If one member of the Godhead has been neglected over the years,
undoubtedly it has been the Holy Spirit. There is much confusion
and superstition in the minds of modern Christians and religionists
concerning the person, purpose, ministry and work of the Holy
Spirit. To this day He remains the most controversial member of
the Godhead, at least
as concerns the exact relationship that He sustains to members of the
church today.
In today’s world the human thought-range regarding the Holy Spirit runs
all the way from total ignorance of His existence to exaggerated
claims regarding what He is alleged to be currently doing. Part
of
this confusion stems from a misconception of who the Spirit is.
The
Holy Spirit is not a mysterious, delirious, nonsensical and
irresistible
force (or Ghost). He is not an over-glorified “it” or some
incomprehensible “thing.”
The Holy Spirit is a person like the Father and Son. He possesses
personality. Personality in the modern mind is often associated
only with human beings. But personality is merely self-conscious
and
rational existence. It is made up of three attributes:
consciousness, character, and will. The Spirit has the attributes
of a person. He may be resisted, grieved or blasphemed (Acts
7:51; Eph. 4:30; Mark 3:28-29). He does the work of a person. He
speaks, guides, hears, teaches, and leads (John 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:13;
Rom. 8:14). Also, He is everywhere referred to as a person.
The words, “He,” “His,” and “Him” are ascribed to the Holy Spirit (John
14:26; 16:13).
When we perceive just a moment’s glimpse of the Holy Spirit’s vast
work, there should be enough stimuli to move our spiritual senses to
appreciate the Holy Spirit as we do God - the Father, and Jesus - the
Son. The Holy Spirit is mentioned 90 times in the Old Testament
with 18 different designations applied to Him; and around 260 times in
the New Testament with 39 different names or titles. This age of
grace is surely the dispensation of the ministration of the Spirit (cf.
2 Cor. 3:8).
The Holy Spirit is CO-ETERNAL with the Father and the Son as members of
the Godhead (Acts 17:29). He is a part of that Godhead (cf. Acts
5:3, 5). There is no insignificant member of the Godhead, since
God is the sum of His parts. The Holy Spirit is not infinite in
and of Himself anymore than the Father is of Himself or the Son is of
Himself. The infinity of God is tied to the sum of the attributes
shared by the Godhead.
The Holy Spirit is CO-CREATOR of the world. “The Spirit of
God moved upon the face of the waters (Gen. 1:2), and “...garnished the
heavens” (Job 26:13). The Holy Ghost is CO-CREATOR of the animal
world. “Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created” (Ps.
104:25-30). The Spirit is the CO-CREATOR of beauty. Job
informs us that the
Holy Spirit who garnished or beautified, made splendid the heavens (Job
26:13).
The Holy Spirit is CO-CREATOR of the church. The first Pentecost
after the resurrection of Christ marks the beginning of the
church. But the church did not begin until the Holy Spirit was
sent to the apostles to inspire them to teach God’s message of
salvation to the Pentecostians, which made the church possible (Acts
2:1-47). This Holy Spirit
baptism was never a command, but it was promised only to a few (cf.
Acts
1:5; Acts 10). It was a baptism which God Himself could perform
directly upon the individual.
The Holy Spirit is CO-CREATOR of the Scriptures. “Holy men of God
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet. 1:21; Eph.
6:17). Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as “the finger of God”
(Luke 11:20). In Exodus 31:18 we also learn that the two tables
of
the testimony given to Moses were written with the finger of God (cf.
Deut
9:10).
The Spirit is CO-CREATOR of Christ’s human body. Christ’s
birth was unlike all other births. He was conceived of the Holy Ghost
(Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:35), which makes Him sinless and divine. As
He
was involved in the production of the son of God (in the virgin
conception),
the Holy Spirit is CO-CREATOR of our new birth and new nature (John
3:5).
We can become sons of God only as produced by the Holy Spirit (2 Thess.
2:13-14; Luke 8:11; Eph. 6:17). We are to be immersed (baptized)
into
the name (by the authority) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy
Spirit (Matt. 28:19).
The Holy Spirit was the spiritual element given to some through the
laying on of the apostles’s hands (Acts 8:17-18). The gifts or
miraculous abilities listed in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 could by
the apostles be given to others. The distribution of these gifts
was always according to the will of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:11).
The Holy Spirit is promised to all those who obey Christ (Acts 2:38;
5:32; Eph. 1:13-14; 2 Cor. 1:22; 1 John 4:13). The Holy Spirit, as a
seal and earnest, dwells in the heart of the faithful child of God (cf.
Eph.
3:17). He helps us when we pray (Rom. 8:26). May we ever exhibit
the
fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-25) and recognize, revere, and obey
God-the
Father, Christ-the Son, and the Holy Spirit.