The Holy Spirit and ourselves

Now we too receive the Holy Spirit at our Baptism, and in all his fullness at our Confirmation; and, if we want him to, he can help us to become like the saints and to live one day with God in Heaven.  It’s important to understand that the saints did not start as saints but as ordinary or even bad people.  He can help us to overcome temptation.  He can help us to stand up for what we know to be right, even if it means being laughed at, instead of weakly agreeing with the others as we often do.

The Trinity

So the Apostles discovered that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; yet they knew that there is only one God.  Thus St Paul wrote, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (Jerusalem Bible, 2 Corinthians 13:13).  But he still said the Shema twice a day, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4).  And we often say, “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost”, and also “I believe in one God”.

You will see that the Apostles’ Creed is divided up into three parts.  The Catechism in the Prayer Book tells us what we chiefly learn from these parts. 

“First, I learn to believe in God the Father, who hath made me, and all the world.

“Secondly, in God the Son, who hath redeemed (saved) me, and all mankind.

“Thirdly, in God the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth me (makes me holy), and all the elect (chosen) people of God” (1).