ON CHRISTIANITY

DEAR REV. GRAHAM: I don’t go to church very often, but this year I happened to go on what they called “Pentecost Sunday” and they spoke a lot about the Holy Spirit. To be honest, I didn’t understand what they were talking about. Who or what is the Holy Spirit?

  • M.W.

DEAR M.W.: The Holy Spirit is God, as He works in our lives and in our world. To put it another way, it is through the Holy Spirit that God is active in the world.

Think of it this way. At one time, God came to earth and became a man, Jesus Christ. Jesus was fully human. He bled when He was injured, and He got hungry and thirsty like everyone else. But Jesus was also fully God, and by His compassion and power He showed us what God is like. As Christ said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

But Jesus is no longer with us. He was taken up into heaven, where He prays for us and helps us. Does this mean God has abandoned us? No, He is present with us by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God and is with us today. He convicts people of sin and restrains evil and He is active in our lives, giving us strength to live the way we should.

When we give our lives to Christ, God comes to live within us by His Holy Spirit. And this can happen to you. Don’t leave God on the fringes of your life any longer, but by faith ask Christ to forgive your sins and come into your life. Then thank Him that He is with you every moment of the day by His Spirit.

Write to Billy Graham in care of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C. 28201 or visit the website at billygraham.org

Weekend, Pages 32 on 07/25/2013

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