"The words 'Holy Spirit' are very familiar to us in the church today. But when it comes to the Holy Spirit himself, we're quite unfamiliar. Do you agree?" Pastor Fang (pseudonym) asked her congregation during a recent sermon in southern China.
Referring to John 14:16—"I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever"—Fang explained that in the Hebrew Bible, Jesus talks about the Counselor as someone exactly like Him. "While many imagine the Holy Spirit as light, a dove, fire, or wind, Fang reminded her audience that the Holy Spirit is a person, just as the Father and the Son are. He is one of the three persons of the Trinity.
She used two statements to describe how believers relate to the Holy Spirit: "I don't know that I already know," and "I don't know that I actually don't know."
On the first statement, "I don't know that I already know," Fang explained that when people accept Jesus as their Savior, they are reborn in the Holy Spirit. That means the Spirit is already dwelling within them. From that moment, the Father's will, the heavenly inheritance, and everything Christ accomplished begin to unfold within them through the Spirit's guidance, leading them toward our eternal purpose.
She cited the example of Saul of Tarsus. When he encountered Christ on the road to persecute Christians, he had no idea that the Holy Spirit was entering his life in such a profound way—or that he was already part of God's rich inheritance. Almost seamlessly, he began preaching Christ and debating religious leaders in the synagogues.
"You don't realize how much of God's abundance is already within you—until you begin to walk it out," Fang told her congregation. She pointed to Peter's memory of Jesus' words in Acts: "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit," when he spoke in Cornelius' house.
"If we truly store up God's word in our hearts, the Holy Spirit—already within us—will constantly bring to mind every word of the Lord," she said. "In every situation, in every moment of need, the Spirit shows up—as Comforter, as Teacher, as Helper, as Encourager, as Guide. The Spirit has already prepared all of this within us: the heavenly power, the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, the answers we seek, and the healing power and courage."
The second statement, "I don't know that I actually don't know," reflects an even deeper issue: Christians may not realize how unfamiliar they truly are with the Spirit. Fang described three ways believers often miss the Spirit's presence.
First, some reject the Spirit because He feels too unfamiliar. Since the Age of Reason, people have struggled to accept the Spirit's work, she noted. "The Holy Spirit often defies human logic and convention—and can be incredibly intense." But Pentecost, when the Spirit descended after Jesus' ascension, was not the end but just the beginning. The power of the Holy Spirit was not a privilege exclusive to the early church. Miracles are still happening in churches today.
"The Holy Spirit's power is not a heavenly resource we draw on only in emergencies or special situations," Fang said. "He is a person who is with us every day. We need to learn—little by little—to know Him, to draw on Him, and to live Him out."
Second, some people avoid the Spirit because His leading feels too risky. While the Spirit is a Comforter, the comfort He brings often comes when believers are living impossible lives—pursuing Kingdom tasks they could never achieve on their own. They live on the edge, depending on the Spirit's supernatural power. "If we want the Spirit to guide us, we must fully release our grip on control."
Some also block a deeper relationship with the Spirit because they feel too familiar with Him. "We've heard all the messages before and assume we know it all," Fang said. "But when we step out to serve, we realize how precious those repeated teachings truly are."
Fang reminded the congregation that the Holy Spirit does not come and go. He dwells permanently within Christians, but they still need to constantly be filled, constantly receive His baptism and power, not for their own sake, but so that His life can flow outward through them, which calls for a lifestyle of continual filling.
She pointed to the example of the disciples after the Holy Spirit descended. "Every day, they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts." A new kind of family was formed—holy and joyful in their everyday lives.
"We're not in a biological family, but we belong to a family with the same heavenly Father," Fang said. "Because the Comforter lives in us, we can comfort others. Because the Teacher is in us, we can listen and share. Because the Encourager is in us, we can become encouragers to one another. Because the Defender is in us and among us, we can protect one another. And because the Helper is in us, we can help each other."
