Be Ye Holy: The Holy Spirit's Role in Our LivesSample

Have you ever considered why, out of all possible names, Jesus chose to call His Spirit "Holy"? He could have emphasized other aspects—perhaps the Spirit of Power, the Comforter Spirit, or even the Alpha Spirit. Yet He specifically chose "Holy" for the One who would be His ongoing presence with us.

In John 14:16-17, Jesus says, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him because it isn't looking for Him and doesn't recognize Him. But you know Him because He lives with you now and later will be in you."

God never gives a name without meaning. Names carry identity. When we name our children, we're intentional, often choosing names with significant meaning. Throughout Scripture, God gives people new names to reflect their new identities or destinies. The name "Holy" carries a profound identity.

To be "holy" means to be consecrated, set apart, set aside for sacred use, and standing apart from sin and evil. When Jesus named His Spirit "Holy," He was declaring something essential about the Spirit's nature and His intentions for our lives.

Throughout Scripture, the Holy Spirit is described with personal attributes—He can be grieved, He speaks, He guides, He intercedes. He's not an "it" but a "He," a distinct person of the Trinity who now lives within believers.

This understanding transforms our relationship with Him. Just as Jesus walked among people, the Holy Spirit is with us and within us. When Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit is in us, it means that the person called “Holy Spirit” dwells within us. Holy Spirit is in you. Holy Spirit is in me—if we are walking with Christ and are followers of Jesus.

Because of this indwelling presence, we won't always fit in with the world. The very nature of holiness sets us apart. When the Holy Spirit lives within you, you carry a presence that sometimes makes others uncomfortable—not because you're trying to, but because holiness, by definition, stands apart from sin and evil. As Jesus said, "The world cannot receive Him because it isn't looking for Him and doesn't recognize Him."

Today, rather than thinking of the Holy Spirit as a distant concept or mysterious power, recognize Him as a person—Holy Spirit—who is present with you every moment, guiding you into truth and transforming you from within.

Pause and Ponder: How might your relationship with the Holy Spirit change if you began to recognize Him as a “Holy" person who is with you and in you, rather than just a spiritual force?