11 Truths About the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit Draws Us Closer to God

Why does this person of the Holy Spirit transform?

The same question must be asked: why does Jesus Christ transform us? It is God Himself in three persons, yet one God, who transforms his creation, his cosmos, his creatures. Words can barely explain this. The doctrine of the Trinity is true, but a great mystery. But the infinite, almighty God is One who may never be completely understood using human language.

Yet, as we move closer to God, the truth blossoms within us. We understand true joy and Christ’s peace. This drawing closer to God is the work of the Holy Spirit. The person of the Holy Spirit is to be known as person, as a Thou, not as a force or vague spiritual mass of unseen ether.

The Holy Spirit is Indescribable

Quite frankly, language fails. But I think this is a beautiful understanding from St. Seraphim Sarov, and Alexander Schmemann: The experience of St. Seraphim is described as that of ‘unwonted sweetness, unwonted joy in all my heart, unwonted warmth, and unwonted fragrance… (unwonted meaning expected). When the Spirit of God descends on man and overshadows him with the fullness of his outpouring, then the human soul overflows with unspeakable joy because the Spirit of God turns to joy all that He may touch.” What is described here is life full of life. Life, joy, peace - these are words that have definitions, of course, but are not fully understood until one knows them only by the presence of these things. The Holy Spirit brings us true happiness, not happiness that the world speaks of.