THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Romans 8:14

Morning Meditation 10/8/2012

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

The Holy Spirit is a Person in the Godhead. The Nicene creed pays tribute to the Holy Spirit as being Himself God and equal to the Father and the Son:

I believe in the Holy Spirit

The Lord and giver of life,

Which proceedeth from the Father and the Son,

Who with the Father and Son together

Is worshipped and glorified.

The Personality of the Holy Spirit means that He is a person and has all the attributes that make a person a person.

He comforts as a person. John 14:16-18, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; 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. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."

The word "Another" is making a comparison of Himself to the Holy Spirit who would fulfill the roll that Jesus filled in the lives of the disciples for three and one-half years. They would not be left alone. The words "I will come to you" identifies Jesus with the Person of the Holy Spirit in such a way that there is no difference.

Tozer quotes the Athanasian Creed: "The Holy Spirit is of the Father and the Son: not made nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. God exists in Himself and of Himself. His being Ho owes to no one. His substance is indivisible. He has no parts but is single in His unitary being."

Just as Jesus deal with His disciples on a personal level and comforted them in their distresses, the blessed Holy Spirit is sent to accomplish the same thing to the believers in this present age.

This is different only in that the Holy Spirit cannot be seen. Jesus said in "John 14:17, "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."

The Holy Spirit's relationship to believers is by faith. That does not make Him less of a reality. God is Spirit and cannot be seen, yet we believe in Him and have put our trust in Him for forgive us and takes us finally to be with Him forever.

The same things are said of the Holy Spirit as are said of a person:

1. The Holy Spirit can be grieved with the believer becomes disobedient; Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

2. The Holy Spirit can be resisted; Acts 7:51 says, "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers [did], so [do] ye."

3. The Holy Spirit can lead; Matthew 4:1 says, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."

4. The Holy Spirit can speak through believers; Matthew 10:20 says, "For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."

5. Jesus acknowledged that what He did in His public ministry was done by the power of the Spirit. He says in Luke 4:18 , The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,"

6. The Church has received, as a companion and Divine enabler, to take the gospel to the utter most parts of the earth; Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

This list is just enough to allow us to see that the Holy Spirit is a person and not just an influence. He works with us as believers in the same way Jesus worked with the disciples. However the Holy Spirit is invisible to the naked eye. Only those who believe what the Bible says about Him are able to enjoy His comfort and fellowship.

Remember believer, you have the Divine Third Person of the God Head going with you every where you go. He is there to guide, empower your witness, and keep you in the love of God.

In Christ

Bro. White