Holy Spirit

“Because the early Church treated the entire period from Pascha-Ascension-Pentecost as one 50 day feast, they did not separate the various events in Christ’s life as if re-enacting history. Rather, they experienced all the events as for our salvation – all the Gospel events are united by that theme of our salvation. So, the fact that John in his Gospel reports Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit on the disciples on the day of His resurrection was not viewed as somehow contradictory to the event fifty days later of Pentecost reported in the Acts of the Apostles. The Resurrection and Pentecost were experienced as the same saving event. They were not troubled by two different historical events in which the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles. The giving of the Holy Spirit belongs as much to Pascha as it does to Pentecost. The fact that the giving of the Holy Spirit is reported in two distinct ways changed nothing for they experienced both and commemorated both as salvation.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh) 

“The Holy Spirit is God dwelling in us and working through us. The Spirit reminds us of the teaching of the Lord, testifies to the truth of the Gospel, sanctifies, empowers, inspires, and gives us spiritual gifts for ministry and service.” (Fr. Basil)

“…it is up to us to choose to let the Holy Spirit lead us. We must decide to override our personal inclinations when the Spirit reveals God’s will. Only when this habit of following the Holy Spirit becomes firmly established is it possible for us to say, “[We] are led by the Spirit of God; [we] are sons of God” (Romans 9:14). Perhaps we find it easier to talk about following the Spirit’s lead than to actually do so. We may find conflicting thoughts welling up within us. How do we know if what we think and feel comes from the Holy Spirit rather than from our own will and desires, or the suggestions of others?” (Dynamis 7/24/2021) 

“The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives always takes place on two levels, both on the level of what is outside us or what comes to us, and on the level of what is within us or how we receive what comes to us. Isn’t this also what Jesus taught in the Gospels? Jesus spoke the very words of life, yet He told his hearers, “take heed how you hear” (Luke 8:18) and “with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Mark 4:24). The fact that Jesus spoke the very words of life did not alter the fact that how one heard those words changed dramatically the effect those words had in their life.” (Fr. Michael Gillis) 

“The dry tree when watered brings forth shoots. So too does the soul in sin, once made worthy through repentance of the grace of the Holy Spirit, flower into justice. Though the Spirit is one in nature, yet by the will of God and in the name of the Son, He brings about many virtuous effects. For He employs the tongue of one for wisdom, illumines the soul of another by prophecy, to another he grants the power of driving out devils, to another the gift of interpreting the sacred Scriptures. He strengthens the self-control of one while teaching another the nature of almsgiving, and still another to fast and humble himself, and another to despise the things of the body. He prepares another for martyrdom. He acts differently in different persons, though He Himself is not diverse.” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem)

“God’s provision of the Holy Spirit comes when we are initiated into the Christian mystery, at which time we declare: “I believe in [Christ] as King and God.” In that declaration, we hand over and deliver to the Lord Jesus full and unqualified rule over every aspect of our lives. “What, then, my brethren, follows from the Holy Spirit’s taking up His abode in us?...It follows that we are no longer our own. When the Holy Spirit takes up His abode in our bodies, then He becomes Lord over us, and not we over ourselves. Then, my brethren, we are the property of God the Holy Spirit”…However, such an unqualified surrender runs against the grain of American values, which emphasize personal independence and “doing one’s own thing.” It runs contrary to our ego’s deep desire for self-actualization and self-expression. How many of us fail to remember that we submitted ourselves to Christ at baptism and chrismation, giving little thought to His claim on our lives! We often live mindlessly, with only a vague awareness of God. Rarely do we place our decisions, activities, and relationships under the scrutiny and direction of the Holy Spirit, who is waiting to guide us toward what is best. “The Holy Spirit is not constrained to remain with us, but does so according to our disposition. If we sin against Him, He leaves us and Satan comes in His place, and our bodily temple turns into a pigsty.” (Saint Nikolai of Zicha, Dynamis 6/23/2023)

“…we cannot squelch the activity of the Holy Spirit in the world…the Holy Spirit is “everywhere present and fills all things.”…Today the blaze of the Holy Spirit still burns brightly so that many catch fire with the faith and life in Christ. However, in our God-given freedom, we can throw cold water on the work of the Holy Spirit in our souls. We can grieve the Holy Spirit by the passions of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking (Ephesians 4:30-31). We can neglect the gift of the Holy Spirit, as Paul warned Timothy (1 Timothy 1:5). And the Holy Spirit can even be taken away from us (Ps. 51:13). For this reason, in Psalm 51, David prays for a “clean heart” so that a “right spirit” might be renewed in him (Psalm 51:12).” (Fr. Basil)

“Look at the world we find ourselves in…It seems we find ourselves, like young prophet Samuel, being raised in a corrupt and predatory culture. Yet nevertheless, like the prophet Samuel, we too can grow into very holy people, people who can learn to listen for God even as we are surrounded by innumerable sins and evil influences.” (Fr. Michael Gillis)

“Let us not think that His calling is esoteric or removed from the mundane realities of life. We have no lack of opportunities to answer His call today in our families, workplaces, friendships, and neighborhoods, as well as in this small parish….no one else is married to your spouse, is the father or mother of your children, or is the particular friend, worker, or parishioner that you are. No one else has the vocation to serve Christ in those around you in the unique way that you do. The present circumstances of our lives present limitless opportunities to become fully receptive to the presence and peace of Holy Spirit. None of us lacks anything at all that is necessary to grow in holiness, obey Christ’s calling, and draw others into the life of the Kingdom.” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)

“…Christ “in His gentle love will say, ‘Behold, I am by your side and ready to help you’”…For our part, we must exert ourselves, taking the Cross into the depths of our hearts. We watch, pray, repent, and practice self-control. The Holy Spirit will help us make these works life-giving rather than futile, works that truly cleanse and restore the new life in Christ within our very being.” (Saint Philotheos of Sinai, Dynamis 4/18/2021)

“The Holy Spirit of God comes personally to men from the Father through Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God. He comes to those who believe in Christ and belong to Him through faith and repentance and baptism in His Church. He is the Spirit Who descended upon the disciples on Pentecost, who also is the One by whose power the world was created and continued to exist. He is the Spirit breathed into men by God to make them live according to His divine likeness. He is the Spirit Who inspired the Law, and the prophets and the entire holy scripture, providing for its production and preservation, as well as for its interpretation ir the life of the faithful. He is the same Holy Spirit Who abides in the Church, making possible the fulness of its sacramental and spiritual life. He is the Spirit of God Who, by His presence with men in the world, is the pledge and the promise of God’s Kingdom to come. He is the Holy Spirit of God Who will one day, on the Day of the Lord, fill all creation with the presence of God.” (Fr. Thomas Hopko)

“It’s with a light, discreet, imperceptible breath, not in the form of fiery tongues, not with the rush of a gust of wind, but silently and unperceivably that the Holy Spirit enters a pure heart, a heart that is worthy of Him. Every pure, bright human spirit feels this light, intangible breath of the Holy Spirit. It feels it as silent joy, as wonderful peace and calm. This calm, which is linked to the joy, can’t be compared to anything else.” (Saint Luke the Doctor)

“And is this Spirit within us? … Yes indeed, within us, for when we have driven away lying and bitterness, and fornication, and uncleanness, and covetousness, from our souls, when we are become kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, when… we have rendered ourselves worthy of it, what is there to hinder the Holy Spirit from lighting upon us? And not only will He come to us, but He will fill our hearts; and when we have so great a light kindled within us, then will the way of virtue be no longer difficult to attain but will be easy and simple.” (St. John Chrysostom)

“The Holy Spirit is given to all, but each one receives it as an individual… The Almighty God knows and bestows His mercy on each one of us individually according to our particular needs. Each one of us has the same value in His sight. Each believer is an equal member of the Body of Christ. The gifts of the Spirit given to each one of us are equally needed in the church…But what joins us together in Christ is the Holy Spirit, who is dispersed among us. Thus, the hearing of faith, the New Life of baptism, and the spiritual gifts of the Spirit all come from “one and the same Spirit who works in these things” (1 Corinthians 12:11 )…whatever you do, every step of the way, pray to the Holy Spirit to move you to treat everyone you meet with the love of Christ.” (Fr. Basil)

“…how generous you are towards others, how you evaluate other people and situations, in a large way determines how generous God will be with you and them. The Holy Spirit is working both within you and outside you, and how you allow the Holy Spirit to work inside you has a huge influence on how the Holy Spirit is working outside you.” (Fr. Michael Gillis)

“Many people make the serious error of thinking of the Holy Spirit as only some kind of vague principle or influence. On the contrary, the Holy Spirit is as much a person (individual existence of a conscious being) as the Father and the Son.” (Foundation Study Bible, Ephesians 4:3)

“Everything begins from our faith in Christ and accepting His word. When we make His commandments the unique law of our life, then we gradually acquire a certain mystical depth. We become mystical, just as the Person of the Holy Spirit is mystical, secret, invisible. The Spirit of God works in us in diverse ways…The Holy Spirit is a secret Person, Who is revealed in the gifts that He gives…We continually know the Father from the words of the Son, and it is not even necessary to think of having a special relationship with the Father, for the Father is well-pleased for us to become the disciples of His Son, and when we become like unto His image, the Son will deliver us as children unto the Father for all eternity. It is the same with the Holy Spirit: we begin to pray to the Holy Spirit and without realizing it, our prayer turns again to Christ, because it is He Who sends the Holy Spirit to us.” (Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou)

“The Spirit rarely sends an e-mail full of instructions about what we should do. It is rare to receive a vision of His plan. Rather, the initial sign of an upcoming change in the course of our lives comes with circumstances, discontent about one’s situation, a chance word of a friend or family member or just an inner conviction that the Lord wants something else from us. We rarely know what the will of the Lord is at once. But the sense of a new direction starts with an unsettled feeling in our hearts that something is in the “offing.”…(The term “in the offing” refers to what is seen on the horizon when you are on a ship. The “offing” is the panorama of what is in sight but is so distant that one cannot make out the details.) As time goes on, what is on the distant horizon becomes clearer to us. We begin to grasp the will of God as we pray, ponder, test different possibilities, and remain open to surprises.” (Fr. Basil)

“The Lord Jesus illumines the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven with two parables, the Mustard Seed and the Leaven…We note an element of secretiveness in the Lord Jesus’ actions as He takes, sows, and hides. The seed disappears into the earth, but it must do so in order to germinate. The baker works the flour and adds the leaven, which permeates the meal imperceptibly, secretly, quietly, invisibly. Only after time do the effects of this hidden growth become visible. Plants sprout, unfold, enlarge; if the dough is kept warm and covered, it mysteriously rises. Likewise, spiritual growth often takes place unseen, slowly becoming manifest only after much prayer, ascesis, struggle, and patient watching on our part. Of course, Christ’s seed and His leaven are not magical, but rather mystical. The Spirit of God works in human hearts and gives us growth.” (Dynamis 7/15/2020)

“One helpful way to understand the work of the Holy Spirit is by His fruit as listed in the fifth chapter of Galatians. Rather than consider individual areas of our lives - home life, work life, etc - looking for evidence of the Holy Spirit, another approach is consider our lives as one seamless integrated pursuit of the Holy Spirit. Then, as we acquire the Holy Spirit, He brings His love, His joy, His peace, etc., through us into the various areas of our lives.” (Fr. John Oliver)

“What God requires is true faith in Himself and His Only-begotten Son. In return for that the grace of the Holy Spirit is granted abundantly from on high….Besides labor-filled prayer there is also Grace-filled prayer. Seeing our efforts, our desire to become one with Him, discarding all worldly desires, He releases us gradually from the cares of this world and from attachment to worldly things and brings the soul into a state of humility and simplicity. The soul no longer takes insults to heart and it becomes peaceful, accepting everything with humility. The soul gradually becomes cleansed, ready to accept the Divine flame in order to have unceasing prayer through the Holy Spirit.” (St. Seraphim of Sarov, Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica)

“The gift of God is the grace of the Holy Spirit...This grace fills up what is lacking...But it is not automatic. We must stir up and rekindle it.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 2 Timothy 1:6)

“No one can be a witness for Christ and a herald of the gospel by individual initiative. Empowerment must come from the Holy Spirit…We must understand that the Holy Spirit lives in us to empower us to succeed at whatever God calls us to do.” (Foundation Study Bible, Acts 5:32, T. D. Jakes)

“The saints experienced God; they attained a spiritual perception of the Divine. They knew a personal God experientially. They received a personal Pentecost.” (Fr. George Morelli)

“If you receive a gift and put it away some place and never use it, you are not availing yourself of that gift. When receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we must continually through prayer, thought, and action, cultivate Him, avail ourselves of Him, let ourselves be completely guided by Him.” (Sacramental Living Ministries)

“God designed the Christian life to be one lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. Believers must appropriate daily, by faith, the power of the Holy Spirit to live as Christians (Rom. 8:4–5). This means that the believer trusts the Spirit to empower him in specific instances such as resisting temptation, being faithful, and sharing one’s faith.” (Foundation Study Bible, Acts 1:8)

“The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ. They are the by-products of Christ’s control—we can’t obtain them by trying to get them without His help.” (Life Application Study Bible, Galatians 5:22-23) “

Of course, every good deed done for Christ's sake gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit, but prayer gives us this grace most of all, for it is always at hand, as an instrument for acquiring the grace of the Spirit.” (St. Seraphim of Sarov)

“Holy Spirit comes into each of us. He gives to each of us a talent by which to glorify Him and to serve one another. Some are doctors, some are farmers, some are mechanics and others are teachers. There are thousands upon thousands of different and unique talents, all of which are needed for our world to work. The other thing that the Spirit does is that it gives each of us a unique and special way to proclaim the Gospel.” (Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis)

“When we trust in Christ’s work on our behalf, rather than in our own moral efforts, God forgives and accepts us and implants his Holy Spirit in us to renew us from the inside out.” (Pastor Timothy Keller)

“A true and real transforming relationship with God begins with totally surrendering our lives to the will, direction, and leading of the Holy Spirit within us…Obey God from the heart, experience the indwelling of the Life-giving Spirit, and draw from the Spirit’s strength for direction.” (Father David L. Fontes, PsyD, OCPM 1/17/2016)

“The presence of the Holy Spirit, then, brings us into the presence of Christ “through faith” (Eph 3:17), as the Lord Jesus promises: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (Jn 14:23)…The presence of the Spirit was God’s gift to the entire church at Pentecost. Prior to that, God’s Spirit was given to the faithful for special tasks. We need the Holy Spirit’s help to do God’s work effectively.” (OCPM 9/23/2015, Life Application Study Bible, Luke 1:15)

“At the very moment you decide to turn to God, your heart begins to be warmed by the action of the Holy Spirit….When we use our faculty of choice properly, we can situate our mind to become more open to the influence of the Holy Spirit within our heart.” (Abbot Tryphon, Father David L. Fontes, PsyD)

"What is my task? First of all, my task is to be pleasing to Christ. To be empty of self and be filled with Himself. To be filled with the Holy Spirit; to be led by the Holy Spirit." (Sister Aimee Semple McPherson)

“Sometimes we feel that if the Holy Spirit leads us, it will always be “beside peaceful streams” (Psalm 23:2). But that is not necessarily true. He led Jesus into the wilderness for a long and difficult time of testing, and he may also lead us into difficult situations.” (Life Application Study Bible, Luke 4:1)

“The fruit of the Spirit was never intended to be a demonstration of our dedication and resolve. It is the evidence of our dependency on and sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit.” (Charles Stanley)

“Above all, we [should] avoid the dark inner tendency toward self-importance and conceit by immediately acknowledging that our every capacity and insight comes to us from God (1 Corinthians 4:7). Only the Lord, through the Holy Spirit, equips the saints [believers] for ministry (Eph 4:12).” (Dynamis 7/10/2015)

“If Jesus had stayed on earth, his physical presence would have limited the spread of the Good News, because physically he could be in only one place at a time. After Christ was taken up into heaven, He would be spiritually present everywhere through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was sent so that God would be with and within his followers..." (Life Application Study Bible, Acts 1:4-5)

“The Holy Spirit dwells in the humble soul, bringing freedom, peace, love and blessedness…The Spirit is the living presence of God...” (St. Silouan the Athonite, Father John Zeyack)

“The Holy Spirit gives us the power to live in Christ and to love others. Only the grace of God can change hearts, and we must not allow our own critical spirit to hinder the work of the Holy Spirit in others.” (Abbot Tryphon)

“The Spirit is the power of our new lives. He begins a lifelong process of change making us more like Christ." (Life Application Study Bible, Acts 1:5)

“The Holy Spirit will always tell us the real truth about ourselves if given the chance. This knowing is not so much cognitive as spiritually intuitive. It goes beyond words or concepts—it is simply a knowing.” (Father David L. Fontes, PsyD)

"When the day of Pentecost had come, they (the Apostles) were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance," (Acts 2:1-4).

“…the Holy Spirit of God is poured out upon the Disciples of Christ, and they are filled with all knowledge; they are filled with wisdom; they are filled with the ability to speak and be heard in every language; they are filled with the ability to perform the same sort of wonders of Christ Himself…” (Chris Andreas)

“The tense of the Greek word translated filled indicates that filling is a moment-by-moment repeatable action. To be filled with the Spirit is to be controlled by the Spirit and is therefore crucial to successfully living the Christian life. The imperative says that the believer is to be filled with the presence of the Spirit so that he comes to know God in all His fullness, living in relationship with Him. Out of this relationship, the believer is able to manifest Christlike character.” (Foundation Study Bible, Ephesians 5:18)

"The Spirit-filled person will exhibit the Christlike character described in Galatians 5:22–23 as the fruit of the Spirit…Being filled and led by the Spirit may take you places you never planned; but the will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you." (Foundation Study Bible, Ephesians 5:18, Neil Anderson)

“...the sincere agreement of two people in prayer is more powerful than the superficial agreement of thousands, because Christ’s Holy Spirit is with them. Two or more believers, filled with the Holy Spirit, will pray according to God’s will, not their own..." (Life Application Study Bible, Matthew 18:19-20)

“How true it is that without the guidance of the Holy Spirit intellect not only is undependable but also extremely dangerous, because it often confuses the issue of right and wrong.” (Watchman Nee)

“Enlightenment from God in itself is beyond all words, and even beyond evaluation by other men. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit speaks through spiritual people words that truly reflect the unspeakable knowledge of faith. This language of faith in turn leads spiritually minded people to know God better, although it baffles the natural man." (Orthodox Study Bible, 1 Corinthians 2:12-15)

“God’s gift is the Holy Spirit in Whom we are sealed."love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” are not gifts, but the fruit of the Spirit (vss 22,23). Fruit needs protection against insects and predators. Nutrition is required to produce healthy, disease-resistant fruit. Weeds must be kept down so that pure water and air free of pollutants and poisons may feed the trees and aid the fruiting. It is so with the virtues. The Spirit does His part; we must do ours.” (Dynamis 12/8/2012)

"When one tries to increase his knowledge by doing mental gymnastics over books without waiting upon God and looking to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, his soul is plainly in full swing. This will deplete his spiritual life. Because the fall of man was occasioned by seeking knowledge, God uses the foolishness of the cross to"destroy the wisdom of the wise.” (Watchman Nee)

“…our relationship with God is on allowing Christ to come and dwell within our hearts to the point that we are constantly trying to stop relying solely on our own emotions, reasoning, and feelings, and instead relying on the Holy Spirit who guides us. Think of it as using your own intelligence, wisdom and understanding but always having this deep and intimate friend and companion to turn to within...the Holy Spirit distributes divine wisdom to the faithful.” (Sacramental Living, Dynamis 4/7/2015)

“The Holy Spirit provides us with defenses through His many gifts such as fasting, self-control, vigils, Scripture reading, and disciplines that help us become what God desires.” (Dynamis 10/8/2013)

“Prayer, fasting, vigil and all other Christian practices, however good they may be in themselves, do not constitute the aim of our Christian life, although they serve as an indispensable means of reaching this end. The true aim of our Christian life consists in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit." (St. Seraphim of Sarov)

"Being led by the Holy Spirit involves the desire to hear, the readiness to obey God’s Word, and the sensitivity to discern between your feelings and his promptings.” (Life Application Study Bible, Galatians 5:16-18)

"Live each day controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit. Then the words of Christ will be in your mind, the love of Christ will be behind your actions, and the power of Christ will help you control your selfish desires.” (Life Application Study Bible, Galatians 5:16-18)

“...we are products of a Creator, made and called to fulfill a specific purpose...when we respond to our Creator and work toward His purposes for our lives, we become something new— something better..." (James Stuart Bell)

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