The Holy Spirit is God, the third person of the Trinity. He isn’t an impersonal force. He has a mind, emotions, and a will. The Spirit was active in creation, empowered leaders in the Old Testament, and anointed Jesus for ministry. Today he inspires and illuminates Scripture, brings people to salvation, lives in every believer, transforms our character, and unites and equips the church.
God’s Presence Within Us
In Lesson 5, we saw how God came near in Jesus, living among us as a human. The Holy Spirit expresses God’s nearness in a different way. He takes up residence within the followers of Jesus and makes God’s presence real in and among his people.
The Holy Spirit Is a Person
The Spirit isn’t an “it.” He is a “him.” He has every attribute of personhood. He has a mind (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), emotions (Ephesians 4:30), and a will (1 Corinthians 12:11). He does what persons do. He teaches (John 14:26), testifies (John 15:26), intercedes (Romans 8:26), and sends (Acts 13:4). And he is treated as a person. He can be lied to (Acts 5:3), insulted (Hebrews 10:29), and blasphemed (Matthew 12:31).
The Holy Spirit Is God
The Bible equates the Holy Spirit with God. When Ananias lied to the Spirit, Peter said he had lied to God.
Acts 5:3-4 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”
Stephen equated resisting the Spirit with resisting God (Acts 7:51). The Spirit is named alongside the Father and the Son as an equal (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). He has attributes only God has: he is eternal (Hebrews 9:14), all-knowing (1 Corinthians 2:10), all-powerful (Luke 1:35), and everywhere present (Psalm 139:7). And he does what only God can do: create (Psalm 104:30), give new birth (John 3:5-6), make people holy (1 Peter 1:2), convict of sin (John 16:8), and raise the dead (Romans 8:11).
The Holy Spirit’s Work
In Creation
The Spirit was “hovering over the waters” at creation (Genesis 1:2), and he continues to renew and give life to the world (Psalm 104:30).
In the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, the Spirit typically came upon select individuals, often temporarily, to empower them for a specific task. He empowered judges (Judges 6:34), kings (1 Samuel 16:13), prophets (2 Chronicles 15:1-2), and even craftsmen (Exodus 31:2-3). After Jesus ascended, that temporary pattern ended. On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit was poured out on all of God’s people as a permanent gift (Acts 2:16-18).
With Jesus
Jesus was anointed by the Spirit for his ministry (Luke 4:18-19). The Spirit guided him (Matthew 4:1) and empowered him (Matthew 12:28). After Jesus was glorified, he sent the Spirit to his followers (John 7:37-39; John 14:16) to empower them to be his witnesses (Acts 1:8). The Spirit makes Jesus present in the world, which is why he is called “the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:19).
In Inspiration and Illumination
The Spirit worked through human authors to produce the Bible (2 Peter 1:20-21). He also gives us the spiritual insight we need to understand and apply it, overcoming the effects of sin on our minds and hearts (John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:12-14).
In Salvation
One of the Spirit’s greatest works is to glorify Jesus (John 16:14) by testifying about him (John 15:26). He convicts people of their sin (John 16:8). He sets us apart as belonging to God (2 Thessalonians 2:13). He gives new life through spiritual rebirth, and he makes us God’s children (Romans 8:14-15).
Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
In the Christian Life
The Spirit lives in every believer and serves as God’s guarantee of our future salvation.
Ephesians 1:13-14 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Right now, the Spirit makes Jesus present with us (John 14:16-18), draws us into an intimate relationship with the Father (Romans 8:15), assures us that we belong to God (Romans 8:16), and helps us pray when we don’t know what to say (Romans 8:26).
The Spirit also transforms our character to match our new identity. For those who follow him, sin no longer has control (Romans 8:3-4). He wars against our old sinful nature (Galatians 5:16-17) and progressively makes us holy (1 Peter 1:2). One day, he will raise our mortal bodies to glory (Romans 8:11). We’ll explore how we cooperate with the Spirit in Lesson 10.
In the Church
The Spirit’s arrival at Pentecost launched a new era: the age of the church (Acts 2:41). The Spirit brings every believer into one unified body (1 Corinthians 12:13). And he gives each person abilities to be used for the good of the whole church.
1 Corinthians 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
Paul adds that every gift is worthless without love (1 Corinthians 13). We’ll look more at the church in Lesson 11.
A Neglected Person of the Trinity
The Holy Spirit has often been neglected, even by theologians. Maybe that’s because his role is to point attention to Jesus. But the Spirit’s presence and work fill the pages of the Bible and the lives of believers. He deserves our attention, appreciation, and worship.
The Takeaway
The Holy Spirit is a divine person, fully God, who has been at work from creation to today. He brings us to salvation, lives in every believer, transforms our character, and unites and equips the church. You don’t follow Jesus on your own strength. God himself lives in you to help you. In Lesson 7, we’ll look at the good news and bad news about humanity.
