WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
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There are many misconceptions about the identity of the Holy Spirit. Some view the Holy Spirit as a mystical force. Others see the Holy Spirit as an impersonal power that God makes available to followers of Christ.
What does the Bible say about the identity of the Holy Spirit? Simply put, the Bible declares that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also tells us that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, a being with a mind, emotions, and a will.
The fact that the Holy Spirit is God is clearly seen in many Scriptures, including Acts 5:3-4. In these verses Peter confronts Ananias as to why he lied to the Holy Spirit and tells him that he had “not lied to men but to God.” It is a clear declaration that lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God. We can also know that the Holy Spirit is God because He possesses the characteristics of God. For example, His omnipresence is seen in Psalm 139:7-8, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” Then in 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, we see the characteristic of omniscience in the Holy Spirit. “These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
We can know that the Holy Spirit is indeed a divine person because He possesses a mind, emotions, and a will. The Holy Spirit thinks and knows (1 Corinthians 2:10).
The Holy Spirit can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30).
The Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27).
He makes decisions according to His will (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of the Trinity. As God, the Holy Spirit can truly function as the Comforter and Counselor that Jesus promised He would be (John 14:16, 26; 15:26).
Resources
Reflection
Does thinking of God as breath, wind, or animating energy depersonalize God or make God seem closer and more intimate with us?
Why does God partner with us to create life through the invisible means of the Spirit rather than through more empirical means?
Does God’s Spirit only hone innate talents and abilities within us so that we can serve God, or does God’s Spirit grant us entirely new talents and abilities that we previously did not have?
Is it possible to resist God’s Spirit? If so, how? If not, where does human free will come in?
In what ways is God’s Spirit specifically working through you and your faith community today to create life within the New Creation?
Action
1. Have you ever felt the Presence of the Holy Spirit? How would you describe it if you have? If not, is this because you do not believe He is real?
2. Take time today to really focus on the power of the Spirit and ask Jesus to help guide you.
3. Do you feel you need help overcoming difficult situations in your life, list some ways you feel bonded to things you cannot seem to break free from? (TV, social media, pornography, drinking, smoking, cursing, anger, fear, gossip, etc…)
4. Take some time to listen to some teaching on the Holy Spirt. We have listed under the Resources section.
5. Ask the Holy Spirit to come into your life and show you He is real.