He is not only a Person, but, He is a Divine Person. He is the 3rd Person of the Triune Godhead.
The Holy Spirit is not an “It”
He is a Person. He is not a thing, an impersonal force, or cosmic energy or misty ethereal fog. He is not as the Jehovah’s Witnesses say the “active force” of God. He, the Holy Spirit is personal. He has personality. Personality here doesn’t mean what we mean when we say “Oh John he has a lot of personality”, meaning that John is funny, charming, outgoing, etc.
Personality here refers to those traits of Personhood. We are talking about what distinguishes “beings” from “objects”, or “persons” from “animals”. Personality means having intelligence (mind), consciousness (self-awareness), a conscience (moral agent), and a will (self-determination). You see this all throughout Scripture for the Holy Spirit.
- He has intelligence, or, a mind, “And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit…” –Romans 8:27.
- He experiences emotion, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…” –Ephesians 4:30.
- He is volitional: He has a will and can make decisions, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” –Acts 13:2
- He speaks. “The Spirit clearly says that in later times…” (1 Timothy 4:1). Also, “For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matthew 10:19).
Not only do you see the Bible clearly describe the Holy Spirit as a Person, but, personal pronouns are always used in reference to Him. Never is He referred to as “it”, but, alway “he” or “him”. For instance, John 14:17 Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit and says, “the spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him for He lives with you and will be in you.”
A person does not mean human. As humans we have personality, but, our personality as humans is derived from God, who has personality. Personality is part of being image bearers of God.
#2: The Holy Spirit is God.
He is not only a Person, but, He is a Divine Person. He is the 3rd Person of the Triune Godhead. The Holy Spirit is God. The Biblical teaching is that there is One God who exists eternally as Three Persons: the Father, the Son, and, the Holy Spirit. Father and Son, first and second Persons. Holy Spirit, the 3rd Person.
Modalism (Sabellianism) is a heresy. Modalism is the idea that God is One Person, but, that He has changed “modes” throughout history. In the OT He “manifest” as the Father. Then He changed modes and that same Person changed modes and manifest as the Son when Jesus was on earth. Then, lastly, when Jesus returned to Heaven He changed modes again and manifests now as the Holy Spirit. This is a heresy and denies the Biblical revelation of God as 3 Persons eternally co-existing together.
How do we know the Holy Spirit is God? Here are 6 speedy reasons:
- He is omniscient, “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” -1 Cor. 2:10b-11
- He is omnipresent, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?” –Psalm 139:7
- He is omnipotent – He is all-powerful. He does what only God can do according to Scripture. He creates: “…and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” –Genesis 1:2b. “The Spirit of God has made me…” –Job 33:4a. “When you send Your Spirit they are created…” –Ps. 104:30a. He also caused Mary to miraculously conceive, ““…she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit….what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” –Mt. 1:19, 20
- He is eternal, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God…” –Hebrews 9:14.
- He is also associated with the other 2 Persons of the Godhead in a way that indicates His deity, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” – Mt. 28:19.
- Lastly, He is called God in the Bible, “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 to men but to God.” –Acts 5:3-4.
Application: He is a Person. He is personally involved in your life.
Application: False teachings often can be discovered by listening to what is said about the Holy Spirit.
He is the 3rd Person of the Trinity. He is God in every way that the Father and the Son are God. He is not inferior to the Father and the Son. He is not “less God” than the other two. He is fully God in every sense as the Father and the Son.
#3: The Holy Spirit Inspired Scripture
The Holy Spirit is the cause of our Bible. The Bible is not a book that comes from men. Men could never write it on their own, nor would they. Lewis Chafer, founder and president of Dallas Theological Seminary once said, “The Bible is not such a book that man could write if he would, or would write if he could.” It comes from God. What that means is that the message to men on its pages is God’s message. Everything on its pages originated with Him. He used men, but, they were His instruments to communicate His message. Their personalities and styles are reflected in their writings, but the substance of their writings is all God. Very simply: if God had not taken the initiative to write the Bible
“For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” -2 Peter 1:21.