The Holy Spirit Is God

Concerning the doctrine of the Holy Spirit this is what we have to know:

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person. He is eternal God. Distinguished from the Father and the Son, not created, but equal to the Father and the Son. We believe this doctrine is taught in both the Old and New Testaments. Scripture gives witness to the deity of the Holy Spirit, therefore, the Holy Spirit is God, eternal.

God Eternal

Reformed theology, has long emphasised the role the eternal Holy Spirit, third person of the Trinity, plays in bringing people to saving faith in Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit must first work in a person’s heart, making them alive, spiritually, born again by the Spirit, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (Jn. 1:13), so that they may respond to the gospel, God’s good news.

The Holy Spirit is a person, personally given to Christians, so that, by true faith we share in Christ and all His blessings. The Holy Spirit comforts us and remains with us forever. Thus we hardly need to call for the Holy Spirit to come, rather, we need to recognise that the Holy Spirit is already with us, and we need to be awakened to His presence.

Belgic Confession Art. 11 rightly states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. I say rightly because it was a contentious issue in church history. Does the Holy Spirit proceed, that is is sent by, both the Father and the Son. If He is sent by only the Father, what implications does that have?

This controversy arose in the late 300’s A.D. and came to a head in the early decades of the second millenium. Known as the filioque controversy, it describes the disagreement between the eastern and western churches of Christianity. The disagreement ultimately resulted in a split, the Western Roman church on the one side, and the eastern orthodox (Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, etc.) on the other in 1054 A.D.

At issue is the question, “Does the Holy Spirit proceed from both the Father and the Son, or just the Father? The Eastern Orthodox church maintains that he Holy Spirit is sent only from the Father. The Western church, said, “Yes, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, and the son. Filioque is Latin literally meaning “and the son.” You can recognise “fili” Latin for “son,” where we get our word filial. Que means “and” in Latin.

The verse at the centre of the controversy is John 15:26. “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.” The concern was that if the Spirit proceeds only from the Father, then we should understand the Spirit is a less significant member of the Trinity, with some even claiming He is a created member of the Trinity. But if He is created, then He is not eternal, and if not eternal God, then He is not God.

The impact of this debate has to do with the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The Orthodox churches, tend toward a mystical understanding of the Spirit, while the western churches have associated the work of the Holy Spirit being intimately part of the work of Christ. The Holy Spirit attests to the saving power of Christ. The Holy Spirit not only brings people to apprehend, understand, and receive Christ’s promise, He also leads and guides them to live out that promise.

So the issue is whether or not the Holy Spirit is God. Our New Testament passage, Acts 5.1-11 teaches us that the Holy Spirit is God.

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

In the first verse I just read, Peter says Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit. In the last verse he says, “you have not lied to men but to God.” Clearly, in Luke’s mind, the Holy Spirit is God. Lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to the Father, is lying to the Son.

Also, we see from 1 Cor. 6.19 where the apostle describes our bodies as being temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to honour God with our bodies. What we do in this life, in this body will either honour or dishonour God. If we, by the use of our bodies, dishonour the temple of the Holy Spirit, we dishonour God the Holy Spirit.

In certain Old Testament passages, mention is made of the Holy Spirit and God’s activity. In Hebrews, it is revealed that the Holy Spirit, therefore God, is the person the Israelites responded to in the wilderness.

The Holy Spirit is God because he possesses divine attributes: Moses ascribed the Spirit’s work in the process of creation and in so doing, taught that the Holy Spirit is eternal, which is an attribute belonging only to God. Thus the Spirit was already in existence, eternally so, when creation began. This contradicts the heretical teaching of the Arians, the followers of Arius who taught that both the Son and the Spirit were created.

Breath of God

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is the breath by which God created all things. “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Ps. 33.6).

The Spirit is not only the breath that gave life to Adam, He is the breath that gives new life to all who believe. He is the actor of new birth which Jesus described in His conversation with Nicodemus. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”

You see, for anyone to come to faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit must first act. He breathes life—the ability to spiritually know and understand the gospel—salvation through faith in Christ alone. The Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity, the breath of God, was active in the beginning, in creation, and is active in the new creation—new life in Christ. He moves into everyone who believes, and actively applies the salvation and righteousness of Christ in the heart, mind and life of every believer!

As Eternal God, the Holy Spirit holds all the attributes of God. We see His omniscience, and omnipresence described by the Psalmist in our Old Testament passage. As you read it, King David at times sounds annoyed, even irritated, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.”

And yet, those same words regarding the Spirit’s presence is as easily understood as a comfort for those going through difficult times. No matter what, even if life seems to be going down the tubes, the Spirit is there. Nothing can separate us from God’s love, nothing can separate us from the Spirit. The Spirit upholds, us, sanctifies us, purifies us, He uses the circumstances of life, He purposely uses them to fashion us to refine us, to that we, more and more reflect Christ Jesus in all areas of our life.

The Spirit is omnipotent, all powerful. The Spirit rested upon Jesus, giving him knowledge and counsel and power. The Spirit is God and thus has all the attributes of God.

The Spirit applies the work of Christ to people. He is the sanctifier of believers. Most people, when you ask them about their experience of God will tell you how they’ve changed. If before they were non-Christians, their change was sharp. But even those who have grown up in the church will be able to talk about transformation, being able to turn from sins that once entrapped them. The Holy Spirit works by changing our lives, by bringing them in line with Christ’s commandments.

In fact, some sins are specifically directed against the Holy Spirit, first, we’re commanded not to grieve the Holy Spirit, that is, wantonly avoiding the Spirit’s leading in our lives, choosing to sin rather than choosing righteousness. Second, we can blaspheme the Holy Spirit by calling things of God, miracles and such, the product of the evil one. Thus we must be careful when we speak of spiritual things, things of God. The Holy Spirit is a person, He is grieved when we are careless in life, in faith, in discipline.

Anointed By the Spirit

The Holy Spirit permanently lives within believers, every single one of them. All believers are anointed by the Spirit. Before Pentecost, the Spirit worked temporarily on certain individuals. Then, by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was incarnated. The Holy Spirit powerfully anointed Christ for all His ministry. Then Jesus promised to send the Spirit, and He came on Pentecost Sunday. On that day, the Holy Spirit rested not on one individual. Rather, we read in Acts 2.3-4 “Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The Holy Spirit works within us to bring truth and understanding to us. He gives us perspective on all our days. He comforts us when we’re tired, despondent, drained and weak. He gives us perspective when things are going well, making us aware to the needs of others, moving us to serve those around us. Moving us to receive the good gifts of those who offer the care of the Holy Spirit through cards, help, work, etc.

“And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” (John 16.8-11).

The Holy Spirit unites believers to Christ. The Spirit encourages us to approach God without fear. The Spirit prays for us when we are unable to express the words we wish to say. So involved in our lives, the Spirit completes our thoughts for the Father. The Spirit guarantees that the gifts of God are given to us as well. The Spirit is our guarantee, that we will live forever with Christ, we are followers of the truth; we are known and loved by God.

This is why this doctrine, this teaching concerning the Holy Spirit is so important! If we go the way of the Orthodox church, we divorce the Spirit from the person and work of Christ, we relegate Him into superstitious wonder. Rather, let’s focus on the clear teaching of scripture. It gives us a familial, intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, one with the Father and the Son, worthy of praise and worship. Amen.