An Independent Contractor

It’s surprising for most Christians to learn that the Spirit works independently. His labors are hardly ever spoken of in churches so they mostly go unnoticed. Due to this ignorance of the Spirit’s activities, it’s incumbent upon us to present a lot of examples. People need to know how much the Holy Spirit does.

The Spirit is like an independent contractor. He gets God's work done. Some things he does regularly--let's call those his "routine actions." Some things he does once, and never repeats them--for example, the conception of a child in the womb of a virgin. We’ve already looked at seven examples of things he does, and those were uncommon actions. Now, let's look at three common ones.

8. The Holy Spirit investigates mysteries.

9. The Spirit has face time with Jesus.

10. The Spirit teaches us what to say.

Let’s look closely at these three activities, things that the Holy Spirit does on a regular basis.

8. The Spirit investigates mysteries.

How does the Holy Spirit investigate the deep issues--what the Bible calls the deep things of God? It's simple: He interviews God. During his sessions with the Almighty, the Holy Spirit probes into God’s deep thoughts by asking God questions.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:11).

What does this ‘searching the deep things of God’ look like? We might imagine that the Spirit uses a telepathic connection with the Father. But why imagine that? Why wouldn’t God and the Spirit simply speak with one another?

Divine Communication

If humans are made in the likeness and image of God and we build relationships talking to one another, then why wouldn’t God’s interactions with Jesus and his interactions with the Holy Spirit consist of them speaking to one another? God spoke to Jesus and the Spirit at Creation. He spoke to them as us.

Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground’ (Genesis 1:26).

Delving Deep

The Spirit most certainly interviews the Father face-to-face. During these interviews, he delves deep into God’s thoughts. And God has very deep thoughts!

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways… As the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Can you imagine what those sessions are like? Imagine the most famous and reputable news journalist in the World interviewing the greatest and most powerful World leader. Who wouldn’t tune in? Why do people listen to those kinds of interviews? Because the questions are challenging and profound and the answers will reveal the direction the World will take in the future: towards war or peace, towards ruin or prosperity, towards corruption or justice.

Imagine Jesus in Heaven

Interviews between the Holy Spirit and God should not be difficult for you to picture in your mind because Jesus has face time with God too. If you can picture Jesus’ interceding for us before his Father, you should be able to picture the Spirit doing something similar.

Jesus… who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us (Romans 8:34).

[Jesus]… is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them (Hebrews 7:25).

Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered Heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence (Hebrews 9:24).

How close is Jesus to the Father? He is in his arms. He is in his bosom. In the Middle East friends will recline with each other at a table, laying on cushions. Like John the Apostle did with Jesus at the Last Supper, intimate friends would recline close to one another. That's the nearness Jesus has with the Father.

The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father... (John 1:18; NKJV)

Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom he [Jesus] spoke. Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to him, 'Lord, who is it?' (John 13:23-25; NKJV).

The Mind of the Spirit

While the Spirit interviews God, God studies the Spirit’s thoughts. The Spirit has his own thoughts and God knows them. Whether that’s automatic, whether God asks the Spirit questions, or whether it’s a combination of those means, we don’t know. But God searches hearts, and he gets to know what’s on the Spirit’s mind.

… He who searches our hearts [God] knows the mind of the Spirit… (Romans 8:27)

With his mind the Spirit thinks—just as any one of us think with our mind. Granted the Spirit processes thoughts on a much higher level than humans, but he still processes thoughts. His thoughts don’t just appear out of nowhere. They come from the knowledge stored in his mind.

If human beings like you and I have our own thoughts, the Spirit has his own thoughts as well. The Holy Spirit has good, wholesome, intelligent thoughts—laser focused on God’s will.

Weakness Overcome

Now, get this: Our great weakness in prayer is that we don’t know what to ask God for. Since the Spirit knows what we should ask from God, he helps us in our prayers by interceding for us with groanings too deep for words (NASB). He mixes those groaning with our prayers and presents them to the Father. The meaning of every one of his deep groans agrees with the will of God.

… the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts [God] knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God (Romans 8:26-27).

9. The Spirit has face time with Jesus.

How does a meeting between Jesus and the Holy Spirit work? First, the Spirit listens closely as the Lord Jesus tells the Spirit what he wants us to know. Then the Spirit relays Jesus’ words to us.

The Spirit doesn’t make up any words. He doesn’t tell us any of his own words—he only speaks what he hears. Then the Spirit leads us in a learning process which only ends when we have 100% of the truth.

[Jesus said] But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come… it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you… the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you (John 16:13-15).

Why are so many Christians incapable of imagining this process? It’s because they don’t know God. They think that he is an incomprehensible mystery, a Being of Three-in-One. The brainwashing effect of Trinitarianism won’t allow Christians to see the Holy Spirit as he is.

But let's not worry about confused people. Can you envision the Spirit? He is a very unique spirit, one who meets with God and meets with Jesus. The Holy Spirit is has access to both of them and is ready to obey and serve them.

Only Speaks What He Hears

The kind of language we just read in John 16 shouldn’t sound strange to you. Jesus submitted to God’s authority, so why shouldn’t the Spirit submit to Jesus’ authority? Remember: Jesus only spoke in public what God told him in private. Jesus only did what his God told him to do! In line with John 16, Jesus said the following:

My teaching is not my own. It comes from the One who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own (John 7:16-17).

… the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does (John 15:19).

For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken (John 12:45).

10. The Spirit teaches us what to say.

The Holy Spirit reminds us of everything Jesus told us, and he gives us the words to say when we’re under pressure. You may ask: “How does he remind us of things? Does he speak to our minds?” The answer is yes.

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you (John 14:26).

If the Spirit can live within your spirit and revive your spirit, it’s a small thing for him to put an idea into your brain. He teaches us things. He puts them in our mind. Your spirit is deeper than your mind, and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit penetrates as deeply as your spirit, so getting his ideas and words into your mind is easy.

When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say (Luke 12:11-12).

He wants you to have wisdom, and he’ll deliver it.

… they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him [Stephen] as he spoke (Acts 6:10).

Are you letting the Spirit do this in your life? Are you listening to him and saying the words he gives you to say? Are you asking for wisdom, and believing that you’ll get it?

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind (James 1:5-6).