Bible Studies

WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

by Guy Humphries
05/08/24
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 Ch 1 WHO is The Holy Spirit?     To faithwriters 5-8-24   1ST article

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The Third Person of the Trinity, God’s Holy Spirit, INdwells every truly-born-again-believer. And it's through that Holy Spirit that God searches the heart of the believer, “...because He (the Holy Spirit) maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Rom 8"

Does that leave out the Son? No! It involves all three. The Holy Spirit has always been the Omnipresence of God on the planet.  

God’s Holy Spirit is one of the triune Godhead.  Notice how Jesus never refers to Him as an “it” but  always refers to Him as “He,” a PERSON in the same way that God the Father is a person and in the same way that Jesus is a person.  Giving His disciples the Great Commission, Jesus identified  Him when He commanded, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”  Matthew 28:19  HOW can three persons exist in one person?  How can three be one?   A good physical illustration is H-2-0.  It can be liquid, it can be solid ice, or it can be steam.   All three remain the same thing, H-2-0, water. 

The Holy Spirit of God lives in IN every believer’s spirit is. I am not God, but I have God living in my body.  The Holy Spirit of God guides me, comforts me, teaches me, rebukes me, chastises me, CONVICTS me, encourages me, empowers me, loves me, strengthens me, intercedes for me, advocates for me, interprets for me,  prays for me and so much more. God’s Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to accomplish these things. This is why it is critically important for every believer 

to constantly read and study their Bible and hear it preached.  

Dear Brother or sister-in-Christ

Which is it, are you INdwelledand filled or only INdwelled by the Holy Spirit of God?This study was motivated by a lesson that revealed that many truly-born-again-children-of-God, believers, Christians refrain from expressing an interest in the person and activities of the Holy Spirit of God because of their lack of understanding of God’s revelation of  Him and for fear that satan’s-children would apply the “fanatic,’ charismatic brand to them   Guy 

CHAPTER 1 - WHO is The HOLY SPIRIT?

Preface:

This chapter is a summary of the more extensive study contained in  a multitude of scriptures about God’s Holy Spirit in future chapters.  Expect redundancy for emphasis.  

The purpose of this chapter is explore the relationship of God’s Holy Spirit to humans, both IN the INner-spirit of truly-born-again-children-of-God, saved individuals, that results in their going to heaven  and UPON,FILLED, controlled, energized children-of-God that results in their being more fruitful in God’s service. Subsequent chapters will  focus upon INdwelling, FILLING and other specific activities such as CONVICTION, GUIDENCE, TEACHING, etc. 

Most scriptures are from the King James translation.  Most others  are identified.  CAPS and italics are for emphasis.  

Words and phrases from verses are intertwined into discussion of verses.  Spirit and Ghost are essentially the same as both terms are used in John 7:39: “Spake He of the Spirit(prumatos=Gr) which they that believe on Him should receive for the Holy Ghost FILLING (pneuma-Gr) was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” 

WHO IS GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT/GHOST

HE IS A PERSON

What does God’s-Word say about His actions that reveal His PERSONhood?  He makes choices and takes action. 1 Cor 12:11 “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” He possesses emotion. Eph 4:30 “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God…” He evaluates truth and communicates it to God’s children. 1 Cor 2:10 “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”  

Gen 1:1-2 HOW LONG HAS HE EXISTED?  FOREVER! “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 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.

Mat 28 HE IS PART OF THE TRINITY  God’s Holy Spirit is one of the triune Godhead.   Notice how Jesus never refers to Him as an “it” but  always refers to Him as “He,” a PERSON in the same way that God the Father is a person and in the same way that Jesus is a person.  Giving His disciples the Great Commission, Jesus identified  Him when He commanded, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”  Matthew 28:19  HOW can three persons exist in one person?  How can three be one?   A good physical example is H-2-o.  It can be liquid, it can be solid ice, or it can be steam.   All three remain the same thing, H-2-o, water.  

HE IS OMNIPRESENT                                                                 

WHY was it necessary for Jesus to return to the Father then send God’s Holy Spirit to “IN-dwell” believers at the point of salvation then repeatedly “FILL” God‘s-children when asked? Being God in human form, Jesus’ physical body could not INdwell the spirit of every truly-born-again-child-of-God.   Jesus could only appear at one place at a time.  God‘s Holy Spirit is continuously everywhere, omnipresent. “Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool…”  Isaiah 66:1a   

In  2 Peter 1:21 WRITERS OF GOD’S WORD WERE INSPIRED to write, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved [INSPIRED] by the Holy Ghost.”  2 Tim 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by INSPIRATION of (the Holy Spirit of) God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”  Written in  their own style but by INSPIRATION by the Holy Spirit of God, the writers penned what they were told. 

Mark 12:35-37 JESUS CONFIRMS OT INSPIRATION “35 And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David  36 For David himself said [INSPIRED] by the Holy Ghost, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.’ 37 David therefore himself calleth Him [Jesus] Lord; and whence is He  then David’s son?”

WE LEARN WHO HE IS BY WHAT HE DOES 

JOHN 14:16  HE COMFORTS Comforter - parakletos - To call alongside for the purpose of helping, to exhort, to console, to encourage.” Jesus promised, “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you [The Holy Spirit] another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever.”   As Comforter, He helps, exhorts and encourages God’s-children.

Jphn 3:18 6:44 excerpts HE CONVICTS/DRAWS THE LOST. His premier duty.  HOW does He impact the lost-going-to-the-lake-of-fire-Jesus-rejectors that Jesus clearly defined in John 3:18 …he that believeth not IS condemned…?  For all humans, what is our FIRST encounter with God’s Holy Spirit? Jesus said,  “No man can come to Me, except the Father …. Draw him…. From John 6:44   He convicts of that one fatal Sin of rejecting Jesus’ love GIFT of salvation.  

In John 16:8-9 CONVICTS EVERYONE Jesus, speaking about God’s Holy Spirit, He said that,  “And when He is come, He will reprove the world (convict everyone) of Sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of Sin (defined)  because they BELIEVE NOT on Me;”   He convicts and draws every child-of-satan who must choose to either accept the love GIFT of salvation and go to heaven OR choose to go to hell by rejecting Him, BELIEVE NOT…” The ONE fatal Sin.   

 WHO strives to keep you OUT of hell?  God’s Holy Spirit by “reproving“ every child-of-satan of the one fatal  Sin of rejecting Jesus‘ love GIFT of salvation. 

JOHN 16:13-14- HE GLORIFIES CHRIST, NEVER HIMSELF After confirming, in verse 13, that the Holy Spirit “…shall not speak of Himself…”, Jesus said, “He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine andshall shew it unto you.” His job is to learn about Jesus, “...receive of mine.”  After he learns, “...He shall shew it unto…”  God’s-children thereby glorifying Jesus.  When Peter rehearsed the salvation of Gentiles, the church, He “...glorified God…”  saying, “...Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life…” (Acts 11:18b).  

ACTS 2:32-36 ALSO GLORIFIED JESUS excerpts  32 “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted , and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost. … 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” God’s Holy Spirit inspired Peter to preach that “...God exalted…” , that  is, HE GLORIFIED Jesus,  Peter preached the Gospel of His death “...whom ye have crucified…” , resurrection, “...This Jesus hath God raised up…”  ascended “...into the heavens…”  and now “...God hath made the same Jesus both Lord and Christ.” He will, presumably through Jesus’s followers, convict the world of  the fatal Sin of unbelief. From 6:8–11)

HE INDWELLS THE NEW BELIEVER At salvation, He permanently INdwells every truly-born-again-child-of-God like Jesus clearly defined in John 3. An abundance of  scriptures will be  extensively studied in future chapter 2.

Eph 1:13 HE SEALS OUR SALVATION “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were SEALED with that Holy Spirit of promise…” He preserves, secure, guarantees, permanently SEALS your salvation. 

Romans 8:14  HE LEADS GOD’S CHILDREN “For as many as are LED by the Spirit of God, they ARE the sons of God.”  When we follow the leadership of God’s Holy Spirit, that PROVES that we ARE  truly-born-again-children-of-God.  

John 14:26 15:26 16:13-14 20:27 HE TEACHES ABOUT JESUS “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.”  As he “...teachs you all things..,”:   “...He shall testify of Me…”  from John 15:26   “…He will guide you into all truth…shew you things to come.”  “...He will NOT speak of Himself...”  from John 16:13-14   His job is to teach us about God the Father and Jesus the Son, first and only. 

John 20:27 TEACHER THAT ANOINTS “…ye need not that any man teach you…”  No human teacher is required. “But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth IN you, and ye need not that any MAN teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.”   When you believed Him you received salvation.  Christ permanently, “...anointed,...”  poured out the Holy Spirit of God INto your eternal INner spirit. As long as you “...abide in…” maintainfellowship with God, you need no other teacher since His Spirit helps you understand as He teaches you the truth about everything as you study God’s-Word.  Obey God’s-Word to remain in sweet fellowship  with Him.  Without guidance by God’s Holy Spirit, His Spirit speaking to our spirit, we can have no real understanding of God’s Word.  

2 Cor 5:13-15a SPIRITUAL TEACHING “Now we have received, not the [evil-satanic] 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 teach, but which the Holy Ghost TEACHETH; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural (lost hu)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 [understood].” 

Paul’s was NOT “...man's wisdom…”  Like him, God’s-children are taught ”...spiritual things…”  by God’s Holy Spirit as we study His-Word  while “...comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” A lost -going-to-hell-Jesus-rejecting-child-of-satan, a “...natural (lost hu)man…”,  CHOOSES to DISBELIEVE, reject God’s Word because it is “...foolishness unto him.”  It is impossible for him to understand, “...know them.” BUT, to children-of-God, His Holy Spirit helps us to perceive their true meaning. No lost human can comprehend what is true or false BUT “...he that is spiritual…” that is, he that has God’s Holy Spirit INdwelling his spirit “...CAN know them.”  Since they are lost, the Jesus-rejector is not qualified to “...discern…”, to evaluate, to understand “...the things…” of God. 

Romans 8:16  HE ASSURES OF SALVATION  Jesus called Him a “Comforter.”  “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we ARE the children of God.”  God’s Holy Spirit withIN me constantly reassures me that I am God’s-child with positive blessings and  the negative chastisements that I deserve.  

Heb 12:5  HE CHASTISES TO REPENTANCE What must God’s-children expect when we CHOOSE to backslide and remain unrepentant? Chastisement.  “If ye be without chastisement…ye are bastards, and not sons.” If His-child CHOOSES not to respond to His chastisement, what can be expected? We shall suddenly be destroyed, early physical death.    

Proverbs 29:1 REPENT OR DIE “He, that being often reproved [by God’s Holy Spirit] hardened his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed [physical death], and that without remedy.” 

In Revelation 3:19 CONVICTS - CHASTENS After He points you to salvation then permanently seals it, what is His responsibilities to children of God’s?  What happens to God’s children when we commit sinS?  Jesus said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.”   He will “...rebuke and chasten…”  us of all of our daily sinS.   If it becomes necessary to motivate us to “...repent…” , God’s-children will receive His “...chastisement.”  The level of “...chastisement…” depends upon our choosing to refuse to ‘...repent…” and our determination to continue  committing our “pet” sinS. 

Heb 12:9-1”We have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

“When we sow, we reap what we sow, more than we sow, every time that we sow.” 

 Romans 8:26-27 HE TRANSLATES OUR PRAYERS “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Paraphrased: God’s Holy Spirit helps our weak inability to know how to pray. In words that we can’t understand, He pleads with God who knows us inside-out. He pleads strictly within God’s will.”

In our “...infirmities…”, our human weakness, we “...know not what we should pray for…”  In our feeble  efforts to talk to God,  He translates our prayers to communicate the true intent of the heart into the will of God. When I search for the words to express my hearts desire, He says, “Father,  this is what Guy really means.”

John 16:8-11 “8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

John 16:13-15 HE GUIDES US TO  TRUTH  God’s Holy Spirit guides our study of His Word. When we re-read verses He “...guides you…” to an expanded understanding of “...all truth…?  He teaches only about Jesus. “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.  He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall shew it unto you.”   “…He will guide you into all truth…shew you things to come.”  “…He shall NOT speak of Himself...” Jesus stressed that He shall shew you only what Gd’s Holy Spirit “...shall receive from…” Father and the Son.            

1 Cor 2:12 NEW THOUGHTS He teaches you as He reveals new thoughts while you study God’s Word.  “Now we have received, not the [demonic] 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.”   In Eph 6:17 we learn that He helps us understand more about  “…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” 

ACTS 1:8- POWERS OUR WITNESS Jesus told His followers, “Ye shall receive POWER, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon [FILLED] you: and ye SHALL be witnesses unto me… God’s Holy  Spirit strengthens and energizes God’s children to put forth their best in testimony and service.  God’s Holy Spirit helps but does NOT force His-children to serve Him.  He just makes us wish that we had. 

Luke 12:11-12 HELPS US WITNESS  HOW does He help you witness?  Just like He FILLED, empowered, equipped, motivated the 120 on Pentecost,  He tells God’s-children what to say when we try to witness. “And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.” Try it. He will “...teach you what to say.” 

ACTS 16:7 - HE GUIDES CALLING PASTOR To call the right Pastor.  If God does not call him, disaster follows.   He guides by placing roadblocks in the way of a self-willed-child-of-God.  Paul “…assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.”  but God blocked the way and sent him in the right direction.

1 COR 12 - HE GIVES GIFTS Prior to the advent of the written God’s-Word, the Bible , 7 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one (believer) is given by the (Holy) Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” He gives GIFTS to God’s children.  It is up to us to USE OUR GIFT for God’s honor and glory. If we refuse, He will refuse blessings.  By dividing to every man as he will, His Holy Spirit equips God’s-children to accomplish, profit withal, all of  God’s purpose.  

Some gifts were made of  no use “When that which is perfect (the Bible) is come, then that which is in part (healing, miracles, tonguesand interpretation ) shall be done away.”  I Cor 13:10. Then, verse 13  “And now abideth [GIFTS of] faith, hope, charity these three; but the greatest of these is charity (agape-loving like God).”

1 John 2:1 INTERCEDES Just because God’s born again children are under Grace, just because our sinS seems less than God's Grace, that doesn't give us license. And 1 John says the same thing. God begs the believers, “...sin not! Don't committ sinS!. “And, if any man sin (that's conditional. What are we going to do? We're going to sin! You might as well admit it), we have an advocate with the Father (now what is an advocate? It's an intercessor. We have Someone Who is interceding for us to the Father. And Who is it? “...Jesus Christ the righteous.,:"    to FBV 10-21This is just a sample of  scriptures telling WHO the Holpirit is and what He does.  You will find numerous other scriptures in other chapters.