The Person of the Holy Spirit
Albert Mohler says, “In some evangelical circles the Holy Spirit has faded into the background of our theological interests, leaving us with an anemic view of the Spirit, and subsequently, a deficient relationship with the third member of the Trinity.”
The Bible is not silent regarding the person and work of the Holy Spirit! He appears on the opening page of Scripture (Genesis 1:2) and is seen throughout, most primarily in perfecting & sanctifying the believer.
The Person of the Holy Spirit
John 14:16-17 says, “16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
Notice with me that Jesus does not say the Spirit of truth is an "it" - but uses the personal pronouns "he" and "Him". "You know Him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you." We would not describe our spouses as "it" - unless we wanted to sleep on the couch. The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal wind, ghost, or force that you can channel or use like Luke Skywalker with enough concentration.
The Holy Spirit of God has knowledge (1 Cor 2:10-11), a will (1 Cor 12:11), a mind (Rom 8:27), He loves (Rom 15:30), reveals (Acts 13:2), intercedes (Romans 8:26), teaches (John 14:26), guides (Acts 16:6-7), can be grieved (Eph 4:30), insulted (Heb 10:29), lied to (Acts 5:3), and blasphemed (Matt 12:31-32). These can all only be referring to a Person.
You can't grieve or lie to an "it". You can't sin against an impersonal thing. No one has ever sinned against their toaster by grabbing a bagel at Panera instead of at home - but countless men have sinned against their wives by committing adultery. God did not leave us as orphans; Jesus would ask the Father for another Helper - a Person like Himself.
The Holy Spirit is God/Yahweh
In Acts 5:3-4, when Ananias and Sapphira sinned, Peter says, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. Gregory of Nazianzus says, “The deity of the Holy Spirit ought to be clearly recognized in Scripture. Look at these facts: Christ is born; the Spirit is His forerunner. Christ is baptized; the Spirit bears witness. Christ is tempted; the Spirit leads Him up. Christ ascends; the Spirit takes His place. What great things are there in the character of God which are not found in the Spirit?”
The Holy Spirit is a distinct and co-equal person of the Trinity
Because the Holy Spirit is Co-Equal with the Father and Son, the Scriptures tells us that the Holy Spirit is:
- Involved in creation (Genesis 1:2)
- Involved in the incarnation (Luke 1:35)
- Involved in salvation (Ephesians 1:13,14)
- Involved in the resurrection of Christ (Romans 8:11)
- Involved in judgment (Acts 5 - Anania & Sapphira)
The Spirit may get less of our attention / understanding, but that doesn't diminish the equality the Spirit enjoys in the Godhead. Jesus said in John 16:12-15, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
As the third person of the Trinity, the Spirit is co-equal with the Father and Son, and yet as a distinct person, the Holy Spirit is the one who regenerates us and guides us into all truth. He doesn't speak on his own authority but relays the truth. The Holy Spirit is ever illuminating the work of the Son, bringing glory to Christ and declaring the Logos to the church. The Holy Spirit instructs us, guides and comforts us, restrains and convicts us, empowers and equips us, and sanctifies us because He is known as the "Holy" Spirit - thus He is constantly and consistently doing a work of renewal and sanctification in each and every Christian's life.
