The Third Person of the Trinity

God the Holy Spirit

      Some people don’t believe that God the Holy Spirit is a person. Some people don’t believe that He is God! We’re going to prove from scripture that the Holy Spirit is a person and that He is God. First, let’s prove that God the Holy Spirit is a person. A person thinks, desires, and uses his will to make decisions. Isn’t that what you do?

     John 16:7-13a “But I [Jesus Christ] tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper [Holy Spirit] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict [convince] the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world [satan] has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth;”

     Even though we don’t see God the Holy Spirit, He is a person. He thinks, desires, and uses His will to make decisions. Jesus Christ told the apostles that the Holy Spirit would be their Helper and guide them “into all the truth”. He also said that when the Holy Spirit came to earth, He would point out the guilt of the world due to not believing in Jesus Christ. He would point out that salvation is through believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior. We can only have God’s righteousness or goodness by believing in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has to point that out to people. He would point out that satan had been defeated at the cross. Now to do all these things God the Holy Spirit had to think, desire to act, and use His will to make decisions. That is exactly what He did! God the Holy Spirit is a person!

      Acts 28:25-27 And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, ‘Go to this people and say, “you will keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.”

     This scripture is quoting a speech in Isaiah 6:8-10 made by the Holy Spirit. Once again, the Holy Spirit was using His intellect, desire, and will. He had to think about what He would say to Isaiah, desire to say it, and use His will to say it.

God the Holy Spirit is a person!
 

     Now we will see the deity of the Holy Spirit as proven in scripture. We will do this by looking at some of the attributes of God. These attributes can only be possessed by God. The Holy Spirit has these attributes or characteristics therefore the Holy Spirit is God!
     Sovereignty: The Holy Spirit is the sovereign or top Ruler along with God the Father and God the Son. He is the revealer of Bible doctrine, or He makes known Bible doctrine, the thinking of God. The Holy Spirit gives us the divine power to understand Bible doctrine and to live in the plan of God for our lives. Only God can reveal the mind of God and give divine power. Only God is sovereign. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is God!

     Romans 8:5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
     John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
     1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit [God the Holy Spirit] works all these things [spiritual gifts], distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

      Veracity: Veracity means truth. God is the truth. He is the Source of truth. We can always count on God telling us the truth. In this next scripture, it says “the Spirit is the truth”. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is God!

     1 John 5:6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water [Jesus’ baptism, being identified as the Messiah to do the plan of the Father] and the blood [His spiritual death on the cross]. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

     Eternal Life: God has eternal life. This means that there never was a time when God did not live! There will never be a time when He stops living! Nothing caused God to come into existence. The Holy Spirit has eternal life. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is God!

     Hebrews 9:14 How much more will the blood of Christ [God the Son], Who through the eternal Spirit [God the Holy Spirit] offered Himself without blemish to God [God the Father], cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
 

     Omniscience: This means that God is all-knowing and describes God as having complete knowledge of all things. God never learns anything because He has always known everything! He never had to study. Total wisdom as well as total knowledge belong to God. Only God has omniscience. The Holy Spirit has omniscience. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is God.

     1 Corinthians 2:10-11 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit [God the Holy Spirit]; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

      Omnipotence: This means that God is all powerful or almighty. He can do all things that are not contradictory to His own nature. God will never make right wrong, nor will He act foolishly. Infinite energy and power belong to God. He never gets tired! Only God is omnipotent. The Holy Spirit supplies the divine power for believers to live in the plan of the Father. The Holy Spirit is omnipotent. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is God!

     Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

     He keeps the stars and planets moving just the way that they need to move! He gives us everything that we need! He has everything in control! Only God can do that! Jesus Christ is God, the second Person of the Trinity!
 

     Omnipresence: This means that God is everywhere present. It describes God’s attribute of eternal and simultaneous (at the same time) presence in every place. God is not subject to the limitations of space. He is personally an eyewitness to every activity of our lives. He is available to help us immediately! He always has time for everyone simultaneously! The Holy Spirit is everywhere present. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is God!

     Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.

The Holy Spirit is God and the third person of the Trinity!

2 Corinthians 13:14   The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God [the Father], and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

God's Divine Nature

The Third Person of the Trinity

References used:

                    Robert R.McLaughlin Bible Ministries   www.gbible.org 
                  
                    The Filling of the Holy Spirit, Robert R. McLaughlin

                    Lessons:   2-20-07, 2-27-07, 3-6-07