What the Holy Spirit does

I Corinthians 2:10-14 (NASB)

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.  For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.  But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

New Christians, even those who have been saved for awhile, have a difficult time understanding who the Holy Spirit is and what does He do.  This passage describes what the Holy Spirit does. 

§  Reveals the truths of God heretofore hidden.  In I Cor 2:9, Paul quotes Isaiah 64:4 that tells us that these truths of God have not been revealed before.  It is only through the Holy Spirit planted in your heart, your innermost being, that you can learn truths about God that otherwise you would never know and understand

§  Searches all things, even the depths of God.  The Holy Spirit is God so of course He knows everything about God.  Only through the Holy Spirit can you have any idea of the depths of God.  There is nothing about God that the Holy Spirit does not know. 

§  Knows the thoughts of God.  The Holy Spirit knows the mind of God because, again, the Holy Spirit is God. 

§  Enable you to know all the things God has given you.  See an explanation below. 

§  Teaches you everything about God that you cannot understand on your own.  How is it that a believer and unbeliever listen to the same sermon, yet the unbeliever walks out not being touched at all.  It is the Holy Spirit in the heart of a believer that teaches the believer to know the meaning of the gospel and the meaning of what the Bible is all about.  The unbeliever and believer hear the same words, but the unbeliever is not affected by those words while the believer is deeply touched because of the teaching of the Holy Spirit.   

I was introduced to this passage by Pastor Adrian Rogers who told a great story to illustrate the meaning v. 12, “…….that we may know the things freely given to us by God”.  The story goes like this: Suppose you have a son and I come to your house to ask you if you will give me your son to take away with me.  Furthermore, after taking your son away from you, I am going to mistreat him and eventually kill him.  Now, of course, you would never agree to do this, would you?  However, let’s say for the sake of this story that you do agree.  Then, after taking your son, I come back to you and ask you for all his belongings----his clothes, toys, other possessions.  Now, since you have given me your son, won’t you also give me everything else that is his?

So, since God gave His only begotten Son to live on earth and to suffer and die for all of our sins, won’t God also freely give us everything else belonging to the Son?  What are these things freely given to us by God?  The list is endless as it includes everything about the nature and character of Jesus Christ; for example, showing mercy, being compassionate, having the ability to forgive, willingness to help others, putting others first, knowing all right from all wrong, the desire to spend time with God, concern for the salvation of others, the ability to love unconditionally and sacrificially, and having the mind of Christ that Paul writes later in I Cor 2:18. 

Why do some people not believe in the gospel message even if they have heard it preached many times?  Why are some people even resistant to the gospel message (foolishness to them)?  Why are you saved in Christ whereas your spouse or close family member or best friend is not (or are you the one who is not saved)?  This is a very perplexing theological question without a convincing answer other than God knows who will be responsive and who will not be responsive to the calling of Christ of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.