The Spirit has the function of feeding. Luke 11:11-13 says, “But what father among you, whose son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish hand him a snake? Or if also he asks for an egg, will hand him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall the Father who is from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Here the life supply is indicated by the fish, the egg, and the Holy Spirit. In verse 5 it is indicated by the loaves of bread. The Holy Spirit is the totality of the loaves, the fish, and the egg. The Spirit brings the bread, the fish, and the egg to us. He is feeding us.
In Luke 15 there is a parable of a woman seeking a lost coin (vv. 8-10). That woman signifies the Spirit as the seeking One, who seeks the sinner as a woman seeks carefully for one lost coin until she finds it. The Spirit does some fine seeking to seek out the sinners and bring them back to God.
John 3 reveals the function of the Spirit in regenerating us (vv. 5-6, 8). Titus 3:5 speaks of the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. In this verse the word regeneration is different from that for born again. It refers to a change from one state of things to another. To be born again is the beginning of this change. The washing of regeneration begins with our being born again and continues with the renewing of the Holy Spirit as the process of God’s creation to make us a new man.
John 3:34 says, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for He gives the Spirit not by measure.” Jesus, the Son of God, is the One whom the Father sent. As God’s sent One, He speaks the words of God. He speaks for God, and He gives the Spirit to us without measure. This indicates that the Lord’s speaking gives us the Spirit, that is, the Lord gives us the Spirit by speaking the words of God. The more we speak the words of God, the more of the Spirit we minister to others. Speaking the words of God is a sign that we have the Spirit to give to others. This corresponds with John 7:38-39, which indicates that the Spirit flows out of the believers as rivers of living water through their speaking of the Lord’s words. This is also fully proven in our meetings. If we do not prophesy, we quench the Spirit. The more we speak, the more the Spirit flows out. When we speak, the Spirit is with our speaking and flows out of us to supply others. How can we minister the Spirit to others? We need to speak the word of God.
John 6:63 says that it is the Spirit who gives life and the flesh profits nothing. The Lord explained in this verse that what He would give people to eat was not His physical body. This is the flesh which profits nothing. What He would give is the Spirit who gives life, who is Himself in resurrection. The Lord as the Spirit in resurrection has the function of life-giving.
When the Lord spoke concerning the Spirit in John 7:38-39, He said that the Spirit would flow out of our innermost being as rivers of living water. The Spirit flows out of us as many rivers such as a river of patience, a river of holiness, a river of power, and a river of love. The one Spirit has many rivers, just as the one river in Genesis 2 was parted into four rivers.
The Spirit functions to take care of the saints as a Comforter, a Helper, an Intercessor, a Counselor, and an Advocate (John 14:16; 15:26a; 16:7). The Greek word paracletos, anglicized as paraclete, refers to one alongside who takes care of our cause, our affairs. This word may be translated as comforter, helper, intercessor, counselor, and advocate. An advocate is one who takes care of legal cases like an attorney. The Lord is like an attorney who takes care of us and our case in a very careful, detailed way.
The Lord Jesus was the first Comforter. When He was about to die, He told the disciples that He would ask the Father to send another Comforter. Actually this Comforter would be the first Comforter in a different form. When the Lord Jesus was in the flesh, He was the first Comforter; today as the life-giving Spirit, He is the second Comforter.