Understanding the Role of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is often understood in terms of the gifts and experiences of the New Testament, but its presence and role extend back to the very beginning of creation. From Genesis to Revelation, the Spirit of God is portrayed as the source of life, the sustainer of all things, and the agent of renewal in the age to come. This lesson takes us on a journey through Scripture, revealing how the Holy Spirit is not only the breath of life that formed creation but also the promise of resurrection and eternal glory. Let’s explore the profound relationship between God's Spirit and His eternal plan for creation.
In this lesson, we will explore the role of the Holy Spirit and look at the significance of the Holy Spirit, specifically in the New Testament and explore the application for us as followers of Jesus. For a more in-depth look at some of the material discussed here, I would encourage you to read the chapter review I completed for The Gospel of Christ Crucified: A Theology of Suffering before Glory - Chapter Four: The Spirit of the Resurrection, by John Harrigan. To read more click here.
The story of the Holy Spirit begins in the beginning of all things:
In the a beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2, ESV Bible)
Creation exists through the Creator’s power, sustained by His will, and animated by His "spirit" or "breath" (Heb. ruach). It is God’s breath that gives life to all of creation. In Genesis, God created by saying “Let there be",” implying the voice of God. In Psalm 33:6-9, we read:
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. (Psalm 33:6-9, ESV Bible)
We see "by the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath [Heb. ruach] of his mouth all their host." The psalmist portrays creation as brought forth by the word of God, spoken and established through His breath. In this way, God’s Spirit and His word are intimately related, both proceeding from His mouth to create and sustain all things. Furthermore, God's Spirit is synonymous with the Hebrew word for "breath" (neshamah). In Genesis 2:7, we read:
Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. (Genesis 2:7, ESV Bible)
It is through this breath, or Spirit, that life enters creation, making God's Spirit the active agent of life. Thus, the Spirit, breath, and word of God are inseparably linked in the act of creation. Through the Spirit and word of God, the universe and all life within it came into existence.
The Spirit of God not only animates creation but also sustains it. Elihu speaks to this in Job 34:14-15, explaining that if God were to withdraw His Spirit (ruach) and breath (neshamah), "every living thing would perish together and mankind would return to the dust." This demonstrates that life itself is entirely dependent on the ongoing presence of God's Spirit. Psalm 104 echoes this theme, describing how life and death are in the hands of God’s Spirit: "When you take away their breath [Heb. ruach], they die and return to their dust. When you send forth your Spirit [Heb. ruach], they are created, and you renew the face of the ground" (Psalm 104:29-30). This cycle of giving and taking life through the Spirit is not only foundational to creation but also points to future spiritual renewal.
Just as God created the heavens and the earth by His Spirit and word, so too will He recreate and renew them in the age to come. Just as the Spirit of God breathed life into Adam at the beginning, so too will the Spirit give life to the righteous at the end of time. Paul speaks on the role of the Holy Spirit at the resurrection of the dead in Romans:
If the Spirit of a him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11, ESV Bible)
This means that the same Spirit that raised Jesus will one day raise believers, giving life to their mortal bodies. On the day of the Lord, the word of God will again be spoken through Jesus:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. (John 5:25, ESV Bible)
While the Holy Spirit has been active from day one, as believers, we look forward to the day when the Holy Spirit acts as the Spirit of Resurrection, raising the dead back to life in the age to come. How do we know this will happen? Because, the Holy Spirit testifies to this truth! The Holy Spirit is given as a sign pointing to "the great and glorious day of the Lord.” This testimony is expressed in several key ways: first, through miraculous signs, which reveal God's power and point to the future restoration; second, through the resurrection of Jesus, the pivotal event that marks the beginning of the end-time renewal; third, through the deposit of the Spirit, which is given to believers as a guarantee of what is to come (as noted in Ephesians 1:14); and fourth, through the gifts of the Spirit, which equip believers to live in anticipation of the coming age.
The Holy Spirit and Miracles
The Holy Spirit's role in both the original creation and the future re-creation positions all of His actions as a "sign" (Gk. semeion) pointing to the age to come, which will be a restoration of the original glory. All miracles, in fact, foreshadow the ultimate miracle of "the renewal of all things" (Matthew 19:28). This understanding is evident when Jesus commissions His disciples, telling them to:
"Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover" (Mark 16:15-18).
As the disciples went out and preached, the Lord "confirmed the message by accompanying signs" (Mark 16:20). These signs accredited the gospel message about the coming day of the Lord, the salvation of the righteous, and the judgment of the wicked. The signs listed in Mark's Great Commission are characteristic of the primary signs given by God in this age to testify to the age to come.
Exorcisms, for instance, are linked to the proclamation of the coming kingdom (Matthew 10:7-8; Luke 9:1-2), because in the age to come, Satan and all demons will be cast out of the earth (Isaiah 24:22; Revelation 20:2).
Healings often accompany the proclamation of the gospel (cf. Matt. 4:23; Luke 10:9) because sickness and death will ultimately be eradicated in the resurrection.
Along with healings and exorcisms, other signs also point to the coming age. Jesus' transfiguration, in which His appearance was "like the sun" (Matt. 17:2), foreshadowed the glory of the resurrection when the righteous will shine like "the brightness of the heavens" (Dan. 12:3; cf. Matt. 13:43; 1 Cor. 15:41). Jesus' calming of the storm (Matt. 8:23-27) and walking on the water led to the confession, "Truly you are the Son of God" (Matt. 14:33), as it was expected that the Messiah would subdue the forces of nature in the age to come (cf. Isa. 11:6-9; 55:12-13; 66:25). Jesus' feeding of the five thousand prompted the people to declare, "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world" (John 6:14), as they recognized the connection to the prophetic expectation that the Messiah would provide for the poor (cf. Ps. 72:4; Isa. 11:4; Jer. 22:16). Likewise, His changing of water into wine "revealed his glory" and led His disciples to believe in Him (John 2:11), echoing the future feast described in Isaiah, where the Lord will provide "a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine" (Isa. 25:6).
All biblical miracles serve as signs pointing toward the eschatological fulfillment based on the creation's original design. Peter, quoting Joel, speaks of the outpouring of the Spirit, accompanied by "wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below" (Acts 2:19-21), heralding the coming of the "day of the Lord." In this way, the Spirit prepares the world for God's ultimate day of judgment while confirming the message of salvation.
Jesus is the Firstborn of the Resurrection of the Dead Expected on the Day of the LORD
The resurrection of the dead symbolizes the renewal of all creation, as humanity was originally appointed by God to be the pinnacle of His creation. Jesus' resurrection as "the firstborn from the dead" (Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5) was a crucial sign for the early church. If God raised Jesus from the dead by His Spirit, He will undoubtedly raise all people from the dead and restore creation, as promised. Believers are assured that we will be "conformed to the image of His Son" so that Christ may be "the firstborn among many brothers" (Rom. 8:29). We too will be raised from the dead by the same Spirit that raised Christ, the firstborn, from the dead.
The apostles understood Jesus' resurrection as the "firstfruits" (1 Cor. 15:20, 23) of the final resurrection harvest (Matt. 13:39; Mark 4:29). For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
Jesus Compared to Adam
Jesus is often compared to Adam. In the beginning, Adam, who was miraculously created by God, brought death into the world through sin, resulting in the loss of life. In contrast, Jesus, who also had miraculous origins, died but was raised to life, symbolizing the new beginning that is to come. While Adam's death marked the entrance of death into the world, Jesus' resurrection points to the restoration of life and the promise of renewal for all creation. The resurrection of Jesus being a stark contrast to the death of Adam. But the resurrection will occur each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ" (1 Cor. 15:20-23).
Jesus Resurrection is Our Assurance of Things to Come
Rather than reinterpret or spiritualize the Jewish apocalyptic framework, the focus on Christ's individual resurrection confirms and strengthens the eschatological hope. Because Christ has been raised, we have the assurance of the general resurrection, meaning our faith is not "futile" (1 Cor. 15:17).
Paul reasoned with the Athenians that God has "fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed," and God has assured this by raising Jesus from the dead (Acts 17:31). Unlike all other descendants of Adam, who returned to the dust, Jesus' resurrection demonstrated that He alone is righteous and has divine approval. Therefore, only the "Righteous One" (Isa. 24:16; 53:11; Acts 3:14; 7:52; 22:14) is qualified to judge the unrighteous. How much more impactful is this reality when we understand that we will be judged by the very one who lived among us and experienced firsthand the struggles of human life?
The bodily resurrection of Jesus was central to the apostolic witness (Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15, 26; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30, 33-35; 17:3, 31; 23:6; 24:21; 25:19; 26:8, 23). It played a vital role in the early church, as Jesus' resurrection confirmed the apocalyptic nature of divine revelation. Differing opinions about the future (such as those of the Sadducees, Zealots, Essenes, or Gnostics) were silenced in light of Jesus' resurrection and His promised return.
Through Jesus' resurrection, the hope of Scripture became "a living hope" (1 Peter 1:3), as a son of Adam had indeed risen from the grave. Thus, "we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed" (2 Peter 1:19).
The Holy Spirit is a Deposit Given by God to Assure Us of a Future Resurrection and Eternal Life
Just as Jesus is the firstfruits of the resurrection to come, God has also given believers "the firstfruits of the Spirit" (Rom. 8:23)—an initial gift of the Holy Spirit, who will raise us from the dead on the day of Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit is described as a "deposit" or "down payment" (Gk. arrabōn), guaranteeing our future resurrection (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14). Pentecost (Acts 2) was understood as "the first installment" of the resurrection to come, much like a payment that obligates further fulfillment. In the same way, all the gifts of the Spirit serve as an "assurance of salvation."
The Holy Spirit confirms the gospel, strengthening believers' faith in the cross until the day of salvation. The early Jewish Christians recognized that the Gentiles would also inherit the resurrection, apart from circumcision, because "God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us" (Acts 15:8; cf. Acts 10:45; 11:17). Conversely, the absence of the Holy Spirit assures future condemnation, as "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him" (Rom. 8:9).
We are "sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee [Gk. arrabōn] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it" (Eph. 1:14). This seal represents God's assurance of our future resurrection, as He has "put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment" (2 Cor. 1:22).
The resurrected body is described as a "spiritual body" (1 Cor. 15:44), meaning a new body animated by the Spirit of God. In this transformed state, we will be "like angels... being sons of the resurrection" (Luke 20:36). This spiritual body refers not to a destiny in heaven but to a body with a heavenly origin and quality.
The Gifts of the Spirit Testify to This Truth
All the gifts of the Spirit, as described in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, serve as a deposit and assurance meant for "the edification of the church" (1 Cor. 14:12, NASB). The gifts of "various kinds of tongues" and "the interpretation of tongues" (1 Cor. 12:10; cf. Acts 2:4) point to a future time when human pride and the division of languages will be no more (cf. Isa. 2:3; Rev. 21:24-27).
The gifts of the Spirit serve as temporary aids, helping to strengthen faith and hope until the end (cf. 1 Cor. 1:8; Jude 20-21). In this way, the Holy Spirit is referred to as the "Helper" (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; cf. 1 John 2:1), assisting the saints in their pursuit of eternal life.
How Does the Bible Describe this future Resurrection and Eternal Life For Believers?
Just as the Spirit of God is the agent and sustainer of creation, so too is the Spirit the one who inspires the word of God, which lays out the hope for a restored creation. Specifically, the themes of life, salvation, blessing, and glory are woven together, building toward their ultimate fulfillment on the day of the Lord and in the age to come.
The Theme of Life in the Bible
The Scriptures, within an apocalyptic framework, develop a theology of life brought to fruition by the Spirit of God. In the beginning, God's spoken word created "every living thing" (Gen. 1:28), and it was "the breath of life" that transformed Adam into "a living creature" (Gen. 2:7). The "tree of life" (Gen. 2:9) symbolized perpetual regeneration, and when Adam was deprived of this tree, death became inevitable. This is evident in God's declaration when expelling Adam from the garden: "lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever" (Gen. 3:22). This vision of eternal life is recapitulated in the end times through the "book of life" (Rev. 20:15; 21:27), the "water of life" (Rev. 21:6; 22:1), and the restored "tree of life" (Rev. 22:2, 14, 19), which is now for the "healing of the nations" (Rev. 22:2). The curse of futility and death on the earth will be lifted (Rev. 22:3; cf. Rom. 8:20), and the saints will "reign forever and ever" (Rev. 22:5). Thus, the Scriptures offer a comprehensive vision of "everlasting life" (Dan. 12:2), established in the beginning and fully realized in the end.
Though, in this age, all the dead are condemned to Sheol or Hades (cf. Ps. 89:48; Eccl. 9:10), God holds authority over both death and Sheol, as seen in 1 Samuel 2:6, "The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up" (cf. Rev. 1:18).
The theological framework of resurrection is rooted in the biblical theme of deliverance from Sheol, the realm of the dead. This concept of eternal life became central to the apostolic church, considered the ultimate "prize" associated with the coming day of God and the restoration of all things (1 Corinthians 9:24; Philippians 3:14). Thus, the hope of resurrection and eternal life forms the backbone of Christian theology, grounded in the deliverance from Sheol and culminating in the restoration of all things.
This apocalyptic understanding of life was focused on the return of Christ, the day of the Lord, and the resurrection of the dead. The early church did not believe that the resurrection and eternal life had already begun. On the contrary, those who claimed "the resurrection has already happened" (2 Timothy 2:18) were seen as undermining the faith, for "Who hopes for what he sees?" (Romans 8:24).
The apocalyptic framework of history, with its focus on the hope of eternal life, provides the practical means by which the sting of death is overcome (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). Believers hold on to the promise of "a better and enduring possession" (Hebrews 10:34), allowing them to willingly forsake this present life in order to "attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead" (Luke 20:35). This hope empowers Christians to face suffering, persecution, and even martyrdom, as they "love not their lives unto death" (Revelation 12:11). Such a perspective on life and death is essential to discipleship.
The Theme of Salvation
Divine salvation is revealed progressively in an apocalyptic manner throughout Scripture. The term "salvation" fundamentally means "deliverance from factors which constrain and confine," and while it finds temporary applications (e.g., Exodus 14:13; Judges 3:9; 1 Chronicles 14:11), salvation is ultimately about liberation from the bondage of sin and death. Just as God is responsible for bringing mortality into the world, He will also be the one to remove it.
Mortality's "weakness" (Greek: astheneia, meaning the experience of limitation and debilitating illness) is mitigated by the Spirit as we wait for the resurrection, likened to being in the womb of this age, awaiting our birth into the next. This underscores that God's ultimate purpose is to conform us to the image of Christ, with resurrection as the culmination of our salvation.
Our battle with mortality, alongside the intercession of the Spirit, reveals the workings of faith. The captivity of mortality in this age is meant to drive us toward dependence on God, the only one who can deliver us to immortality. God performs smaller acts of deliverance throughout our lives to build our belief in the ultimate deliverance to come. At the same time, He allows (and sometimes orchestrates, as seen in Deuteronomy 4:27, Daniel 11:33, Luke 22:31, and 2 Corinthians 12:7) small captivities to make us face our larger captivity to sin and death.
In the New Testament's apocalyptic framework, salvation is understood to involve a new heavens and new earth, with a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked, initiated on the day of the Lord. As Hebrews states, "[Christ] will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him" (Hebrews 9:28, CSB). This salvation is described as "ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:5) and is reserved for "those who are to inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14). Jesus, as the first to rise from the dead, is called "the pioneer of their salvation" (Hebrews 2:10, NRSV), and through His resurrection, He became "the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him" (Hebrews 5:9).
The righteous will "obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (2 Timothy 2:10, cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:9), for "there is salvation in no one else" (Acts 4:12). God sent His Son, not to condemn the world, but so that "the world might be saved through him" (John 3:17). This salvation is assured for those declared righteous by His blood, and "we will be saved through him from wrath" (Romans 5:9, CSB). It is "the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation" (Ephesians 1:13), but it requires perseverance, as "the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22; 24:13).
The Theme of Blessings
The Scriptures present divine blessing within an apocalyptic framework, beginning with the creation narrative where God blessed all living creatures: "And God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply'" (Genesis 1:22). This divine blessing extends to the new heavens and new earth, as seen in Revelation: "Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life" (Revelation 22:14). In contrast, divine cursing also appears early in Scripture (Genesis 3:14, 17) to frustrate creation (Romans 8:20) and bring about repentance (cf. Psalm 73:3-17; Hosea 5:14-15; Revelation 9:20-21). This cursing culminates in the final judgment of the wicked: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire" (Matthew 25:41), while God's blessing reaches its fulfillment in the resurrection: "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34).
Within the scope of divine sovereignty, blessing and cursing reflect God's favor or disfavor, similar to governance. God showed favor to Adam and Eve, granting them dominion over the earth by blessing them (Genesis 1:26-28). In the same way, the righteous will be blessed in the age to come, inheriting the kingdom on the new earth (cf. Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30; Revelation 22:5). Temporal blessings and curses serve as reflections of their eschatological fulfillment.
The Theme of Glory
In relation to eternal life, salvation, and divine blessing, the Scriptures also focus on the theme of divine glory. God is described as "the God of glory" (Psalm 29:3; Acts 7:2), "the king of glory" (Psalm 24:7, 10), "the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:8; James 2:1), and "the Majestic Glory" (2 Peter 1:17). The concept of "the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1; 106:20; John 11:4; Acts 7:55; Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Revelation 21:23) is woven throughout Scripture, raising questions about its ultimate context, purpose, and manifestation. As creation was clothed in glory at the beginning, so it will once again radiate God's glory at the end.
Within the apocalyptic framework of Scripture, temporal revelations of divine glory, such as those witnessed in Exodus (Exodus 24:16; 33:22) and Numbers (Numbers 14:10), serve as prophetic foreshadows of the time when "all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD" (Numbers 14:21). The filling of the tabernacle with God's glory (Exodus 40:34) and later the temple (1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chronicles 5:14) point toward the future messianic temple, which will also be filled with divine glory (Ezekiel 43:2-7; Haggai 2:7-9; Malachi 3:1-2).
Because the Lord dwells in heavenly glory (Psalm 26:8; 63:2), the day of the Lord will involve the heavens being opened and God descending in His divine glory. Though the heavens are currently "closed," they will be opened in the age to come, and the glory of God will expose and overcome the darkness of humanity. As German scholar Klaus Koch observed, the term "glory" became a "catch-word" during Second Temple Judaism, encapsulating the entirety of apocalyptic expectations.
This understanding of divine glory is carried throughout the Epistles. Although "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), those justified by faith in Christ's sacrificial death will be presented blameless "before the presence of his glory with great joy" (Jude 24). This collective vision of divine glory reveals its ultimate eschatological fulfillment, both in Christ and in His people.
All references to divine glory as eschatological and apocalyptic are consistent with their historical context. Humanity was originally created in divine glory, and on the last day, the heavens will open, and the righteous will be raised to life by the Spirit, clothed in bodies of glory, and blessed once again by the Creator. This glory is the ultimate prize that the righteous now seek (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:22-25; Philippians 3:11-14)—the blessing of eternal life in divine glory, which is "our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).
Understanding the Holy Spirit Through the Lens of the Cross
The apostles' sacrificial interpretation of the cross was rooted in their unchanged Jewish apocalyptic hope of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-55). The understanding of Jesus' death as an atoning sacrifice was not something invented by the apostles. Instead, this revelation was given directly by Jesus during His post-resurrection teachings. Thus, justification by faith, in anticipation of the day of judgment, was a core element of the apostolic message, confirmed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2).
This reveals the apostolic belief that, since humanity naturally relies on "confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3), the gift of the Holy Spirit was essential to confirming the truth of the cross and its role in justification. The Holy Spirit was understood as a unique gift from God, given to confirm the testimony of Christ crucified in preparation for the Day of the Lord. Thus, the Spirit's role in the apostolic era was to affirm the message of Christ crucified, empower the apostles, and prepare believers for the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan in the day of the Lord.
The message of the cross, understood in the context of the coming day of the Lord, is described as "the standard of teaching" (Romans 6:17) or "the pattern of sound teaching" (2 Timothy 1:13, CSB). This divine confirmation through the Holy Spirit ensured the authenticity of the apostolic message and its transmission, aligning the teaching of the cross with the broader eschatological hope of the day of the Lord.
Conclusion
As we have seen, the Holy Spirit's role is much broader than we often realize. From the first breath of life given to Adam to the future resurrection promised to believers, the Holy Spirit is central to God's creative and redemptive work. The Spirit, working through miracles, the gifts of the church, and the resurrection of Christ, testifies to the coming renewal of all things. As we live in anticipation of the age to come, let us remain faithful, knowing that the same Spirit who raised Christ will raise us to eternal life.