John 14.16-17- "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the SPIRIT OF TRUTH; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
What a title is given to the One who is subject to such controversy: the Spirit of Truth! There are so many different ideas and concepts about who or what the Holy Spirit truly is. I find it ironic (though I don't believe in irony) that the point of this teaching all about finding the truth concerning the One who referred to as the Spirit of Truth.... Nonetheless, let us begin our study.
What a title is given to the One who is subject to such controversy: the Spirit of Truth! There are so many different ideas and concepts about who or what the Holy Spirit truly is. I find it ironic (though I don't believe in irony) that the point of this teaching all about finding the truth concerning the One who referred to as the Spirit of Truth.... Nonetheless, let us begin our study.
I. THE NATURE OF THE SPIRIT
What is nature? When we talk about the nature of someone or something, we are talking about "the essential characteristics and qualities of a person or thing." (Bancroft) It is the fundamental character or disposition of a person or thing. The Bible has a lot to say about the Holy Spirit. Jesus, Himself, told us much about the the Spirit. In the pages of the Bible, we begin to see certain characteristics and qualities of the Spirit. We are able to behold His nature.
The first way we can understand the Holy Spirit's nature is by understanding:
A. The Personality of the Spirit
In speaking of the personality of the Spirit, we are referring His possession of the elements of personal existence (as opposed to impersonal existence- like animal life). Defining everything about a Divine Being is impossible.
Romans 11.33- "O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!"
As we study this great subject of the Holy Spirit, we are praying that God would open our eyes concerning who He is. But we must bear in mind that FINITE MINDS CANNOT FULLY COMPREHEND INFINITE TRUTH. We can study and determine several definite truths concerning the Spirit. But we must remember that God cannot be measure by human standards. Man was made in the image of God- God certainly was not made in the image of God. Don't forget: Only God has perfect personality.
Emery H. Bancroft- "Personality may be said to exist when there is found intelligence, emotion, and volition, or self-consciousness and self- determination, in a single individual. When a being possesses the attributes, properties, and qualities of personality, then personality may be unquestionably predicated."
Example: When we talk about the three Persons of the Trinity, rather than referring to different organisms we are actually referring to personal distinctions.
Have you ever wondered why so many people get mixed up on who the Holy Spirit truly is? Though they are not excused from seeking out the truth, there are several reasons why so many either confused or deceived into believing apostasy concerning the Holy Spirit:
1. Reasons for apostasy concerning the Spirit's personality:
- When compared with the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit seem impersonal to some.
The carnal minds says: 'The Father has spent the past 6,000 years communicating with through His Creation- so we know He is personal.'
The carnal mind says: 'The incarnation is sufficient evidence that the Son is personal.'
'But the Spirit', the carnal mind says, 'has not revealed personality through these types of means.
- The natural elements associated with the Holy Spirit may seem impersonal: breath, power, wind, water, fire and oil.
This is one of the reasons that so many cults are hung up on the Spirit. The Spirit is so often associated with things like wind, fire, power and water that some think the Spirit to be nothing more than an impersonal force.
Let's look at a few of those instances in Scripture:
John 3.5-8- "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth:so is every one that is born of the Spirit."
Acts 2.1-4- "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
- The Spirit is not always listed with the Father and the Son in certain salutations in Scripture.
1 Thess. 3.11- "Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you."
- The Greek word or name for Spirit (pneuma) is neuter in its Greek original form.
"Father"- masculine
"Son"- masculine
"Spirit"- neuter
2. Proof of the Holy Spirit's personality:
- Masculine pronouns
Though "Spirit" is always neuter in its Greek form, it is accompanied by a masculine pronoun- so as to leave no doubt to the reader that the Holy Spirit is deity.
John 14.16-17- "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that HE may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; WHOM the world cannot receive, because it seeth HIM not, neither knoweth HIM:but ye know HIM; for HE dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
John 14.26-"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, WHOM the Father will send in my name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
John 15.26- "But when the Comforter is come, WHOM I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, HE shall testify of me"
John 16.7-13- "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away:for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when HE is come, HE will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth:for HE shall not speak of HIMSELF; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak:and HE will shew you things to come."
The Jehovah's Witnesses (as much as I hate to call them that) would contest that the Spirit is nothing more than a force or currency of power- thus, reducing the Holy Spirit to the equivalent of electricity.
But we must bear in mind that the verses we just read are statements from the lips of our Lord, Himself! The Holy Spirit is personal in nature and is referred to by Jesus as "Whom, Him and He." If we can trust Jesus to be deity then we can trust His Word- because God cannot lie. If Jesus referred to the Holy Ghost as a person, then there should be no doubt in our minds.
- Ascribed Titles
Not only does Christ refer to the Spirit as "He, Whom, and Him", He also refers to the Spirit by a very interest word/title in several different verses...
John 14.16- "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another COMFORTER, that He may abide with you for ever"
John 14.26-"But theCOMFORTER, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
John 15.26- "But when theCOMFORTER is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me"
John 16.7- "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away:for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you."
The English word "Comforter" is a translation of the Greek word, "parakletos." It means "to come to one's side and pleads one's cause before the judge." It is "a pleader, a defense counsellor, a legal assistant; an advocate."
1 John 2.1- "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous"
Here we find The Lord Jesus Christ referred to as our "advocate." And truly He is our Advocate- as He stands between God and man for us. Any guesses as to what Greek word "advocate comes from? You guessed it: parakletos! It is the same word that Jesus used in reference to the Holy Ghost. This means that the Holy Spirit and Jesus are equal in existence and in working.
Surely this would convince the naysayers, right? Well even with some... it is still not enough. They would say, "what about the word 'another' in John 14.16?" Jesus said that He would give "another Comforter." If He is "another" Comforter, then He and Jesus must be two separate Beings, right?
"Another" comes from the Greek word "allos", which doesn't just mean another. It means "another of the same kind/sort." He is as equally divine as Jesus, Himself. He is the same kind of Comforter that Christ was- He is an advocate.
- Divine characteristics
"By characteristics we do not mean hands, feet, or eyes... But qualities such as knowledge, feeling, and will, which denote personality." (Bancroft)
Here are several examples:
a. Intelligence
1 Corinthians 2.10-11- "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God."
How can a non-personal force reveal, search or know something? "The Holy Spirit is not merely an illuminating power or influence, but is a Person possessed of intellect." (Bancroft)
b. Will
1 Corinthians 12.11- "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."
"An 'it,' that which is impersonal, is not possessed of volition." (Bancroft)
c. Love
Romans 15.30- "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;"
Emery H. Bancroft said, "It may be said that we owe our salvation just truly to the love of the Spirit as we do to the love of the Father and Son."
d. Grief
Ephesians 4.30- "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
You cannot grieve electricity. Grief is something reserved for an actual PERSON with an actual personality. You cannot cause a force to mourn. But you can cause a PERSON grief.
So the Spirit thinks, desires, loves, is good, and He grieves. I think it is obvious that the Holy Spirit is not a force or currency of power. He is a real Person with personality.
So the Spirit thinks, desires, loves, is good, and He grieves. I think it is obvious that the Holy Spirit is not a force or currency of power. He is a real Person with personality.
- Personal acts
a. He searches
1 Corinthians 2.10- "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."
b. He speaks
Revelation 2.7- "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
Eight times in the book of Revelation it is mentioned that the Spirit says something. In Revelation 22.17, the Spirit beckons us to "come" to God.
c. He cries out
Galatians 4.6- "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
d. He testifies
John 15.26- "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:"
e. He makes intercession
Romans 8.26- "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
Intercession- "entugchano". Definition- "to light upon a person or place; to go to meet a person for conversation"
Only a person can do this.
f. He teaches
John 14.26- "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
Only a person can teach.
g. He leads and guides
Romans 8.14- "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
h. He calls and commissions
Acts 13.2- "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."
A force can neither call nor commission someone- only a person can.
By observing the personal acts that the Holy Spirit performs, it become clear that these acts can only be attributed to a personal agent.
- Personal treatment received
a. He is rebelled against
Isaiah 63.10- "But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit:
therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them."
One cannot rebel against an impersonal force- neither can a force be grieved.
b. He is lied to
Acts 5.3- "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?"
c. He is blasphemed
Matthew 12.31-32- "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men:but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him:but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."
Through personal pronouns, personal characteristics, personal acts, and personal treatment, we can conclude and contend from God's Word that the Holy Spirit is an actual person.
2 Cor. 13.14- "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."
"Theoretically, we may believe this. Do we in our real thought of Him, or in our practical attitude toward Him, treat Him as a person? Do we regard Him as indeed as real a person as Jesus Christ- as loving, wise and strong, as worthy of our confidence and love and surrender, as He? He came to be to the disciples, and to us, what Christ had been to them during the days of His personal companionship with them (John 14.16-17). Do we know 'the communion and fellowship of the Holy Ghost'? (2 Corinthians 13.14)" (R. A. Torrey, What the Bible Teaches)
B. The Deity of the Holy Spirit
Deity- to be one with God and one with Godhead; to be co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent with the Father and the Son.
1. Divine names given to Him
- He is called "God"
Acts 5.3-4- "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."
Vs 3- "lie to the Holy Ghost"
Vs. 4- "lied not unto men, but GOD."
- He is called "Lord"
2 Cor. 3.18- "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
"Of The Lord"
"By the Spirit of The Lord"
2. Divine Attributes
God's attributes belong to Him alone.
- Eternity
Hebrews 9.14- "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
- Omnipresence
Psalm 139.7-10- "Whither shall I go from thy spirit?
or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:
if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me."
- Omnipotence
Luke 1.35- "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."
"the power of the Highest"
- Omniscience
1Corinthians 2.10-11- "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God."
3. Divine works
-Creation
Job 33.4- "The Spirit of God hath made me,
and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life."
Genesis 1.2b- "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
- Impartation of life
Romans 8.11- "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
Emery Bancroft- "The Holy Spirit is author of both physical life and spiritual life."
- Prophetical authorship
2 Peter 1.21- "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
4. Name associations
- In the Great Commission
Matthew 28.19- "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
- In the apostolic benediction
2 Corinthians 13.14- "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."
"In many unmistakable ways, God, in His Word, distinctly proclaims that the Holy Spirit is not ONLY a person, but a DIVINE person." (Bancroft)
No comments:
Post a Comment