The Bible starts by telling us 'the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters' (Genesis 1:2) and it ends with 'The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!”' (Revelation 22:17). The Holy Spirit pervades the Scriptures from start to finish. Don't you desire to know him better?

Maybe you think you already know the Holy Spirit. Well, you probably don't know him as well as you could. We'll show you that the Holy Spirit has done more things you could ever imagine, but let's start with just six things! Below are six things the Spirit does. These are things you need to know if you will understand him and know him.

1. The Spirit speaks audibly.

The Spirit has spoken audibly at least seven times in the Bible record. How many times has he done it off the record? Millions? His audible speech means that the people who were there at the time he spoke could hear his voice! Their eardrums vibrated at the sound of the voice of the Holy Spirit. What's the tone of his voice? How authoritative is it?

The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it’ (Acts 8:29).

… the Spirit said to him, ‘Simon [Peter], three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them’ (Acts 10:19).

… three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I [Peter] was staying. The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them (Acts 11:11-12).

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’ (Acts 13:2).

The Spirit and the Bride [the Church] say, ‘Come!’ (Revelation 22:17)

Then I heard a voice from Heaven say, ‘Write this: Blessed are the Dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them’ (Revelation 14:13).

I heard the voice of One speaking. He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites… [and up to v. 8, Ezekiel hears the voice of the Spirit inside him] (Ezekiel 1:28b-2:3)

2. He warns us.

The Holy Spirit warns believers of the dangers and troubles we will face. He also warns us to repent of sins.

… [Paul said] ‘in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me’ (Acts 20:23).

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches (this warning is repeated an amazing seven times in Revelation, see 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).

3. The Holy Spirit sends us.

The two of them [Paul and Barnabas], sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia… (Acts 13:4, cf. v. 2)

At once the Spirit sent him [Jesus] out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan… (Mark 1:12-13)

It’s worth noting that there was a time in which the Spirit led Jesus, and not vice-versa! Right now, of course, the Spirit does what Jesus tells him to do. However, when Jesus was in the flesh, Jesus submitted to the leadership of the Spirit.

4. He forbids us from going to certain places.

The Spirit doesn't only send us to preach. Sometimes the Holy Spirit stops us from preaching!

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to (Acts 16:6-7).

5. The Spirit appoints men to the pastorate.

Yes, it is the Holy Spirit who chooses who will lead in the Church! If you don't have confirmation that he has chosen you, then do not shepherd God's people. If the Spirit has appointed you, then do not resist him.

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers (Acts 20:28; LEB).

6. He picks people up, then transports them to other places.

The Holy Spirit physically moves people. He touches people bodily, not just spiritually. He ministers to us spiritually, but don't let that make you think that he is limited to a spiritual ministry.

… the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet… (Ezekiel 2:2)

You'll notice as you study the actions of the Holy Spirit that he behaves very much like an angel. In Ezekiel, for example, he snatches up the prophet Ezekiel no less than five times (Ezekiel 3:12, 14-15; 8:3; 11:1; 43:4)!

Jesus tells us that the angels also snatch believers up:

…[Jesus] will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the Earth… (Mark 13:27).

The Holy Spirit snatched Philip the deacon up and whisked him to a different place.

When they [Philip and the eunuch] came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus (Acts 8:39-40; NASB).

What Old Testament Believers Knew

If the fact that the Holy Spirit can pick someone like Philip up and snatch him away is news to you, it shouldn’t be. Old Testament believers knew that the Holy Spirit was capable of snatching people up, so why should it be a surprise to a New Testament believer?

The prophets who knew about Elijah’s rapture to Heaven told Elijah's disciple Elisha:

We your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master [Elijah]. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley’ (2 Kings 2:16).

Was that a special revelation to the prophets, or was it common knowledge that the Holy Spirit has the custom of whisking people away? It was common knowledge. In Elijah’s day a person didn’t have to be a prophet to understand the way the Spirit worked. Everybody knew. Do all Christians today have the knowledge of the Holy Spirit? How many people can tell you how the Spirit acts and works?

Obadiah

A man with a secular job, the steward of King Ahab, also knew what the Holy Spirit was capable of doing. This man's name was Obadiah and he was worried that if he told King Ahab where Elijah was, that when King Ahab arrived at the location, the Holy Spirit would already have taken Elijah away!

Obadiah loved Elijah, and bowed down before him when he found him. He wished him well against Elijah's enemy, King Ahab, Obadiah's boss. Obadiah was tasked by Ahab to tell him where Elijah was, so that Ahab could kill Elijah. But Elijah told Obadiah to inform the king of his location.

Obadiah didn't want to die. He stressed over the possibility that he would tell the king where Elijah was, but that the Holy Spirit would protect Elijah. So he said to Elijah:

… it will happen that I will go from you… the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you up to where I do not know (1 Kings 18:12; LEB).