The Identity, Ministry and Personhood of the Holy Spirit
1)
The Holy Spirit is mentioned on an equal level with God
a) Matt. 28:19, 19“Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
b) 2 Cor. 13:14, 14The grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
c) Eph. 4:4-6, 4There is one
body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one
God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
d) 2 Cor. 3:16-18, 16Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18But
we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from
glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2)
Names of the Holy Spirit
a)
Spirit of God – Rom. 8:9,
9But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if
anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His
b)
Spirit of Christ – Rom. 8:9, 9But you are not
in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,
he is not His
c)
Spirit of your Father – Matt. 10:20, 20“for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
d)
Spirit of the Lord – Acts 8:39, 39Now when they
came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his
way rejoicing.
3)
The Holy Spirit is referred to as a person by scripture
Who
i)
Rom. 8:11, 11But if the Spirit of Him who raised
Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His
Spirit who dwells in you.
ii) John 6:63, 63“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits
nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life
iii) 1 John 5:7, 7For
there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
iv) 1
Cor. 2:12, 12Now we have received, not the spirit of
the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
a) He
i)
John 14:26, 26“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things,
and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
b)
Himself
i)
Rom. 8:16, 16The
Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
ii) Rom. 8:26, 26Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should
pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
4)
Personhood of the Holy Spirit ( Has emotions, is aware, speaks, knows, etc.)
a)
Grieves
i) Isaiah 63:10, 10 But
they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them.
ii) Eph. 4:30, . 30And
do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
b)
Loves
i)
Rom. 15:30, 30Now I beg you, brethren,
through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for
me
c)
Has a mind
i)
Rom. 8:27, 27Now
He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according
to the will of God.
d)
Speaks
i) 2
Sam. 23:2, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.
ii) Acts 8:29, 29Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”
iii) Acts 10:19, 19While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three
men are seeking you.
iv) Acts 11:12, 12“Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six
brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house.
v)
Acts 13:2, 2As they ministered to the Lord and fasted,
the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
vi) Acts 21:11, 11"When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and
feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and
deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles."
vii) Acts 28:25,
25So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The
Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers.
e)
Knows
i)
1 Cor. 2:11, 11For what man knows the things
of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
f) Has
an awareness of goodness
i)
Acts 15:28, 28For it seemed good to the Holy
Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
g) Can be
lied to
i)
Acts 5:3, 3But
Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price
of the land for yourself?
h) Can be
tested
i)
Acts 5:9, 9Then
Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those
who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
i) Makes overseers
i)
Acts 20:28, 28“Therefore
take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of
God which He purchased with His own blood.
j) Can be a
witness
i)
Acts 5:32, 32“And
we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
k) Can be resisted
i)
Acts 7:51, 51“You
stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do
you.
5) Activities
of the Holy Spirit
a) Teaches
i)
John 14:26
ii) Luke 12:12,
b) Intercedes
i)
Rom. 8:26
c) Leads
i)
Matt. 4:1,
d) Gives Life
i)
John 6:63,
e) Filled by
i)
Acts 2:4, 4"And
they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
f) Can be baptized
with the Holy Spirit
i)
Mark 1:8, 8“I indeed baptized you with
water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
g) Can be spoken against
i)
Matt. 12:32, 32“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against
the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
h) The Spirit is received
i) John 20:22, 22And when He had said this, He breathed
on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
i) The Spirit
forbids
i)
Acts 16:6, 6Now
when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in
Asia.
j) The Spirit
searches all things
i)
1 Cor. 2:10, 10But
God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
k) The Spirit is the Truth
i)
1 John 5:7, 7For
there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
