Holy Spirit: His Personality

Let's Talk about the Holy Spirit  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  30:07
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So what is so special about you?

What makes you special? If you were to ask someone what makes you special, what would they say? Would it be your personality? As we continue our talk about the Holy Spirit today we will look at His personality.
For us to be able to better understand the scripture we need to understand the Holy Spirit. There is much said about the Holy Spirit and there is much confusion about the Holy Spirit in the minds of many people.
Is the Holy Spirit a person or a “what?”
If a person then the person would have a, or possess, a personality.
If a what, as some believe, the Holy Spirit is simply an impersonal force that emanates from God.
Members of a group, Watchtower Society, believe this and in one publication (The Truth that leads to Eternal life) says “As for the Holy Spirit, the so-called ‘third person of the trinity’, we have already seen that it is, not a person, but God’s active force.”
Personally in a book entitled “The Office of the Holy Spirit” the author, Robert Richardson, says this.
“There is no subject more important in religion than that of the Holy Spirit. Unless this is properly understood, a large portion of the Bible, and especially the NT, must remain unintelligible.
On the other hand, a just view of it will do more than a knowledge of any other particular topic to give harmony, clearness, and consistency to what may be learned to all other matters presented in the Word of God.”
So as we go through this lesson, using the Bible as our text I pray, I hope to show the personality of the Holy Spirit. For I believe the Holy Spirit is the third “PERSON” of the Godhead.
We will look at:
Holy Spirit’s works prove is a person and has personality
Holy Spirits characteristics prove He is a person
Holy Spirits feelings prove He is a person

I. Holy Spirit’s works

The Bible speaks of the works of the Holy Spirit, works that are similar to works that any person would do. So let us see how the Bible speaks on the works.
The Holy Spirit speaks (1Tim4:1, Act8:29, Act10:19-20)
1 Timothy 4:1 NASB95
1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
So in this passage the Spirit “explicitly says”
Acts 8:29 NASB95
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.”
Here the Holy Spirit spoke directly to Philip and gave him direction (by the way which he followed)
Acts 10:19–20 NASB95
19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 “But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.”
The Holy Spirit spoke to Peter, gave direction and Peter did it. This lead to the Gentiles getting the good news and accepting it and then Paul propelling it.
The Holy Spirit teaches (Jn14:26, Jn14:16-17)
John 14:26 NASB95
26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
The Holy Spirit teaches (be sure to put this in context)!
John 14:16–17 NKJV
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
Notice the Holy Spirit “with” and “in” you. He is a helper, the Spirit of truth!
The Holy Spirit bears witness (Jn15:26-27)
John 15:26–27 NKJV
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
The Holy Spirit that speaks, testifies, testifies of Jesus in which the Father sent. Why? So the Spirit would be “with them” and “in them” so they too could bear witness.
Just as the Apostles were to bear witness; the Holy Spirit bears witness.
, The Holy Spirit Guides, hears, speaks, tells (Jn16:12-13)
John 16:12–13 NASB95
12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
The Holy Spirit, a person, is referred to as a “He”- an impersonal force that emanates from God would not be considered a “He”.
The Holy Spirit forbids (Act16:6-7)
Acts 16:6–7 NASB95
6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;
The Holy Spirit here did not permit and forbid them.
The Holy Spirit intercedes (Rom8:26)
Romans 8:26 NASB95
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
(expand on this)
This is just the start, Speaking, teaching, bearing witness, guiding, hearing, telling, forbidding and intercedes, but wait there is more.

II. Holy Spirits Characteristics

The Holy Spirit, who is a person, a He as proven by the previous point, possesses personal characteristics
He has a mind (Rom8:26-27)
Romans 8:26–27 NASB95
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Needed to keep to keep the scripture in context. - From this passage you can see He has a mind and in having a mind he can think, reason, and in turn intercede for us. That means he has (intellect)
He has intellect, knowledge (1Cor2:11)
1 Corinthians 2:11 NASB95
11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
He knows our thoughts, and the thoughts of God, proving the intellect but also the deity of the Spirit.
He has affection (Rom15:30)
Romans 15:30 NASB95
30 Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,
Love, the Holy Spirit loves, an interpersonal force or influence cannot feel love. All of these together leading to the point that the Holy Spirit has “a will.”
He has will (1Cor12:11)
1 Corinthians 12:11 NASB95
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
He wills, He distributes, because He has knowledge and a mind. He is the deliverer of the gifts that each of us have, possess, and hopefully use. (expand on this)
Just like anyone else, who has a personality, The Holy Spirit has a personality and the some of the same characteristics any person would have.

III. Holy Spirits Feelings

Feelings are a part of what make you, you, right? The Holy Spirit has feelings and this just further proves the Holy Spirit is a person.
The Holy Spirit can be grieved (Eph4:30)
Ephesians 4:30 NASB95
30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
(expand) - He can be grieved through our willful neglect.
The Holy Spirit can be blasphemed (Mt12:31-32)
Matthew 12:31–32 NASB95
31 “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
(expand on this; spend some time here)
The Holy Spirit can be insulted (Heb10:29)
Hebrews 10:29 NASB95
29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
(expand on this; deny the Son of God and you insult the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Grace, the Holy Spirit in which we were sealed for redemption.
The Holy Spirit can be lied to (Act5:3)
Acts 5:3 NASB95
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?
Remember the Holy Spirit knows the heart of God and the heart of man. Also the Holy spirit revealed this to Peter. Though not said, but surely implied.
And, the Holy Spirit can be resisted (Act7:51)
Acts 7:51 NASB95
51 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.
(expand) - don’t be stiff necked, don’t resist the evidence revealed by the scripture.
As you can see from what the Bible says, there is sufficient evidence that the Holy Spirit is a person who has feelings too.
(Conclusion)
I think it is pretty clear from the scripture that the Holy Spirit is a person not an it. The Holy Spirit is personal and not a mere principle or influence.
(Lead to invitation)
Consider the evidence we have looked at today, consider your position with the Holy Spirit, Do you have Him? Are you resisting Him?
1 Peter 1:12 NASB95
12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.
You have the ability to receive the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:36–37 NASB95
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
Acts 2:38 NASB95
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(insert invitation slide)
(insert exit slide)
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