The Holy Spirit
Sunday Evening Bible Study
September 26, 1999
Introduction
First occurrence of the "Spirit"
(Gen 1:2 KJV) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Don’t get caught in the trap that thinks that the Holy Spirit doesn’t show up in the Bible until the New Testament. He has always been around. He was present at the creation.
First time the whole name is used ("Holy Spirit")
Psalms 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
David was familiar with the same Holy Spirit that we are.
Hebrew terms
holy – qodesh – apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness
This is a form of the word that is often attributed to God by the angels in heaven.
(Isa 6:3 KJV) And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Why three "holies"? Could it be for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
spirit – ruwach – wind, breath, mind, spirit
Greek terms
holy – hagios – most holy thing, a saint
spirit – pneuma – spirit (a word that can be used in lots of different ways); the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son; human spirit; a spirit being such as a demonic entity; disposition of something; air or wind
The Person of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is not an "it", the Holy Spirit is a "He". He is a person.
I think that in many ways, the Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood person of the Trinity. I think there are more misconceptions about the Holy Spirit than there are about the Father or the Son.
One misconception about the Holy Spirit is that He is not a person, but just a "force".
We can see this idea in many different places, including the "force" of Star Wars ("use the force Luke, use the force")
The eastern world has this non-personal idea in their view of the world. I’ve seen a Japanese children’s cartoon where the characters battle each other using among other things a "spirit bomb". They show the character grunting and groaning and magically little twinkly things start coming from all around the world until he has a giant ball of energy in his hand, which he throws and blows up his enemy.
There was an early Church scholar named Arias, who caused division with his declaration that God the Father was the only true God, that Jesus was a created being, and the Holy Spirit was only an essence. This doctrine is known as the Arian heresy.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses follow the Arian heresy and also see the Holy Spirit as some kind of impersonal "force".
In a way, it’s not hard to see where these ideas can come from, because the Holy Spirit is an interesting person in that we don’t really have a "name" for Him, we just call Him by a description of what He is.
The Holy Spirit is the most "behind-the-scenes" person of the Trinity in that He always likes to do things in a way that does not draw attention to Himself.
(John 16:13-14 KJV) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. {14} He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
The Holy Spirit is constantly drawing people’s attention to Jesus rather than to Himself.
One of the most obvious ways in which the Holy Spirit doesn’t draw attention to Himself is the fact that we don’t even call Him by a name, we just call Him by His title, "The Holy Spirit".
He has the characteristics of a person
Personal pronouns (masculine, not neuter) are used to refer to Him.
(John 16:7-8 KJV) Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. {8} And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Why is this significant? The Greek word for "spirit" (pneuma) is neuter, and sometimes the pronouns used for the Spirit are neuter, only because they need to agree the noun. But here in John 16, Jesus uses masculine pronouns (literally, "Him", auton, and "that one", ekeinos) to describe the Holy Spirit.
He strives
(Gen 6:3 KJV) And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.He teaches
(John 14:26 KJV) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
He testifies of Jesus
(John 15:26 KJV) But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
He guides, He speaks
(John 16:13 KJV) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
He speaks
(Acts 13:2 KJV) As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
He forbids
(Acts 16:6-7 KJV) Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, {7} After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
He prays(Rom 8:26 KJV) Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
He has a mind
(Rom 8:27 KJV) And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
He loves us
(Rom 15:30 KJV) Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
My computer doesn’t "love" me. Neither does my desk. Neither does the electricity in my house.
He searches and knows
(1 Cor 2:10-11 KJV) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. {11} For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
My computer can do a "search", but it only does it at my command. My computer does not "know" anything.
He distributes gifts. He has a will.
(1 Cor 12:11 KJV) But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
My computer does not have a will of its own. At least I don’t think so.
We can do things to the Holy Spirit that require Him being a person
He can be blasphemed
(Mat 12:31-32 KJV) Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. {32} And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
We can lie to Him
(Acts 5:3 KJV) 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?
He has opinions about things
(Acts 15:28 KJV) For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
We can grieve the Spirit
(Eph 4:30 KJV) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
This mean that He, as a person, has emotions.We can insult Him
(Heb 10:29 KJV) Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
He is named at the same level as the Father and the Son.
(Mat 28:19 KJV) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
(2 Cor 13:14 KJV) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
Why is it important that I understand that the Holy Spirit is a person?
How do you treat the electricity in your house? How do you treat a friend that comes to stay at your house for a visit?The Bible teaches that when I became a Christian, the Holy Spirit came to dwell inside of me.
(Eph 1:13-14 KJV) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, {14} Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
When we believed in Jesus, the Holy Spirit put a "seal" on us, showing everyone that we belong to God, but more than that, He is in our lives as a "earnest", as a kind of down payment on heaven. He dwells inside of us.
(Rom 8:9 KJV) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
I can’t be a Christian if the Spirit isn’t in me.
Since I am the dwelling place of God, my body becomes His temple:
(1 Cor 6:19-20 KJV) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? {20} For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Why is it important that I understand that the Holy Spirit is a person?
I don’t have some impersonal "force" inside of me, though the Holy Spirit can empower me. But I have the third person of the Godhead, the mighty God Himself living inside of this body.
Make sure He has a great place to stay. Treat Him with dignity. Treat Him with respect. Talk to Him. Grow in your relationship with Him. Take Him out for coffee.