Articles
The Person of the Holy Spirit (1)
The “Person” of The Holy Spirit (1)
By Greg King
Jesus told His disciples in John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
Who is the Holy Spirit? It seems obvious from the passage that the H.S. is a person. But there are difficulties when we come to the concept of the Holy Spirit. There are things that are difficult to grasp and explain. Especially with all of the outlandish beliefs of some in the religious world regarding the Holy Spirit.
- Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”
- 1 Corinthians 8:4 “Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.”
The Bible speaks of God the Father who is Divine, God the Son who is Divine and God the Holy Spirit who is Divine. How can there be three and one at the same time? The doctrine of the Trinity has often caused confusion for some. This confusion has lead to false teachings concerning God and created difficulties in speaking with others on the subject.
You may have heard about the “oneness” position of some religious folks. They reason that Jesus is Jesus but not God. The Holy Spirit is something but it’s not God. They say “John baptized with water. Jesus with the Holy Spirit. Water isn’t a person, neither is the H.S.” and they don’t know where to go from there. Some say that the H.S. is simply God’s “active influence”, that God moves you from one place to another or doesn’t move you but it’s not a person. We try and wrestle with the concept and reason with people about things like that and it’s difficult. The H.S. I’m persuaded is a person. Not someone like us but a Divine being. Existing on a different plain than we are and yet a being. A person if you will.
This side of eternity we have certain limits placed on our knowledge of God.
- Romans 11:33-35 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or Who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again?”
While we will not this side of judgment fully understand the completeness of God, He has graciously revealed all that we need to know (2 Peter 1:3).
- Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.”
God has told us everything we need to know. Deity is not an earthly thing. It is beyond our experience.
- Isaiah 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
