Recently, we have been looking at some topics surrounding the Holy Spirit, and the need to delve into the subject of the Holy Spirit is pertinent.
A question that stands out is this: who is the Holy Spirit, and what does He do? I know someone may be surprised that I just personified the subject. Oh yeah, but that should not be a problem for you.
I think the main problem is with understanding what and who the Holy Spirit is in line with scripture, not what we think about the subject.
So, I was wondering how to approach this subject of discussion and decided to present different perspectives derived from the scriptures as we examine the scriptures to understand the concept of the Holy Spirit.
As we look forward to answering the question, Who is the Holy Spirit, and what does he do? I pray and hope you will find this message worthwhile.
Meanwhile, you should check out our previous message, Sealed With The Holy Spirit Of Promise, if you have not done that.
Who Is The Holy Spirit?
Let me appreciate the two outstanding views on the Holy Spirit, that of Trinitarians and that of Oneness Believers.
The Trinitarians believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit as three distinct but co-equal and eternal persons in one God. Their view of the Holy Spirit is basically as the third person of the Godhead or Deity.
The Oneness Believers, on the other hand, believe that God is one person as opposed to the three persons of Trinitarians. That is, God is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, recognizing Jesus Christ as the only person of God, in which dwelt the Godhead or Deity, bodily. Their view of the Holy Spirit is with the Father and the Son, not a distinct person of three.
From the Council of Nicaea, the Trinitarian view of the Holy Spirit seems to be a generally acceptable view of the Spirit, and the Oneness view of the Holy Spirit is relatively modalistic and termed heretic, according to the Nicene Creed.
To the question, Who is the Holy Spirit? A Trinitarian would refer to the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Godhead, while Oneness Believer would refer to the Holy Spirit as the Father and the Son or Jesus Himself. And I must acknowledge that both have a biblical basis, which makes it more interesting.
But there is another group which I will not fail to mention: the Unitarians. This group believes that while God is the Father, Jesus Christ is just a man, and the Holy Spirit is the power of God.
These different views of the subject make up the complexity in understanding what and who the Holy Spirit is, but what do the scriptures say about the Holy Spirit? We will see that together.
But let me say there is Old Testament and New Testament communication about the Holy Spirit, but that does not necessitate two distinct views of the Spirit. I believe it boils down to the understanding.
Also, I believe in the Trinity of God, and below is how raw I see the concept in the scriptures:
| God | The Source. |
| His Word | Part of God. |
| His Spirit | Part of God. |
I could go on to share more on this, but we are looking at the Holy Spirit, which is of God. So, let us get to it.
The two main words used to refer to the Spirit of God in the Bible include Ruah and Pneuma. Ruah is the Hebrew word, while Pneuma is the Greek word. Both words mean air, wind, and rendered breath, simply referring to an invisible with a visible impact.
According to The Westminster Leningrad Codex, Ruah appears 378 times in 348 verses of the Hebrew scriptures, while Pneuma appears 385 times in 350 verses of the New Testament Bible. However, I am fond of the Latin word Spiritus.
Where the terms refer to God, for instance, in Genesis 1:2, where the term wə·rū·aḥ Elohim appeared, it points to the part of God making an impact either upon or in creation.
| Genesis 1:2 NASB: “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” |
The expression, Holy Spirit Of God, as seen in the New Testament, is a composition of three terms, Hagios Pneuma Theos, as seen in Ephesians 4:30, equally speaking of the Holy Breath of God imparting His Creation.
| Ephesians 4:30 NASB: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” |
Therefore, the Holy Spirit is the part of God that imparts on and in creation. The Spirit is life in The Believers Today and functions in line with the Word to fulfill the will of the Father.
While in the Old Testament, the Spirit functioned basically on or upon people, in the New Testament, the Spirit of God functions in the Believers, filling all in all.
What Does The Holy Spirit Do?
A few years ago, I published an article on a statement concerning Jesus in the Gospels and shared it with a beloved who told me that I did not give a lot of Bible verses to defend what I said. I wondered if it was about sharing Bible quotes or understanding what the scriptures say.
So far, I have not shared a lot of Bible verses here, but I could do that and begin to tell you many things that you might have been told already about the Holy Spirit like He is a person (with spirit, soul, and body) or thing, maybe some forces. But if you noticed, the Spirit being of God speaks of the connection of the Spirit with God while imparting on God’s creation and in His people.
Therefore, we can see the Holy Spirit as the presence of God with and in us, making us aware of the Word and will of the Father in Truth. By that, we are taught, empowered, and comforted in Christ Jesus.
As to the question, What does the Holy Spirit do? The scriptures speak about the workings of the Spirit on Creation, upon people, and in men. Here are the basics: the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, confirms the salvation of those who believe in Christ, and reveals the things of God to them. He empowers them to do the supernatural and enables them to live Christlike. Those are the things taught as the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12 and Galatians 5:22–23, among others.
| 1 Corinthians 12:6 WEB: “There are various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all.” |
Did you know that most portions of the scriptures used to suggest the Holy Spirit having feelings and emotions are expressions of the impact of the Spirit on the believers? Take, for instance, Acts 5:3, where Peter told Ananaias that he lied against the Holy Spirit; could that not refer to the Spirit enabling Peter to know that Ananaias lied, therefore, the expression?
When we go back to Genesis, where the LORD God formed man out of the dust of the ground, we understand that the Spirit of God made him come alive.
| Genesis 2:7 WEB: “Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” |
Job understood also when he said, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Job 33:4 WEB.
In a previous chapter, Job made a similar statement. But this time around, it connected my thought with what David said.
| Job 27:3–4 NASB: “For as long as life is in me, and the breath of God is in my nostrils, my lips certainly will not speak unjustly, nor will my tongue mutter deceit.” |
Therefore, David prayed in Psalms 51:11 NASB, saying, “Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”
The taking away is suggestive of death, as in Creation, THE SPIRIT OF GOD MADE ALIVE, and when life is taken, death becomes the outcome.
In Psalms 104, the Psalmist spoke of the mighty works of the Almighty and His glory.
“These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season.
You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good.
You hide your face: they are troubled; you take away their breath: they die, and return to the dust.
You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.” Psalms 104:27–30 WEB.
So, in the Creation and continual creation, we see the Spirit of God present in making alive and coming alive in men by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. The Spirit will make alive from death all those whom God has chosen in Christ Jesus for eternity.
| “But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God.
Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.” 1 Corinthians 2:13 WEB. |
Though the Spirit is a part sent forth as the Word was, and it became flesh and dwelt among us, there is an inseparable relationship between God, His Word, and His Spirit. The workings are to the fulfillment of the will of God and the praise of His glory.
