The Holy Spirit is God

Who is the Holy Spirit? The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is God. He is a person who has a mind, a will, emotions.

In Acts 5:3-4, Peter confronts Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit, telling him he hadn’t lied to man, but to God.

The Holy Spirit has the same attributes as God. In Psalm 139:7-8 we are told that He is omnipresent. 1 Corinthians 2:10 tells us of his omniscience, while also revealing that He thinks and knows.(John 14:26) He creates. (Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30) The Holy Spirit can be grieved. (Ephesians 4:30, Isaiah 63:10), He intercedes for us. (Romans 8:26-27) The Holy Spirit makes decisions according to His will. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11) He is eternal.(Hebrews 9:14)

It was by the Holy Spirit that Mary became pregnant with Jesus Christ. (Matthew 1:18;20) It is the Holy Spirit by which we are convicted of our sin and a need for a Savior.(Matthew 12:32)

We are to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by doing so we are publicly saying that we not only profess our faith in each but that we are devoted to, will worship, and obey each person of the Godhead.(Matthew 28:19) In my last post I mentioned that worship is only reserved for God. The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to bear witness of Jesus(John 15:26)

The names of the Holy Spirit as taught in the Bible are:

• God(Acts 5:3-4)
• Lord(2 Corinthians 3:18)
• Spirit(1 Corinthians 2:10)
• Spirit of God(1 Corinthians 3:16)
• Spirit of Truth(John 15:26)
• Eternal Spirit(Hebrews 9:14)

Just as Christ is equal to the Father, so is the Holy Spirit. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. All are God, all are equal. It is the Holy Spirit who is working in us, transforming us, speaking, giving us power, enlightening us as we read and study the Bible. My next post will go a little deeper into more works of the Holy Spirit.

Sources:

E-sword

Carm.org, The Holy Spirit

Jesus Is God

Paul tells us to renew our mind. How we renew our mind is by not just reading scripture, or by finding proof-texts, but by a solid, deep, careful, study. This takes a lot of time, requires a lot of prayer, a lot of reading, but renewal does take place.

What is Paul talking about when he speaks of renewing the mind? Taking out what you may have been taught or wrong things believed, and replacing them with truth, the truth of the Bible. Unlocking the secrets of God reserved for those who are His through belief in  Jesus Christ.

I have been privileged to belong to a Sunday School class made up of women who have been digging deep into the scriptures the last year, using John MacArthur’s study guide along with other fine sources that have aided me. We have studied the whole books of Galatians and Ephesians, now entering into the study of the book of John.

The riches that have been gleaned from studying this way are numerous.

As I have been preparing for Sunday’s lesson on 1 John 1:1-18, one thing has stood out more than any other message, Jesus is God. Fully God. Now I know that we have been taught this, we say it, but it seems to be said with no meaning until one begins to dig, think, dig some more, as to the full implications of this fact.

John MacArthur writes:

The deity of the Lord Jesus Christ is an essential, nonnegotiable tenet of the Christian faith. Several lines of Biblical evidence flow together to prove conclusively that He is God.

(The Macarthur New Testament Commentary John 1-11; page 13; Moody Publisher;2006)

The book of John is usually the first book we direct unbelievers or new believers to read, but this book is written to seasoned Christians too. It is written to strengthen our faith, to give us food to persevere in our faith.

The book of John, tells us in a few chapters what it took John three years to learn about Christ. John begins this book with “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Verse 2: “He was in the beginning with God.”
Verse 3: “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”

Just about every Christian has memorized that passage, it usually comes in the little memorization packet of verses we each have received as children, getting a prize of some sort for having memorized it. Beginning with that memorization and heading further into our adult years, this verse looses its meaning. It’s just something we tell unbelievers as we witness, without really looking at its power, and its truth that goes beyond what the greatest minds can fathom. God. The eternal, infinite God, became man in the person of Jesus Christ. The Word became flesh. The “I Am”, the one Thomas addressed as “My Lord and My God.”(John 20:28).

Paul wrote to the Philippians that Christ existed in the form of God, possessing absolute equality with God(Phil. 2:6). Jesus Christ received worship, even though He taught that only God was to receive worship.(Matthew 14:33, 28:9, John 9:38, Phil. 2:10, Heb. 1:6, Matthew 4:10). Holy men and angels refused worship. (Acts 10:25-26).

Jesus received prayer which is only to be addressed to God. (John 14:13-14, Acts 7:59-60, 1 John 5:13-15.)

Other passages that confirm this are Colossians 2:9, Romans 9:5, Titus 2:13, 1 John 5:20, to name a few.

Now before you decide that this post is too boring, think about the above. Pray that you would be able to see and feel the full impact of this valuable and awesome truth.

*Sources:
MacArthur New Testament Commentary, MacArthur John, Moody Bible Press (2006)