The Bible doesn't have a huge amount to say about the Holy Spirit - that is, compared to the amount of space that's devoted to the Father and the Son. That's because the primary work of the Holy Spirit is to point us to Jesus, who in turn gives us a relationship with God the Father (John 16:13-15). Nearly all of the references in the New Testament to the Holy Spirit connect Him in some way with Jesus' death (He was there - see Hebrews 9:14) - it's the Holy Spirit who brings the reality of what Jesus has done for us on the cross to us in the here and now.

I won't go into a discussion about the fact that the Holy Spirit is fully God. You can talk to me about that some other time if you want to. But here's a brief overview of some of what the Holy Spirit does today (this is not an exhaustive list, by any means.):
 

• The Holy Spirit reveals to us and enables us to understand everything God has done for us through His Son - He gives us 'the mind of Christ' (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). He does this through the words of the Bible, which He inspired (Ephesians 6:17, 2 Peter 1:19-21).

• The Holy Spirit brings to us the freedom from sin that has been obtained by Jesus, and enables us to have a personal, intimate relationship with God as our Father. (Galatians 4:4-7).

• The Holy Spirit unites us with Jesus, bringing a transformation in our lives so that we begin to live the sort of life God designed us to live. The Fruit of the Spirit (not fruits - we either have the lot or we have none) is simply a manifestation of the Spirit's (ie. God's) character in our lives as we are transformed into the image of Jesus. (Galatians 5:16-25)

• The Holy Spirit 'sanctifies' us, or makes us holy - in other words, He sets us apart for God's special use. This not only means that we can come into God's presence without fear, but that we are also 'qualified' to be God's fellow workers! (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14).

• The Holy Spirit enables us to love, serve and encourage each other as we live together as God's people, the Church. Spiritual gifts are not a set of 'things' that we can take and possess, but a manifestation of the Spirit Himself - the evidence that He is doing His work in His people (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). This means that we should not be concerned so much with, 'What is my spiritual gift?' as we should be with, 'How can I serve others as the Spirit prompts me?'

• The Holy Spirit enables us to communicate with God (pray) - in fact He does it for us, on our behalf (Romans 8:26-27). We can only pray with the Spirit's help - that's why we should 'pray in the Spirit' all the time (Ephesians 6:18)

• The Holy Spirit keeps us secure in our relationship with God, guaranteeing that we'll make it to heaven (2 Corinthians 1:22). The knowledge of His presence with us gives us an assurance that we have this security (Romans 8:16).

The 'Baptism in the Spirit'
If you're wondering what the Baptism in the Spirit is, well you've just read about it. Go back and read the 7 points again before you go on....Back? OK. When John the Baptist declared that Jesus would baptise us with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8) he was talking about exactly the same thing Jesus told Nicodemus about - being born again and entering God's Kingdom (John 3:3-8). The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is what makes us members of the Body of Christ (1Cor. 12:13) If you are a Christian(or, in other words, if you have trusted totally in Jesus' death to save you), then you have been 'baptised with the Spirit' Which means that if you haven't been baptised with the Spirit, then you're not a Christian (yes, it's true: see Romans 8:9).

Keeping in step with the Spirit
The only reason we are able to live as Christians is because we live by the Spirit (ie. in the realm of the Spirit's work). Because that is the reality, we should seek to live it out in our lives, or 'keep in step with the Spirit' (Galatians 5:25). We should be conscious of the fact that the Spirit is working in us to reveal Jesus to us and to make us more like Him, and so live a life that is consistent withh that. Being 'in the Spirit' is God's work in us; 'keeping in step with the Spirit' is our response. The true test of whether this is happening is the way we relate to one another (Galatians 5:26) and if our lives are increasingly reflecting God's nature (2 Corinthians 3:17).

In summary, I'd like to quote a guy called James Packer from his book, I want to be a Christian (Kingsway, 1991, p.63):
 

...when I say, as a Christian, 'I believe in the Holy Spirit', my meaning should be first, that I believe personal fellowship, across space and time, with the living Christ of the New Testament to be a reality, which I have found; second, that I am open to be led by the Spirit, who now indwells me, into Christian knowledge, obedience and service, and I expect to be so led each day; and third, that I bless him as author of my assurance that I am a son and heir of God. Truly, it is a glorious thing to believe in the Holy Spirit!

Recommended reading:
Geoffrey Bingham, Spirit-Baptism: Spirit-Living, (New Creation Publications)
                             The Christian and the Holy Spirit, (New Creation Publications)
Octavius Winslow, The Work of the Holy Spirit, (Banner of Truth)
Ronald Baxter, Gifts of the Spirit, (Kregel Publications)
Andrew Murray, The Spirit of Christ, (Whittaker)

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