God the Holy Spirit

God is one. Yet God exists in trinity, a tri-unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Of the three persons in the godhead, the Holy Spirit is perhaps the most mysterious to our minds. We can conceptualize God the Father to some degree. God the Son, because of the incarnation, is much more understandable to us. But God the Holy Spirit? By nature a spirit being is intangible, elusive, and mysterious. However, the Bible reveals that God the Holy Spirit is real, personal, and powerful. He’s active in the world today and personally active in our lives.

In order to understand how the Holy Spirit works among us, we must first recognise that He possesses personality. That is to say, the Holy Spirit exhibits intellect, emotion, and will. First Corinthians 2.10 says, “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” The Holy Spirit has intellect.  In fact, He’s all-knowing. The Holy Spirit also possesses emotion. He can be grieved, according to Ephesians 4.30. Romans 15.30 refers to the “love of the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit both thinks and feels. He also acts, He has a will. He “determines”, according to 1 Corinthians 12.11, how He will distribute spiritual gifts within the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit, therefore, isn’t some impersonal force. He possesses personality. He thinks, feels, and acts.

We must also realise that the Holy Spirit is a superior person, one with the Father and the Son, sharing equally the attributes of deity within the triune godhead. For example, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent. Psalm 139.7-8 says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there, if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” The Holy Spirit is also omnipotent. He can create life. Job 33.4 reminds us, “The Spirit of God has made me,” and Romans 8.11 says that the Spirit “raised Jesus from the dead.” The Holy Spirit is God.

The Holy Spirit is active in our world today. John 16.8 says that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of guilt in regard to sin. Titus 3.5 tells us, “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal through the Holy Spirit.”

Conviction, regeneration, and empowering for service are all works of the Holy Spirit of God. One important part of the Holy Spirit’s work is revealed in John 16.14. Jesus said, “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” In many ways the Holy Spirit is the behind the scenes member of the trinity. He delights in pointing people to Jesus Christ. Have you received Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Why not follow the Spirit’s prompting and give yourself to Christ today?