The Holy Spirit is God, part of the Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He is also known as the Spirit of truth and the Counselor.

The Holy Spirit living inside us is our proof that God has redeemed us, giving us eternal life with Him. He is the one who teaches us what God wants, who comforts us in our trouble and empowers us to live a godly life.

In the Old Testament, the Bible talks mainly of the Holy Spirit coming on to different individuals at specific times for a specific purpose (Numbers 11:25, Judges 6:34, 11:29, 14:19). In the New Testament, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would dwell within us continually. When Jesus left earth, after His death, resurrection and ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit came upon all the believers (Acts 1:1–11, 2:1–13, Luke 24:49, John 7:38-39). Now, the Holy Spirit is continually present in the world and dwells in each person who believes in Christ (Acts 2:38, Luke 11:13).

The Bible says that it is possible to grieve the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 4:30. It is important to realize that when we accept Jesus, and His Holy Spirit comes to live inside us, we become the sacred temple in which the living God resides. Thus, the choices we make have huge significance because we are no longer merely ourselves, but united with Christ (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:18–20, 2 Timothy 1:14).

1. Gifts (different ones for different people): Part of the reason God gives us the Holy Spirit is so that the church can act like the body of Christ. There are different gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to different people, but all are for the purpose of building up the body of believers (encouraging, strengthening, teaching and leading others to Christ). 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 give teaching on this subject. The "love chapter” (1 Corinthians 13) is between these two chapters, reminding us that regardless of the gift the focus is to be love. 2. Fruit (qualities that should be seen in all Christians): Read Galatians 5:22–25. These qualities are not for us to pick and chose. The Bible indicates that all these elements should be evident in a believer. If they are not, the question to ask yourself is not “How can I work harder to attain these qualities?” but rather, “How do I surrender myself to the Holy Spirit, so that he will produce this fruit in my life?”