God the
Holy Spirit
Absolute
Curriculum
Year 1, Lesson 5
Introduction
The last three sessions we have been discussing the persons of the Trinity, and in this session we're going to continue that as we look into the person of the Holy Spirit. Talking about the Holy Spirit, in a Biblically rooted way, can at times feel difficult for us. Part of that may be due to divergent experiences and backgrounds, but often I think it can even spring from the fact that the Bible to some degree speaks less to who He is, and more to what He does. That being said, we do need to see clearly that the Holy Spirit
1) is God
2) is, like the Father and the Son, a person; not merely an impersonal force.
The Godhood of the Spirit
The first thing we need to see is that the Holy Spirit is, in fact, God. “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.”1 The reason I wanted to start with the Spirit's activity in creation is that we have discussed already the role of the Father and the Son in creation. And here we see in the opening verses of Genesis that the Spirit too was at work. Shaping, forming, bringing order out of chaos. For more explicit statements of the Holy Spirit as God we can turn to the New Testament.
“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 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.”2
So in this story this man and woman sell a piece of property, and then lie about how much of the proceeds have been given to the church. In verse three Peter asks, "why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?'', and in verse four he says, ''you have not lied to man but to God.'' Why did you lie to the Holy Spirit? Lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God. (Which, incidentally, doesn't go well for them - they are struck dead)
We see further evidence of the Spirit's godhood in several Trinitarian statements in the New Testament, the most famous of which is the Great Commission.
''All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.''3
Baptize believers in the name of God, that is, in the the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
The Person-hood of the Spirit
We won't spend too much time on this next point, but I do want to illustrate that when we talk about the Holy Spirit we are talking about one of the persons of the godhead, and not merely an impersonal force sent out from God. One such place that we see this clearly shown is in Paul's letter to the Ephesians.
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."4
There are two things here that point us to seeing the Holy Spirit as a person. First is Paul's instruction not to grieve the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has emotions, and can feel grief. An impersonal force, such as the wind or gravity feels no such emotion. Secondly, we see the person-hood of the Spirit even in how Paul refers to His sealing of believers. He doesn't say, "the Holy Spirit, by which you have been sealed", but rather, "the Holy Spirit, by whom you have been sealed." So we see even in the grammar of the biblical writers this assumption that the Holy Spirit is a person.
The Action of the Spirit
I want to spend the remainder of our time together today talking about the action of the Spirit, first in the life of Jesus, then in the church today. We could discuss the Spirit's action in the Old Testament as well, but I decided that focusing on His New Testament, New Covenant work was more foundational for our discussion in this curriculum.
In Jesus' life
In the life of Jesus, I want to look primarily at three roles the Spirit played.
First, we see the Spirit at work in the conception of Jesus in Mary's womb. In Luke one we read of an angel coming to this young woman, Mary, and telling her that she is going to have a Son. In Luke 1:34-35, we find the question she asks, as well as the angel's reply.
“And Mary said to the angel, 'How will this be, since I am a virgin?' 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.'”
What this isn't teaching, contrary to what some religions say, is the God had sex with Mary. Nothing of the sort. Rather we see that God's creative power comes upon her, and the Holy Spirit forms a new life in Mary's womb without the aid of man, thus this child, Jesus, will be the Son of God Himself. The Holy Spirit did that. So the first thing we see the Spirit doing in Jesus' earthly life is creating Jesus' earthly life.
The second thing we see is that the Holy Spirit anoints and empowers Jesus for ministry. In Mark chapter one we read,
“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.'
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.”5
The heavens are torn open, the Spirit descends, and immediately becomes the driving force in Jesus' life and ministry.
Finally, we find that it is the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
"But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."6
In the believer's life
Finally, I want to briefly discuss how the Spirit is present in our lives today; we will address these things more thoroughly in future sessions.
First, we see that it is the Spirit who causes us to be born again into new life. In John 3 Jesus is speaking with a Pharisee named Nicodemus,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."7
It is the Spirit who blows into the life of a spiritually dead man and makes him born again. But the work of the Spirit does not end there. After He causes us to be born again, he conforms us to the likeness of Christ and causes spiritual fruit to be brought forth.
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."8
Not only does the Spirit cause us to be born again and to bear spiritual fruit, but He equips followers of Christ with the gifts we need to serve one another.
''Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone...All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.''9
Finally, we see that it is the Holy Spirit who binds together Christs church and gives us unity. "In him [Jesus] you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."10 What Paul says here is that in Jesus, we, the church, are being built into the dwelling place of God. But who us doing this building and this binding? None other than the Holy Spirit Himself.
As I said earlier on, much of the Spirit's work will be covered in more detail as we continue in our studies, but I hope this has given you a taste for the massive scope of who He is and what He does. I want to close today with the words of Jude in Jude 18-21,
'They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.' Amen.
1
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ge
1:1–2). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. All scripture taken from
the ESV, unless otherwise indicated.
2Acts
5:1-4
3Matthew
28:18b-19. See also 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2, Mark 1:9-11
4Ephesians
4:30
5Mark
1:9-12
6Romans
8:10-11
7John
3:3-6
8Galatians
5:22-23
91
Corinthians 12:4-6, 11
10Ephesians
2:22
