The Divine and Personal Nature of the Holy Spirit
Following Jesus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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David Watson used to tell the story of the Sunday school class who had been learning the Creed and then one morning they came into church to recite it in front of the whole congregation. The teacher motioned to the first child who walked up to the microphone and said in a confident voice: ‘I believe in God the Father.’ The second child continued, ‘I believe in God the Son.’ Then there was an awkward and prolonged silence until eventually a small voice piped up from the back, ‘Please Miss, the boy who believes in the Holy Spirit isn’t here today.’ – This story sums up the current problem in many of our churches… the person who believes in the ministry of the Holy Spirit isn’t here today!
The Holy Spirit is an integral, supernatural element of the Trinity. Neither God nor Jesus created the Holy Spirit for the Spirit is One with God, yet a Divine Person, truly God, distinct from the Father and the Son.
As God and Jesus are eternal, so is the Holy Spirit. This, blended unity of perfection of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, is the Oneness of the Divine Godhead.
So for the next couple weeks we will look at the divine and personal nature of the Holy Spirit.
I could stand here and give you a list of the names of the Holy Spirit, such as, Counselor; Comforter; Baptizer; Advocate; Strengthener; Sanctifier.
I could also point out that the Holy Spirit is also known as Seven-Fold Spirit (Rev.); Spirit of Truth; Spirit of Grace; Spirit of Mercy; Spirit of God; Spirit of Holiness; Spirit of Life.
I could point out that He has been symbolized in the Bible as breath or wind, fire, water, oil, light, and most notably a dove.
The Holy Spirit is so monumental to and for the salvation of the entire human race that I felt just giving a list of names and symbols would not be enough.
The Holy Spirit is so vitally important to the human race that He was mentioned in the second line of Genesis.
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
The Holy Spirit, also known as the Holy Ghost, is a bearer of many gifts, strength, and wisdom to strengthen and fortify Christians. This empowerment from the Spirit is so faithful Christians can accomplish what God has called us to do.
His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Those freely given gifts of the Holy Spirit are components of everything “words, wisdom, and abilities” we need to carry out His plans for our lives and to serve others.
What we will do today is look at His divine nature.
We need to recognize that the Holy Spirit can blend into any form. Although the Holy Spirit has apparently never appeared on earth as a human, on three occasions the Spirit has entered an existing human body to speak and act to bring deliverance, affirmation, or judgment to bear in specific situations. The Bible mentions the apostles were spoken to by the Holy Spirit. Once, He spoke to separate Saul and Barnabas for the continuation of the ministry. There is also the account of the Holy Spirit forbidding Paul to go to Asia to preach the gospel. Paul also stated “the Holy Spirit was continually telling him, in city after city, what would happen if he traveled to Jerusalem. The Bible does not state exactly how that occurred.
In doing my research for this message, I found 13 divine characteristics associated with the Holy Spirit. No I will not be going through all 13, but just 4 of them that I feel we need to fully understand.
He’s treated as equal to God the Father and Son
Make no mistake, the holy spirit is so much more than an it or impersonal force—he’s God. We have all heard of the Trinity, but do you know what that means.
God—as revealed in the Bible—is one and eternally exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This means each person within the Trinity shares the same divine attributes. In other words, one person within the Trinity is not more God than the other.
Here are some ways the Holy Spirit is treated as equal with God:
Personage: The Holy Spirit is listed as a distinct person from God the Father and God the Son.
Co-equal: The Holy Spirit is co-equal with God the Father and Son, meaning they are all God.
Same essence: The three persons of the Trinity share the same divine nature and essence.
Works: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share in the work of creation and redemption.
Worship: The Bible ascribes equal worship to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person.
He has the same attributes as God
Attributes: The Holy Spirit has all of the attributes of God, including being eternal, self-existent, omnipresent, omniscient, and sovereign.
He is everywhere at all times. He knows all things. What does this mean? You are never alone. Those times you feel like you are far from God, that could not be furthest from the truth. I have heard Christians state, “My prayers are hitting a glass ceiling, I feel like God is not listening.”
The problem maybe you are expecting Him to answer those prayers the way you want, but He has other ideas. I can say this with all assurance. Jesus Christ left so you can have the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, at all times. So you are never alone and you are never ignored.
Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
The Holy Spirit is a Being dwelling in another mode of existence. He has not weight, nor measure, nor size, nor any color, nor extension in space, but He nevertheless exists as surely as you exist.6
A. W. Tozer
He transforms and sanctifies
The Holy Spirit transforms and sanctifies people by:
Removing sin
The Holy Spirit removes sinful characteristics and replaces them with godly ones.
Reminding us to follow Jesus
The Holy Spirit lives in our hearts and reminds us to follow Jesus more closely.
Changing our thinking
The Holy Spirit changes the way we think, our goals, and our interactions with people.
Providing guidance
The Holy Spirit provides the power, conviction, and direction for life change.
Purifying our hearts
The Holy Spirit purifies our hearts from the love of the world, lust, and pride.
Revealing sin and truth
The Holy Spirit reveals sin, truth, and the glory of Christ.
The Holy Spirit's work in us is a process that happens over a lifetime. It's a work of God, not of our own strength.
We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
He enables us to call upon Jesus as Lord
The Holy Spirit enables us to call upon Jesus Christ essentially acting as a mediator between us and Jesus, allowing us to access His power and grace through the Spirit's influence.
Key points about the Holy Spirit's role:
Conviction of sin:
The Holy Spirit works within us to make us aware of our shortcomings and need for salvation through Jesus Christ.
Guidance and understanding:
The Holy Spirit helps us understand the Bible and apply Jesus' teachings to our lives.
Intercession:
The Holy Spirit intercedes for us in prayer, guiding our words and aligning our desires with God's will.
Faith and boldness:
The Holy Spirit empowers us to approach God with confidence, knowing we have access to Jesus through Him.
Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
One of the greatest and most underutilized gifts that Jesus gave to us is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is my prayer that these messages will give you a much better understanding of the power that lives within you. The same power that rose Christ from the grave is dwelling inside of you. The Holy Spirit brings about change in your life. It is not always easy and it is not always fun, but it is what happens if you allow the Holy Spirit to take over your entire life.
5785 It is extraordinary how things fall off from a man like autumn leaves once he comes to the place where there is no rule but that of the personal domination of the Holy Spirit.
Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)
