The Holy Spirit is the promised divine helper who proceeds from the Father and Son. The Spirit is God’s presence and power in the world and indwells believers. By the Holy Spirit, God inspired and illuminates the Scriptures; convicts and regenerates sinners; sanctifies, teachers, comforts, guides, and preserves believers; and empowers them for service. Evidences of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life are faith in Christ, obedience to God, and the spiritual fruit of love.
Nowhere in the Bible is the Holy Spirit called “God”. Not one epistle of Paul or any general epistle gives a salutation to the Holy Spirit, only to God and Jesus. Everywhere in the Bible the Holy Spirit is shown to be the essence of God, the power of God given to mankind to fill His believers with “God’s Holy Spirit.” It is what God uses to create and inspire creation (Gen. 1:2; Ex. 31:1-5), inspire (Judges 14:6; 15:14; I Sam. 10:10; 16:13), reveal His Son (Matt.3:16,17; Mark 1:10,11;Luke 3:22; John 1:32-34;I Cor. 12:3), and help mankind (John 7:37-39; Acts 2:38-39.) The Holy Spirit is the origin of God’s written word (II Pet. 1:21; II Tim. 3:16).
In Acts 1 we learn Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem (vs. 4) because they would receive the “power of the Holy Spirit” (vs 8). On the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) the disciples received the Holy Spirit of God and immediately began to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God with all power and authority. This new found power and authority came directly from being imbued with the Holy Spirit. On this special day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was given by Jesus and implanted into his followers (John 14:7; Romans 8:9 and I John 2:27).
The Holy Spirit is referred to as “Helper, Advocate, Comforter and Counselor”. The Holy Spirit assists God’s people by: living within and remaining with us (John 14:16-18; Matt. 28:20). Teach and remind us of all things Jesus said and did (John 14:26; I John 2:27). Guide the followers of Jesus (John 16:13; I John 2:27). The Holy Spirit will only speak what the Father and Son tell it to say (John 16:13). It would convict the world about sin, righteousness and judgement (John 16:8-11). It enables believers to obey God (Rom. 8:5-9, 13), intercedes on our behalf (Rom.8:26), testifies of Jesus (I Cor. 12:3; Matt. 16:16-17), distributes spiritual gifts for the edification of the Church (I Cor. 12:7-11), helps produce spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-25), reminds us of God’s intention to redeem us (II Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:13-14), preserves believers until the return of Christ (II Cor. 1:21-22) and sanctifies believers (Rom. 15:15-16; II Thes. 2:13; I Pet. 1:2).
To be one of God’s elect we must have His Spirit dwelling in us (Rom. 8:9b). Without His Spirit in us we are none of His.
We see that rather than being God, the Holy Spirit should be “regarded as God’s personal presence with and within His people on earth.” “It is better to think of the Spirit as the personal presence of the Father and Son on earth and within believers, rather than as a third person of the Godhead in the same sense as Father and Son.” The Holy Spirit is the power of God guiding and directing the wishes given to it from God the Father and Jesus the Son.
