There are many
perceptions regarding the Holy Spirit. They consist of Him being nothing
than a force to just a name used to represent something that cannot be
seen. We will take a brief look at scriptural evidences of the Holy
Spirit, His personage, deity, ministry, etc.
And when he had said this, he
breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
John 20:22
His Deity
He is an equal part
of the Godhead:
“Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost:” (Matt. 28:19)
He is eternal:
“How much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot
to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Hebrews” (9:14)
Omnipotent:
“And the angel answered and
said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the
Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)
Omnipresent:
“Whither shall I go from thy
spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”
Psalm (139:7)
Omniscient:
“But God hath revealed
them unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?
even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” (1Cor.
2:10, 11)
His Personality
The Holy Spirit has
emotion.
He loves:
“Now I beseech you, brethren,
for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that
ye strive together with me in your
prayers to God for me;” (Romans
15:30)
Can be grieved:
“And grieve not the Holy Spirit
of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
(Ephesians 4:30)
He has a will:
“But all these worketh that one
and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
(1 Cor. 12:11)
He speaks:
“Then the Spirit said unto
Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.”
(Acts 8:29)
He has multiple names
God
“But Peter said, Ananias, why
hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back
part of the price of the land? Whiles
it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in
thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou
hast not lied unto men, but unto God.”
(Acts 5:3, 4)
Lord
“But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as by
the Spirit of the LORD.” (2 Cor.
3:18)
Spirit
“But God hath revealed
them unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
(1 Cor. 2:10)
Spirit of God
“Know ye not that ye are the
temple of God, and that the Spirit of
God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16)
Spirit of truth
“But when the Comforter is
come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of
truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”
(John 15:26)
Eternal Spirit
“How much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot
to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
(Heb. 9:14)
He physically manifests
As a dove
“And Jesus, when he was
baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens
were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
dove, and lighting upon him:” (Matt.
3:16)
As wind
“And suddenly there came a
sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the
house where they were sitting.”
(Acts 2:2)
As fire
“And there appeared unto them
cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.”
(Acts 2:3)
We can sin against Him
Blasphemy:
“Wherefore I say unto you, All
manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.”
(Matt. 12:31)
Resist (unbelief):
“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in
heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers
did, so do
ye.” (Acts 7:51)
Insult:
“Of how much sorer punishment, suppose
ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of
God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was
sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of
grace?” (Hebrews 10:29)
Lie to:
“But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan
filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back
part of the price of the land?” (Acts
5:3)
Grieve:
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God,
whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)
Quench:
“Quench not the Spirit.” (1
Thessalonians 5:19)
His activity in the life of Christ
Conceived of:
“But while he thought on these things,
behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying,
Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for
that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” (Matt. 1:20)
Baptized with:
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up
straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon
him:” (Matt. 3:16)
Led Him:
“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost
returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,”
(Luke 4:1)
Filled with the
power of:
“And Jesus returned in the power of the
Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the
region round about.” (Luke 4:14)
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath
sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them
that are bruised,” (Luke 4:18)
Raised Jesus:
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up
Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead
shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in
you.” (Romans 8:11)
His ministry
The primary ministry
of the Holy Spirit is to direct people to and glorify Christ. All other
aspects of His ministry are a result of that primary goal. We read in
John 15:26 “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you
from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the
Father, he shall testify of me:” In
John 16:14 Jesus goes on to instruct, “He shall glorify me: for he
shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
Food for thought
What
have you learned about the Holy Spirit that you may not have already
known?
Does it
comfort and encourage you to know that He is a personality and not just
a force?
Seeing
the impact he had on the life of Jesus for power to accomplish what
Jesus did, does it provide you courage to know that He will provide
you strength in what he has called you to?
Can you see the ministry of the Holy Spirits work in your life in service to Jesus?