Many people misunderstand the identity of
the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is commonly thought of as an impersonal
force. Some people think of it as a healing or protective power to
which God gives a believer access. But what does the Bible say about the
Holy Spirit? Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit is not just an
impersonal power or a force, but a person – the third person of the
Trinity, in fact. The Holy Spirit is God Himself.
The Holy Spirit appears synonymously with God in many places in the Bible, both in the New and Old Testaments. In Acts 5:3-4,
Peter asks Ananias why he has lied to the Holy Spirit, and it is clear
that lying to the Holy Spirit is the same as lying to God. He shares the
characteristics of God, such as omniscience and omnipresence, as seen
in Psalm 139:7-8,
which says "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee
from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my
bed in Sheol, you are there!" Again in 1 Corinthians 2:10-11,
God's attribute of omniscience is also present in the Holy Spirit:
"these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit
searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's
thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no
one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."
The Holy Spirit is a divine person, and He is intimately involved in our
salvation, along with the Father and the Son, as shown in Romans 8:11
which says, "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells
in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to
your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." The Holy
Spirit has thoughts and knowledge (1 Corinthians 2:10), and He can feel sorrow and grief (Ephesians 4:30). The Spirit can make intercession for believers (Romans 8:26-27). He also has a will and makes decisions (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
In summary, the Holy Spirit is God. He is the third person of the
Trinity. Only as that divine person can the Holy Spirit be to believers a
comforter and a counselor, according to the promise of Jesus (John 14:16,26; 15:26).
The Bible notes several roles the Holy
Spirit plays in the lives of people today. First, the Holy Spirit
provides conviction of sin to all people. John 16:8 notes, "And when he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment."
For believers in Christ, the Holy Spirit works in additional ways. One of these roles is to serve as a helper or comforter. John 14:16-17
records Jesus saying, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you
another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom
the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him."
The Greek word translated as "Helper" or "Comforter" (KJV) refers to one
who is called alongside another, providing the idea of a guide or
encourager during times of need. This takes place as God's Spirit
indwells the believer from the point of salvation (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
An additional role of the Holy Spirit is to guide the believer into truth. John 16:13
reads, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the
truth." Rather than depending on our human reasoning, we have a
supernatural guide in the form of God's indwelling Holy Spirit.
Further, the Holy Spirit helps believers to glorify Christ. John 16:14
reveals, "He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare
it to you." We have a desire to worship Christ because God's Spirit
lives within us as believers.
For believers, the Holy Spirit also gives special gifts. First Corinthians 12, Romans 12:3-8, and 1 Peter 4:10-11 reveal the names of many gifts God's Spirit provides to believers. Each believer has at least one (1 Corinthians 12:7), and each person is specifically gifted for the acts of service God has prepared for him or her (Ephesians 2:10). The gifts are given to allow the church to work together to meet needs, make disciples, and glorify God.
God's Spirit also enables believers to produce the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23
shares, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such
things there is no law." Without God's Spirit, people are unable to
produce fruitful lives that reflect the plan of God.
The Holy Spirit indwells us as believers. In addition to the many roles
He plays in our lives, He seals us as belonging to God (see Ephesians 1:13-14). The Holy Spirit is the person of God who lives with us in our time on earth and teaches us to truly know and follow God.
In biblical times, a seal was a guarantee. Ephesians 1:13-14
shares regarding the Holy Spirit, "In him you also, when you heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were
sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our
inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his
glory." According to this passage, the seal of the Holy Spirit takes
place at the point of salvation. It is a promise or guarantee of the
Christian's future, eternal inheritance with Yeshua (Jesus) Christ.
The Greek word translated as "seal" is shragizo that means "to set a
seal upon, mark with a seal." A seal could be used to guarantee a
document or letter (Esther 3:12), indicate ownership (Song of Songs 8:6), or protect against tampering (Matthew 27:66; Revelation 5:1). The Holy Spirit is our seal in every sense of this word.
First, the Holy Spirit in the believer's life helps to guarantee he or she is a child of God. Romans 8:16 shares, "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
Second, the seal of the Holy Spirit serves as a mark that we truly belong to Christ. Romans 8:9-10
teaches, "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in
fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the
Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of
righteousness." First Corinthians 6:19-20
also notes, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy
Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you
were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
Third, the seal of the Holy Spirit helps protect against tampering or attack. Romans 8:13
declares, "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if
by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." In
a very real sense, God's Spirit protects us and guarantees our eternity
with In biblical times, a seal was a guarantee. Ephesians 1:13-14
shares regarding the Holy Spirit, "In him you also, when you heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were
sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our
inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his
glory." According to this passage, the seal of the Holy Spirit takes
place at the point of salvation. It is a promise or guarantee of the
Christian's future, eternal inheritance with Jesus Christ.
The Greek word translated as "seal" is shragizo that means "to set a
seal upon, mark with a seal." A seal could be used to guarantee a
document or letter (Esther 3:12), indicate ownership (Song of Songs 8:6), or protect against tampering (Matthew 27:66; Revelation 5:1). The Holy Spirit is our seal in every sense of this word.
First, the Holy Spirit in the believer's life helps to guarantee he or she is a child of God. Romans 8:16 shares, "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
Second, the seal of the Holy Spirit serves as a mark that we truly belong to Christ. Romans 8:9-10
teaches, "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in
fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the
Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of
righteousness." First Corinthians 6:19-20
also notes, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy
Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you
were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
Third, the seal of the Holy Spirit helps protect against tampering or attack. Romans 8:13
declares, "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if
by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." In
a very real sense, God's Spirit protects us and guarantees our eternity
with Christ.
At what point does the sealing of the Holy Spirit take place? It takes place when a person believes the gospel (Ephesians 1:13; John 7:37-39). At that point, God's seal offers the promise of eternal life (John 3:16) because of salvation based on God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The seal of the Holy Spirit offers a wonderful glimpse of God's role in
salvation. When we receive salvation in Christ, we are given a
guarantee, exchange our ownership for His, and are protected against
forces of evil. This seal should provide wonderful encouragement for the
believer against the spiritual battles in this life (Ephesians 6:12) and anticipation for the life to come..
At what point does the sealing of the Holy Spirit take place? It takes place when a person believes the gospel (Ephesians 1:13; John 7:37-39). At that point, God's seal offers the promise of eternal life (John 3:16) because of salvation based on God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The seal of the Holy Spirit offers a wonderful glimpse of God's role in
salvation. When we receive salvation in Christ, we are given a
guarantee, exchange our ownership for His, and are protected against
forces of evil. This seal should provide wonderful encouragement for the
believer against the spiritual battles in this life (Ephesians 6:12) and anticipation for the life to come.
Scripture that refers to the filling of the Holy Spirit is Ephesians 5:17-21:
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord
is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be
filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody to Christ with your heart,
giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of
our King Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for
Christ.
In these verses being filled with the Spirit is contrasted with being
filled or drunk with wine. The idea is one of being controlled by God's
Spirit rather than by other forces. When we are filled by the Spirit, we
see a resultant attitude of joy and thanksgiving. We also see a
relational posture of humility toward God and of submission to one
another.
So how can a person be filled with the Holy Spirit? To be clear, there
is an important difference between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and
the filling of the Holy Spirit. All believers in Jesus Christ have
God's Spirit living within them, or dwelling within them (John 14:16, Ephesians 1:13, 2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 4:30);
but not all believers live filled or controlled by the Spirit's power.
Some Christians describe this distinction by saying believers have all
of the Holy Spirit but the Holy Spirit may not have all of them. We are
indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the time of our salvation but we are
filled by Him when we submit to Him.
The filling of the Holy Spirit, then, can vary in the life of each
believer. Negatively, a believer in Christ can "quench" or "grieve" the
Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30).
Sinful actions can hinder the work of God's Spirit in his or her life.
In contrast, when a believer in Christ lives in obedience to God's will
and commands, he or she should expect to see God's Spirit living through
them.
Some suggest that the filling of the Holy Spirit is an emotional
experience that takes place at certain moments, but the concept of
"filling" in Scripture is one of being controlled or influenced by the
Holy Spirit. At times living a Spirit-filled life may include emotional
or mountain-top experiences. But the idea of being filled by the Spirit
is more about an ongoing sense of God's Spirit working in a person's
life, not a one-time experience. As the believer lives out his or her
faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit increasingly controls or fills his or
her life; this leads to joy, thankfulness, and right relationships.