Who Is the Holy Spirit?

The Christian Basics series covers the basics of Christianity. This article summarizes the basic truths of the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Article Content

1. The Holy Spirit Is a Person
2. The Holy Spirit Is God
3. The Work of the Holy Spirit
4. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in Salvation
5. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Believer’s Life

“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.” (John 14:16–17)

1. The Holy Spirit Is a Person

The Holy Spirit is God, and the Bible identifies Him as one of the three Persons existing as one God.

Personal pronouns like “He” and “Him” are used to refer to the Holy Spirit rather than “it.”

“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.” (John 14:17)

The Holy Spirit has a mind, emotion and will.

Mind: Holy Spirit knows and understands reality.

“And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:27)

“These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10–11)

Emotion: Holy Spirit experiences emotion.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)

Will: Holy Spirit determines and acts decisively.

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” (1 Corinthians 12:7,11)

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”” (Acts 13:2)

“For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”” (Acts 15:28–29)

2. The Holy Spirit Is God

His attributes

• Omniscient: “Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?” (Isaiah 40:13–14)
• Omnipresent: “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (Psalms 139:7)
• Eternal: “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:14)
• Truth: “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.” (John 16:13)

His deity

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)

“But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”” (Acts 5:3–4)

3. The Work of the Holy Spirit

Creation: “When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.” (Psalms 104:30)

Inspiration of Scripture: “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For 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 1:20–21)

Witness of Christ: “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” (John 15:26)

Revelation of Truth: “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.” (John 16:13–14)

4. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in Salvation

Conviction of Sin

“Nevertheless, 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. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:” (John 16:7–8)

Spiritual Birth

“Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”” (John 3:5–8)

Regeneration and Renewal

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” (Titus 3:5–6)

Baptism (once at the time of salvation)

“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body —Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)

Seal and Guarantee

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13–14)

A seal was an ancient device, usually a signet ring or cylinder seal engraved with the owner’s name or with a particular design, used to seal goods, demonstrate ownership, attest a document’s authenticity, or impress an early form of a trademark.

The seal indicates ownership and security. It is the guarantee of future blessings. The presence of the holy Spirit in our lives is God’s promise of our inheritance in the future.

5. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Believer’s Life

Holy Spirit dwells in believers: “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:9)

Holy Spirit gives spiritual understanding: “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2:12–13)

Commands regarding the Holy Spirit

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)

“Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19)

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18)

• To be filled with the Spirit is to be under His total domination and control.
• To be filled with the Spirit involves confession of sin, surrender of will, intellect, body, time, talent, possessions, and desires. It requires the death of selfishness and the slaying of self-will.
• To be filled with the Spirit is to be filled with God’s Word. And as we are filled with God’s Word, it controls our thinking and action.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23)

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20)