The Holy Spirit can feel like the most mysterious part of the Christian story. We know the Father as Creator. We know the Son as Saviour. But the Spirit? He’s often harder to picture. Some people think of Him as a feeling, others as a force, and some don’t really think of Him at all.

But when the early church gathered to write the Nicene Creed, they wanted to make sure no one missed His place. They didn’t tack Him on at the end like a footnote. They wrote with conviction: “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life.”

Think about that phrase for a moment: the giver of life. That’s a strong confession. Lord. Giver of life. The Spirit isn’t an accessory to our faith—He is God Himself, the One who makes Jesus real to us. Without the Spirit, creation never begins. Without the Spirit, Adam is just dust. Without the Spirit, dry bones stay scattered in a valley. Without the Spirit, even our best efforts end up hollow.

But with Him? Everything breathes. Everything changes. He opens blind eyes to see Jesus, softens hard hearts, and makes the love of Christ more than an idea—it becomes an experience.

His Favourite Work

Jesus said, “He will glorify me.” That’s the Spirit’s mission in a sentence. His joy is to shine a spotlight on the Son, to keep pointing us back to Jesus until He is no longer just someone we’ve heard about, but someone we actually know.

This is why the Spirit’s presence isn’t measured by noise or atmosphere. It’s measured by whether Jesus becomes central—whether our worship, our prayers, our daily lives begin to orbit around Him. The Spirit makes Jesus real in ways that change us, sometimes quietly, sometimes powerfully, but always with the same goal: that Christ would be lifted up.

Presence and Power

The Spirit is both God’s presence with us and God’s power working through us. Presence means we’re never alone—He dwells in us. Power means we’re equipped to live boldly, to love faithfully, to witness courageously.

Presence without power leaves us comfortable but passive. Power without presence leaves us busy but empty. Together, they give us what we most need: Christ alive in us and Christ at work through us.

Think of Peter. Fearful and denying Jesus one moment, then proclaiming Him boldly after Pentecost. What changed? The Spirit breathed courage into him and made Jesus more real than his fear.

Living With the Spirit

So what does this look like for us? It’s less about spectacle and more about posture. Hosting His presence means showing up with gratitude already on our lips, paying attention to His nudges, and letting our worship be more than filler before a message.

The Nicene Creed reminds us that the Spirit is worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son. Not as an afterthought, but as God Himself. The creed gives us words, but it also gives us an invitation—to live in step with the Spirit, honouring Him as God, and letting Him do what He loves most: make Jesus real to us.

So Where Does This Leave Us?

Well, it leaves us with a question: are we living as if the Spirit is optional, or as if He is essential?

Because He is essential. He is the one who opens our eyes to see Jesus, who breathes life into our weary hearts, who empowers us to witness, who comforts us in suffering, and who makes Christ real here and now.

The Spirit isn’t a vague force or a fleeting feeling. He is the Lord, the giver of life.

And He is with us.