19 Sep The Holy Spirit

Hello Friends,

The Holy Trinity is God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit is God (Deity), just like God the Father is God, and Jesus the Son is God. In the original Hebrew Bible, Genesis 1:1 proclaims, “In the beginning Elohim (God) created the heavens and the earth.” Elohim is a plural word from Eloah (Strong’s #430). God used a plural word because He was speaking of the Holy Trinity; God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.”

The Holy Spirit is equal to God the Father and Jesus the Son as all three are one. To further understand this, let us use water as an example. When water is split into three different containers, water is still water. It does not lose its uniqueness simply because it is in three different containers. Water is exactly what it was before we split it into three different parts and placed it in three separate containers. The Apostle Matthew confirms the Holy Trinity’s unique nature in baptism.

Matthew 28:19, “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.”

The Holy Spirit existed before the foundation of the world (Genesis 1:1), and was apart of the creation process in the beginning.

Genesis 1:2, “And the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) was hovering over the face of the waters.”

What is the Holy Spirit? What are His attributes? How powerful is He? What does the Holy Spirit accomplish with mankind, both sinners and saints? Was He with Jesus the Messiah? How important is the Holy Spirit?

What is the Holy Spirit?

The blessed Holy Spirit is not an “it,” an “energy,” “karma,” or any other blasphemous name. He is God. He is a person. He is the essence of God, a personality of His own, equal in nature to the Father and the Son, and attributes to the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit understands the deep things of God, and He has divine knowledge equal to the Father and the Son.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For 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 (Holy Spirit). Now 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.”

The Attributes of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit gives us hope.

Romans 5:5, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

The Holy Spirit makes divine choices and distributes things to all of us at His will.

1 Corinthians 12:11, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

The Holy Spirit prays for us.

Romans 8:26, “Likewise 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 groaning, which cannot be uttered.”

John 14:26, “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.”

The Holy Spirit leads and guides us.

John 16:13, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God.”

The Holy Spirit commands us.

Acts 16:6, “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.”

Acts 16:7, “After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.”

The Holy Spirit gives us power to witness.

Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Holy Spirit fellowships with us.

2 Corinthians 13:14, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

The Holy Spirit comforts us.

John 14:16, “And I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.”

The Holy Spirit is eternal.

Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God.”

This Scripture proclaims the eternal Holy Spirit was with Messiah when He was crucified on the cross. He was also with Messiah when He was baptized.

Matthew 3:16, “When Jesus had been baptized, He came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.”

The Holy Spirit inspired God’s prophets to write the Holy Scriptures.

2 Peter 1:20-21, “Know this first, that no prophesy of Scripture never came by the will of man, but holy men of God, spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

How powerful is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and she gave birth to Messiah.

Luke 1:35, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is born will be called the Son of God.”

In Psalms, we discover the Holy Trinity working as One, but in three persons as well.

Psalm 139:7, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?”

The Holy Spirit is eternal (omniscience), has infinite power (omnipotent), and infinite presence (omnipresent). In 1 Peter, we can understand the glory of the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 4:13-14, “But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s suffering, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceedingly joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

The Holy Spirit is the source of life.

2 Corinthians 3:6, “But our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

The Holy Spirit transforms our life.

2 Corinthians 3:18, “But 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.”

What the Holy Spirit accomplishes with sinners

The Holy Spirit strives with sinners for a while.

Genesis 6:3, “And the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, only for a time, for he is indeed flesh.”

The Holy Spirit calls sinners to repentance.

1 Thessalonians 2:13-14, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth (Holy Spirit), the Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren believed by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which you by our gospel, for obtaining the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Everyone must be born again of the Holy Spirit.

John 3:5, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit gives witness to Messiah.

Acts 5:30-32, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus and exalted Him to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to all and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Mankind can lie to the Holy Spirit as well.

Acts 5:3, “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep part of the price of the land for yourself?”

We also can grieve the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 63:10, “But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit.”

Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

We can resist the Holy Spirit.

Acts 7:51, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.”

What the Holy Spirit gives to the Believers

The Holy Spirit indwells the believer.

Romans 8:9, “But 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.”

Our bodies are the temple of God.

1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spiritwho is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

The Holy Spirit indwells us.

Ephesians 5:18-21, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Holy Spirit blesses us with God’s love.

Romans 5:5, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

The Holy Spirit confirms the unity in the diversity of our spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11, “Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”

The Holy Spirit makes intercession for us.

Romans 8:26-27, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

The Holy Spirit helps us to walk in Him.

Galatians 5:16-17, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”

The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament Saints and Prophets

Joseph’s wisdom came from the Holy Spirit.

Genesis 41:38, “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.”

God told Moses about the Holy Spirit filling Bezalel, from the tribe of Judah.

Exodus 31:3, “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.”

Exodus 35:31, “Moses told the children of Israel the same thing about Bezalel.”

Moses told Joshua that the Lord’s prophets were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Numbers 11:29, “Are you zealous for my name sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”

Balaam also received the Holy Spirit.

Numbers 24:2, “And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes: and the Holy Spirit of God came upon him.”

Othniel was indwelled with the Holy Spirit.

Judges 3:10, “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel.”

The Holy Spirit came upon Gideon as well.

Judges 6:34, “But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon.”

Samson was indwelled with the Holy Spirit.

Judges 13:25, “And the Spirit of the Lord began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.”

Saul was blessed with the Holy Spirit.

1 Samuel 10:10, “When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet Saul; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.”

Azariah was filled with the Holy Spirit.

2 Chronicles 15:1, “Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah.”

King David pleaded with God that the Holy Spirit would not leave him.

Psalm 51:11, King David’s plea to God, “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”

Isaiah prophesied about the Holy Spirit being upon the Messiah.

Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me.”

Daniel was indwelt with the Holy Spirit.

Daniel 4:8, “But at last Daniel came before me, I call him Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God, and I told the dream before him.”

Daniel 6:3, “Then Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because the Holy Spirit was in him.”

The Holy Spirit and Jesus the Messiah

Isaiah 11:1-2, “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of His roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him.”

The angel Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive Messiah by the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:35, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

Messiah existed before the foundation of the world, but came in human form through the blessed Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1, 1 John 5:7 above) (Also John 1). Messiah lived and led a holy and sinless life, and offered Himself without spot to God through the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

Messiah overcame Satan’s temptations by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 4:1, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

Messiah was tempted like we are, but He did not sin.

Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but Jesus was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Messiah healed the sick by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:38, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

Messiah performed His miracles on earth by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 12:28, “I cast out devils by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Isaiah prophesied about how the Holy Spirit would be upon the coming Messiah.

Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the poor; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

At Jesus’ First Coming, He fulfilled Isaiah 61:1, in the synagogue in Nazareth.

Luke 4:14, “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.”

Messiah basically quoted Isaiah 61:1 in Luke 4:18-19.

Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The Holy Spirit descended upon Messiah after His baptism.

Matthew 3:16-17, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

The Holy Spirit was the source of Messiah’s wisdom in the days of His flesh.

Isaiah 11:2-3, “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears.”

Isaiah 42:1, “Behold My servant, whom I uphold; My Elect One in whom My soul delights; I have put My Spirit upon Him; He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.”

Messiah was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

After His resurrection, Messiah gave a commandment unto His Apostles whom He had chosen through the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:2, “Until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandment unto the apostles whom He had chosen.”

How Important is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is very important to our daily lives. He loves us, comforts us, protects us, heals us, guides us, directs us, and leads us into the will of Elohim (God)! When the Holy Spirit is at work, Messiah is exalted, and mankind is lowered. When mankind does not listen to the Holy Spirit, mankind’s pride is exalted, and Messiah is diminished. Pride defeats humility, denying the Holy Spirit’s work and therefore denying Messiah. We should always allow the blessed Holy Spirit to accomplish all of His attributes for our lives! In doing so, Messiah will be exalted into His rightful sovereign place and then He will lift us up in His will for our lives!

Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”

Luke 14:11, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Let us remember, we have been saved by God’s grace through our faith, and not of our own works, should anyone boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Messiah warns those who blasphemes the Holy Spirit.

Mark 3:28, “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is the subject to eternal condemnation.”

Matthew 12:31-32, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man (Jesus), 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.”

Messiah states that He will forgive people who blaspheme against His name, but He will not forgive people who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit! In Mark 3:28 and Matthew 12:31-32, Messiah is exalting the Holy Spirit and recognizing Him as a Deity, who in turn exalts Messiah! Let us remember to glorify the Holy Spirit, as He is Elohim (God), equal to the Father and the Son in all ways, as He is the third member of the Holy Trinity! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen, Amen, and Amen!