The Holy Ghost is God The Holy Spirit is placed on a plane of absolute equality with the Father and the Son as Deity and is regarded equally with them as the source of all power and blessing. "Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?_.. Thou has not lied unto men, but unto God." (Acts 5:3,4). Our Lord Jesus Christ said: "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. 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 14:16,17,26). If the Holy Spirit is just an influence, then verse 16 should read, "he shall give you another comforter, that IT may abide with you for ever." Instead we read "that HE may abide with you for ever." A personality possesses a mind, a will, and emotions. Certainly a mere influence does not have these characteristics, but we find them ascribed to the Holy Spirit. The divine wisdom of the Holy Spirit is indicated in I 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." The Holy Spirit is a person who knows the deep things of God and reveals them to us. In I Corinthians 12:11 the Apostle Paul declares that the Holy Spirit has a will. He says, "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." (I Corinthians 12:11). An influence or abstract power cannot choose to do anything. We find in this verse further proof of the personality of the Holy Spirit. The third quality of a personality is the ability to experience emotion, to feel joy and sorrow. That the Holy Spirit possesses this characteristic is clear from the scripture. He loves, for the Apostle Paul in Romans 15:30 refers to "the love of the Spirit". He is able to feel grief. Therefore, we are told, "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God". (Ephesians 4:30). The Holy Spirit performs acts which can only be ascribed to a personality. He speaks (Revelation 2:7), He makes intercession (Romans 8:26), He teaches (John 14:26), He leads and guides (Romans 8:14).
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 23:27:10 +0000
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