The Bible teaches that God is one God and that there are no
other gods. The Bible also clearly distinguishes between three
parts or Persons of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
known as the Trinity.
This article has been prepared to organize the large number of
Scripture passages referring to the Spirit of God to show (1)
that the Holy Spirit is distinctly a Person, that is, that He
has personality; (2) that He is God, that is, that He shares all
of God's eternal attributes; and (3) that He has an objective,
real ministry in the world during the Church Age, particularly
in the lives of Christians.
THE HOLY SPIRIT'S PERSONALITY
The Holy Spirit has personality because He possesses the essential
characteristics of personality, namely, intellect, emotion, and
will.
His Intellect, 1 Cor. 2:10,11, For to us God revealed them
through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the
depths of God.
For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit
of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one
knows except the Spirit of God.
His Emotion, Eph. 4:30, And do not grieve the Holy Spirit
of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
His Will, 1 Cor. 12:11, But one and the same Spirit works
all these things, distributing to each one individually just as
He wills.
HIS RELATIONSHIP TO THE FATHER
Matt. 3:16, And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately
from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw
the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him,
Luke 4:18, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ...
Isaiah 61:1
HIS RELATIONSHIP TO THE SON
Rom. 8:9, However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit,
if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does
not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
Phil. 1:19, For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance
through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus
Christ,
THE HOLY SPIRIT SHARES THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
Eternity, Heb. 9:14, how much more will the blood of Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish
to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living
God?
Life, Rom. 8:2, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Holiness, Rom. 1:4, who was declared the Son of God with
power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit
of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,
Truth, John 14:17, that is the Spirit of truth, whom the
world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him,
but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.
Omnipotence, Gen. 1:1,2, In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth.
And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the
surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the
surface of the waters.
Omnipresence, Ps. 139:7-10, Where can I go from Thy Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Thy presence?
If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in Sheol,
behold, Thou art there.
If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part
of the sea,
Even there Thy hand will lead me, And Thy right hand will lay
hold of me.
THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS DIVINE TRUTH
1 Cor. 2:9-11, but just as it is written, " Things which
eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered
the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love
Him."
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit
searches all things, even the depths of God.
For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit
of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one
knows except the Spirit of God.
See also 2 Sam. 23:2; Micah 3:8; Acts 1:16; Heb. 9:6-8; 2 Pet.
1:15-21; John 16:12-14.
THE HOLY SPIRIT GLORIES THE LORD JESUS CHRIST DURING THE CHURCH
AGE
After the Lord Jesus had ascended to Heaven, the Holy Spirit came
to indwell all believers during the Church Age.
John 7:38,39, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said,
'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'"
But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him
were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus
was not yet glorified.
The purpose of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not to glorify
the Holy spirit, but to glorify Christ while He is absent from
the earth.
John 16:13,14, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes,
He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on
His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and
He will disclose to you what is to come.
"He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall
disclose it to you.
The believer's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and this
glorification occurs on the inside of the believer.
1 Cor. 6:19,20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of
the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that
you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body.
When a Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit (walking in fellowship),
his life is written by the Holy Spirit. He is declared to be the
epistles of Christ written by the Holy spirit.
2 Cor. 3:2-6 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known
and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of
Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit
of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of
human hearts. And such confidence we have through Christ toward
God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything
as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also
made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter,
but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives
life.
When a Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit, Christ is at
home in the body.
Eph. 3:16,17 that He would grant you, according to the riches
of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit
in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through
faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
GENERAL WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Zech. 4:6, "... not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,
says the Lord of hosts."
The following is a list of activities carried out by the Holy
Spirit:
 | Casting out demons: Matt. 12:28 |
| Comforting of believers: John 15:26 |
| Reproving the world of sin: John 16:8 |
| Making believers spiritually alive: Rom. 8:11 |
| Making intercession for believers: Rom. 8:26 |
| Making able ministers of the new covenant: 2 Cor. 3:6 |
| Raising Christ from the dead: 1 Pet. 3:18 |
| Was executor of Bible inspiration: 2 Pet. 1:21 |
| Invites unbelievers to accept Christ: Rev. 22:17 |
THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit lives permanently in every Christian. Rom. 8:9;
Gal. 3:2; 4:6; 1 Cor. 6:19,20.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is called the "unction"
in 1 John 2:20, and "anointing" in 1 John 2:27. These
are synonyms for "indwelling."
The prophecy of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is found in
John 7:37-39; John 14:16,17.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit must be distinguished from the
indwelling of the Lord Jesus Christ.
| Christ indwells the believer for the purpose of fellowship, Rom. 8:10; 2 Cor. 13:5. |
| |
| The Holy Spirit indwells the believer for the purpose of function, Gal. 5:22. |
Maximum fellowship with Christ comes through the function of
the Holy Spirit in edification and grace living.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit must be distinguished
from the filling of the Holy Spirit.
| The Indwelling is automatic at salvation. |
| |
| The Filling is a function of the believer's volition and may be lost through carnality, Eph. 4:30. The Filling is commanded, Eph. 5:18. The Filling is regained through confession of Sin, 1 John 1:9; Prov. 1:23. |
The Holy Spirits functions in the intake and application of
Bible truth, John 14:26; 16:12-15; 1 Cor. 2:9-16; 1 John 2:27.
This is the "how to" of edification.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is necessary because of the
spiritual conflict in "high places" (spiritual warfare),
John 7:37-39.
THE SEALING MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The sealing work of the Holy Spirit is the basis for our eternal
security. The three phases of salvation are given in Eph. 1:13.
Eph. 1:13,14, In Him, you also, after listening to the message
of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed,
you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the
redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.
you were sealed is the aorist passive indicative form of
the verb (sphragidzw), which means "stamped with a
seal."
In the ancient world, the seal was a guarantee or a transaction,
e.g., a signet impression on a ring. Sealing was used to authenticate
contracts, laws, invoices, military orders. The seal was also
used in the ratification of treaties.
Seals were used to preserve tombs, libraries, treasuries. The
seal was backed up by the force of the government in charge, e.g.,
the seal on the tomb of Christ was guaranteed by the Roman troops.
Seals indicate ownership; God owns the believer, having purchased
him from the slave market of sin (Eph. 1:7; 1 Cor. 6:20)
The believer is sealed as a guarantee of his eternal security.
THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
When a person accepts Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit comes
into (indwells) his life permanently. The Holy Spirit indwells
for the purpose of glorifying Christ, but indwelling alone does
not guarantee that Christ will be glorified by the believer's
life. For this reason, Christians are commanded to be habitually
"filled" with the Holy Spirit.
Eph. 5:18, And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation,
but be filled with the Spirit,
The verb "be filled" means "to fill up a deficiency;
to fully possess; to fully influence; to fill with a certain quality."
Here it is in the present passive imperative, so the verb is a
command meaning "keep on being filled" with the believer
receiving the action of the verb. The filling is by means
of the Holy Spirit.
The responsibility of the Christian is to confess his sins. At
any point in our lives we can take ourselves out of fellowship
through personal sin. When that happens, we become carnal, not
spiritual. Sin grieves the Holy Spirit and causes a breach in
our relationship with God. But the Lord promises that if we confess
our sins, He will forgive us and cleanse us from unrighteousness.
That is, upon the condition of our confession, He will heal the
breach that sin has caused.
So, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, sin must be confessed.
1 John 1:9
See Topics: CONFESSION OF
SIN; GRACE
Nothing good is produced in the Christian's life apart from the
filling of the Holy Spirit.
Rom. 8:8,9 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed
the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the
Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
Gal. 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you
now being perfected by the flesh?
Results of the Filling of the Holy Spirit
Imitation of Christ: John 16:14; 2 Cor. 3:3; Phil. 1:20
Perception of the Word: John 14:26; 16:12-14; 1 Cor. 2:9-16
Witnessing: Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 3:1-10
Guidance: Rom. 8:14; Eph. 5:16-18
Assurance: Rom. 8:14-16; Gal. 4:5,6
Worship: Phil. 3:3; John 4:24
Prayer: Eph. 6:18 with Psalm 66:18
Leadership in Ministry: John 16:13; Acts 10:9,10; Acts 13:2; Acts 16:6
THE HOLY SPIRIT PROVIDES SPIRITUAL POWER
The book of Acts is the book of spiritual power - where it comes
from, how it is obtained, and how it is used. The promise of Jesus
Christ to his disciples was "He shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth...
He dwells with you and shall be in you."
The prophesy of John the Baptist in Matt. 3:11 regarding the coming
ministry of the Lord Jesus also announced the ministry of the
Holy Spirit for the Church Age.
Matt. 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but
he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not
worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and
with fire:"
Examples of believers receiving the Holy Spirit:
At Pentecost: Acts 2:3
The Samaritan Christians: Acts 8:17
Cornelius and his company: Acts. 10:44
The Ephesian believers: Acts 19:6,7
The Benefits Derived from Spiritual Power
Men receive courage to rebuke sin: Matt. 3:8
Men are enabled to speak with confidence: Acts 4:31-33*
Gives spiritual and moral strength: 2 Sam. 22:40; Isa. 28:56; Isa. 40:31; 41:10; Dan. 11:32; Eph. 3:16
Provides strength in weakness: 1 Cor. 1:27; 2 Cor. 12:9; 13:4
Provides spiritual gifts: Rom. 12:6; Eph. 4:11
THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the character of Christ being
formed in the Christian who is filled with the Spirit. Gal. 5:22,23
has a listing of the types of production which are the result
of the fruit of the Spirit.
Love, Joy, and Peace are fruits of mental attitude, inward thinking
that reflects the lack of mental attitude sins and the relaxation
which comes from knowing Bible truth.
Long-suffering, Gentleness, and Goodness are outward, or directed
toward "neighbors."
Long-suffering, for example, is a relaxed attitude toward the
human race and is a result of having love, joy peace. This is
Faith-Rest under pressure which comes from people or Circumstances.
Faith, Meekness, and Temperance are fruits directed upward, or
God-ward.
Humility, for example, is a grace attitude with regard to divine
provision that gives glory to God for all support and blessing
in life, rather than taking the attitude that one is self-made.
Conditions of Fruit-Bearing
The following are required in order for a Christian to have spiritual
fruit:
Contact with the Living Water: Ps. 1:3; Eze. 47:12
Spiritual receptivity: Matt. 13:23
Death of the old life: John 12:24
Chastening (pruning): John 15:2
Abiding in Christ: John 15:4
SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Bible speaks of five types of sin which can be committed against
the Holy Spirit. Two are committed by unbelievers only; the other
three are committed by Christians.
Sins By Unbelievers Only
Resistance of the Holy Spirit: Acts 7:51. This is rejection of
the Lord Jesus Christ and a rejection of the pre-salvation ministry
of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-11) through the sin of unbelief
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: Matt. 12:31,32. This refers to rejection
of Jesus Christ during His ministry on earth (during the previous
dispensation, the Age of the Jews).
Sins by Believers
Lying to the Holy Spirit: Acts 5:3. Refers to false motivation,
approbation lust sin.
Grieving the Holy Spirit: Eph. 4:30. Refers to producing sins
from the area of weakness in the sin nature. Any sin in the life
of the believer which involves a moral or ethical issue.
Quenching the Holy Spirit: 1 Thess. 5:19. Producing human good
from the areas of strength in the Sin Nature. Examples: giving,
prayer, witnessing for the purpose of gaining approbation. Human
good soothes the conscience and keeps the believer from confessing
his sin.