Holy spirit in scripture

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Holy spirit in scripture:

In order to have a fellowship and work with the Holy Spirit, we must know him well. Though detached metaphors for the Holy Spirit, like fire, wind, water, oil dove and many others not mentioned, have a scriptural basis.

They have been used to such an extent that some people don’t really know who he actually is. Let’s look at the bedrock truth.

The Holy Spirit is God, like God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is a member of the Godhead. The scripture itself calls the Holy Spirit, God.

One of the things that Jesus commanded his disciples to do, just before his ascension was, therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19.

Here Jesus clearly set the Holy Spirit in the same category as the father and the Son. In the book of Act, a man named Ananias sold a possession along with his wife Sapphira and brought a certain part of the proceeds to the apostles pretending that he had brought all.

But the Apostle Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit rebuked Ananias. 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 whilst it remained.

Was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why has thou conceived this thing thy heart? Thou has not lied unto men, but unto God.” Act 5:3-4.

In this verses Peter gave witness that the Holy Spirit is God by saying the Ananias had lied to God and the Holy Spirit. Using the word interchangeably.

Amazing Old Testament verses spoken are referred to in the New Testament as being written by the Holy Spirit. For instance, Isaiah 6:9 says; “He said, go and tell this people, be ever hearing but never understanding. Be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

When Paul quoted this verse in the New Testament he credited it to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit broke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet, “Go to this people and say, you will be ever hearing, but never understanding. You will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.” Act 28:25-26.

From scripture passages, such as these, it makes us understand that the Holy Spirit is indeed one of the Holy Trinity. e can also see that the Holy Spirit is God and that he carries out the work that none, but God can do.

The Holy Spirit created the heavens and the earth by the will of God. Genesis 1:2.

Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God as hovering over the waters.  Job 26:13.

By his spirit, he hath garnished the heavens. His hand hath formed the crooked serpent. Holy Spirit raised the dead. Romans 1:4.

And who through the spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power, by his resurrection from the dead? Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:11, in the same way, count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

The Holy Spirit caused people to be born again. John 3:5-7, Jesus answered, “Very truly, i tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God, unless they are born of water and the spirit.

Flesh gives birth to flesh but the spirit gives birth to the spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, you must be born again.”

The Holy Spirit reproved the world of sin of righteousness and judgment. John 16:8. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong sin and righteousness and judgment.

The Holy Spirit cast out devils , but if we cast out devils by the spirit of God then the kingdom of God is come onto you.

Matthew 12:28, more than these proofs the Holy Spirit has all the attributes of God. Only God has eternal, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. And the Holy Spirit is all this.

Hebrews 9:4 says that the Holy Spirit 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. The Holy Spirit is omniscient. This are the things God has revealed to us by his spirit. The spirit searches, all things. Even the deep things of God. 1Corinthians 2:10.

The Holy Spirit knows all things, even the deep things of God. The Holy Spirit is omniscient. The angel answered, the Holy Spirit will come on you and the power of the most high will overshadow you.

So the Holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35.

Clearly the Holy ghost is the power of highest and nothing is impossible with God. Finally the Holy Spirit is omniscient. Psalm 139 expresses well, the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit, speaking to the Lord, David says, 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 bad in the depths you are there. Psalm 139:7-8.

So the Holy Spirit who is eternal omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent God. The spirit is also majestic and Holy and glorious as is the Father and the Son.

The Holy Spirit has a personality. The moment we realize the Holy Spirit is an entity with a personality as does the Father and the Son, our postures toward the Holy Spirit completely change.

There are several ways in which the personal nature of the Holy Spirit influences our relationship with him. In the book, the person and work of the Holy Spirit, author, A.R.A. Torrey pointed out the importance of the Holy Spirit’s personality.

He stressed that only a being with a personality can understand our problems and gives us help. We can not have a dialogue with stones, trees or an impersonal force, but as a divine person the Holy Spirit can deeply understand our affairs and help us.

This enables us to seek his help. The Korean hymn contains several hymns of prayer to the Holy Spirit which asked for his help.

The first line of one such hymn petitions, Spirit of the Living God, Fall Afresh On Me. If the Holy Spirit wasn’t a person how could he know our circumstance and help us?

Scriptural evidence, you could ask yourself how you know that the Holy Spirit is a person. This is made clear in the whole scripture.

People often do not differentiate between personality and corporality. When we say that any entity is a person, some mistakenly understand that this means that this entity must have a freshly form.

But Jesus did not have a freshly form like ours after he had been resurrected. Does this mean Jesus lost his personality?

Of course not, There no believer who will disagree with the statement that the Father is a living person, yet no one has ever seen God for God is a spirit.

Job 4:24. God is a spirit and his worshipers must worship in the spirit and in truth.

Any entity is a person regardless of its corporality If it has a person’s attributes. Since the Holy Spirit has all the features of a person even though he is invisible, he is a person.

Let’s look at the scripture proofs of this. We know the Holy Spirit is a person because the scripture regularly uses personal pronouns to refer to the Holy Spirit.

When the advocate comes, whom i will send to you from the Father, the spirit of truth, who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me, John 15:26.

But very truly i tell you, it is for your good that i am going away. Unless i go away, the advocate will hot come to you. But if i go, i ill send him to you.

When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment. John 16:7-8.

But when he, the spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all the truth, He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:13.

Many acts that only a person can perform are ascribed to the Holy Spirit. Below is a brief  list of these personal actions;

1. The Holy Spirit articulates, whoever has ears let them hear what the spirit says to the churches, to the one who is victorious. I will give you the right to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7.

2. The Holy Spirit assist us in our weakness. Likewise, the spirit also helps with our infirmities. Romans 8:26.

3. The Holy Spirit prays for us the same way the spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for but the spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans, Romans 8:26.

4. The Holy Spirit teaches us but the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you all things and we will remind you of everything i have said to you. John 14:26.

5. The Holy Spirit testifies of the Lord. When the advocate comes, whom i will send to you from the Father, the spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me, John 15:26.

6. The Holy Spirit lead us. But when he, the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:13.

7. The Holy Spirit commands people in their services of Jesus Christ. Now, when they were forbidden of the Holy ghost to preach the word in Asia they assayed to go into Bithynia but the spirit suffered them not. Act 16:6-7.

8. The Holy Spirit calls people to the work of God and at points them to office. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set apart for me, Barnabas and Saul for the work to which i have called them. Act 13:2.

9. The Holy Spirit comforts believers. Then had the churches rest and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost where multiplied. Act 9:31.

Actually whole chapters of the Scripture were written about the activities of the Holy Spirit. The list above gives some highlights. Characteristics of personality are ascribed to the Holy Spirit.

In order to be a person, an entity must have certain attributes, knowledge of things and facts, feelings such as joy, anger and pleasure. The will to decide one’s attitude towards these feelings.

Does the Holy Spirit possess all these attributes?

First knowledge is attributed to the Holy Spirit as shown in these passages. These are the things God has revealed to us by his spirit. The spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 1Corinthians 2:10.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the spirit because the spirit intercedes for God’s peoples in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:27.

Think about it

The Holy Spirit has the intellect to research for the deep things of God and he searches and understands the humans heart. Yes, the Holy Spirit has knowledge.

Second, The Holy Spirit has emotions and feelings as noted in these passages and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shared abroad in our hearts by the Holy ghost which has given unto us. Romans 5:5.

And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. Ephesians 4:30.

The spirit itself make intercession for us with groaning, which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26.

Such scriptural passages prove that the Holy Spirit possesses a variety of emotions. He pours the love of God into our spirits. He can be grieved and he groans an earnest prayer in our behalf.

Third, the Holy Spirit has a will and he works according to his will and plan. But all things worketh that one and the self same spirit  dividing to every man severally as he will. 1Corinthians 12:11.

Now, when they were forbidden of the Holy ghost to preach the word in Asia they assayed to go into Bithynia but the spirit suffered them not. Act 16:6-7.

One of the most foolish things people are trying to do today is to use the Holy Spirit for their own purposes. The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal entity, some inanimate object or an unknown power to be used.

He is a real person and he uses people for his own work according to his will. Beyond the question, the Scripture shows that the Holy Spirit is a real person who has knowledge, feelings and will.

He abides and works with, and within us. Knowing this, we should accelerate our evangelism through his supernatural power by recognizing, welcoming and worshiping in our personal journeys and in our public ministries.

The personal nature of the Holy Spirit is the reason why our worship of him is important.

Would we be obliged to worship and impersonal power?

No, but praise his Holy name He respond as a perfect personality as he has gone.

Read this short prayer.

Father, thank you for another day. We thank you for your love over us. And we pray that you grant us guidance as we go through today. We pray for continuous boldness of all our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In Jesus Mighty name, we pray. AMEN.

And closing a quiz.

What did Jesus give Judas Iscariot before he left the feast, the last supper?

Embrace, money, wine, bread.

@scriptureunit