA seal confirms the valid conclusion of a transaction or the authenticity of a document. Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30). This means... More
• The Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More as Our EarnestAn earnest is a kind of down payment that someone makes in order actually to become the owner of something later. One such "pledge" is the Holy Spirit (2 Cor... More
• The Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More as Our Unction

The Holy Spirit as Our Advocate

The New Testament presents two advocates that believers have. In 1 John 2:1, we see that the Lord Jesus Himself is our advocate concerning our sins as children of God: "If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous." This means that Jesus represents us in heaven before the Father. In the Gospel of John, on the other hand, we learn about an advocate on earth—the Holy Spirit. The term "advocate" appears four times:

• John 14:16: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth.”
• John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
• John 15:26: “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”
• John 16:7: “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”

Thus, the Lord Jesus announced the coming of the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More, who would be with believers in His absence. Sent by both the Father and the Son, the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More has been present on earth since PentecostThis name (Greek) is used twice in the New Testament and means "the fiftieth day.” This refers to the 50th day after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This day... More, looking after our interests.

Since the term "advocate" is not commonly used today, it is valid to question what the advocacy of the Holy Spirit actually means. Literally translated, "advocate" could also mean "summoned one," referring to someone summoned to assist another. Therefore, "advocate" can also be interpreted as "lawyer," "comforter," or "helper." All three meanings are relevant in understanding the role of the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More:

1. As a Lawyer: A lawyer takes on someone else's case to represent their affairs, especially in legal matters that we cannot navigate alone. In this role, the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More represents us when we sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More as children of God. SinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More is serious for a believer; it disrupts our fellowship with our Heavenly Father and brings disorder to our lives. In addition to our advocateAn advocate is a person who helps and comforts someone. Advocates in the Bible: • The glorified man Jesus Christ is active in heaven for the children of God in... More in heaven (the Lord Jesus), we need the advocateAn advocate is a person who helps and comforts someone. Advocates in the Bible: • The glorified man Jesus Christ is active in heaven for the children of God in... More on earth, the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More, who strives to restore our relationship with the Father through our confession. Only then can we enjoy our fellowship anew.
2. As a Comforter: We possess the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More as our source of comfort during difficult times. Every believer experiences sadness and discouragement at times. Divine comfort and encouragement come to us through the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More. We also see the Spirit as a comforter among brothers and sisters in a local assemblyThe literal meaning is “called out”: • called out of "the darkness" (1. Pet 2:9)—this refers to the area where there is a lack of light about God Himself, His... More, as illustrated in Acts 9:31: “They were multiplied by the comfort of the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More.” In times like these, we should remember that we have a divine comforter, and our sources of help will never run dry.
3. As a Helper: The Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More addresses our weaknesses. Paul notes in Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.” It is important to distinguish weaknesses from sins, even though weaknesses may indirectly result from sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More. Weaknesses include our human limitations, such as fatigue, hunger, illness, anxiety, and more. These limitations remind us of our need to turn to God in prayer. Here, we rely on the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More as our helper. He intercedes for us with unutterable groans when we do not know how or what to ask (Romans 8:27). Often, we may not recognize the Holy Spirit's working, but He is always present with us.

The Holy Spirit as a Seal

The apostleApostle (Greek) means "sent one." Today, we are "messengers" for Christ when we pass on the gospel (2 Cor. 5:20). But the highest-ranking messenger is Jesus Christ himself (Heb 3:1;... More Paul presents this blessingA blessing is something good, in the Old Testament, usually associated with possessions, prosperity, and health, and is usually pronounced over someone. In principle, the lesser is blessed by the... More to both the Ephesians and the Corinthians:

• “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More of promise” (Ephesians 1:13).
• “And do not grieve the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemptionRedemption is part of God's plan of salvation. Redemption means that someone is freed from bondage. The redemption of Israel from the power of Pharaoh is an example of this.... More” (Ephesians 4:30).
• “Now He who establishes us with you in ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

In the days when the apostleApostle (Greek) means "sent one." Today, we are "messengers" for Christ when we pass on the gospel (2 Cor. 5:20). But the highest-ranking messenger is Jesus Christ himself (Heb 3:1;... More Paul was writing, a sealA seal confirms the valid conclusion of a transaction or the authenticity of a document. Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30). This means... More was used to signify the inviolability of what it sealed. The owner of an item could sealA seal confirms the valid conclusion of a transaction or the authenticity of a document. Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30). This means... More it to protect it from others accessing it. So, being sealed for the day of redemptionRedemption is part of God's plan of salvation. Redemption means that someone is freed from bondage. The redemption of Israel from the power of Pharaoh is an example of this.... More means the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More is the guarantee that we belong to our Lord forever. This blessingA blessing is something good, in the Old Testament, usually associated with possessions, prosperity, and health, and is usually pronounced over someone. In principle, the lesser is blessed by the... More provides us with the assurance of our salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More in God.

We can distinguish four aspects of the sealing process:

1. Claim to Ownership: Sealing signifies ownership. The sealA seal confirms the valid conclusion of a transaction or the authenticity of a document. Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30). This means... More on an object indicates to whom it belongs. We belong to the Lord Jesus, who gave His life for us on the cross at Golgotha, ensuring that we are His forever. No power can change that, and the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More guarantees this truth.
2. Protection and Security: A sealed item cannot be touched by anyone. Therefore, we are safe in the hands of the Lord Jesus. Not only do we belong to Him, but He also protects us. Nothing and no one can snatch us from His hand or the Father's hand. The Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More guarantees this protection.
3. Completion of Process: The sealA seal confirms the valid conclusion of a transaction or the authenticity of a document. Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30). This means... More on a document signifies the completion of that process. The same applies to our salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More; nothing more can be added. We already possess the salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More of our spirit and soul, and our bodily salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More is assured. The presence of the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More serves as proof of this.
4. Authenticity: A sealA seal confirms the valid conclusion of a transaction or the authenticity of a document. Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30). This means... More confirms the authenticity of a document. Applied to us, this means that only a person who has the Spirit of God is a true believer. “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More, he is not His.” (Romans 8:9). Outward piety and respectability—a mere form of godliness—are insufficient. God seeks genuine reality within us, and this authenticity is confirmed by the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More.

The Holy Spirit as Our Earnest

This concept is presented to both the Ephesians and the Corinthians by the apostleApostle (Greek) means "sent one." Today, we are "messengers" for Christ when we pass on the gospel (2 Cor. 5:20). But the highest-ranking messenger is Jesus Christ himself (Heb 3:1;... More Paul. In addition to the passage already quoted from 2 Corinthians 1:22, we find this idea in:

• Ephesians 1:14: “who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemptionRedemption is part of God's plan of salvation. Redemption means that someone is freed from bondage. The redemption of Israel from the power of Pharaoh is an example of this.... More of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:5: “Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”

The term "earnest" (or pledge) can be understood as a down payment. We are all familiar with deposits; we make a deposit when buying an item we can't take home immediately. This deposit reserves the item for us, creating a promise that we will receive it.

In this context, the sealing of the Spirit means that we will one day receive something we do not yet possess. The Spirit acts as a guarantee that we will certainly receive it.

When we analyze the two passages quoted, we quickly recognize what our future will entail:

1. The letter to the Ephesians discusses our inheritance. The Spirit is the pledge of this inheritance. The riches and glory of our inheritance are described in chapter 1. In the fullness of time, meaning in the Millennial Kingdom, the Lord Jesus, as the Son of Man"Son of Man" is a designation for our Lord Jesus Christ. In many Scriptures, it means that He really became man through His birth (Gal 4:4). Like every human being,... More, will reign over heaven and earth. He will share this reign with us (Eph 1:10). This is our inheritance. While we should already know and enjoy the riches of this inheritance today (Eph 1:18), the actual possession lies in the future. However, the Spirit assures us that we will indeed inherit it one day, leaving no room for doubt.
2. The second letter to the Corinthians addresses our new body. Our current body is one of weakness and lowliness, but it will one day be transformed to resemble the glorious body of our Lord (Phil 3:21). When He comes to take us to Himself, we will receive a new body, described as "a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Cor 5:1). This new body is divine—not human; it is eternal—not perishable; it is heavenly—not earthly. Although we do not possess it yet, many of God's children still groan in their current lowly bodies. Nevertheless, the new body is certain for us. The Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More guarantees that we will receive it one day.

Thus, in the sealing, we primarily see our assurance that we belong to the Lord. In the earnestAn earnest is a kind of down payment that someone makes in order actually to become the owner of something later. One such "pledge" is the Holy Spirit (2 Cor... More, we find security regarding the possession of future divine blessings that are rightfully ours.

The Holy Spirit as Our Anointing

Anointing appears several times in the Old Testament, where people were typically anointed with oilWhen oil is mentioned in the Bible, it usually refers to olive oil. It was considered an important staple food and was used for ointments and as a light source... More. This serves as a fitting image of the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More. In the New Testament, the ApostleApostle (Greek) means "sent one." Today, we are "messengers" for Christ when we pass on the gospel (2 Cor. 5:20). But the highest-ranking messenger is Jesus Christ himself (Heb 3:1;... More Paul mentions this concept (2 Corinthians 1:21), but it is particularly the ApostleApostle (Greek) means "sent one." Today, we are "messengers" for Christ when we pass on the gospel (2 Cor. 5:20). But the highest-ranking messenger is Jesus Christ himself (Heb 3:1;... More John who discusses this blessingA blessing is something good, in the Old Testament, usually associated with possessions, prosperity, and health, and is usually pronounced over someone. In principle, the lesser is blessed by the... More in his first letter:

• 1 John 2:20: “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.”
• 1 John 2:27 (NKJV): “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie—and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”

Through the anointing we receive, the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More points us to ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More by instilling in us both a desire for and understanding of God's thoughts. While a Christian does need instruction, we find this guidance in the Bible. The Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More helps us comprehend the ScripturesIn the NT, the various parts of the OT are referred to as “the Scriptures”; these are the “sacred letters/writings” (2 Tim. 3:15). “Every Scripture is divinely inspired and profitable... More, as spiritual instruction is only available through God's Word. Although God can use people to explain these truths, their teaching must be based solely on what God reveals in His Word. The wisdom of the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More, which is necessary for our earthly pursuits, cannot assist us in spiritual matters and can even be dangerous if we believe it suffices for our spiritual lives.

The anointing from the Holy One grants us spiritual knowledge. This doesn't imply that we will understand everything immediately, but it does mean we have the inherent ability to recognize and grasp God's thoughts. The anointing enables us to discern the voice of the Good Shepherd and distinguish it from foreign voices. This discernment is crucial given the multitude of messages competing for our attention today. Many ideas may sound good and right initially, but they can prove misleading and dangerous upon closer examination. To protect ourselves from such temptations, we need the anointing of the Holy One.

The Gospel of John, in particular, illustrates how the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More directs us to the Word of God:

• John 14:26: The Spirit teaches and reminds us of everything the Lord Jesus did and said during His time on earth, primarily found in the Gospels.
• John 15:26: The Spirit testifies of the Lord Jesus, which we see especially in the Acts of the Apostles.
• John 16:13a: The Spirit guides us into all truth. Broadly, this encompasses the entire Word of God, but more specifically, it refers to the letters of the New Testament.
• John 16:13b: The Spirit proclaims what is to come, particularly highlighted in Revelation.

Thus, we see how the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More employs the entire Word of God to instruct us. It is our responsibility to open ourselves to this teaching to grow in our understanding of God's thoughts about His Son. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit's work aims to deepen this knowledge, which we will explore further.