This
Sunday we will be back in John 14. While
He has been mentioned before, this passage begins the most comprehensive
teaching on the Holy Spirit found in Scripture. While the Spirit will be taught in other
passages in John, I thought by way of preparation it might be helpful to give a
very brief overview of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible teaches that the Holy
Spirit is a person.
Jesus
never referred to the Spirit as “it”.
Throughout John 14, 15 and 16 Jesus spoke of the Spirit as “He” because
He is not an impersonal it or a thing.
The Holy Spirit has intellect, emotions and a will. He acts as a person acts. He has the characteristics of a person and
has the attributes of a personality.
The Holy Spirit speaks:
He who has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 2:7a) 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 )
The Holy Spirit intercedes: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what
to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with
groanings too deep for words. (Romans
8:26)
The Holy Spirit testifies, or
bears witness: “But
when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of
truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. (John 15:26)
The Holy Spirit leads:
And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go
over and join this chariot.” (Acts 8:29)
The Holy Spirit commands, permits
and prevents: And they
went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the
Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they
attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. (Acts 16:6-7)
The Holy Spirit guides:
When the Spirit of truth comes, he
will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority,
but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that
are to come. (John 16:13)
The Holy Spirit appoints:
Pay careful attention to
yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own
blood. (Acts 20:28)
The Holy Spirit can be lied to:
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has
Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself
part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain
your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed
in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” (Acts 5:3-4)
The Holy Spirit can be insulted
(outraged): How
much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled
underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which
he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:29)
The Holy Spirit can be blasphemed:
Therefore I tell you, every sin
and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit
will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be
forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven,
either in this age or in the age to come.
(Matthew 12:31-32)
The Holy Spirit can be grieved:
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for
the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
The Bible teaches that the Holy
Spirit is a divine Person. He is God
Without
exception the attributes with which Scripture describes the Holy Spirit are attributes of
God Himself.
The Holy Spirit is eternal:
how much more will the blood of
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God,
purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:14)
The Holy Spirit is all-powerful:
And the angel answered her, “The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)
The Holy Spirit is omni-present: Where
shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? (Psalm 139:7)
The Holy Spirit is omniscient: these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit
searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts
except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends
the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
(1 Corinthians 2:10-11)
The Holy Spirit is called
God: But Peter said,
“Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep
back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? ………..You have not lied to
man but to God.” (Acts 5:3-4)
And we all, with unveiled face,
beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from
one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
The Holy Spirit is involved in the
creation of the world: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was
without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)
Various names for the Holy Spirit
confirm His deity:
Spirit of glory: If you
are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of
glory and
of God rests upon you. 1 Pt. 4:14
Spirit of grace : How
much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which
he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? Heb. 10:29
Spirit of truth: “But
when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit
of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” Jn 15:26
Spirit of wisdom and revelation: “that
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give
you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” Eph. 1:17
An old
Latin Hymn, written circa 800BC
beautifully summarizes these truths:
Come,
O Creator Spirit blest,
And
in our souls take up Thy rest;
Come,
with Thy grace and heavenly aid,
To
fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
Great
Comforter, to Thee we cry;
O
highest gift of God most high,
O
Fount of life, O Fire of love,
And
sweet anointing from above!
The
sacred sevenfold grace is Thine,
Dread
finger of the hand divine;
The
promise of the Father Thou,
Who
dost the tongue with power endow.
Kindle
our senses from above,
And
make our hearts o’erflow with love;
With
patience firm, and virtue high,
The
weakness of our flesh supply.
Far
from us drive the foe we dread,
And
grant us Thy true peace instead;
So
shall we not, with Thee for guide,
Turn
from the path of life aside.
O may
Thy grace on us bestow
The
Father and the Son to know,
And
evermore to hold confessed
Thyself of each the Spirit blest.
(http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/c/o/s/cocsbles.htm)
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