1. The Personhood of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or an influence. He is a divine person. He speaks, "As the Holy Spirit says, 'Today, if you will hear His voice.'" He can be grieved, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God." He has a mind, "He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is." He has a will, "He distributes to each one individually as He wills." He makes decisions, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us." He can be lied to, as Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person, not a thing.
2. The Deity of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is fully God. Peter told Ananias, "You have not lied to men but to God," after saying he had lied to the Holy Spirit. Lying to the Spirit is lying to God. The Spirit possesses divine attributes. He is eternal (Hebrews 9:14). He is omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10). He is omniscient (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). He is omnipotent (Luke 1:35). He does divine works: creation (Genesis 1:2), regeneration (John 3:5-8), and resurrection (Romans 8:11). He is called God (Acts 5:3-4). The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son.
3. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
The Holy Spirit was active in the Old Testament. He moved upon the face of the waters at creation. He empowered Bezalel for craftsmanship. He came upon the judges, such as Othniel, Gideon, and Samson. He enabled prophets to speak God's word. He came upon David and the kings. The Old Testament saints were not indwelt permanently as New Testament believers are, but the Spirit worked in and through them. The prophets spoke of a future day when the Spirit would be poured out on all flesh.
4. The Holy Spirit in the Life of Christ
The Holy Spirit was intimately involved in the life of Jesus. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary. The Spirit descended upon Him at His baptism like a dove. He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. He performed His miracles by the Spirit's power. He offered Himself through the eternal Spirit as a sacrifice to God. He was raised from the dead by the Spirit. Jesus' entire ministry was empowered and directed by the Holy Spirit, setting an example for believers.
5. The Work of the Holy Spirit in Regeneration
Jesus told Nicodemus, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit by which He imparts new life to dead sinners. The Spirit does not merely assist or influence; He creates. He gives a new heart, a new spirit, and new desires. He causes the spiritually dead to live. Regeneration is not the result of human decision or effort; it is the sovereign work of the Spirit. "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
6. The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
Paul writes, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" Every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This indwelling is permanent. Jesus promised, "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever." The Spirit does not come and go; He takes up residence in the believer. The body of the believer becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit. This indwelling is the mark of salvation. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.
7. The Sealing of the Holy Spirit
Paul writes, "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." The sealing of the Spirit is God's mark of ownership and guarantee of future glory. The seal cannot be broken. It assures the believer that his salvation is secure. The Spirit Himself is the down payment, the earnest, the first installment of the full inheritance to come.
8. The Sanctifying Work of the Holy Spirit
Paul writes, "God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth." The Holy Spirit works to make believers holy. He produces the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. He empowers believers to put to death the deeds of the body. He leads them in paths of righteousness. The Spirit does not merely command holiness; He produces it. Sanctification is the work of the Spirit in the believer's life.
9. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Paul writes, "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to every believer for the common good. Gifts include prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, mercy, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, discernment, tongues, and interpretation. The Spirit sovereignly distributes these gifts as He wills. Believers are to use their gifts to build up the body of Christ. The gifts are not for personal glory but for the edification of the church.
10. The Sin Against the Holy Spirit
Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation." The unforgivable sin is the persistent, willful attribution of the Spirit's work to Satan. It is a sin of hardened, unbelieving rejection of the Spirit's testimony to Christ. It is not a sin that a believer can commit, for it is the final rejection of the Spirit's convicting work. The one who fears he has committed this sin demonstrates by that fear that he has not.
Conclusion
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, fully God, co-equal with the Father and the Son. He is a person, not a force. His work includes creation, revelation, regeneration, indwelling, sealing, sanctification, empowerment, and the distribution of gifts. He glorifies Christ and applies salvation to believers. Let every believer walk by the Spirit, be filled with the Spirit, and not grieve the Spirit, giving thanks for His presence and power in the life of the church.