You might have asked yourself, “Who/What is the Holy Spirit? Does the Holy Spirit possess a personality? Or is it just an influential Spirit...
You might have asked yourself, “Who/What is the Holy Spirit? Does the Holy Spirit possess a personality? Or is it just an influential Spirit that originates from God?” We are used to the work and influence so much so that we often forget that the Holy Spirit is truly and actually a person; a subsistence. John Gill said, "As the Father has life in Himself, and the Son has life in Himself, so has the Holy Spirit; since He is the Author of natural and spiritual life to men, which He could not be unless He had life in Himself; and if He has life in Himself, He must subsist in Himself.’ We have grown use to regarding the Holy Spirit as an influential force flowing from the Father and the Son, but not as being actually a person himself. God the Holy Spirit is not an influence, a stream of something flowing from the Father; but He is as much an actual person as either God the Son, or God the Father. Unless we have a true
understanding of the nature of the Third Person of the Trinity we will be unable to relate to Him let alone pay rightful homage, love, confidence and submission which are His due.
The Bible reveals the true and proper personality of the Holy Ghost. According to Scriptures, the Holy Spirit of God has the constituents of personality ascribed to Him. He is endowed with understanding or
wisdom, which is the first inseparable property of an intelligent
being "the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God" (1 Cor. 2:10). Now to "search" is an act of understanding, and the Spirit is said to "search" because He "knows" (v. 11). He is endowed with will, which is the most eminently distinguishing property of a person: "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." (1 Cor. 12:11)—how utterly meaningless would be such language were the Spirit only an influence or energy! He loves "Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit…" (Rom. 15:30)
Passive personal properties are ascribed to the Holy Spirit: He can be tempted (Acts 5:9). He can be lied to (Acts 5:3). He can also be grieved (Eph. 4:30). Personal actions are attributed to Him. He speaks "Now the Spirit expressly says" (1 Tim. 4:1); "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Rev. 2:7). He teaches: "For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." (Lk. 12:12); " But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." (Jn. 14:26). He commands or exercises
authority, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them" (Acts 13:2). He intercedes; "But the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us" (Rom. 8:26). Personal characters are ascribed to Him. He is referred to as "The Comforter (John 14:16)." He bears witness (Heb. 10:15; Rom. 8:16). He is Justifier and Sanctifier: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were
sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11).
The Bible reveals that the Holy Spirit is indeed a personal being
possessing personality that only a person can possess and not just a
impersonal influential force that originates from God. Remain Blessed.
E.O. Medaiyse, Snr. Pastor
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