The Bible commentator Gordon Fee says in experience many Christians creed goes like this: “I believe in God the Father, I believe in Jesus his Son, …but I’m not so sure about the Holy Spirit”
So who is the Holy Spirit? He appears throughout the bible, and is central in both the first and last chapter of it!
1) He is God.
God is trinity. Father Son and Spirit. That’s not just our understanding or view of him. That’s who he always has been. In all eternity. Tri-unity. Three-in-oneness. The God who lives in unapproachable light (1 tim 6:16) has revealed his very personhood to us as three persons.
This is intimated in the old testament and made very clear in the new. Gen 1:26, Isaiah 6, Matt 3:16-17, Matt 28:19
The model we see is one of the Spirit’s submission to the Father and the Son. And the Son’s willing submission to the Father, John 4:34, Joh 14:16, 16:17
In New Testament- “God” usually refers to Father. “Lord” refers to Son, and “Spirit” refers to Spirit. But deliberately changed around on occasion to stop us getting confused! So in 2 cor 3:17 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
The Lord is Yahweh, the Lord is Jesus and he’s the Spirit.
As God, The Spirit is omnipresent- Psalm 139 7Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
As God he is omniscient (knows everything)-1 Cor 2:10 The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. no-one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
As God he is omnipotent (all powerful)- Luke 134 How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? 35 The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon 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. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.
Should we worship the Holy Spirit? Many have asked that question. YES of course we should! If he’s God, we should. Creed of Constantinople. They wrote that we believe “in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life… who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified…”
Parallel to Jesus during earthly ministry. Interestingly Jesus didn’t receive the worship on earth often. 7-8 occasions mentioned in the gospels. Why, because he was on a mission- he had a job to do. But now he’s exalted- every knee will bow. The Spirit now has an earthly ministry. So the best way we can honour and love him is by not just worshipping, but being responsive to him, hearing him, obeying him.
He’s God’s Active agent on planet earth today. God didn’t leave the progress of the early church in the hands of 11 faltering apostles. He left it in the firm care of the Holy Spirit- who would then use weak, faltering people.
2) The Spirit is a Person
The Spirit is not an “it” or a “force” or the “electricity of God”
He’s a HE. A person. Father and Son convey personahood more easily than “oil, wind, water and fire”. It’s helpful for us to understand the Spirit is just like them! Just like Jesus is the exact image of God, the Spirit is the exact image of God too. Acts 16:7 “The Spirit of Jesus”.
When the disciples were upset at the news of his departure, his comfort was John 14:16 “I will ask the Father and He will give you ANOTHER counsellor to be with you forever”
He is a person- therefore particularly present, and manifestly powerful at certain times and places-
Eph 1 Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession
He’s a person. He thinks, he speaks, he draws attention to himself sometimes! (e.g. Pentecost), he breathes life, he helps, he gets grieved, he leads, he directs, he comforts, he empowers, he casts out demons, he makes us long for heaven “come”.
3) The Spirit gives life
Throughout scripture, the Spirit is described as bringing life, initiating. He hovers in Gen 1:2. God puts his Spirit in the man he created Gen:2:7 He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. HEBREW Ruah- “breath, wind, Spirit”. Always associated with activity and life.
If he withdrew, all would perish. Job 34:14-15 14 If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, 15 all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust.
God is sustaining you today. Every day is a gift of his life to you.
He breathed life into the writers of the bible- 66 books- “all scripture- is breathed by God” 2 tim 3:16. Therefore if you consider yourself charismatic- then love this book- because the Spirit wrote it. If you consider yourself evangelical- then receive the Spirit as instructed by this book- Eoph 5:18.
Questions
1) Trinity. How do we all view and experience Trinity? Do you find it easier to relate to/ pray to/ think about one particular Person of the Godhead? How does a better understanding of Trinity help us with that?
2) Holy Spirit as God. How can we meaningfully attribute worship to the Spirit? What does it look life for us to “glorify the Spirit” as encouraged by the Christian creed?
3)Holy Spirit as a Person, not a “force”. John 14:16- how does knowing the Holy Spirit is a person more helpful than simply thinking of him as a power? Can you think of scriptures that speak of his personality? E.g. 1 cor 2:13, 3:16, 12:11, 2 cor 3:6, Gal 4:6, Rom 8:16, 8:26, Eph 3:16.
4) Holy Spirit- giver of Life. The Spirit gives life to whatever he breathes on. What situations are we facing in our lives that need the intervention of the life-giving Spirit? Pray with one another
