Who is the Holy Spirit?

1. "Whois the Holy Spirit?"- 6th
September2017
“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks
against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew
12:32).
There are manymisconceptionsaboutthe identityof the HolySpirit.Some view the HolySpiritasa
mystical force.Othersunderstandthe HolySpiritasthe impersonalpowerthatGodmakesavailable to
followersof Christ.Whatdoesthe Bible sayaboutthe identity of the HolySpirit?Simplyput,the Bible
declaresthatthe HolySpiritisGod. The Bible alsotellsusthatthe HolySpiritisa divine person,abeing
witha mind,emotions,andawill. We can alsolearnwhere Jesussaid: “Anyonewhospeaksa word
againstthe Son ofMan will be forgiven,but anyonewho speaks againstthe Holy Spiritwill not be
forgiven,either in thisage or inthe age to come.” (Matthew 12:32).
The fact that the HolySpiritisGod isclearlyseeninmanyScriptures.InActs5 we can read Peter
reprimandingAnaniaswhichisself explanatory foundinActs5:3-4, “Then Peter said,“Ananias,howis
it that Satanhas so filledyourheart that youhave lied to the Holy Spiritand have kept for yourself
some of the money youreceived for the land? 4
Didn’tit belongto you before it was sold?And after it
was sold,wasn’tthe money at your disposal?Whatmadeyou thinkof doingsucha thing?Youhave
not liedjust to humanbeingsbut to God.” Here Petertells himthathe had “not liedtomenbutto
God.” It isa cleardeclarationthatlyingtothe HolySpiritislyingto God.We can alsoknow that the Holy
SpiritisGod because He possessesthe characteristicsof God.For example,Hisomnipresenceisseenin
Psalm139:7-8, “Wherecan I go from your Spirit?Where can I flee fromyour presence? If I goup to the
heavens,you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, youare there.” Thenin 1 Corinthians2:10-11,
we see the characteristicof omniscience inthe HolySpirit. “ButGodhasrevealedit to usby his Spirit.
The Spiritsearches all things,even the deep thingsof God.For whoamongmen knows the thoughtsof
a man except the man’s spiritwithinhim?In the same way no one knows the thoughtsof Godexcept
the Spirit ofGod.”
As believerswe canknowthatthe HolySpiritisindeedadivine person becauseHe possessesamind,
emotions,andawill.The HolySpiritthinksandknows asstatedin 1 Corinthians2:10, “…theseare the
thingsGodhas revealed to us by hisSpirit.The Spiritsearches all things,even the deep thingsof God.”
We can alsolearnthat the HolySpiritcan be grieved:“Anddonot grieve the Holy Spiritof God,with
whom youwere sealed for the day ofredemption.” (Ephesians4:30). That the Spiritintercedesforus
as saidin Romans8:26-27, “Inthe sameway, the Spirit helpsus in our weakness.We do not know
what we ought to pray for,but the Spirithimselfintercedes for usthrough wordlessgroans. 27
Andhe
who searches our hearts knowsthe mindof the Spirit,because the Spiritintercedes forGod’speople in
accordance withthe will ofGod.” That the HolySpirit makesdecisionsaccordingtoHiswill aswe can
learnfrom1 Corinthians12:7-11. “All these are the work of one andthe sameSpirit, andhe distributes
them to each one, just as he determines.”(Verse 11).Therefore asChristianswe believethat the Holy
SpiritisGod, the thirdPersonof the Trinity. Since there are manymisconceptionsaboutthe HolySpirit,
insteadof goingby what othersmaysay, the bestunderstandingwill be only fromthe bible.Itprovides
manyways to helpusunderstandthatthe HolySpiritistrulya person—thatis,He isa personal being,
rather thanan impersonal thing.

2. In relevance tothe same topic,we can readwhere Jesusbefore Hisdeparture said tobaptize inthe
name of the Father,Son,and HolySpirit asstatedin Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples
of all nations,baptizingtheminthe name ofthe Father andof the Son andof the Holy Spirit.” Thisis a
collective reference toone Triune God.The personhoodof the HolySpiritisalsoaffirmedbyHismany
works.He waspersonallyinvolvedincreation assaidin Genesis1:2, “Nowthe earth was formlessand
empty, darknesswas over the surfaceof the deep, andthe Spirit ofGod washovering over the
waters.” The HolySpiritalso empowersGod’speopleby guidingbelieversassaidin Romans8:14, “For
those who are led by the Spirit ofGodare the childrenof God.” He alsocomforts:“But the Advocate,
the Holy Spirit,whom the Father will send in my name,will teach you all thingsand will remind youof
everything I have saidto you.” (John14:26). He alsoconvictsas saidin John16:8, “When he comes, he
will prove the world to be in the wrong aboutsin andrighteousnessand judgment.” The Holyspirit
alsoteachesus:“But when he, the Spirit oftruth, comes, he will guide youinto all the truth. He will not
speak on hisown; he will speak onlywhat he hears, and he will tell you whatis yet to come. (John
16:13). Furthermore the HolySpiritalsohelps restrainssin,andgivescommands.Eachof these works
requires the involvementof a personratherthana mere force,thing,oridea.
The Holy Spirit’sattributesalsopointtoHispersonality.The HolySpirithaslife assaidin Romans8:2,
“…because throughChrist Jesusthe lawof the Spirit whogives lifehas set you free fromthe lawof sin
and death.” He has a will andisomniscientaswe canunderstandfrom 1 Corinthians2:10–11, “The
Spiritsearches all things,even the deep thingsof God. 11
For whoknows a person’sthoughtsexcept
their own spiritwithinthem? In the same way no one knows the thoughtsof Godexcept the Spirit of
God.”A mere force couldnotpossess all of these attributes,butthe HolySpiritdoes. Furthermore, the
personhoodof the HolySpiritisaffirmedbyHisrole asthe third Personof the Godhead. We can
understandthatonlya beingwhoisequal toGod and possessesthe attributesof omniscience,
omnipresence,andeternalitycouldbe definedasGod. AsChristianswe needtounderstandthatthe
HolySpiritisa person,asScripture makesclear.Assuch,He isto be reveredasGodand servesinperfect
unitywithFatherandSon to leadusin our spiritual lives.