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The Holy Spirit: A Review We are in the midst of a sermon series about the Holy Spirit on Sunday nights. Here are some of the things we have observed thus far: The Holy Spirit is a Person The Holy Spirit is not an “it.” The Holy Spirit is a “He” (John 16:13; etc.). Thus, as Bobby Dockery said well: “The Holy Spirit is a Person. By that it is meant that He has personality—that He possesses ‘individuality, character, influence, life, thought, will, power and ability.’ (‘Person’ does not mean ‘body.’) He has the following characteristics of personhood: 1. He has a mind (Romans 8:27.) 2. He has a will. (Acts 16:7, 21:11-14; 1 Corinthians 12:11.) 3. He has knowledge. (1 Corinthians 2:10-11.) 4. He has the ability to speak, teach. (1 Timothy 4:1; 1 Corinthians 2:13.) 5. He has the ability to love. (Romans 5:5, 15:30.) 6. He has goodness. (Nehemiah 9:20.) 7. He can be insulted and grieved. (Hebrews 10:29; Ephesians 4:30.)” The Holy Spirit is God Himself. There is only one God (James 2:19), but the one God exists in three Persons: Father (John 3:16), Son (John 20:28) and the Holy Spirit. That the Holy Spirit is God is seen in Acts 5:3-4. In Acts 5:3, Peter says that Ananias has lied to the Holy Spirit. Then in the next verse, Peter says, “You have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5:4 NASB). In fact, the Holy Spirit is called: “the Spirit of God” (Genesis 1:2), “the Spirit of Yahweh” (Judges 3:10), “the Spirit of your Father” (Matthew 10:20), “the Spirit of Christ” (Romans 8:9), and “the Spirit of the Lord” (Acts 5:9). The Holy Spirit is in heaven. In the book of Revelation, John writes, “Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 1:4-5 NLT). Notice that all three members of the Godhead are mentioned here: the Father [“the one who is, who always was, and who is to come”], the Son [“Jesus Christ”], and the Holy Spirit [“the sevenfold Spirit”]. [The “seven” is a symbol of perfection in the book of Revelaiton (as well as elsewhere in Scripture) and refers to the fact that the Holy Spirit is perfect.] And notice that the Spirit is said to be “before his throne.” Since God’s throne is heaven (Matthew 5:34), we conclude that God the Holy Spirit, like God the Father and God the Son (Mark 16:19), resides in heaven. The Holy Spirit is everywhere. Though the Holy Spirit resides in heaven, this does not mean that He is only in heaven. Being God, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent—that is, He is everywhere. Later in Revelation, John spoke of “the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth” (Revelation 5:6 NLT). Thus, David wrote, “I can never escape from your Spirit!” (Psalm 139:7 NLT). The Holy Spirit is in me, and I am in the Holy Spirit. God is in the Christian, and the Christian is in God (1 John 4:15). Christ is in the Christian (Galatians 2:20), and the Christian is in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Likewise, the Holy Spirit is in the Christian [“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own” (1 Cor. 6:19 ESV)], and the Christian is in the Holy Spirit [You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Romans 8:9 ESV)]. This fellowship with the Holy Spirit (and the Father and Son) begins when we are baptized: "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38 ESV). The Holy Spirit caused the conception of Christ. Matthew tells us: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matt 1:18 ESV). Thus, Joseph was told, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matt 1:20 ESV). Likewise, previously Mary was told, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God” (Luke 1:35 ESV). The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in bodily form like a dove. Though “a spirit does not have flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39 ESV), in some way, when Jesus was baptized, “the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove" (Luke 3:22 ESV). Why a dove? Perhaps because doves are a symbol of innocence [Jesus told the apostles to be “innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16 NASB)], and the Holy Spirit, being God Himself, is innocent (cf. 1 Peter 2:22). What does the Holy Spirit look like? All I know is that at one time, at least, He looked like a dove. |