Knowing the Holy Spirit as an Individual Person

7/25/2019 Knowing the Holy Spirit as an Individual Person

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Knowing the Holy Spirit as an Individual Person

By Raymond McGough

To be able to understand the wor o! the Holy Spirit you need to now him as you

would now someone close to you" I believe# because He is in each believer$s spirit it

is lie nowing your wi!e or someone close to you" %hen I became a Born &gain

'hristian# it was because o! the wor the Holy Spirit did within me# bringing the

nowledge o! God to me# made visible by his Son# the (ord )esus 'hrist# who is my

(ord# and who continues to wor within me revealing what God would have me do"

*ou can see what I mean# I am in 'hrist# and 'hrist is in me# the same applies to God

the +ather and the third person o! the trinity God the Holy Spirit" There!ore, it is very

important that we should now God the Holy Spirit as a very important person to you#

and me" He is the means# thereby to help us to please God in how we live" %e

there!ore must listen to him when he speas to us"

%e need to decide !rom how you and I worship God# i! God the Holy Spirit is a

divine individual person worthy o! our love# adoration# praise# gratitude# and

appreciation# surrendering our sel! will to him or that he is not a person# but a power#

and an in!luence that comes !rom God the +ather# and God the Son" It is on these

premises# and what we decide will provide the correct interpretation o! our study on

the Person# and wor o! the Holy Spirit" I have already provided a clue to the proper

understanding o! God the Holy Spirit" He is a person in his own right" &s such he

deserves our worship# our love# our adoration# our submission o! our lives to him" To

give him honour# and praise# and to realise that without Him it is impossible to live a

li!e pleasing to God" +rom a very practical point we have to decide whether God the

Holy Spirit is a mysterious and wonder!ul power that we can use" -r realise that Godthe Holy Spirit is indeed a very real person with in!inite holiness# wisdom# mightiness#


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and tenderness# who desires to tae hold o! us# and use us !or the !urtherance o! God$s

Kingdom" But i! we thin as many o! the body o! 'hrist may thin# how we can get

more o! the Holy Spirit we really have not understood that he is a divine person in his

own right# and our thining should be how we can now more o! this very dear divine

person God the Holy Spirit" %hen we start thining lie that our !eet are waling on

the right trac" The thought should be is how can God the Holy Spirit get the whole o!me. But the most misleading idea is to thin o! how can I get more power !rom the

Holy Spirit# because it leads to the e/altation o! sel!# and the biggest danger o! all

which is the curse o! our present age sel! su!!iciency" &nyone who thins along these

lines will believe# although she or he has not received the Holy Spirit# has received

him# never tiring o! telling the brethren how they have been chosen by God to be

leaders over them" But on the other hand when we truly believe that God the Holy

Spirit is a Ma0estic Person o! divine origin !ull o! holiness# and per!ection# who has

condescended to tae up residence in our hearts taing possession o! our physical

lives in order to use them it will mae us realise e/actly what we are earthen vessels

chosen to be used by the Spirit o! God" I can thin o! a no more humbling e/perience

than that o! the most holy God o! immeasurable ma0estic ma0esty in!inite in hispersonality as an individual person God the Holy Spirit consenting to tae up

residence within my heart# a heart o! a mere mortal ready to use someone lie me I

!all to the ground in praise# and honour to him# because o! who he is God the Holy

Spirit the third person o! the glorious trinity"

The reality o! God the Holy Spirit and nowing him as a divine individual person is

not only my e/perience# but the e/perience o! millions o! God$s people who rely on

him to help them to overcome this present evil world" He is as real as )esus 'hrist our

(ord an ever present help who continues to love each o! us and a gracious dear !riend

a mighty helper" Most wonder!ul o! all is that he dwells in the hearts o! every believer

twenty !our hours a day seven days a wee ready to help us in every emergency" It is

!rom those who have really e/perienced God the Holy Spirit !rom which you see the

glow o! God radiating !rom their eyes no matter how di!!icult their circumstances

!rom every wal o! li!e" The reality o! a 'hrist lie li!e is not merely theological but

with it when we e/perience a meeting with the merci!ul# loving# and compassionate

God the Holy Spirit it taes our !aith in )esus 'hrist to new levels it is then we begin

to get to now Him"

There are a number o! proo!s !rom Holy Scripture that point to the evidence o!

God the Holy Spirit being a divine person

1a2 The distinctive characteristics o! what maes a human being an individual

person are ascribed to God the Holy Spirit in the Bible is evidence o! being a real

person"

%e have to as ourselves what it is that goes into maing our own personality" I

suggest wisdom# !eeling# and our will" & superior being independent o! anything to

support him will have nowledge# !eeling# and a will" This can also be said o! God the

Holy Spirit" %hen we spea o! God as being a person many thin o! him as having

arms# legs# and a mouth# and so on# but that is not o! his personality it is o! a material

substance" Most o! these distinguishing mars o! personality describing the Holy

Spirit as a person can be !ound in the -ld Testament and the 3ew Testament" Hepossesses in!inite nowledge" The &postle Paul wrote o! the Holy Spirit$s nowledge


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in his +irst (etter to the saints in 'orinth" 14"'or"5647# 44"2 8But God has revealed

them to us through His Spirit" +or the Spirit searches all things# yes# the deep things o!

God" 1442 +or what man nows the things o! a man e/cept the spirit o! the man which

is in him. 9ven so no one nows the things o! God e/cept the Spirit o! God": He is a

person who clearly nows all the things that God the +ather nows# and God the Son"

He being the third person o! the holy trinity clearly nows the truth that can seeactually what a man or woman thins at any given time" He is truth# because God the

+ather and God the Son is truth"

3e/t we come to the will o! God the Holy Spirit# lie any other person he has a will

o! his own# but he is not any other person he is God" &gain we turn to Paul$s +irst

(etter to the saints at 'orinth" 14"'or"456 44"2 8But one and the same Spirit wors all

these things# distributing to each one individual as He wills": The !undamental

principle here is that the Spirit o! God is a person who possesses his own will" %e

cannot get him to bend to our will# and mae him do what suites us" He is a glorious

Sovereign God who will use us !or his purposes" %e need to realise that as the

Sovereign God in his person as that o! the Holy Spirit# you and I have to sub0ect ourwill to him# in order to have any proper meaning!ul relationship with Him# because he

only wants to help us to please God# and by doing this he will help us to overcome the

hurdles o! this world" It is at this precise point in time that those who see the power

o! the Holy Spirit to enable them !or service# never really get it# because it is not about

that# it is about becoming lie my (ord# and Saviour )esus 'hrist# and showing his

love to the world" %hat a tremendous God that we all have in God our +ather# and our

(ord )esus 'hrist that both should give us the gi!t o! God the Holy Spirit# who in

every respect is the very same in person as the (ord )esus 'hrist per!ect# and not

some invisible power that could have the same negative !aults as we have" Bless his

holy name" He who provides to us the gi!ts he sees !it# and uses us to bring glory to

the Kingdom o! God by his very power" -ne more distinctive characteristic o! the

Holy Spirit$s Person is that he loves us with the same love God our +ather and his Son

)esus 'hrist our (ord loves us with"

+ollowing this we discover that God the Holy Spirit possesses a mind o! his own##

he hehas in!inite intelligence# and intellect comparative with God our +ather and our

(ord )esus 'hrist" Paul made a comment upon this in his letter to the saints in Rome" 1

Rom";65


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seeing a!ter us with his love to bring us bac to God" %ithout his intervention we

would be heading to a lost eternity" %hat an incredible# merci!ul# compassionate# and

loving God is the Spirit o! 'hrist# our (ord# who is God the Holy Spirit# praise and

worship him" -nce more we turn to Paul$s letter to the saints in Rome which speas

o! this very sub0ect"1Rom"4=6>7"2 83owI beg you# brethren# through the (ord )esus

'hrist# and through the love o! the Spirit# that you strive together with me in prayersto God !or me": 3otice how important the love o! God the Holy Spiritwasto the

apostles o! )esus 'hrist who made a tremendous signi!icance to the li!e o! the apostle

Paul and his brethren gleaned !rom this te/t" It is as important !or our lives# as men

and women o! God# as it was then" I have to love God the Holy Spirit in the same

!ashion as I love God our +ather and his Son our (ord )esus 'hrist" %e thin o! !irst

and !oremost o! the love o! )esus 'hrist our risen glori!ied (ord# how immense it is#

and without limit showering his love upon us on a daily basis# not only his love which

would be more than enough# but with it comes the love o! God our +ather" This more

than anything else should occupy our hearts when we rise in the morning" But more

than anything else God the Holy Spirit brings that love with his own love into our

lives" He is the one who maes us e!!ective !or the purposes o! the Kingdom o! God"%e have in a nutshell the three individuals o! the one triune God in the person o! God

the Holy Spirit who brings his love to us the third person o! the trinity" To now more

o! God I have to submit the way I live to the in!luence and guidance o! God the Holy

Spirit# he brings to my spirit what God our +ather and )esus 'hrist our (ord would

have me now and do in every minuscule !raction o! a second with my li!e which

really is His# a beauti!ul person who shares in his beauty with God the +ather and God

his Son )esus 'hrist" The importance o! God the Holy Spirit cannot be dismissed in a

negative !ashion# without him there would be no church? His importance to the

members o! 'hrist$s body cannot be over emphasised enough" )esus spoe o! how his

Spirit# once received would help believers in their daily lives become more lie him

every day as long as they submitted themselves to him in how they live" )ohn the

apostle recorded the words o! )esus !or our bene!it in his narrative o! the gospel o!

)esus 'hrist" 1)n"4@64A2 8&nd I will pray the +ather# and He will give you another

com!orter that He may abide with you !orever": Be!ore I !all into temptation the

thought to do something wrong is already there# it is how I act upon it that may lead

me into sin" God the Holy Spirit is there to stop me !rom taing the wrong action to

that thought# but I have to as Him to help me to overcome these thoughts" My

prayers should be that God the Holy Spirit would stop these wrong thoughts !rom ever

reaching my grey cells" I! I didn$t have the Holy Spirit living in me it would be

impossible to please God" The very same holds good !or all o! the members o!

'hrist$s body the church" How glorious that God our +ather has thought o! our everyneed# and graciously supplied it to us# His Son )esus 'hrist who too the penalty o!

our sins by dealing with them by his death upon the cross# then gloriously resurrected

to li!e by the +ather who then provided each believer with the gi!t o! God the Holy

Spirit to help them live lives committed to Him" Hallelu0ah? (et us praise God !rom

the heart" It is hard to imagine# but this tender loving person# God the Holy Spirit was

chasing me even be!ore I was born# so that I would not end up in the clutches o!

Satan" He made sure that I would e/perience the love o! God through His Son )esus

'hrist# who made visible his love# and the love o! God his +ather by his deathand

resurrection !rom the cross by the +ather who has become my (ord in this li!e and the

one to come" However, He who made it real to me was and is God the Holy Spirit I

have to do whatever he ass o! me# because it comes !rom God the +ather and the(ord )esus 'hrist# because I want to"


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The Personality o! the Holy Spirit can also be !ound in the boos o! the -ld

Testament as well as the 3ew" 3ehemiah the prophet spoe o! him" 13eh"6572 8 8*ou

also gave yourgood Spirit to instruct them# and did not withhold yourmanna !rom

their mouth# and gave water !or their thirst: Here we !ind the characteristics o!personality ascribed to God the Holy Spirit o! goodness# and intelligence" &lthough

there is not a !ully developed doctrine in the -ld Testament# nevertheless it is there" It

is !ully developed in the 3ew Testament# but we have to eep in mind that there is no

such thing as a closed theology God cannot be tied to a boo it is there !or us" How

ridiculous" There is no better passage than the &postle Paul$s letter to the believers at

9phesus that touches the gentleness and emotional !eeling o! God the Holy Spirit$s

personality" 19phes"@6>72 8&nd do not grieve the Holy Spirit o! God# by whom you

were sealed !or the day o! redemption": He the Holy Spirit is a person who can be

grieved by what we do when we go in the opposite direction to the direction That God

would have us tae" He has to go where we go because he lives in us" -ur lives would

be better ordered be!ore God# i! we too on board the !act that what we thin# say# anddo# he is there to see it every moment o! the day# and while we sleep at night" God the

Holy Spirit is not 0ust an in!luence or a power he is in!initely a very dear person o!

divine origin" (et us praise His wonder!ul name"

1b2 The &cts o! the Person o! God the Holy Spirit who belongs to the trinity


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*ou cannot interpret Holy Scripture to God the Holy Spirit as an impersonal

in!luence or some ind o! invisible power# coming !rom the +ather# and the Son#

especially# when the bible ascribes it to a person# it would be not be comprehensible"

Tae !or instance Paul$s letter to the church at 'orinth" 14"'or"56472 8But God has

revealed them to us through His Spirit" +or the Spirit searches all things# yes# the deep

things o! God": %e have to understand that God the Holy Spirit lie God the +atherand God the Son is a person 0ust lie them" He is independent o! God the +ather and

God the Son as a person in his own right# but as the third person o! the trinity# he is in

harmony with them# as well as being sub0ugated towards them" He as an individual

person# being o! the same substance o! God he searches the deep things o! God# and

then reveals what he is allowed to reveal to us !rom God the +ather# and God the Son#

that which he has been given consent to be revealed to us" How precious the gi!t o!

God the Holy Spirit is to each and every believer" He leads me into all truth as he does

you" 3ow we turn to the boo o! Revelation in the 3ew Testament" 1Rev"56


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-ne o! the most signi!icant characteristics o! God the Holy Spirit which is

ascribed to him as a person is that o! the teacher" )esus 'hrist our (ord spoe on this

to his disciples" So obviously again he is a person" 1)n"4@65A2 1 8 But the com!orter#

the Holy Spirit# whom the +ather will send in My name# He will teach you all things#

and bring to your remembrance all things I said to you": 2 God the Holy Spirit is not

replacing )esus 'hrist our (ord# but he is being sent or has been sent to us whoalready now him" 3otice how our (ord emphases that he will teach us all things# that

is# all we need to now !rom God" 3ot only will he do that# but he will also bring to

remembrance all that the risen glori!ied (ord taught# such a beauti!ul person with his

own position in the deity as the third person o! the one triune God" But he is

subordinate to God the Son# our (ord )esus 'hrist# and God our +ather" He only does

what our risen (ord ass o! him to enable us to eep to the narrow path leading to

righteousness" &gain we read o! it in the &postle )ohn$s narrative o! the gospel o!

)esus 'hrist" 1)n"4A645C4@#2 18I still have many things to say to you# but you cannot

bear them now" 14>2 8 However# when He# the Spirit o! truth# has come# He will guide

you into all truth, !or He will not spea on His own authority# but whatever He hears

He will spea, and He will tell you things to come"14@2 8 He will glori!y Me# !or Hewill tae o! what is Mine and declare it to you":2 I said earlier that you can !ind

re!erences to the Holy Spirit on the pages o! the -ld Testament" The prophet

3ehemiah wrote o! this" 13eh"657"2 18*ou also gave *our good Spirit to instruct

them# &nd did not withhold *our manna !rom their mouth# &nd gave them water !or

their thirst":2 %e can there!ore tae !rom this# i! we open our hearts to what the

Blessed God the Holy Spirit has to say to each o! us as individuals on every new day#

and then we will learn the truth o! our God" But what a marvellous# and incredible

God that you# and I have in God# the Holy Spirit# who comes daily into our lives#

when we let Him# no matter !rom what wal o! li!e you may come !rom to tutor us in

the divine nowledge o! our (ord )esus 'hrist# and help us to become more

e/perimental lie him bringing glory to his name" But even although he has great

power# he is ever so gentle with each o! us# who are in 'hrist leading us so!tly into the

paths he would have us wal" The operative clause !or the disciples o! our (ord )esus

'hrist is to be in him# the same applies to God the Holy Spirit" )ohn in his +irst (etter

o! the 3ew Testament writes o! it" 1 4")n"565


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persons o! the trinity God the +ather and God the Son !rom whom he came" %e turn

to the &postle Paul and his letter to the church in Rome !or his con!irmation on this

sub0ect" 1Rom";65A2 8(iewise the Spirit also helps in our weaness" +or we do not

now what we should pray !or as we ought# but the Spirit Himsel! maes intercession

with groanings that cannot be uttered": The impossibility o! letting the person o! God

the Holy Spirit tae over all o! our being# as we see it# even praying on our behal!# buthe also wants to tae over the human way that we thin by us being submissive to him

in order that we will obey willingly what our risen glori!ied (ord would want us to

do" I! we allow the Holy Spirit to help us to thin lie )esus 'hrist and what he done#

and does we will become more lie him# and be ready to do what he ass" Systematic

Theology is a proper study o! the Bible with the help o! God$s Spirit# who enables us

to put the principles learnt to the practical side o! our lives# which in turn maes us

become more# and more lie )esus 'hrist our (ord# every day# and enables us to now

him" But what is more important# although both verses are o! eDual importance# is

because God the Holy Spirit lives in us all# when we submit to his sovereign will we

will witness towards one another with the love o! the risen glori!ied 'hrist# when that

occurs he enables us to do that# and o! course to the world" 1)n"4=6565"2 &s they

ministered to the (ord and !asted# the Holy Spirit said# 83ow separate to Me Barnabasand Saul !or the wor to which I called them": %e read a !urther te/t which


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corroborates the !ormer# and again in the boo o! &cts" 1&cts"5765;"2 8There!ore tae

heed to yourselves and to all the !loc# among which the Holy Spirit has made you

overseers to shepherd the church o! the (ord and God which He purchased with His

own blood": There is no doubt that the person that the authors o! the 3ew Testament

portray in the te/ts already mentioned# who is in me# and stands be!ore me is radiantly

glorious# divine# and dei!ied by the Godhead to whom he belongs# God the +ather andGod his Son# our (ord )esus 'hrist" How absolutely marvellous and wonder!ul that

such a very dear# and the indest person that there is should be in me" He lives in all

o! the members o! the body o! 'hrist to help and enable us to overcome this present

evil world" %hat is even more astonishing is that our (ord promised us that once he

had died upon the cross# and his +ather had resurrected him on the third day# and a!ter

his ascension he would send one lie him to be with us until we have been called

home" 3o matter our circumstances he is there with us to help us to overcome

whatever this world brings against us" Hallelu0ah and &men? But to also tae the

glorious message o! the Gospel o! my (ord# and Saviour )esus 'hrist to men# women#

and children still in darness

&ctions taen against the Holy Spirit to which his response shows his personalityThe Holy Spirit is lie a person he has his own emotions and !eelings# and he will

react to whatever response is given to him" I turn to the boo o! Isaiah which is in the

-ld Testament" 1Isa"A>647"2 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit, So He

turned Himsel! against them as an enemy# and He !ought against them" &!ter all that

he had done !or Israel they turned against God# and continue that rebellion" The very

same Holy Spirit mentioned here by Isaiah the prophet o! the -ld Testament is

precisely the same spoen o! in the 3ew Testament" Paul the apostle reiterates what

Isaiah had to say concerning the person o! the Holy Spirit in a letter to the saints in

9phesus" 19phes"@6>7#2 8&nd do not grieve the Holy Spirit o! God# by whom you

were sealed !or the day o! redemption": *ou can only grieve a man or a woman# even

a small child# the very same thing applies to God the Holy Spirit" *ou cannot insult or

grieve a mere impersonal power or in!luence# because that is all that it is" The author

o! the boo o! Hebrews puts !lesh upon the bones o! the person o! the Holy Spirit"

1Heb"4765"2 8-! how much worse punishment# do you suppose# will be thought

worthy who has trampled the Son o! God under!oot# counted the blood o! the

covenant by which he was sancti!ied a common thing# and insulted the Spirit o!

grace": To insult the Holy Spirit is to re0ect the wor he does in each o! us ascribing it

to something else rather than to him# that without him there is nothing that can be

done" Give praise to God the +ather God the Son# and God the Holy Spirit" The

Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit" *ou can only blaspheme a person" )esus spoe

these words recorded by Matthew in his narrative o! the gospel$ he was an eyewitnessto this" 1Matt"456>4# >5 ,2 8There!ore I say to you# every sin and blasphemy will be

!orgiven men# but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be !orgiven men" 1>52 8

&nyone who speas a word against the Son o! Man# it will be !orgiven him, but

whoever speas against the Holy Spirit# it will not be !orgiven him# either in this age

or in the age to come": It is imperative that I now the person o! God the Holy Spirit#

and that I am able to hear him speaing to me# that I give him the !irst priority in my

li!e# that I do what he ass o! me# that I give him my love as I do to God my +ather

and God the Son# my (ord# and Saviour )esus 'hrist" He is there to help me to do that

very thing" Hallelu0ah# praise his wonder!ul name" &!ter all that the (ord God had

done !or the house o! Israel they rebelled against him# and continued to do so# and that

is why he became their enemy" God speas in an intimate and personal tone o! theHoly Spirit which is His# in similar !ashion God the +ather and God the Son# our (ord


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)esus 'hrist is his" There!ore it is very personal to God how I react to His Holy Spirit

maing it very important that I listen to him# and obey" %hat happened here in Isaiah

o! the -ld Testament can still occur i! I choose to rebel" But i! I eep my eyes !i/ed

upon my God and Saviour the (ord )esus 'hrist I will not do this with the help o! His

Spirit"

I used to thin wouldn$t it be great i! my (ord was here in the !lesh# but that

would have taen away the wor he accomplished upon cross" Marvellously my (ord

is always here in his Spirit" I can tal to him# listen to him# con!ide in him that is why

it is important to understand that he the Holy Spirit is a person# a person lie )esus

'hrist# one lie him" )ohn the disciple and apostle whom he loved so much

commented or witnessed what )esus said in connection with this" 1)n"4@64A# 4< ,2

8&nd I will pray the +ather and He will give you another Helper# that He may abide

with you !oreverC14


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lead me#&nd *our right hand shall hold me": &n indirect re!erence to God the Holy

SpiritEs omnipresence# but still more positive proo! o! Him being God" 3ow turning to

the 3ew Testament again that provides another piece o! the evidence proving the deity

o! God the Holy Spirit# that o! His omniscience" The &postle Paul provides us

evidence o! this attribute belonging to God the Holy Spirit in his !irst letter to the

saints at 'orinth# his ability to now all that passes through a manEs heart"1 4"'or"5647#44"2 47 8But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit" +or the

Spirit searches all things# yes# the deep things o! God"44 +or what man nows the

things o! a man e/cept the spirit o! the man which is in him. 9ven so no one nows

the things o! God e/cept the Spirit o! God": )ohn the &postle collaborates# and

con!irms what Paul is writing o! here in his narrative o! the gospel o! )esus 'hrist"

)ohn"4@65A" 8 But the Helper# the Holy Spirit# whom the +ather will send in My

name# He will teach you all things# and bring to your remembrance all the things I

said to you": &nd !or one more piece o! Biblical evidence proving the omniscience o!

the Holy Spirit the !act that He is truly God# and that we should listen to him when he

speas comes !rom )ohnEs gospel" )ohn"4A645#4>" 8 I still have many things to say to

you# but you cannot bear them now" 8 However# when He# the Spirit o! truth#hascome# He will guide you into all truth, !or He will not spea on His own authority"

But whatever He hears He will spea, and He will tell you things to come": Foes God

the Holy Spirit spea today# !rom my own personal e/perience I a!!irm# and con!irm

what has been written in GodEs word# not only me# but also to the !aith!ul members o!

'hristEs body# the church" (ast but not least is the attribute o! the Holy SpiritEs

omnipotence# and we !ind that in the gospel o! (ue" (ue"46>=" &nd the angel

answered and said to her# 8 The Holy Spirit will come upon you# and the power o! the

Highest will overshadow you, there!ore# also# that Holy -ne who is to be born will be

called the Son o! God": The mighty power o! the Holy SpiritEs omnipotence shows

that He is truly God" I will continue with these studies later with GodEs help# my

prayer !or you is that it will spill over into your personal li!e# that GodEs Spirit will

bring you closer to God our +ather# and his Son# our (ord )esus 'hrist# and that you

allow the Spirit o! God to help# guide# and in!luence you in all that you do showing

the !ruit o! the Spirit# but you have to give Him permission to do that" &men

The Holy Spirit is a person separate and distinct !rom the +ather and the Son

In previous studies we have seen that the Holy Spirit is a person# and not only that

he is a divine person belonging to deity# in other words he is God" But what o! his

relationship which is between the +ather# and the Son" %e will see what the bible hasto say on the sub0ect" Is he a separate individual person distinct !rom God our +ather#

and our (ord )esus 'hrist. %e will !ind that Holy Scripture will conclusively come

down on the side that he is indeed that" Turning to the boo o! (ue$s gospel we will

!ind evidence that supports the separateness# and distinctiveness o! God the Holy

Spirit" (ue">"54#55, %hen all the people were baptied# it came to pass that )esus

also was baptied, and while He prayed# the heaven was opened 55 &nd the Holy

Spirit descended in bodily !orm lie a dove upon Him# and a voice came !rom heaven

which said# 8 *ou are My beloved Son, In *ou I am well pleased": The !irst thing to

notice is that )esus is standing in the River )ordan praying which taes him out o! the

eDuation# ne/t the heavens are opened which he has nothing to do with# at this time#

!rom which the Holy Spirit descends# illustrating that he is a separate# and distinct!rom God our +ather# and )esus 'hrist his Son# and our (ord standing in the River


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)ordan" The !act that God the Holy Spirit descended upon our (ord in the shape o! a

dove signi!ies his gentle nature" Thirdly the +ather$s voice spoe !rom heaven

portraying he is a separate person !rom God the Holy Spirit# and )esus 'hrist his Son

who was standing in the River )ordan" But more importantly it conclusively proves

God the Holy Spirit is separate# and distinct !rom the +ather# and the Son in his very

nature o! deity" To conclude# God the +ather is distinct# and separate to God the Son#and God the Holy Spirit# each are their own person# distinct# and separate !rom each

other# but in one substance God" The very concept o! God as de!ined by the Bible

blows away every vain worldly imagination o! him" How can the creature or man

made by God$s hands have any proper thought towards him without having prior

nowledge granted to him by his grace which is applied by the wor o! God the Holy

Spirit through )esus 'hrist# the Son o! God# and our (ord to a man or woman$s li!e.

There!ore you have to now that God the Holy Spirit is in your li!e is !undamentally

important# without him your !aith could die. +inally# but not e/haustively we will

loo at one more te/t which comes !rom the Boo o! &cts which belongs to the 3ew

Testament" 1&cts 56>>"2 There!ore being e/alted to the right hand o! God# and having

received !rom the +ather the promise o! the Holy Spirit# He poured out this which younow see and hear" )esus 'hrist# our risen and glori!ied (ord sits with God the +ather

in heaven# with that said# he is a separate person to his +ather# and similarly his +ather

is a separate person to him" The Holy Spirit whom our (ord pours out upon all !lesh is

a separate person !rom the +ather and the Son# and similarly each are separate

individuals !rom each other# but in substance one God who love each other# and live in

harmony" The very same love that God through 'hrist our (ord bestows upon us

through God the Holy Spirit" He it is who brings alive the +ather and the Son to the

spirit within us" (et us praise his wonder!ul name" In conclusion# we have three

individual persons# who live together in one substance# always re!erring to each other#

who belong to the holy trinity whom we acnowledge as the one triune God"

The Holy Spirit is under the authority o! the +ather and Son

%e now that God the Holy Spirit is a divine person# but in many senses he is noteDual to God our +ather" However, we are taught !rom Holy Scripture that in 'hrist

)esus our (ord all o! the Godhead dwelt in him in bodily !orm"'ol"56" 8+or in Him

dwells all the !ullness o! the Godhead in bodily !orm": Him being our risen glori!ied

(ord# the (ord )esus 'hrist" Being !ully and truly the divine Son o! God that he could

say o! Himsel! that he and his +ather are one" )n"476>7" 8I and my +ather are one":

9ven more vividly he could say with e/treme authority whoever has seen me has seen

the +ather" )n"4@6" )esus said to him# 8Have I been with you so long# and yet you

have not nown Me# Philip. He who has seen Me has seen the +ather, so how can you

say# 8Show us the +ather:. The Holy Scriptures also teach that )esus 'hrist our (ord

is directly under the authority o! God our +ather# and in many ways is not eDual to

him" In Duite a similar !ashion we are taught that God the Holy Spirit is under theauthority o! the +ather and Son" %e see this Duite clearly !rom another passage o!


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)ohn$s gospel" )n"4@65A" 8 But the 'om!orter# the Holy Spirit# whom the +ather will

send in My name# He will teach you all things# and bring to your remembrance all

things I have said to you": The 'om!orter or God the Holy Spirit under the authority

o! God the +ather is sent by him# and being under the authority o! the Son# our (ord

)esus 'hrist He will bring to remembrance all the things )esus 'hrist had taught the

apostles as He does with us" But elsewhere we are taught that it is our (ord that sendsthe Spirit !rom His +ather )n"4=65A" 8But when the 'om!orter comes# whom I shall

send to you !rom the +ather# the Spirit o! truth who proceeds !rom the +ather# He will

testi!y o! Me": In Duite a similar !ashion we are taught in other passages o! Scripture

that the Son o! God was sent by God our +ather" )n"A65" )esus answered and said to

them# 8This is the wor o! God that you believe in Him whom He sent": (iewise we

have seen in )ohn )n"4=65A# )esus 'hrist our (ord sent His Spirit"

%e can also see how God the Holy Spirit comes under the authority o! God the

+ather and God the Son by some o! the names given to Him !rom the +ather# and the

Son" The apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in Rome# he describes the Holy

Spirit as being the Spirit o! God" Rom";6" 8But you are not in the !lesh but in theSpirit# i! indeed the Spirit o! God dwells in you" 3ow i! anyone does not have the

Spirit o! 'hrist# he is not His": But there are two names God the Holy Spirit derives

!rom the authority under God the +ather# and God the Son# he is the Spirit o! God# and

also the Spirit o! 'hrist" *ou and I who have been born o! the Spirit !rom above have

in each o! us the Godhead individually in bodily !orm# it is !rom this source !rom

within we have our (ord )esus 'hrist# God our +ather# and God the Holy Spirit# all

that we need to do is to hear Him# and be provided by the power o! God to be

obedient towards him by his Spirit that dwells !rom within" %e have residing in each

o! us who believe# God the +ather# God the Son# and God the Holy Spirit# !rom that

source we receive our energy to be obedient towards God# i! we truly love Him.

+urther to this we can add another name God the Holy Spirit has derived !rom our

risen glori!ied (ord# he is called the Spirit o! )esus !ound in the boo o! &cts"

&cts"4A6


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is also the Godhead" %e can also see that in the !act that God the Holy Spirit had not

come to glori!y himsel!# he had come to glori!y the Son# our (ord )esus 'hrist

Speaing o! the Holy Spirit )esus 'hrist our (ord said this o! him !rom )ohn$s

gospel")n"4A64@ 8He will glori!y Me# !or He will tae o! what is Mine and tae it to

you": This can in similar !ashion can be said o! the Son o! God# )esus 'hrist# he had

come to glori!y God the +ather")n"


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instance we !ind God using his breath to bring to li!e the very !irst man" Gen"567" 8 *ou send !orth your

Spirit# they are created, and *ou renew the !ace o! the earth": Righteous )ob remared

upon the Spirit o! God" )b">>6@" 8 The Spirit o! God has made me# &nd the breath o!the &lmighty gives me (i!e": )esus also breathed his Spirit upon the disciples"

Re!erence to that can be !ound in the gospel o! )ohn")n"57655" &nd when He had said

this# He breathed on them# and said to them# 8 Receive the Holy Spirit": %hat is very

transparent in all o! this is the active role given to the Holy Spirit to e/ecute the plan

o! God our +ather# and his Son# )esus 'hrist# our risen glori!ied (ord" He is the third

person o! the glorious trinity# he himsel! is !ully divine and o! the deity" %hen the

(ord God breathed into the !irst man !rom the dust o! the earth maing him a living

soul# it was actually the wind or breath o! God the third person o! the trinity actively

engaged in doing this# both God the +ather# and God the Son in his preC incarnate state

were in attendance with God the Holy Spirit being the eternal Godhead" &ll o! the

prophets# and the men and women o! God could do absolutely nothing without thehelp o! the wind or breath o! God once he had called them to do the will and purposes

o! God our +ather revealed to them by the appearance o! his Son# our (ord )esus

'hrist in his preC incarnate !orm" But still as every bit as important as we have !ound

in the 3ew Testament taing our evidence !rom )ohn$s gospel in chapter twenty and

verse twenty two# it is God through the Holy Spirit who provides us with his calling#

which is provided by our risen glori!ied (ord# )esus 'hrist# eDuips# strengthens us !or

the tas at hand# but only i! we give him the authority to control our lives# and by

these means only# we please our God and +ather# and the +ather o! our (ord )esus

'hrist" Praise God" It is )esus 'hrist our (ord who breathes the Holy Spirit into them,

it has to be the same !or us# )n"57655"

I have already broached the sub0ect that the name Spirit as applied to God the

Holy Spirit !rom 3ew Testament Gree means# %ind" %e will see !rom the gospel o!

)ohn how he describes this" )n">6AC;" 8That which is born o! the !lesh is !lesh# and

that which is born o! the Spirit is spirit"< 8Fo not marvel that I said to you# 8*ou must

be born again": ; 8The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound o! it# but

cannot tell where it comes !rom and where it goes" So everyone who is born o! the

Spirit":

It is worth repeating that this is not a dry as dust academic study that is

meaningless" -n the contrary with God the Holy Spirit$s help he brings us closer toGod" The 3ew Testament word !or Spirit is pneuma# which belongs to the group o!

words as !ollows# pneumonia# and pneumatology# pneumatic" Breath# breee# a current

that blows air# the %ind# the spirit" The &postle Paul spoe o! continually being

re!reshed by the newness o! God$s Spirit in his letter to the saints in Rome" Rom"


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The concept o! the Spirit o! God being lie the wind# depicts his sovereignty to us# he

can go wherever he chooses" &lthough we !eel# and hear him# as he continues with his

presence# you and I cannot dictate to him# and tell him# what he should# and not do"

He supplies evenly all things evenly to all men woring through us all as one# beingone# and the same Spirit" %hen the wind drives the windmills o! some o! the wind

!arms we see scattered around the country someone has harnessed the wind mills to

the wind in order that they may turn" It is by the same toen we can harness our !ree

will to the sovereignty o! his divine purpose# and will !or our lives# thereby using our

physical bodies instrumentally !or the building o! the Kingdom o! God"

God the Holy Spirit is totally invisible# but nevertheless very real# he can be liened to

the wind# which you can$t see also# but you can see the evidence o!# when leaves are

blown down the street" )ohn the &postle remared upon it in his narrative o! thegospel o! )esus 'hrist# our (ord" 1)n">6;"2 8The wind blows where it wishes# and you

hear the sound o! it# but cannot tell where it comes !rom and where it goes" So is

everyone who is born o! Spirit": *ou can also say that the term sound is also

interchangeable with the word voice" Storms at sea are driven by the wind as do boats

with sails# a mighty power that you can$t see# but you can !eel it blowing in your !ace#

and see what is happening all around you" Similarly God the Holy Spirit breathes

upon our spirits# and we see the power!ul things# mighty things he does in our midst#

but we never see him with human sight" I have e/perienced at !irst hand an encounter

with God the Holy Spirit be!ore I went to Bible 'ollege only because God sent me

there# a!ter I had heard the voice o! his Spirit giving me that instruction" There are

many godly men and women who each o! them have had an encounter with God in

order that he may glori!y his Son# our (ord )esus 'hrist# through them# by his Spirit#

which is in each individual saint" *ou and I have the very one and same Spirit o! God

living in each o! us# let us draw nigh to him"

*ou can$t see the wind it is inscrutable# but you can !eel the !orce o! it# and see the

e!!ects o! it" In similar !ashion that is how God the Holy Spirit operates# but he is !ar

more power!ul and e!!ective" %e hear o! the mighty wor o! God the Holy Spirit !rom

di!!erent parts o! the world with his mighty !orce# and in!luence coming upon people

converting them to our (ord )esus 'hrist in his invisible Spirit which comes and goesin his divine mysterious manner" The other attribute o! this &ugust Ma0estic Person

who is indeed God in his own right being the third person o! the one triune God is

the ability to breathe his wind in di!!erent parts o! the world one and at the same time

simultaneously e!!ecting the change in humanity towards God via his Son# our (ord

)esus 'hrist"

The wind 1 Ruach2 that the Holy Spirit breathes"

%ithout the wind being in the air we would all !ind it very di!!icult to breathe# within

an hour without the wind everyone on the planet would be dead" )esus taught that

unless the Holy Spirit breathed upon or into a person !illing his or her person$s spiritwith his that person can$t enter the Kingdom o! God" )n">6= )esus answered# 8 Most


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assuredly# I say to you# unless one is born o! water and the Spirit# he cannot enter the

Kingdom o! God": But perilously !or the li!e o! 'hrist$s church in the local

!ellowships all over the world# when the Spirit o! God ceases to blow his breath into

them they whither and die"

The Spirit o! God also breathes li!e# precisely lie the wind blows a mi/ture o! airand o/ygen in to all earthly creatures including manind" )ohn the &postle in his

narrative o! the gospel o! )esus 'hrist")n"A6A>"recorded these words o! )esus# 8It is the

Spirit, the !lesh pro!its nothing" The words I spea to you are spirit# and they are

li!e": &gain )esus is speaing o! God the Holy Spirit providing eternal li!e# which is

the Spirit o! )esus" The &postle Paul writes o! the !act o! the li!e giving Spirit o! )esus

the 'hrist in his second letter to the saints in 'orinth" He had become the anointed

Son o! God# the risen# resurrected# and e/alted (ord o! glory in Paul$s li!etime" 5"

'or">6A 8who also made us su!!icient as ministers o! the new covenant# not o! the

letter but o! the Spirit, !or the letter ills# but the Spirit gives li!e": nless we have the

love# the mercy# the compassion# and the passion o! 'hrist that his Spirit provides to

us# by yielding our sel! will to the sovereign will o! God giving our authority to theSpirit o! God to be used by him in whatever role he would want to use us in we will

become lie empty vessels only !it !or the wrath o! God which is to come" I will

reiterate this study on the doctrine o! the Person and %or o! God the Holy Spirit is to

bring each o! us closer to God# our +ather# and God his Son# our risen# resurrected#

and e/alted# (ord o! glory# )esus 'hrist" It is no mere academic e/ercise !or the grey

cells o! human thought to e/postulate in an earthly manner !or one$s own sel!ish

appetite# and desire to dominate# the ambition o! sel! over the body o! 'hrist$s earthly

church !or purely sel!ish motives"


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Knowing the Holy Spirit as an Individual Person

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