Questions On The Holy Spirit's Character And Identity

Question 1. What is the Holy Spirit?

Answer Wow!  Powerful question, yet very basic to an understanding of God's Will in our lives.

I plan to give you first the short answer, what remember off the top of my head.   Then I plan to follow that with some more detailed material from another source.

The Holy Spirit is Deity (God, if you will).  Deity is a "family."   There is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit.   In the King James version, He is referred to as the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Spirit is indeed a "He," not an "It."  He is a person, just like God and Christ are persons.

He first appears before the creation in Genesis One:

Gen 1:1-2 1   In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2   And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (KJV)

In fact, all three Deities were present at the creation.  That is why God says "let US make man ...":

Gen 1:26 26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

If we do an in depth study of the Holy Spirit in the Bible, and look closely at the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, we will find a whole lot of information, and many many passages. 

We see the Holy Spirit in the New Testament at the baptism of Jesus:

Matt 3:13-17 13  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

This is a neat passage.  Here we see all three Deities.  Jesus Christ, the one being baptized.  The Holy Spirit, descending "like a dove" and lighting upon Him.  And God, the voice from heaven!

Toward the end of Jesus mission on earth, He spoke to His apostles about His leaving.   They were concerned.  He consoled them with the promise of a "comforter," who was the Holy Spirit:

John 14:26 26  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.

John 16:12-14 12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Christ promised His apostles that the Holy Spirit would come upon them, and it did in a miraculous way:

Acts 1:6-9 6   When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7   And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8   But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9   And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Acts 2:1-4 1   And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2   And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3   And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4   And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Christians received the Holy Spirit:

Acts 2:38 38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 5:32 32  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

The Holy Spirit also fell on the house of Cornelius.  As we study this passage, we see that the purpose of the Holy Spirit falling on Cornelius & co. was as a sign to Peter and the other Jews that God has accepted the Gentiles:

Acts 10:44-48 44  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45  And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Looking back to the Old Testament, we see that the Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Bible:

1 Pet 1:9-12 9   Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 10  Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

2 Pet 1:19-21 19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

It is interesting to look at the two passages that command us to sing. (Singing is not an option, it is a command!)

Eph 5:18-19 18  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Col 3:16 16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

I think it is not an accident that in one passage, we are told to be "filled with the Spirit," and the other passage, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you."   The Spirit dwells in us today through the Word of God.  A detail here, the Spirit will only dwell in us if we dwell in the Word of God.  That means, the Spirit will not force us to obey.  That also means, we must diligently study the Word.  

Now, for a more in depth study, I am going to refer you to a web site:

www.oldpaths.com

Search for articles by:

Davison, Roy Allen

Select the one on:

The Holy Spirit

I think you will find Davison's material very informative.

And there is no need for me to copy it here.  Contact David