The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

Part One

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

As Followers of Jesus Christ we worship and serve a Triune God. The Trinity as best we can define it is the belief that within the nature of the One God there are three divine Persons; Father, Son and Spirit. God the Father, Son and Spirit work together to accomplish their purpose and will as the unified Divine Trinity. But each also has different expressions, tasks and ministries. For instance, in the divine plan for salvation for mankind, the Father sends His Son (John 3:16), Jesus comes to save mankind (John 10:10-11) and the Spirit vindicates the Son’s work (1 Timothy 3:16). In 1 Peter 1:1-2 we understand that the Father plans salvation, the Son sacrifices for salvation and the Holy Spirit applies salvation.

 

God’s complex triune nature can often cause us to fail to fully and accurately understand the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Our concept of our earthly father helps us relate to Father God as our spiritual Father. Jesus Christ, who came as God in the flesh, though difficult to fully comprehend, is at least able to be grasped to some degree by our meager human minds because He took on human form. But the Holy Spirit is often the most difficult to wrap our mind around. The Holy Spirit at times seems to be a cold and an impersonal aspect of God to us. But when we look at Holy Scripture we see some amazing examples of His great love and concern for us and also His power and ability to save and protect us. I hope in this series to spread some light on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, dispel some misunderstandings regarding Him and challenge you to recognize that the Holy Spirit is just as critical to your Christian walk and witness as God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

“Holy” connotes the idea of being “cut off or separate from.” This might at first appear to us that the Holy Spirit is unapproachable or inaccessible. In one sense He is, if you are an unbeliever.  It is true that because God is pure and holy He cannot have communion or fellowship with a sinful person. But we know from Scripture that despite this gulf between God and man, God made a way for a relationship to come about through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also called “holy” because, His special work is to produce holiness. He is described as “holy” to differentiate Him from the “evil” spirits.

 

“Spirit” in Scripture is represented by “ruach” in Hebrew and “pneuma” in the Greek. These words when pronounced actually convey something of the meaning of the word. They are words that are called “onomatopeic” which reflect in their physical appearance as a word and their pronunciation in sound something of what they represent.

 

Many names are given to the Holy Spirit in scripture and they are all tied to the works of God in human history and in God’s relationship to men and women.

Spirit of God

 

Genesis 1:1-2 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Here the Holy Spirit is called the “Spirit of God” and we see He was instrumental in bringing about the creation of all that exists in the universe.

   

1 Corinthians 6:11 – “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” Here we see that those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Master are washed, sanctified and justified in the name of Jesus and in the Spirit of God. We will see later in this series that one of the actions that take place in a new believer’s life is the baptism with the Spirit by Jesus Christ.

 

Spirit of the Lord

 

Isaiah 61:1 – “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” And Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” Both show how the Spirit of God can come upon or on a person as God works in their life and uses them for ministry. Acts 5:6 – “Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” This is yet another verse identifying the Holy Spirit by the name of the “Spirit of the Lord.”

   

Spirit of the Father

   

Matthew 10:19-20 – “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Here the Holy Spirit is identified with God the Father and this shows His union with the nature of our triune God.

 

Spirit of the Living God

 

Genesis 6:3 – “Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal;”

God often spoke of the Holy Spirit when He intervened in human history and in the lives of people relationally.

  

2 Corinthians 3:3 – “You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” God wishes us to know that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Life and He wishes to write His truth upon our hearts through an intimate relationship with Him.

   

There are also titles and names that relate the Holy Spirit to Jesus Christ which ties God’s Son intimately with the Holy Spirit.

 

Romans 8:9-10 – “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”

   

Philippians 1:18-19 – “Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.”

   

Galatians 4:6-7 – “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

   

There are also personal titles such as Spirit of Holiness, Holy One and Eternal Spirit.

 

Romans 1:3-4 – “…regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God.”

 

1 John 2:20 – “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.”

 

Hebrews 9:14 – “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God,”

 

He is also referred to as the Spirit of Life and Spirit of Truth.

   

Romans 8:2-3 – “…because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of Life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

 

John 14:16-17 – “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever the Spirit of truth.”

 

We also know the Holy Spirit as the Comforter or Counselor which personalizes the Holy Spirit as One who helps teach us, counsel us and comforts us in time of hardship and need.

           

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.”

   

John 15:26 – “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.” 

John 16:7 – “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

 

In the Old Testament we see numerous references to the Holy Spirit coming upon men and women to enable them to carry out God’s will, influence situations and empower them to action beyond their own ability. This empowerment manifested itself in people in various forms, sometimes with great strength and endurance, wisdom, strategic skills, godly living, creative and artistic abilities as well as bravery.

 

Joseph’s interpretations of his dreams are an example of divine ability and empowerment. His leadership skills, commitment to purity and reliance upon God are examples of how the Holy Spirit worked in his life to fulfill God’s plans for not only the Jewish people but Mankind as a whole (Genesis 30-50).

 

In the Old Testament Moses and Joshua were also influenced by the Spirit of God as they led Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land. They were great leaders and warriors because they were influenced, directed and empowered by God’s Holy Spirit.

 

Despite these very personal examples of the Holy Spirit ministering through men and women of God in the Old Testament we often mistakenly think of the Holy Spirit as a force, an influence, a power or emanation? His work and ministry at times appears to be impersonal, mystical or a secret type of work. His name or title encourages this at times. “Spirit” means breath, wind or power. In the Old Testament it was the Holy Spirit of God that was the huge cloud by day and the pillar of fire that sheltered and guided the Jews out of Egypt (Exodus 13-14). The Holy Spirit was also the pillar of cloud that settled at the front of the tent that Moses went in to speak to God (Exodus 33). The Holy Spirit was the mysterious cloud that filled the temple in the Holy of Holies when the temple was dedicated (Ezekiel 10).

 

Also in the New Testament at Jesus’ baptism we see the Holy Spirit appear as a Dove in Matthew 3:16. He is compared to oil in Acts 2:17. He is also portrayed as fire in Matthew 3:11. So these representations and manifestations of the Holy Spirit in both the Old and New Testament can often cause us to think of the Holy Spirit as impersonal. But He is far from impersonal as we shall see in this series as we cover in detail how He ministers to followers of Christ in the New Testament and to us today as well. The Holy Spirit is a most loving, personal and caring Divine Being within the triune God we serve and worship.

 

Romans 8:26-27

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”