Who Is The Holy Spirit?

 Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. As church planters, we focus much of our time, energy, and prayers on practical tasks.  We make plans to prayer walk to find persons of peace. And then we do it. We think and pray about sharing the Gospel by telling Bible stories or sharing the three circles. And then we do it. We plan worship services. And then we do what we planned. Church planters are practical ministers of the Gospel. I find this delightful. The practicality of church planters is one reason I enjoy so much the time I spend with them, from the newest beginner to the most experienced elder.

 

But in all our practicality, there are times when we are called to be reflective, studious, and thoughtful.  There are times we need to think and speak with great clarity so that we can be sure that our practical work is built on the firm foundation of truth revealed in the Scriptures.

 

Of all the questions the Bible answers, perhaps the most important is, “Who is God?” The Bible reveals that there is only one God, eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  So who is the Holy Spirit?  The Holy Spirit is God.  He is one of three persons of the godhead.  And the Holy Spirit is a person.  

 

When we understand these two truths about the Holy Spirit (that he is God and he is a person), we can relate to him well; we can allow him to do his gracious work in us without fear and with great assurance and faith.  The Holy Spirit is God.  This means that He is eternal.  When the world was created, the Holy Spirit was already there. Genesis 1:2 teaches us that the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters on the first day of creation. He is eternal.

 

And the Holy Spirit is God. This means that he is good and loving and kind. He, along with the Father and the Son share all the qualities attributed to Yahweh in the Old Testament. He is merciful and kind, abounding in steadfast love. He is righteous and holy. He is the Holy Spirit.  Because he is good, we must not be afraid of Him.  Because he is holy we must revere and respect him.

 

But in addition to knowing the attributes of the Holy Spirit, we must also remember who He is not. The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force.  The Holy Spirit is not some supernatural power that we can manipulate with special knowledge. No! He is God at work in the world today to accomplish God’s plan of salvation and sanctification. And so, we do not try to manipulate the Holy Spirit; we submit to him, we cooperate with him. We join him in his work. We listen to him and we are led by him.  We allow him to grow in us the fruit that demonstrates his presence in our lives; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And as that fruit is growing, we allow the Holy Spirit to empower us as witnesses for Christ, testifying in word and deed of his power and desire to save sinners and transform evil-doers into workers of righteousness.

 

Do you know the Holy Spirit? He is God. He is a person. He is at work today.  So humble yourself before him. Honor him as God. As you allow the Holy Spirit to transform your heart and empower your obedience to Christ, you will be used powerfully for the salvation and sanctification of many.

 

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

 

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