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The Holy Spirit and Who He Really Is
nvestigating and exploring the personage and essence
of who the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost) is, will
certainly make you stand up and take note of the third
deity of the Christian Godhead: the Holy Trinity. Most
people have difficulty comprehending this concept of
God. Yet as you study the Holy Scriptures, little-by-little,
the “big picture” of the Holy Spirit will be formed in your
mind. This is not a supernatural kind of transition of your
mental perceptions from reality to abstract, but a clear and
understandable image of Him will be formed. You will
begin to recognize and fully appreciate His multi-levels of
powers and innumerable attributes and the tasks He
performs for our benefit. He is foremost, a guide, a
protector, a teacher, a comforter/helper and a counsel of
your soul. Living within you, after your invitation to Him
to do so, following your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your
Savior, He will enter your inner temple and be forever with
you wherever you go and whatever you do. The Holy
Spirit will be part of your life and your holy essence
forever.
Jesus said: “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage
that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will
not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” John
16:7 Here is some background on this verse. The Greek
word translated here as “Helper” is parakletos. In its
technical form, it has a legal dimension; it refers to one
who would be an advocate. In its wider context, it speaks
of comfort, of protection, of counsel, and of guidance.
Jesus also spoke of the Spirit as the Helper in John 14:17
I
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“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees
him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with
you and will be in you.” and then introduced Him as “the
Spirit of truth,” in John 16:13-15, by stating, “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. He will glorify me, for he will
take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the
Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what
is mine and declare it to you.”
Concerning the Holy Spirit’s Identity as a Helper
The Holy Spirit is a unique personage/deity and not just
simply a power, a force, or an influential phantom. He is
spoken of as “He,” not as “it.” This is a matter of
significance, because if you listen carefully to people
speaking, especially if you are within a congregation, you
may hear the Holy Spirit referenced in terms of the neuter.
You may even catch yourself doing it. If you do, I hope
you stop doing such. We have to understand that the Spirit
of God, the third personage of the Trinity, is personal. As
an individual deity. He may be grieved, see Ephesians
4:30 which says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of
God.. . .” And He may be resisted, Acts 7:51 “You stiff-
necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you
always resist the Holy Spirit.”
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The Holy Spirit is one both with the Father and with
the Son. In theological terms, it says that He is both co-
equal and co-eternal. However, when reading the whole
Upper Room Discourse, you quickly discover that it was
both the Father and the Son who would send the Spirit
John 14:16-17 “And I will ask the Father, and he will
give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the
Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because
it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he
dwells with you and will be in you.” And again in John
16:7-9 “. . .for if I do not go away, the Helper will not
come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when
he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and
righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because
they do not believe in me.” And the Spirit came and acted,
as it were, for both of Them. So the activity of the Spirit is
never given to us in Scripture in isolation from the person
and work of Jesus Christ, the Son, or in isolation from the
“eternal and never-ending will” of the Father. Any
endeavor to think of the Spirit in terms that are entirely
mystical and divorced from Scripture will take anyone
down all kinds of side streets and eventually to dead ends.
Don’t go there!
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The Holy Spirit was the agent of creation. In the account
of creation at the very beginning of the Bible, we are told:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth. The earth was without form and void, and
darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of
God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Genesis
1:1-2 The Hebrew word translated as “Spirit” here is
ruach, which also can mean “breath.” The ruach elohim,
“the Breath of the Almighty,” is the agent in creation. It is
not the immateriality of the Spirit that is in view here, but
rather His power and energy; the picture is of God’s
energy breathing out creation, as it were, speaking our
world into existence, putting the stars into space. Thus,
when we read Isaiah 40:25-26 “To whom then will you
compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy
One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created
these? He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might
and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.” a
the question is asked, “Who created these?” The answer is
found in Genesis 1:2. So the Spirit is the irresistible power
by which God accomplishes His purpose.
Tangentially, one of the questions of Old Testament
scholarship concerns the extent to which we are able to
discover the distinct personhood of God the Holy Spirit
from the Old Testament. In other words, are you able to
understand the nature of His hypostasis, foundation and
substance, in the Old Testament alone? When reading
Genesis 1, it is not difficult to see that in the second verse,
and certainly in light of all that has subsequently been
revealed, a clear and distinct reference to the third
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personage of the Trinity. “And it is the Spirit that beareth
witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three
that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three
that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and
the blood: and these three agree in one.” 1 John 5:6-8
Recognizing the divine Spirit in Genesis 1:2, actually
provides the missing link in Genesis 1:26, where God said,
“Let us make man in our image.” Perhaps this is a clear
antecedent reference to the Spirit of God who is at work in
Genesis 1:1-2. What do you think? It does make sense.
This issue reminds us, incidentally, that it is helpful to read
the Bible in reverse. Reading from the back to the front,
you can discover the truth of the classic interpretive
principle attributed to Augustine: “The New Testament is
in the Old Testament concealed, and the Old Testament is
in the New Testament revealed.” In other words, we
discover the implications of those teachings and events
that come earlier in the Scriptures. And the full Godhead
is involved throughout both.
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The Holy Spirit is not only the agent of creation, but
also of God’s new creation in Christ. He is the author of
the new birth. In the classic encounter between Jesus and
Nicodemus, where Jesus said, “Jesus answered, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and
of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which
is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto
thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it
listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not
tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every
one that is born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8 This truth is
worked out throughout the rest of the Scriptures. Pay close
attention to what the Bible says about the Spirit of God.
The Spirit is the author of the Scriptures. Found in 2
Timothy 3:16 is, “All scripture is given by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the
man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all
good works.” In creation, the Spirit is breathing His
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energy, releasing the power of God in the various devine
acts of creation. There is the same thing in the act of
redemption, and again in the divine act of giving to us all
the record in the Scriptures themselves. The doctrine of
inspiration is entirely related to the work of God the Holy
Spirit. Peter affirms this view, writing, “No prophecy was
ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from
God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2
Peter 1:21
All of the individuals who penned the biblical books were
not inventing things. Neither were they automatons. They
were real people in real historical times with real human
flesh and DNA, writing according to their historical
settings and their personalities. But the authorship of
Scripture was dual: God/Holy Spirit and man. It was,
for instance, both Jeremiah and God, because Jeremiah
was picked up and carried along. Indeed, in Jeremiah’s
case, God said, “Behold, I have put my words in your
mouth.” 1:9 He did so without violating Jeremiah’s
distinct personality, and then the prophet Jeremiah wrote
the very Word of God. This is a great reason to study the
Bible, because the Bible exists as a result of the out-
breathing of the Holy Spirit.
Concerning the identity of the Helper, we could go on ad
infinitum, but being most selective rather than exhaustive
we’ll take that approach. His identity is as “another
Helper.” The word translated as “another” here is allos,
not heteros. Jesus promised a Helper of the same kind
rather than of a different kind. The Spirit is the parakletos,
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the one who comes alongside. Jesus said He would “be
with you forever … he dwells with you and will be in you”
See John 14:16-25 “And I will pray the Father, and he
shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with
you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world
cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth
him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and
shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will
come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no
more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At
that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in
me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and
keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth
me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and
will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not
Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself
unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and
said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words:
and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him,
and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not
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keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is
not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things
have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But
the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the
Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all
things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
In other words, His ministry is both permanent
and personal. The Holy Spirit is the very manifestation of
God’s divine presence with His power being most
perceptible, especially in prophetic inspiration. Many
scriptures refer to the Holy Spirit as the power of God, as
in Zechariah 4:6, “Then he answered and spake unto me,
saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel,
saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith
the LORD of hosts.” And in Micah 3:8 “But truly I am
full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment,
and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression,
and to Israel his sin.” And Paul told Timothy that it is the
“. . .spirit of…power and of love and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7
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Luke 4:14 records that Jesus Christ began His ministry “in
the power of the Spirit.” Luke 1:35 identifies the Holy
Spirit with “the power of the Highest.” Speaking of the
Holy Spirit, which would be given to His followers after
His death, Jesus told them, “You shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” Acts 1:8
Peter related how “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Spirit and with power, [and Jesus] went about
doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the
devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 The Holy Spirit
is here associated with the power by which God was with
Him, the power through which Jesus Christ performed
mighty miracles during His earthly, physical ministry. The
Holy Spirit is the very presence of God’s power actively
working in His servants.
Divine inspiration by the Spirit
The Bible also shows that God inspires and guides His
prophets and servants through the power of the Holy
Spirit. Peter noted that “prophecy never came by the will
of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved
by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21
And the Apostle Paul stated that God’s plan had been
“revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets”
Ephesians 3:5, and that his own teachings were inspired
by the Holy Spirit “But God hath revealed them unto us
by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the
deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of
a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so
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the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the
spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that
are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak,
not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but
which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual
things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness
unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all
things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath
known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?
But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-16
The Apostle Paul
Above, note how the Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 2:9-
10, explains that God through His Spirit has revealed to us
the things which He has prepared for those who love Him.
God the Father is the Revealer, working through His Spirit
in those who serve Him.
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Jesus Christ told His followers that the Holy Spirit, which
the Father would send to them, “will teach you all things,
and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to
you.” John 14:26 It’s through God’s Spirit within us that
we can gain spiritual understanding and insight. “For
what man knows the things of a man except [by] the spirit
of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the
things of God except [by] the Spirit of God.” 1
Corinthians 2:11-12 Jesus Christ had this spiritual
understanding in abundance. As the Messiah, He was
prophesied to have “the Spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit
of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:2
An overview of being spiritually fruitful: the work of
the Holy Spirit
Do you know that the work of the Holy Spirit is absolutely
essential in everyone’s life who is a believing, born-again
Christian? Jesus told the disciples that when He left them,
He would send a Comforter (Advocate) “When the Spirit
of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will
not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard.
He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory
by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that
belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The
Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.” John
16:13-15 Yes, every true and faithful believer in Jesus
Christ is truly and unconditionally born of the Holy Spirit.
“I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God
without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can
reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth
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to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You
must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants.
Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it
comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how
people are born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8
Every true believer is also sealed with the Holy Spirit.
“Remember, he has identified you as his own,
guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of
redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 We are also enabled,
empowered, qualified, supported, and guided by the Holy
Spirit. The Apostle Paul said, “I pray that God, the
source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace
because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with
confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13 and Romans 8:10-11 “And Christ lives
within you, so even though your body will die because of
sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made
right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from
the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus
from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by
this same Spirit living within you.”
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The Apostle Paul further tells us, “It is God who enables
us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has
commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by
placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first
installment that guarantees everything he has promised
us.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Such instruction is for
believing Christians to glorify our God Jehovah and for us
to live our lives in Christ, in the righteous manner that is
pleasing to Him. If, in fact, believers live their lives in this
manner, it will be the only way that we can be spiritually
fruitful. Again, Paul said, “I want you to know, dear
brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit
you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among
you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among
other Gentiles.” Romans 1:13 It can be said that the
coming of the Holy Spirit is the fruit of Jesus’s death,
resurrection, and ascension. So, it is then essential and
necessary to the complete fulfillment of the salvation
which Christ has provided for us.
It can be said without any doubt that the truth is the one
thing which is absolutely necessary for man’s salvation,
besides the “Grace Card,” is the Holy Spirit of Our Father,
living and working within our own spirit. Hmmmm?
Unfortunately, most religious denominations have
extreme trouble acknowledging this biblical concept;
therefore, such behavior and lack of biblical understanding
within many Christian sects, is truly full proof that many
are still not yet in that redeemed state in one’s direct
communion with God, via the Holy Spirit channel within
us. And, such is fully intended, understood and directed
by the gospel of Christ. We must be understand that our
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salvation is only effected by a reconciling of our own spirit
with the Spirit of God. When this occurs we can be whole
in our spirituality and fruitful in our efforts to help others,
and please God.
Keep in mind that faithfulness is a powerful fruit of the
Spirit, and it is key, in our estimation, for being
steadfastness, constancy, or allegiance; it is carefulness in
keeping what we are entrusted with; it is the conviction
that the Scriptures accurately reflect reality. Biblical
faithfulness requires belief in what the Holy Bible says
about God—His existence, His works, and His character.
Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit; it is the result of the
Spirit working in us. But the Spirit is also our seal of
faithfulness. He is our witness to God's promise that if we
accept the truth about God, He will save us and our
fruitfulness will be rewarded by the Lord.
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Covenant Christian Ministries
Belle Arden Run
488 Mountain View Drive
Mosheim, Tennessee 37818-3524
(423) 422-4711
www.thewatchmansentinel.org
Copyright 2017
Dahk Knox, Ph.D., Ed.D., D.Sc.
September 1-3, 2017
(Monetary contributions are welcomed and
appreciated for printing and postage expenses)
All Rights Reserved©